Keeping your strawberries safe from scavengers, exploiting every bit of space you have, creating unique designs – these things don’t have to be a dream.
And the best part is that you can do all this on a budget. Reuse old things you don’t need anymore and grow strawberries at the same time.
It’s that simple!
Here are some ideas to get you started!
#1 Gutters
So you’ve learned how to grow strawberries from strawberries, but don’t have enough room for all the plants you’re left with?
Use gutters! This material is perfect for strawberries. These plants don’t have a deep root system (6-12 inches only).
You will still have to find a gutter that’s at least 6 inches deep to ensure proper root development, though. Without it, you won’t get the most out of your plants.
Use gutters as vertical strawberry planters. Cut them into smaller pieces and fasten them horizontally onto wooden planks. Fill the gutters with soil and compost and plant your strawberries.
P.S. Don’t forget to drill some holes for drainage!
#2 Hugelkultur
Hugelkultur is one of the ways to fill raised beds that strawberries love most. It involves adding large pieces of wood and logs at the bottom and filling the holes with wood chips, twigs, leaves, clippings, kitchen scraps, etc.
Ensure that there’s at least 10-12 inches of these materials before covering it all with soil and forming a mound.
All the materials you use will decompose and enrich the growing medium, providing your strawberries with plenty of nutrients.
Your plants will take root in no time and produce plenty of delicious fruit.
#3 Hydroponics
Strawberries are one of the best plants to grow in your hydroponic garden. Use the nutrient film technique for an abundant yield.
Plant your strawberries in coco coir, give your plants at least 12 hours of light a day, and provide proper spacing.
Here’s how to build your own NFT for strawberries:
#4 Laundry Baskets
Growing strawberries in pots is nothing new, but utilizing laundry baskets in their stead is unique to say the least.
Line the basket with a landscaping fabric to prevent the soil from seeping out. Or you can use newspapers that will decompose over time and enrich the soil with nutrients.
Fill the basket with compost and soil and drive a long PVC pipe through the middle. Cut some quarter of an inch holes in the pipe and plug it at the bottom to make watering a breeze. This is optional, though.
Make sure the strawberries have enough room to grow when planting them in this setting. Every other hole in every other row is perfect!
#5 Pallets
If you want a simple raised bed to increase drainage and reduce weeding, then try using pallets. All you have to do is lay a pallet or two on the ground, fill it with soil and compost, and plant your strawberries between the panels.
Of course, avoid using treated wood because the chemicals they use for pest control may be toxic to us.
#6 PVC Pipes
You can use PVC pipes in the same way as gutters. Create a vertical garden with pipes fastened to something horizontally, or let them stand upright.
Drill some large holes for your strawberries to fit and some smaller ones for drainage. Fill the pipe with soil and plug it from both sides.
Here are some more tips for growing strawberries in PVC pipes:
P.S. Incorporate some strawberry growing tips for a bountiful harvest.
#7 Tire Raised Bed
One tip when planting strawberries stuck with me. Planting them in smaller planters (or in this case tires) provides them with proper air circulation.
You can reuse your old tires, go to the salvage yard to look for some, etc. – they’re more than easy to come by.
Clean the tires and paint them (if you wish). Place them in a spot suitable for your strawberries and lay them with a landscaping fabric to prevent weeds growing into your bed.
Fill the tires with soil and compost and plant your strawberries.
#8 Tire Tower
Growing strawberries vertically is nothing new. They enjoy extra drainage and are easier to harvest.
Before planting, clean the tires with soapy water to get rid of all the junk (you don’t want it leaching into your strawberries). Afterwards, you can paint them or leave them as they are.
Make 2-3-inch wide holes on the side (the part that touches the ground when driving). Fill the holes with soil and compost and plant your strawberries in them.
Stack the tires on top of each other and leave the center empty, fill it with soil, or turn it into a compost deposit.
If you want to fill the center with soil, make sure to drive a PVC pipe through the middle. Cut some holes no larger than a quarter of an inch to ensure easy watering. Plug the pipe at the bottom to prevent overwatering.
To deposit compost into the center of your tire, all you have to do is line it with a landscaping fabric. Place logs, branches, grass clippings, kitchen waste, and other things you can compost.
#9 Upside-Down Planter
Upside-down planters and hanging bags are very popular for planting strawberries. They save space and look amazing when the fruit starts to set.
You can get ready-made bags online or make your own. You can use plastic bags, but they can retain a lot of moisture, resulting in mold and fungal diseases.
Felt and fabric bags are a much better choice. Fill the bag with your growing medium, cut some holes in it, and plant your strawberries.
Water each plant individually.
#10 Vertical Pallet Garden
Pallet raised beds are amazing, but what if you can turn them vertically and reduce the amount of bending and kneeling you have to do when planting and harvesting your strawberries?
Well, you can! Staple the insides of the pallet with a landscaping fabric to hold the soil in. Cover the bottom and both sides to make this chore quicker and easier.
Fill the pallet with your growing medium top-down, cutting into the fabric and planting strawberries as you go. Prop your pallets on a wall or a fence, and that’s it.
Finally, add some strawberry companion plants at the top and enjoy their benefits.