We all know Florida is a bit different than the rest of the U.S., and that difference extends to our gardening. More temperate regions plant strawberries in spring, but here, we plant them in September and October. Read on to find out why!

Strawberry plants prefer temperatures between 50°-80°F

They need daylengths less than about 14 hours per day to flower and set fruit. When do we have those conditions? You guessed it – fall and winter. We plant bare-root strawberries in October, and by the time Valentine’s Day approaches, we may get our first berries. They keep producing until temperatures get too hot. Once production declines, we usually pull them up and plant spring crops. So, unlike northern gardeners, we usually grow strawberries as annuals, rather than perennials.

We can grow strawberries in all kinds of containers, pots, beds and hydroponic systems

However you do it, try to keep the berries off the soil to minimize fungal problems. Crowns and leaves are frost and light freeze tolerant, but flowers and fruit can be damaged. Covering the plants that have flowers and fruit when freeze conditions are predicted will help maximize early production.

You can sometimes find transplants at local garden centers, and you can buy bare-root plants online. You can read more in the UF IFAS publication Growing Strawberries in the Florida Home Garden.

Article written by Beth Marlowe, Urban Garden Program Assistant, October 2023

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