Strawberries in pots, baskets and bags
No garden? Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in a container.
How this site works. Every fact is in our own words and linked to its source, beside it. Growing advice comes mainly from the RHS, the UK’s gardening charity.
They are easy to grow in pots, growing bags, hanging baskets, troughs and tubs. RHS
Containers avoid the soil diseases that build up in strawberry beds, and slugs and snails are less likely to reach the fruit. Vine weevils can be a problem, though. RHS
How to plant a container
In a container, plant with the crown level with the compost and space plants about 20cm (8in) apart. RHS
Traditional strawberry pots, with holes around the sides, look attractive but can make it hard to keep plants healthy and productive. RHS
Watering and feeding
Water new plants regularly while they settle in, and all plants in long dry spells. Hanging baskets dry out fastest. RHS
Try not to wet the crown or the fruit when watering, as that can lead to fungal problems, especially grey mould. Water in the morning, not the evening. RHS
Plants in good, mulched soil rarely need feeding. In containers, feed every fortnight in the growing season, switching to a high-potassium feed when the first flower buds form. RHS
Watch out for vine weevil
Vine weevil grubs love strawberry plants and are a bigger threat in containers, but they can be kept in check with biological controls. RHS
Vine weevil grubs are plump, C-shaped, white and legless, with light brown heads, and up to 10mm long. They eat roots, so plants wilt and die. RHS, vine weevil
More on the problems page.
Moving them under cover
Under cloches, strawberries fruit at least a week earlier than unprotected plants; in an unheated greenhouse about two weeks earlier. RHS
Our view: a hanging basket of strawberries is a fine idea, as long as you are the sort of person who remembers to water a hanging basket.
Next: care and picking →