Nothing ushers in summer like fresh-picked strawberries and red-stained fingers, shirts, faces… so let’s get you growing strawberries too!

To save that fleeting, sweet taste of summer we’ve got tips and tricks and the reasons why growing homegrown or grabbing all the local berries you can is worth it. I promise, your winter self will thank your summer self.

Strawberries are one of our little homestead’s most anticipated foods—by every member of our family. So, we spend some time prepping and loving on the gardens so they produce to their fullest.

Grow Great Berries

Growing strawberries is as close to instant gratification as you can get with a perennial fruit. I recommend planting bare root plant, as you have more options for variety. They’re also less expensive than potted plants, and the plants seem to do better in the long run. The catch is you want to plant them in late May, before the heat of summer comes on too strong. You’ll soak the roots for an hour or two before planting. During the first growing season, plan to pinch off the first few buds that form, but let the next rounds of flowers mature to pick fruit later in the season.