After the soil is prepared, make raised beds about 6 inches high and about 10 inches wide across the top if you are planting one row of strawberries, or 18 inches wide if you are planting two rows. Two rows of plants work well, and you can run a drip line down the middle of the bed between them. Orienting the beds in a north-south direction provides the best sunlight exposure for the plants. Make sure the furrows between beds are sloped enough in the direction of the rows that water drains away during rainy weather. Standing water promotes root and crown diseases. If you are planning to water the strawberries by flooding furrows, make the slope shallow enough that furrows can be filled with water by blocking the ends. Make planter boxes at least 12 inches deep so that the plants will be rooted entirely in the soil you use to fill the box. Put copper barriers in place around the box as soon as it is filled with soil to keep snails and slugs from crawling in. If you have problems with moles or gophers, place a wire mesh barrier beneath raised beds before you plant.
The pesticide information on this page may become out of date as products and active ingredients change or become unavailable. Some of the pesticides listed are only available for use by licensed pesticide applicators. No endorsements of named products are intended, nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.
