How to Grow Strawberries Canada
On this page
In Canada, strawberries go in as dormant bare-root crowns as early as the ground can be worked in spring — since the plants are dormant, frost risk isn't what determines planting time; it's the later flowering stage that needs frost protection. June-bearing types crop in their second growing season.
The short answer
- Ready in
- 180–270 days
- Site
- 8+ hours of sun
- Biggest risk
- Grey mould
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa)
Also known as: Garden strawberry, Cultivated strawberry · 21 sources cited · Verified
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | 8-8 hours direct sun |
| Time to harvest | 180-270 days |
| Soil texture | loam |
| Drainage | moist but well-drained |
| Lifecycle | Herbaceous perennial (RHS). Time to maturity 1-2 years (RHS). Distinct from tomato's dispute: no annual/perennial ambiguity here, both RHS and GBIF/WFO/POWO treat this cleanly as a perennial. |
| Edible parts | fruit |
| Documented problems | 4 diseases, 5 pests, 4 nutrient issues |
At a Glance
Diseases
Pests
Nutrient Issues
When to plant in Canada
Canada. Strawberries go in as dormant bare-root crowns as early as the ground can be worked, rather than after the last frost: the plants are dormant when set, so frost risk is not what gates planting. Set the crown at the soil surface — roots and crown base covered, the rest of the crown proud — since planting too deep rots the crown. Matted row spacing 45-60 cm with rows 90-120 cm apart. The frost that matters in Canada is not at planting but at flowering: open blossoms are killed by a late spring frost, which removes the earliest and largest berries, so keep fleece to hand once flowering starts. June-bearers crop in their second growing season.
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment | 0 | Grow from runners (bare-root or cold-stored) or pot-grown plants rather than from seed. Plant with the base of the crown resting right at the soil surface: bury the crown and it rots, set it too high and the roots dry out (RHS). Space plants about 35-40cm (14-16in) apart in rows about 75cm (30in) apart, or about 20cm apart in containers (RHS); matted-row systems set plants wider and let runners fill in (Ohio State). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, moist but free-draining soil enriched with well-rotted compost, and avoid ground where strawberries, potatoes or tomatoes grew recently because they share verticillium wilt. Planting in late summer or early autumn (Aug-Oct) establishes plants before winter for a full crop the following June; spring planting gives a lighter first-year crop. Water in well and keep moist while establishing (time to a first full crop is about 1-2 years). |
| Vegetative Growth | 1 | Plants form a low rosette of trifoliate leaves and send out runners (stolons) that root into new plantlets. Remove unwanted runners through the season to prevent overcrowding and keep energy in the parent plant; peg down a few healthy runners in late summer if you want new plants for next year (RHS). Water regularly in dry spells, watering in the morning and keeping water off the crown, and keep beds weed-free. On spring-planted strawberries, pinch off the first flush of flowers in the first year so the plant builds strong roots and leaves before cropping (Ohio State first-year blossom removal). |
| Flowering | 6 | White (sometimes pink-flushed) flowers open in spring, typically April to May, and are pollinated by bees and other insects; good pollination gives well-shaped berries (RHS). As the first flower buds form, switch from a balanced feed to a high-potassium (tomato-type) feed to support fruiting rather than leafy growth. |
| Fruit Development | 7 | Fertilised flowers swell into green berries that enlarge and begin to colour. Tuck a layer of straw (the origin of the name strawberry) or strawberry mats under the developing fruit once berries form, to keep them off damp soil and reduce grey mould and slug damage (RHS). Water consistently while fruit is swelling because irregular watering causes small, misshapen or split fruit, but avoid wetting the ripening berries. Net plants or use a fruit cage as berries start to colour, since birds are the single biggest threat to a UK strawberry crop (RHS). |
| Ripening / Harvest | 8 | Pick berries when they are bright red all over, ideally during the warmest part of the day when flavour is best, checking plants every 2-3 days at the peak (RHS). June-bearing types crop heavily over about 2-3 weeks from late May or June; everbearing and day-neutral types crop in smaller flushes from summer into autumn (Ohio State; OSU Extension). Strawberries are highly perishable, so eat or refrigerate them promptly and freeze or make jam with any surplus. |
| Senescence / Dormancy | 9 | After the main summer harvest, renovate the bed: cut old foliage back to about 10cm, remove the straw mulch and any diseased leaves, and give a light feed to drive strong new growth for next year (RHS). Take the straw off in autumn so it does not harbour fungal diseases, slugs and snails over winter (RHS). |
Harvest & Storage
Companion Planting
Pollination
Pollinating insects (bees and other flower visitors)
RHS "Plants for pollinators" tag; "The flowers attract pollinating insects" (RHS profile page). Specific pollinator species not named by the source.
Plan your Strawberries planting
When to sow and plant Strawberries depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Strawberries: June. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Strawberry in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
The full list of 21 sources behind this guide (Cornell University (Marvin Pritts), Ecological Entomology (Wiley) -- Griffiths-Lee, Nicholls & Goulson, 2020, FAO EcoCrop and others) is in the references of our UK guide to strawberries; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do strawberries take to grow?
Typically 180–270 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What problems affect strawberries?
Our data links 4 diseases and 5 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.
Get the Canada Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Vegetable Growing Guides Canada
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Last verified 2026-07-27
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
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Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.