How To Grow Climbing Strawberries

Climbing strawberry varieties are very similar to traditional strawberry plants, but the runners, or vines, can reach up to 40 inches in length. These strawberries grow well in the ground as well as in hanging baskets and containers. However, because of the longer vines, ground-planted climbing strawberries require a trellis to keep the fruit and foliage off of the ground.

Step 1

Wait until the early spring when freezing temperatures cease and the ground is no longer frozen. Look for a planting site that is well drained, receives six hours of sunlight per day, and has a dark soil composition. Areas that are slightly elevated are good sites for strawberries, because they aid in water drainage.

Step 2

Spread a general fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, over the planting side using 1 lb. for every 100 square feet of soil. Till the soil with a garden tiller to work the fertilizer six to eight inches into the soil

Step 3

Dig a hole in the soil that is the same depth as the roots of one for the climbing strawberry plants. Insert the roots into the hole, making sure that the area where the green stems emerge, called the crown, is above the soil. Fill in the hole but do not cover crown with soil.

Step 4

Plant additional climbing strawberry varieties in the same methods, spacing them 18 to 30 inches apart.

Step 5

Dig a 12-inch deep trench six inches behind the plants with a shovel. Insert a 4- to 5-foot tall trellis into the bottom of the trench and pack soil around the base to fill in the hole and to hold it upright. You can install a single long trellis or smaller ones for each plant.

Step 6

Water the soil to the same depth as the roots of the strawberry plants.

Step 7

Wait four to five weeks until the plant runners begin to grow. Lift the runners up to a vertical position and secure them gently to the trellis using gardener's tape. Loop the tape around the vine stems and tie in a knot behind the trellis.