If you have limited room and need to maximize your space, having a vertical strawberry garden may be the solution you are looking for. Growing strawberries vertically is a very efficient and easy solution to getting that strawberry fix.
Can You Grow Strawberries In A Vertical Garden?
Strawberries do very well in a vertical garden. Their shallow root systems don’t require planting in the ground with much soil. They need only enough soil to cover their roots. They’re almost designed to be grown vertically.
Aside from that, strawberries are generally very versatile and do well in many different environments, locations, and types of planters.
Heads up about strawberries, though; if you are planting them from seedlings, it will take several years to seed. However, you can buy them pre-cultivated from a gardening store or nursery and re-plant them in your vertical planter.
Benefits Of Growing Strawberries Vertically
Because you are utilizing space going up instead of space going out, you can grow more strawberries. Weeding is also less of a worry because it is harder for weeds to get in there.
Plus, growing your strawberries in a vertical garden will enable many of the berries to touch nothing but the open air, leading to fewer bacteria and fungi.
Benefits include:
- Protection against pests
- Protection against fungal diseases
- Easier to harvest
- Fits nearly anywhere
- Less chance of root rot
The strawberries not being in mounds and rows on the ground means you don’t have to bend down to harvest them, reducing the strain on you.
How To Grow Strawberries In A Vertical Garden
You can purchase a pre-made vertical planter or build one yourself. If the planter is big enough, you probably should alternate your strawberries with some herbs or salad greens because you can give yourself too many strawberries if you plant too many.
When buying or crafting a vertical planter, look for waterproof materials. This will protect the wall and floor from water damage. PVC pipe and old rain gutters are great places to start.
Plant your strawberries in early spring after the last frost. Place the strawberry plant towards the top of the soil in the planter, burying just the roots. Leave the crown out. You don’t want it to rot or dry out.
Make sure to plant your strawberries far enough away from each other to allow them room to grow. They are vine-like plants and will spread out with lots of runners.
Choose good quality soil to put them in to keep your strawberries growing for several years. Strawberries do best with ingredients like coconut coir, peat moss, perlite vermiculite, and some compost from your kitchen. The more acidic, the better.
Water your strawberries frequently, especially if it is hot out. Their shallow roots mean they go through the water quickly. But also be careful not to overwater because that will cause the roots to rot. Watering every 2-3 days is usually good.
Pick your berries once they’re red. But the longer you let them ripen, the sweeter they will be.
Here are some common types of vertical planters for your strawberries:
Hanging Planters
In hanging systems, you plant your strawberries in hanging pots or bags. Each strawberry plant gets its section, though if the pots are large enough, you might get away with two strawberry plants per pot.
The pots or bags do need drainage holes to keep instances of rotting down. So make sure that there is something underneath them to catch the water.
Barrel Or Bucket Planters
In this system, strawberries are planted in the sides of the barrel or bucket. First, you drill three-inch holes in the sides of the barrel, roughly 12-14 inches apart. Then you drill ¾ inch holes in the bottom of the bucket for drainage.
You fill the bucket with soil and put strawberries in each hole. If you want to get fancier or reduce the amount of soil in the bucket, you can put a thick PVC pipe in the center of the bucket. You can drill holes in the PVC pipe and then add water to the PVC pipe for a watering system.
You can also put strawberries at the top of the barrel or bucket, and they will take over entirely.
Stackables
Stackables come in many different shapes. You offset them by 45 degrees as you stack each one on top of another and then plant the strawberries in the available spaces.
You can also create a stackable by buying pots of different sizes and stacking them vertically. Then you put one plant in the top one, two in the next one down, three in the next one, and so on.
Either way, the bottom tier should be filled with gravel to function as your drainage.
Pipe Planters
These systems are usually made out of large PVC pipes or rain gutters. First, they can be mounted on the wall; then, strawberries are spaced out in these makeshift planters. Finally, you can mount them to the wall with the most sun if you put them outside.
Indoor Vertical Strawberry Garden
If you are planting your vertical strawberry garden indoors, ensure it is in a place where it will get as much sun as possible, preferably at least eight hours! If that’s not feasible, you can also get sunlamps for them to make up the difference.
The biggest challenge of an indoor strawberry garden after sunlight is water drainage. You don’t want to cause water damage to your floor or walls, so you need to set up some system that catches the water and allows it to evaporate, usually with rocks and gravel.
However, planting the garden inside gives you easier access to your strawberries, and you don’t have to worry about frost.
Outdoor Vertical Strawberry Garden
Vertical strawberry gardens work great in balconies and courtyards, and you can, of course, make them work in your backyard regardless of size. Strawberries naturally need a dormant season, so if you’re planting outside, know that they will do best in planting zones 3-8.
You don’t typically have to worry about water drainage outside, but you must be concerned about inclement weather. As hardy as strawberries are, they do not do well in the cold. They need a lot of sun to thrive, which is easier to attain outside. So don’t plant them in the shade.
The Best Type of Strawberry Variety to Grow in a Vertical Garden
There are two primary types of strawberry plants, ever-bearing and June-bearing.
- Ever-bearing strawberries will continually produce berries throughout the season so that you can have multiple small harvests.
- June-bearing strawberries will give one big harvest after about six weeks and then be done for the season.
Ever-bearing strawberries work best for home planters because the harvests are spread out. But you can pick whichever type best fits your needs. You can also mix and match.
Inspiration
I recommend the following video from “The Ripe Tomato Farms” for further inspiration, plus tips and tricks.
Final Words
Hopefully, you are more prepared to start your vertical strawberry garden! It is a great way to maximize your space, and your back will thank you when it is time to harvest your delicious berries.