How to make strawberries feel comfortable in the balcony box

You don't have a garden, but you don't want to miss out on the sweet, red fruits? With the right care strawberries in the flower box thrive splendidly. So you can look forward to a rich harvest from the pot and that's what you need to pay attention!

A small balcony is not a reason not to become a gardener. On the contrary! Very many herbs, vegetables and fruits thrive wonderfully even in the smallest space.

Today I want to show you how to grow strawberries in a window box.

With a few great tips and tricks, you'll enjoy lots of sweet berries. The plants will turn your balcony into a sweet tooth garden.

Can you plant strawberries in balcony boxes?

Yes, strawberry plants are perfect for growing in flower and balcony boxes. Flower boxes are so optimal for this, because it makes it very easy to maintain distance and evenly provide all the plants with sun.

These criteria must meet your flower box if you want to grow strawberry plants in it

• 20 cm height
• 22-25 cm width
• 80-100 cm length for 2 plants.

The more plants you want to use, the longer the flower box should be. Between the strawberries should be enough space, so that each gets enough nutrients and water.

If you want to save yourself work, then buy a flower box with irrigation system. These boxes have a separate level below the bottom. Here you can fill water and the plants help themselves when they are thirsty.

Many of these special flower boxes also have a water level meter. It shows you how much water is left and when you need to refill.

Attention: This will work only when the strawberry plants are well rooted, until then you need to keep the soil well moist. But more about that later.

As a rule of thumb, 20 to 30 cubic centimeters of soil per plant.

How to make a strawberry column without screws and drilling!

I had the strawberries in quite conventional flower boxes every year until now. This year I will try a mini raised bed. The big advantage is that it contains more soil and the fruits should be larger as a result. In addition, it saves space and provides plenty of surface for even more strawberries 🤩

I recently got this from Amazon and will be dedicating it in the next few days.

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When is the best time to plant strawberries?

The best time for planting strawberries in a window box is from April to mid-June. If you want to plant several boxes, it may be worth staggering planting - so you can extend the season. This works very well in the first year. If you leave the plants in the planter over the winter, they will be on the same level the next year.

Planting in autumn

If you missed the time in the spring, you can still plant strawberries in the fall. To grow up nicely, the plants need warm days.

Only then will they be strong enough to withstand the winter. The longer the period between planting and the first frost, the better. The optimum time is up to mid-September at the most. In October, it is no longer worth it to put strawberry plants.

Can you plant strawberry plants in potting soil?

Yes, you can use potting soil for strawberries. However, it has been shown that they develop better when humus and sand are mixed in. They need loose, well-drained soil with plenty of nutrients.

Compost, clay, fine gravel ensure that the soil remains loose and can better retain water. Horn shavings or primary rock flour bring many nutrients into the soil.

Strawberries are heavy growers - this means that they need good soil. If you want to grow strawberries in a window box, then you should make sure that there is enough soil. As strong eaters, the plants quickly use up the nutrients from the soil.

These are the criteria that a good soil must meet:

• contains many nutrients and at least 10 % humus
• is loose
• is moist, but there is no danger of waterlogging
• contains a lot of nitrogen (found mainly in horn shavings)
• has a slightly acidic environment with a pH value between 5.5 and 6.5

How to properly plant and care for strawberries in the flower box

Are you ready to get started? Then let's get started right away.

You need:

• A flower box,
• high quality earth,
• Strawberry plants,
• Water,
• and gloves.

By the way, I advise you not to sow strawberries. It's a lot of work and takes a lot of time. It is much better to buy ready-made plants from a gardener.

Now I'll show you step by step how to proceed when planting strawberries in a window box. It's very simple :)

1. If you're not using a pot with an irrigation system, add a little clay granules to the container - it will act as natural drainage and prevent the strawberries from drowning if you water them too much.
2. Fill the soil into the planter.
3. Make 2-3 holes in the ground with your hands. The plants need a distance of 20-30 centimeters from each other.
4. Take the plant out of the flower pot, loosen the roots a little with the gloves to help them take root.
5. Place each plant in one of the holes and press the soil around it firmly with the gloves.
6. Important: Do not put the plants too deep into the ground. The heart of the plant must necessarily be above ground.
7. Water the plants and you're done!
8. If you want, you can put straw, leaves or bark mulch on the soil. This keeps them moist longer and ensures that the soil does not cool down so much in the evening.

Tip: Do not put the plants in the blazing sun right now. Repotting is pure stress for the poor. Give them 24 hours in partial shade to recover. And then it's off into the sun.

Summary: How to grow strawberries in the balcony box

1. Each plant needs 30 cm space on the running meter
2. Use high quality soil for strawberry plants in the balcony box
3. The plants go best in square planters, where they have enough space
4. Place the plants so that the heart is above the ground
5. Strawberries prefer a full sun to partial shade location
6. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet
7. From flowering the plants need a lot of water to set large fruits
8. Remove stolons - then the plant has more energy for fruit
9. Fertilizer is necessary no more than once a year
10. Lawn clippings and mulch keep the soil warm and moist
11. The yield is greatest in the second year
12. Replace them with new plants after three years - used the runners for this purpose

What location prefer strawberries?

If you want to quickly harvest the first strawberries in the window box, then the plants need sun. They prefer a full sun to partial shade location. Place them in full sun until the end of June and then, when it gets really hot, change the location.

Otherwise, the leaves may dry up and you do not comply with watering. But in partial shade the plants recover quickly.

Can strawberries overwinter in the window box?

Yes, strawberry plants can be well overwintered in the window box. They sprout again in the spring, because frost can not harm them.

To do this, cut off the brown leaves and tendrils in the fall and cover the plants with a fir branch. Place the flower boxes in a sheltered place close to the house. On frost-free days, give them a little water in between and you can harvest strawberries next year.

In the garden, the plants do not require winter protection.

In the spring, check the condition of a plant and remove the old leaves before the plants begin to form new shoots. Water the strawberries when the soil is dry. They will show you that they need water when they let the foliage droop.

When you have little space on the balcony or terrace, the Acquisition of a strawberry tower. This is a very narrow, but high column from which the plants grow.

This has the advantage that you can get a good harvest very space-saving.

In the garden, you'll protect plants from predators like slugs, and you can set up the tower anywhere, guaranteed to find the right spot in the sun.

Harvesting is very uncomplicated and quickly done.

Tip: With the Code WEGOWILD you get 10% Discount to your strawberry tower!

If you are interested in the strawberry column, check out Gustagarden!  The tower is available in white and gray.

What should I pay attention to when watering?

Strawberries need regular watering. Not too much and not too little. That is why a planter with irrigation system is so ideal.

What the plants do not like at all is waterlogging. So, if you have chosen a flower box that does not have a watering system, you must not water it too much. It may happen that the roots rot and the plants become puny.

Drainage above the bottom opening prevents waterlogging. Make sure that your planter has holes at the bottom. In addition, you can fill the first 1-2 cm of your pot with gravel or clay granules. This way, the soil will not be softened as much and the excess water will run off.

Even if you used very good soil, strawberries in the flower box soon used up all the nutrients. Therefore, you should fertilize them 1x a month. Use an organic fertilizer for this purpose. This will also motivate the plants to produce more flowers.

But before the first fertilizing you should wait for 2 months. There are more than enough nutrients in the potting soil at the beginning. Overfertilization is also no fun for the plants.

On hot summer days, always water the strawberries in the early morning. Check again in the evening if they have enough water.

Let the water run directly from the watering can onto the soil until it runs out the bottom opening of the planter.

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What kind of strawberry for balcony box?

There are many different varieties of strawberries. It is best if you use ever-bearing varieties and combine them with each other. This way you can harvest regularly and see for yourself which varieties develop particularly well for you. Mara des Bois, Aromastar, Viva Rosa or Pink Princess are particularly suitable.

You can also choose a colorful mix of early, medium-early and late varieties. For a consistent harvest, go for monthly strawberries, which are ever-bearing.

These varieties are optimal for the balcony

• Korona is a late variety with sweet fruits
• Elsanta is a medium late variety with large and firm fruits
• Pineapple strawberry has small white fruits that taste sweet and sour
• Wild strawberry my favorite! Small very aromatic fruit
• Climbing strawberry forms tendrils on which grow the fruit
• Ostara is a very early month strawberry with large red fruits
• Mara de Bois is one of the everbearing varieties and has medium sized aromatic fruits
• Toscana has beautiful pink flowers and is ready to be harvested from July to October

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What to look for when harvesting strawberries on the balcony

The first fruits are red? Very good! With early varieties, depending on the weather and location, this is already the case at the beginning of May. With ripe fruits you have to look very closely. Often they are beautifully red on one side and still green on the other. So examine each fruit thoroughly.

Do not tear the plant. It could happen that you tear off the whole stem and with it the small still green fruits and flowers. To be on the safe side, always snap off the fruit stem and harvest the strawberry with the green leaves.

The least you hurt the plant, if you cut off the fruit with scissors.

Mulching keeps the plants healthy and clean

If you put a little foliage or straw, you can be sure that the fruit will not rot or become moldy. In the window box, this is not absolutely necessary, as the stems usually tend to climb over the edge. Wherever there is contact between fruit and soil, lay a layer of mulch.

Propagate plants after harvest

When the harvest is over, your strawberry plants will begin to form offshoots. It is through these that the plant reproduces. If you want, you can cut them off as soon as they have formed roots and put them in a new pot.

By the way, the offshoots quickly form new roots, and when they come into contact with soil. However, it does not make sense to let the shoots grow in the same planter. Otherwise, they will take away each other's strength and your yield will drop sharply.

Cutting after harvest

Depending on the variety, you can harvest fresh fruit until October. When the season ends on the balcony, cut back the plant. To do this, remove all the leaves except for the heart bud. This way you can be sure that in spring the plants will have plenty of strength and will sprout properly.

Upcycling! Just make your own growing pots!

What goes well with strawberries in the balcony box?

Quietly plant together ornamental and useful plants. Summer flowers are very well combined with strawberries. Especially good is elfspur. Strawberries need a lot of nutrients - you should keep a distance of at least 20 cm between the different plants.

In the strawberry bed, these plants have proven their worth:

• Borage - promotes the emergence of flowers
• Garlic, leek, onion - keep slugs away
• Chives, shallots: repel fungal spores and diseases
• Marigolds: clean the soil from wireworms

Our conclusion

If you like gardening and have a small balcony, you should definitely grow strawberries in a window box. They are quite unpretentious and, with regular watering, provide a lot of delicious fruit - depending on the variety, often until autumn.

Have fun planting and eating! :)

To browse further:

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