Strawberry — How to Grow Strawberry in Australia

☀️ Sun

Full Sun

💧 Water

Medium

↔ Spacing

30cm apart

↕ Height

Up to 20cm

📅 Harvest

90 days

Growing Guide

Plant strawberries in Australia during autumn (March–May) in most regions, as this is the ideal time for roots to establish before fruiting in spring. In cooler climates, early spring (September–October) planting also works well.

Soil Preparation: Choose a sunny, well-draining position and enrich soil with aged compost and well-rotted manure before planting. Aim for a slightly acidic pH of 5.5–6.5. Raised beds are excellent for improving drainage and reducing soil-borne diseases.

Planting: Space crowns 30–40 cm apart, ensuring the crown sits at soil level — not buried, not too high. Mulch generously with straw to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and protect developing fruit from soil contact.

Watering: Water consistently, keeping soil evenly moist but never waterlogged. Drip irrigation is ideal, as wet foliage encourages fungal disease. During hot Australian summers, water deeply every two to three days.

Feeding: Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser fortnightly once flowering begins. Reduce nitrogen as fruit develops to encourage sweetness over leafy growth.

Harvesting: Pick fruit when fully red and slightly soft, typically in spring through early summer. Harvest every two to three days to encourage continued production and prevent fruit fly damage. Pinch off the first flush of flowers on newly planted runners to redirect energy into root establishment for a stronger long-term harvest.

🤝 Good Companions

Borage garlic marigolds and thyme make excellent strawberry companions — borage deters pests and may improve fruit flavour garlic repels aphids and fungal issues marigolds deter nematodes and thyme attracts beneficial insects while deterring harmful ones.

❌ Avoid Planting With

Avoid planting strawberries near brassicas fennel or members of the nightshade family such as tomatoes capsicum and eggplant as these can compete for nutrients and share soil-borne diseases like Verticillium wilt that significantly weaken strawberry plants.

🐛 Pests & Diseases

Common threats to Australian strawberries include two-spotted mite, aphids, slugs, and Queensland fruit fly, along with fungal diseases such as grey mould (Botrytis) and powdery mildew. Control mites and aphids with regular applications of neem oil or insecticidal soap, and use iron-based snail baits for slugs and snails. Improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and remove infected foliage promptly to manage fungal issues organically.

🌱 Fertilising

Apply a complete, balanced slow-release fertiliser at planting time, then switch to a potassium-rich liquid fertiliser such as liquid potash or a dedicated fruit and flower formula every two weeks once buds appear to support flowering and fruiting. Avoid high-nitrogen products during fruiting as they promote leafy growth at the expense of fruit quality and sweetness.

✂️ Pruning & Training

After harvest, cut back old foliage to approximately 10 cm above the crown to remove spent leaves, improve airflow, and encourage vigorous new growth for the following season. Remove any dead, yellowing, or diseased leaves throughout the growing season to keep plants healthy and reduce fungal disease pressure.

🔬 Propagation

Strawberries are most easily propagated by pegging runners — the long stems the parent plant naturally produces — into small pots of moist potting mix positioned beside the mother plant, severing the runner once the new plant has established its own roots after three to four weeks. Established clumps can also be divided in autumn, separating healthy crowns with good root systems and replanting immediately into prepared soil.

🗓 When to Plant

Autumn Winter

🌾 Harvest

Spring Summer

🌏 Australian Climates

Temperate Cool Temperate Subtropical Mediterranean

More Fruits

Loquat → Feijoa → Fig → Blueberry → Apple → Avocado →