When to plant strawberries
In zone 8, most of the UK: plant out from March to April and from August to September. First harvest about 90 days later.
Growing stages
Strawberries: calendar by hardiness zone
| Zone | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | ||||
| Zone 7 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | |||||
| Zone 8reference | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | |||||
| Zone 9 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | ||||
| Zone 10 | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting |
- Zone 6
- −23 to −18 °C (−10 to 0 °F): high mountains
- Zone 7
- −18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F): upland Britain, eastern France, the Alps
- Zone 8
- −12 to −7 °C (10 to 20 °F): most of the UK and France
- Zone 9
- −7 to −1 °C (20 to 30 °F): south-west England, Brittany, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts
- Zone 10
- −1 to 4 °C (30 to 40 °F): Isles of Scilly, the French Riviera, coastal Corsica
Indicative months. A cold year or a garden at altitude shifts everything by a month; watch the frosts too.
Strawberries in practice
- Spacing
- 30 cm along the row, 40 cm between rows
- Sun
- copes with part shade
- Watering
- moderate
- Difficulty
- easy
- In a pot
- yes
- Support
- none
- Family
- Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Perennial
- yes
- Watch for
- birds and slugs
Good companions for strawberries
Keep apart
Questions about strawberries
When to plant strawberries?
In zone 8: plant out from March to April and from August to September. The four other zones are in the calendar above; at altitude or after a long winter, aim for the end of the window.
How long until harvest?
About 90 days after planting in zone 8, then the harvest lasts about 40 days.
How far apart?
30 cm between plants along the row and 40 cm between rows.
Can you grow strawberries in a pot?
Yes, in a deep enough pot, in the sun shown above. Soil dries fast in a pot: watch the watering more than in the ground.
What to plant nearby?
Good companions: dwarf bean, chives, garlic, lettuce, onion, spinach and thyme. Keep apart: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale.
Updated 20 October 2026, Hortipix catalogue version 1. Windows still being checked against Le Guide Clause, Vilmorin and Terre vivante (RHS and Cornell for the UK and the US), compared with OpenFarm (CC0). They remain indicative.