Important notes
eating the fruit: Strawberries are among the more common food allergens; sensitive people may react to the fruit (skin flushing, itchy mouth). ↗
frost while flowering: The plant is hardy, but open flowers are frost-sensitive: frost blackens the flower centre ("black eye") and no fruit forms. Cover with fleece during late frosts. ↗
crown below waterline (hydro): In hydroponics the crown must stay above the water/medium — kept too wet, the crown rots. Pure DWC only with careful water-level control. ↗
Light
Full sun, at least 6–8 hours daily for sweet fruit. Indoors, a strong grow light.
Watering
Keep evenly moist but never let the crown sit in water. Water at the roots rather than over the leaves (grey mould).
Temperature
Optimal 15–26 °C (59–79 °F). Hardy in the ground; open flowers are frost-sensitive.
Humidity
Medium (50–65%). Too humid invites grey mould, too dry (indoors) invites spider mites.
Target values by method & stage
| Stage | pH | EC (mS/cm) | Water °C | Air °C | Humidity % | Light h | Duration (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germination | 5.8–6.5 | — | — | 18–24 | 60–70 | 12 | 21 |
| Vegetative | 5.5–6.8 | — | — | 15–26 | 50–65 | 12 | 40 |
| Flowering | 5.5–6.8 | — | — | 15–25 | 50–65 | 12 | 21 |
| Fruiting | 5.5–6.8 | — | — | 16–25 | 50–60 | 12 | 30 |
| Stage | pH | EC (mS/cm) | Water °C | Air °C | Humidity % | Light h | Duration (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetative | 5.6–6.2 | 1–1.4 | 18–22 | 18–25 | 50–65 | 12 | 40 |
| Flowering | 5.6–6.2 | 1.2–1.6 | 18–22 | 18–24 | — | 12 | 21 |
| Fruiting | 5.6–6.2 | 1.4–1.8 | 18–22 | 18–24 | — | 12 | 30 |
| Stage | pH | EC (mS/cm) | Water °C | Air °C | Humidity % | Light h | Duration (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetative | 5.6–6.2 | 1–1.4 | 18–22 | 18–25 | 50–65 | 12 | 40 |
| Flowering | 5.6–6.2 | 1.2–1.6 | 18–22 | 18–24 | — | 12 | 21 |
| Fruiting | 5.6–6.2 | 1.4–1.8 | 18–22 | 18–24 | — | 12 | 30 |
Common problems
Grey mould on fruit, misshapen fruit from incomplete pollination, crown rot when waterlogged, spider mites in dry indoor air.
Space & Size
- Final height
- 25 cm
- Final width
- 35 cm
- Spacing
- 35 cm
- Root depth
- 20 cm
- Min. container (Soil)
- ≥ 5 L
- Min. container (NFT)
- ≥ 4 L
- Min. container (DWC)
- ≥ 4 L
Pests & diseases
| Pest / Disease | Symptom | Organic treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Vine weevil | larvae eat roots, plant wilts (esp. in containers) | nematodes (Heterorhabditis), replace medium |
| Aphids | sticky curled leaves, virus transmission | rinse off, beneficials, neem |
| Spider mites | fine webbing, speckled leaves (dry indoor air) | raise humidity, predatory mites |
| Slugs & snails | hollowed-out ripe fruit | hand-pick, straw mulch, iron-phosphate pellets |
| Grey mould (Botrytis) | grey fuzz on ripening fruit | remove affected fruit, airflow, keep crown dry |
| Powdery mildew | white coating, leaves curling upward | airflow, remove affected leaves |
| Crown/root rot | plant wilts, brown crown when waterlogged | improve drainage, keep crown above waterline |
Edible parts
- Fruit · edible from Fruiting — ripe red fruit
Yield techniques
Remove runners regularly so energy goes into fruit (except when propagating). Hand-pollinate flowers indoors with a brush. Renew plants from runners after 3–4 years.
Propagation & pollination
- Method
- runners
- Germination time
- 21 days
- Germination temp
- 18-24 °C
- Sowing depth
- 0.3 cm
- Pollination
- self
- Hand pollination needed
- yes
Mainly via runners — pin daughter plants into pots and detach once rooted. From seed only for some varieties and slow.
Companion planting
🟢 Good neighbours: Lettuce, Welsh onion, Sage
🔴 Bad neighbours: Tomato
Not yet linked: Borago officinalis, Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Flavor
sweet and aromatic, slightly tart depending on ripeness
Storage
Unwashed in the fridge, spread flat; keeps only 1–3 days. Wash just before eating. Freezes well.
History
The garden strawberry only appeared in 18th-century Europe — from a chance cross of two American species (the North American scarlet strawberry and the Chilean strawberry). Hence the "×" in its name: it's a hybrid, and larger than the old wild strawberries.
Nutrition
Very rich in vitamin C and manganese, plus folate and antioxidants (polyphenols), with few calories.
Sources
With Florabase you log pH, EC and all measurements — free forever.
Start for free