Strawberry plants send out runners that root and form entirely new plants, so a single starter patch can spread into a full bed within just a season or two.
Grown from crowns rather than seed for the fastest fruiting, strawberries come in June-bearing varieties (one large early-summer harvest) and everbearing types (smaller harvests spread through the season) — the right choice depends on whether a gardener wants one big picking or a steady trickle.
Strawberries want full sun and well-draining, slightly acidic soil, and a layer of straw mulch under developing fruit keeps berries clean and off damp soil. Renovating or thinning the patch every few years keeps plants productive, since older crowns tend to fruit less over time.
Pinching off the flowers of newly planted strawberries in their first season directs energy into root and runner development, resulting in a stronger, more productive patch the following year.
