Strawberries are packed with vitamins and nutrients; according to the California Strawberry Commission, eight whole strawberries contain more vitamin C than a medium orange. But strawberries from the market are expensive because grocers hike up the price to cover overhead and shipping charges. To avoid costly price markups and enjoy fresh strawberries at home, grow your own in a strawberry plant holder.
Strawberry Growth Habits
Strawberries produce "runners," which are long, thin shoots with satellite plants. The runners tend to create a mounding effect, which requires a lot of room for each plant to develop properly. Strawberry plants grown directly in the garden, are spaced 18 to 30 inches apart to give ample room to each plant. Those grown in containers, require separate openings or pockets for each individual plant to avoid crowding.
A hanging basket provides an above-ground home for a single strawberry plant. Strawberry plants that grow in hanging baskets produce runners that hang out and over the sides of the hanging basket. Any type of hanging pot or basket suffices, although most strawberry hanging basket kits include a wire frame basket with coconut fiber liners.
Clay artisans create terra cotta flower pots with one top opening and several pocket-like openings in the side of the container. These containers are known as "strawberry pots." This type of container provides room for each of the plants to grow and cascade.
DIY Strawberry Pot
If you don't have access to or funds for a strawberry pot, make your own out of an empty barrel or other large container. A drill with a large boring bit creates holes in the containers side that serve as pockets for individual plants. Do not use containers made out of treated wood or wood composite, as these contain toxins that contaminate food.
Upside Down Hanging Strawberry Containers
Upside down strawberry plant holders are a hybrid of a hanging basket and a strawberry pot. The upside down strawberry plant holder hangs above the ground, but has openings in which strawberry plants are planted. These hanging containers are typically made of a heavy-duty fabric that lasts two or three seasons.