Thoughts of sweet juicy homegrown berries is what inspires just about everyone to try growing their own strawberries.
Yes, strawberries can be grown successfully in the low desert.
The first strawberries we planted in our raised garden bed didn’t make it very long. Timing is really important and I know that I planted our first try at strawberries much too late in the season.
Phoenix Gardening Steps
- Step One – Are strawberries a cool or warm season fruit? This determines the best time of year to plant.
- Step Two: What do strawberries need to grow? Like all plants, strawberries need three basic things to survive: ideal soil conditions and the right amount of water & light
- Step Three: What grows well near strawberries and what doesn’t?
- Step Four: Do your strawberries look unhealthy? What could this mean?
- Step Five: Harvesting strawberries- When is the ideal time to pick strawberries?
How to Plant and Grow Strawberries
Bare root strawberries should be put in the ground in November in Phoenix. You can usually find strawberry plants at local nurseries in the months of November – March.
Best Time to Plant Strawberries
Our second attempt at growing strawberries we planted five Everbearing strawberry plants in February. They flowered in the month of February. By March several of the plants have tiny green berries and one of the berries is just starting to turn red.
Companion Plants for Strawberries
Strawberries can benefit when planted near bush beans, spinach and lettuce. Certain plants can be detrimental to strawberries and should not be planted near them. Don’t plant strawberries near tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, or potatoes.
How to Care For
When to Harvest
Our second attempt at growing strawberries we planted five Everbearing strawberry plants in February. They flowered in the month of February. By March several of the plants have tiny green berries and one of the berries is just starting to turn red
Our first strawberry was fully ripe and ready to eat by mid March. We had a handful of sweet ripe strawberries to eat by April.
We have successfully grown strawberries for four years now. The key to successfully growing strawberries is timing and providing shade in the summer months. We use straw and pine needles as a mulch.