When is the best time to plant potted strawberries? How many plants per pot and how long until they bear fruit

Strawberry, also known as yangmei, dimei, diguo, hongmei, and strawberry, is a common perennial herbaceous plant in China. It is widely cultivated because of its high nutritional value and considerable health benefits, and many people now like to grow it as a potted plant. So when is the best time to plant potted strawberries? How many plants are roughly planted per pot? How long until they bear fruit? How do you grow them?

Potted planting time:

Potted strawberries can be planted all year round. However, it is best to choose autumn. This is because the most suitable temperature for strawberry germination is 20°C~25°C, and autumn can provide natural conditions that meet this temperature, so the survival rate of strawberries is very high.

Spring planting:

To grow strawberries, you can sow seeds or directly buy strawberry seedlings, and they are generally quite easy to obtain from the market or online shopping platforms. However, if the planting time for strawberries is not chosen appropriately, not only will the survival rate be insufficient, but they may also fail to set fruit because the growing period is insufficient.

Spring is a good planting time. Spring temperatures get higher and higher, which is also very suitable for the growth and development of strawberries. In the north, March and April are just right. If you buy ready-made strawberry seedlings, you can basically pick fresh strawberries more than two months after planting. As for strawberries in vegetable greenhouses, they are planted in September and October; the earlier ones are picked in December or January, while the later ones are picked from March to May. This basically matches the spring potting time we mentioned above.

Autumn cultivation

Sowing strawberries in autumn should be said to be the best suitable planting period for strawberries. What needs to be said here is that if sowing in autumn, you should directly choose strawberry seeds. Planting strawberries in autumn matches the strawberry planting season in greenhouses. However, as far as China is concerned, temperatures in the north and south differ greatly. The farther north you go, the colder the temperature, and the sowing period should accordingly be moved earlier. In places like Shenyang and Dalian, the time must be moved earlier to July and August for normal growth and development, so each region also needs to make corresponding adjustments. Overall, basically August to October is the sowing period for strawberries, because strawberries have no obvious dormant period and can all germinate, grow, and develop.

Of course, if time allows, the earlier you plant, the better (within the sowing period), so that the plants have sufficient time to grow and develop, can overwinter steadily, and the yield in the coming year is also more guaranteed. Although they are potted, after all, we also hope to harvest strawberries.

How many plants per pot?

Under normal circumstances: for potting, it is advisable to choose a ceramic pot with a diameter of 20-30 cm. For such a flowerpot, planting one plant per pot is enough. If it is an ordinary flowerpot at home, a small flowerpot only needs one plant. If it is a large flowerpot, one plant should be planted about every 30 cm.

How long until fruiting?

Generally, strawberries only need 3~4 months from seed planting to flowering and fruiting, which is quite fast.

Planting techniques:

1. Sowing: buy ready-made seeds, then wrap them in a sand bag, soak them wet for 24 hours, and afterward put them in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0°C~3°C for low-temperature treatment, which takes 15 days.

2. Choose soil rich in humus as the growing medium. Then mix the treated seeds with fine sand and sow in the afternoon.

3. Emergence: keep the temperature at 25°C, and seedlings will emerge in 15~25 days. During this process, pay attention to keeping the soil and water moist.

4. Light management. Strawberries like long periods of sunlight. Therefore, in winter, place them in a sunny spot on the balcony.

5. Fertilizing: because they can bloom several times a year, they consume a huge amount of energy. It is recommended to apply a compound fertilizer once a week.

6. Watering: strawberries like moisture but are afraid of drought. Therefore, when watering, it is recommended to water when the surface layer of the soil is almost dry.