It's often said that fruits and vegetables you grow in your own garden are tastier than what you can buy in the grocery store, and strawberries are no exception. Since the sugar in the berries will start to be converted to starch after the berries have been removed from the plant, fresh picked strawberries are typically much sweeter and juicier than what you can find in the produce section.

Strawberries are a versatile crop, allowing them to be easily incorporated into just about any garden. They can work well as a feature plant or as a border crop, and will also grow well in container gardens.

Planting

Strawberries can be broadly divided into a few different categories, so you'll want to make sure you choose a variety that works for you. Marianne Lipanovich, writing for the home design site Houzz, says June-bearing strawberries are the most common type. As the name suggests, the fruit arrives for a brief period—two to three weeks—in June or early July.

Everbearing strawberries are smaller, but can produce a few harvests each season. Day-neutral varieties can grow for an entire season, from spring to autumn. Alpine and musk strawberries are also available.

The varieties have slightly different growing preferences, though ample sunlight is always a benefit. The seed company Burpee says strawberries should get at least eight hours of sunlight each day.

For soil, avoid areas that get too soggy during the spring. David T. Handley, writing for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, says a deep sandy loam is ideal.

The pH level is an important factor in growing strawberries, and a slightly acidic soil of 5.8 to 6.2 is ideal. If necessary, you can amend the soil with limestone or another material to bring down the pH.

Strawberries can be planted in either the spring or the autumn depending on growing conditions, but spring planting works better in cooler regions. Lipanovich says it's possible to plant strawberries early, about three or four weeks before the last expected frost date.

There are a variety of ways to plant strawberries. Marie Iannotti, writing for the home design site The Spruce, says June-bearing strawberries produce a lot of offshoots, or runners, so they will grow best when planted in rows. Everbearing and day-neutral strawberries can be planted in raised beds about eight inches high. When planting strawberries in containers, simply use a loamy potting mix and make sure any excess water will drain away from the plant.

Lipanovich says most strawberry plants should be separated by about 18 to 24 inches to allow their runners to spread out. Bonnie Plants says the roots of the plant should be covered, but the crown, or central growing bud, should remain above the surface. If it is buried, the crown can easily rot.

Avoid planting strawberries in plots where you recently grew potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, or eggplant. Handley says these plants can transfer the fungal disease Verticillium wilt to the soil, where it will rot strawberry roots.

Care

Since strawberry plants are perennials and will come back year after year, you may want to delay your first harvest until the following year. The Old Farmer's Almanac says that pinching the blossoms off the plant's runners in the first year will prevent the berries from forming, but will result in stronger roots and a greater fruit yield in the future.

If you still want a harvest in a first year, you might remove only some of the blossoms. Lipanovich recommends pinching off flowers for the first couple of weeks of June-bearing strawberries and the first six weeks of day-neutral strawberries. Only remove the first few blossoms of everbearing strawberries, and don't remove them at all for alpine varieties.

Keep the soil covered with mulch to discourage weed growth and preserve water. Iannotti says straw is a traditional mulch for strawberries. Avoid dark mulches, such as black plastic, since this will raise the soil temperature too high.

Regular watering is essential for producing juicy fruits. Make sure the plant receives at least one to two inches of moisture each week.

A balanced fertilizer can be beneficial when you plant the first crop in the spring. Avoid fertilizing later in the season, since this might produce new growth that will be damaged by frost.

While a variety of diseases and pests might affect strawberries, your crop is most likely to be ravaged by hungry birds. Bonnie Plants says lightweight netting placed over the plant should keep your feathered friends at bay.

Harvesting

You'll know a strawberry is ready for harvest when it takes on that familiar deep red hue. The Old Farmer's Almanac says berries are usually ready about four to six weeks after blossoms appear, and can be harvested over a period of roughly three weeks.

Only collect the berries that have ripened, leaving the others to mature further. The berries can be quite fragile, so use scissors or a knife to cut the stem instead of picking the fruit from the plant.

Fresh strawberries can be refrigerated for three to five days. They can also be frozen for storage.

Strawberries are perennials, meaning they will come back year after year. However, it's still necessary to do some maintenance to keep the crop healthy. Lipanovich says this is particularly important for June-bearing strawberries. After the last harvest, thin out any lackluster plants and mow the foliage so only a few inches remain above the crown.

With proper care, strawberry plants can be maintained for about five years. However, you may want to remove and replace them earlier if you are dissatisfied with your yield.

For strawberries grown in containers, make sure you don't leave the plant in an area where it can freeze in winter temperatures. Iannotti says semi-protected places, such as an unheated garage, will work well for storage until spring returns.