When to Plant Strawberries
Strawberries are a hardy perennial fruit. They can take a hard frost.
Plant them out in the 4 weeks before the last spring frost. The first harvest comes about 395 to 430 days after planting.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Mar 18 – Apr 15 | Apr 17 – May 15 |
| Harvest | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | Apr 16 – May 7 | May 16 – Jun 6 |
Growing strawberries
Pinch off first-year blossoms on June-bearers so plants root well; they fruit from the following spring.
- Spacing: 18 in apart, in rows 42 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 395 to 430 from planting, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Traditional companions: borage, bush bean, green onion, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, onion (bulb), pole bean, romaine lettuce, spinach, thyme. See companion plants for strawberries.
- Usually kept apart from: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant strawberries and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can strawberries go in before the last frost?
Yes. Strawberries are hardy: plant them out in the 4 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long do strawberries take to grow?
About 395 to 430 days from planting to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Strawberries in Your Garden
- University of Illinois Extension: Growing Strawberries
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- Utah State University Extension, Utah 4-H: Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting (2025)
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)