🍓 How Strawberries Grow
There’s something special about biting into a fresh strawberry — warm from the sun, sweet, and full of flavor. But before that berry ever makes it into your bucket, there’s a whole season of growth happening behind the scenes.
Here’s how strawberries grow — from a tiny bare root plant to the berries you pick in the spring.
🌱 Step 1: Planting Bare Root Strawberries (Fall)
Strawberries typically start as bare root plants. These are dormant plants that look like little brown roots with a crown at the top. They may not look like much — but they’re full of potential.
In North Carolina and many southern states, farmers plant strawberries in the fall, usually September or October.
Why fall?
Because strawberries grow roots through the cooler months, getting established before winter. The crown (the thick part between the roots and leaves) must be planted at just the right depth — too deep and it rots, too shallow and it dries out.
During fall:
- Roots grow downward
- New leaves begin to form
- The plant prepares to rest for winter
❄️ Step 2: Winter Dormancy & Root Development
Strawberries don’t completely stop growing in winter — especially in milder climates. Most of the activity happens underground.
The plant:
- Strengthens its root system
- Stores energy in the crown
- Prepares flower buds for spring
If temperatures drop too low, farmers may use row covers to protect blossoms from frost damage.
This winter preparation is critical. A strong root system means better berries later.
🌼 Step 3: Spring Growth & Flowering
As temperatures warm in early spring, strawberry plants shift into high gear.
First, you’ll notice:
- Fresh green leaves
- White blossoms with yellow centers
Each flower has the potential to become one strawberry — but only if it’s properly pollinated.
Bees play a big role here. Each tiny yellow center holds many individual ovaries. When pollinated, each one develops into the tiny “seeds” (called achenes) on the outside of the berry.
Fun fact:
Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside!
🍓 Step 4: Fruit Development
After pollination, the magic happens.
You’ll see:
- Small green berries
- White berries
- Pink berries
- Fully red, ripe strawberries
Strawberries ripen from the tip upward. Unlike bananas or tomatoes, strawberries do not ripen after they’re picked. That’s why farm-fresh berries taste so much sweeter — they’re harvested fully ripe.
The sugars develop in the final days on the plant. Sunlight plays a major role in sweetness.
🧺 Step 5: Harvest Time
About 5–7 months after planting, the first berries are ready.
A healthy strawberry plant can produce:
- 1–2 quarts of berries per season
- Multiple harvests over several weeks
Harvest season usually lasts 4–6 weeks, depending on weather.
The key to picking:
- Choose fully red berries
- Leave the green cap (calyx) attached
- Handle gently to prevent bruising
🌞 After Harvest
Once the season winds down, strawberry plants slow their production. In annual production systems (common in the South), fields are cleared and prepared for the next fall planting cycle.
And then the process begins all over again.