Best potting media for container strawberries?

DocBrock · March 11, 2018

Any suggestions on the best potting media for growing strawberries? About a month and a half ago I experimentally planted some Quinault plants in a 24" window box and they are pathetic. The plants at Home Depot in the seedling cups have better berries than mine do. Mine are tiny and shriveled like you put a big one in the food dehydrator. Trying to figure out what I did wrong. I see all these pictures on google of nice plants with big berries in tiny terra cotta strawberry pots and I've got a lot bigger container with no results. I'm in SW FL zone 10.

Ann123 · March 11, 2018

I am not at ALL an expert. After some years of trying to grow strawberries in our sandy soil without success I decided to make some self watering containers. That should keep them more hydrated. I used coconut coir and osmocote and they did very very well. I was the first time we had a decent harvest of strawberries so I'll continue in the same way.
My self watering container are window box style too. Only little soil fits in there (which dries up quickly) and they like moisture. But with the water reservoir under them the coconut coir stays moist.

March 11, 2018	#1
DocBrock Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 111	Best potting media for container strawberries? Any suggestions on the best potting media for growing strawberries? About a month and a half ago I experimentally planted some Quinault plants in a 24" window box and they are pathetic. The plants at Home Depot in the seedling cups have better berries than mine do. Mine are tiny and shriveled like you put a big one in the food dehydrator. Trying to figure out what I did wrong. I see all these pictures on google of nice plants with big berries in tiny terra cotta strawberry pots and I've got a lot bigger container with no results. I'm in SW FL zone 10.

March 11, 2018	#2
Ann123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Belgium Posts: 240	I am not at ALL an expert. After some years of trying to grow strawberries in our sandy soil without success I decided to make some self watering containers. That should keep them more hydrated. I used coconut coir and osmocote and they did very very well. I was the first time we had a decent harvest of strawberries so I'll continue in the same way. My self watering container are window box style too. Only little soil fits in there (which dries up quickly) and they like moisture. But with the water reservoir under them the coconut coir stays moist.