How Often Should You Water Strawberries? What You Should Do for the Juiciest Fruits
Strawberries should be watered anytime the top inches of soil are dry. Water strawberries in the morning for best results. If leaves are discolored, fruits are not as flavorful, or growth is odd, check if you are over or underwatering your plant. The importance of properly watering strawberries cannot be overstated—without proper irrigation, you won’t be able to harvest the juicy fruit that makes growing your own strawberries a worthwhile effort. Strawberries have shallow root systems. This makes them especially sensitive to water deficit and a water-stressed plant can’t produce the juicy berries you are craving. Overwatering strawberries also backfires and causes problems such as rotting. Here is what you need to know about how much to water strawberries and when. How Often to Water Strawberries Water newly planted strawberries thoroughly immediately after planting and then daily for the first week after planting. In the second week after planting, switch to an every other day schedule, unless the weather is very hot and dry. As the plants get established, transition to a weekly watering schedule. During the active growing season between spring and fall, strawberries need at least 1 inch of water per week, or often enough to keep the top layer of soil moist. As it depends on different factors how often strawberries need water, the watering frequency ranges between daily to once or twice a week (less if there is abundant rainfall). Strawberries need the most water during the fruit production stage and up the harvest. If there is no abundant rainfall during harvest time, that’s the time when you need to water strawberry plants the most often. As soon as you see flowers form, start monitoring the soil moisture closely. Because container plants dry out much faster than strawberries planted in garden soil, potted strawberries need to be watered more often. Check the soil moisture level every morning and water the strawberries once or twice daily, depending on the weather and how fast the soil dries out. The smaller the pot, the more often you need to water. When to Water Strawberries While there is no hard-and-fast rule about how often you need to water strawberries, the best time of the day to water them is in the morning. Watering them early in the day prepares them for a hot day in the sun and it’s much better than at night when foliage takes much longer to dry, with the inherent risk of fungal diseases spreading. However, during a heat wave this should not deter you from watering the plants again in the evening if the soil is dry. Insert a finger in the soil—if the top inches feel dry, the plants should be watered no matter what time of the day it is. How to Water Strawberries The best method to water strawberries in garden soil is drip irrigation or a soaker hose. It not only saves water, but also keeps the foliage and fruit dry. Place the system so that it gets the soil around the plants wet but leave some distance to the growing berries. Water container-grown strawberries with a watering can, taking care not to get the leaves wet. No matter which watering method to use, water enough so that the soil is slightly damp but not dry or soggy. Signs of Overwatering Overwatering strawberries is not only wasteful, but it also has detrimental effects on the strawberries. These include: Root rot, a fungal infection that occurs in wet soil with poor drainage. Wilting of the plants, indicating oversaturated soil that lacks air pockets with oxygen. Brown or yellow leaves, especially at the tips of the leaves. Slow overall growth. Diluted flavor.1 If you have overwatered your strawberries, let them dry out before restarting a more conservative watering routine. Signs of Underwatering Typically, older strawberry plants are more prone to show signs of underwatering than young plants because they are less able to retain water. The following are typical indicators for underwatered plants: Dry, crisp leaves. Smaller leaves than those of properly watered strawberries. Less growth with fewer runners, crowns, and leaves. Fewer flowers, resulting in fewer and smaller fruits. Water your plants thoroughly and adjust your watering routine to avoid repeated water depravation, which weakens the plant further.
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