Winter is the season to grow strawberries in Florida – local expert growers reveal how to get great harvests

Strawberries are a great crop to cultivate in Florida, but they are grown differently in the Sunshine State than in other regions. While strawberries are a ubiquitous summer crop for many growers worldwide, strawberries are grown and picked during winter in Florida.

Strawberry plants do grow well in Florida’s climate and soil, but are treated as annual plants and grown from late September to April as they struggle with the intense heat of a Florida summer.

If you want to learn more about how to grow strawberries in Florida, I spoke to an expert grower with years of experience cultivating edibles, including strawberries, in the state. I also sought guidance from the University of Florida to showcase the best strawberries to grow in Florida and how to plant and care for your crops.

When to grow strawberries in Florida

While strawberries usually conjure up images of summer, things are a bit different in Florida than in regions further north. In Florida, strawberries are grown over the winter – indeed, Plant City, Florida, is recognized as the ‘Winter Strawberry Capital of the Nation’ and produces almost 15 per cent of all strawberries in the US.

The reason for strawberries being a winter crop in Florida is that the plants need temperatures of 50°F–80°F and 8–14 daylight hours for flowering and fruiting, and that comes from September to May in Florida.

Charmaine Peters, farm director at Arden Farm in Palm Beach, FL, claims that strawberries grow well in the local soil and weather conditions. As for planting, the expert grower adds: 'We transplant plugs and/or bare roots starting in mid-October.'

The University of Florida says the ideal time to plant strawberries can vary across the state, with Florida spanning over 170,000 km2 and four US hardiness zones, from 8 to 11.

‘Gardeners in North Florida can plant between September 15 – October 15, those in Central Florida between September 25 – October 25, and South Florida gardeners can plant between October 1 until the first of December,’ says experts from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) extension program.

Charmaine Peters

Charmaine Peters is the Farm Director at Arden, an Agrihood community in Palm Beach, Florida. She manages the community’s five-acre working farm, as well as a monthly farm-share program for residents.

Expert tips to grow strawberries in Florida successfully

As well as different planting times, Charmaine Peters reveals there are restrictions to the type of strawberry plants that do best in Florida. This is because strawberries are regarded as annual plants due to the state’s hot summer temperatures.

‘Up North, strawberries can be overwintered using ‘runners’, which are horizontal stems that allow the plant to spread and create new plants for the next growing season,’ says Charmaine. ‘However, runners don’t thrive in Florida’s hot, humid summers. The heat encourages plant growth, but not flower and fruit growth.’

Transplants or plug plants can be bought from local garden centers or nurseries to plant in the ground and raised beds, or you may choose to grow strawberries in pots through winter. Any planting spot needs to get lots of sunlight and be well-draining, and it is beneficial to add fertilizer to the soil before planting due to the common soil type in Florida.

‘Florida soil is sandy and typically contains lots of phosphorus,’ says Charmaine. ‘If planting in the ground, use a 10-5-10 or equivalent slow-release fertilizer.’

She adds: ‘If planting in a raised bed composed of higher fertility and compost, a more balanced fertilizer can be used.’

When you grow strawberries in Florida, the flowering and fruiting can start as early as November and continue through to spring. However, the University of Florida advises that the fruit can appear in cycles and ‘be interrupted by freezing weather’ during winter, depending on your location.

‘Temperatures below 32°F will damage the fruit and flowers of strawberry plants, but the crowns and leaves will survive temperatures in the low 20s if they have been acclimated to cool weather,’ says UF/IFAS experts. Protect plants from frost with row covers, cloches, or even old sheets in anticipation of temperatures dropping.

Several pests can cause issues for strawberry plants across the state, including caterpillars and aphids. However, Charmaine Peters warns that: 'Thrips and mites are the pests that create the most issues in Florida.'

Spider mites are common strawberry pests that thrive in dry, hot weather and start to appear in early December. ‘The spider mites show up as whitish stippling on the surface of leaves, also from feeding,’ says Charmaine. ‘Underneath the leaves, the tiny mites will leave webs.

‘The thrips can be treated with an organically-approved chemical called Spinosad, found in many brands in your local nursery stores.’

The most common strawberry diseases are fungal, including powdery mildew. Such fungal diseases can be combated with a mild fungicide or the application of sulfur, but do not apply sulfur when the temperature exceeds 80°F as it can burn leaves and fruit.

Best strawberries to grow in Florida

The UF/IFAS experts recommend three particular varieties that are best if you want to grow strawberries in Florida. These are 'Camarosa', 'Sweet Charlie', and 'Festival'.

‘All varieties produce berries for fresh eating or freezing. 'Camarosa' is best for North Florida, 'Festival' for Central,’ they suggest.

Other notable cultivars suitable for growing in Florida include 'Florida Belle', 'Florida 90', 'Selva', 'Chandler', and 'Strawberry Festival'.

To keep your strawberry plants healthy, attract pollinators to give you more fruit, and prevent pests from nibbling on them, consider companion planting.

For example, planting marigolds, nasturtiums, or aromatic herbs as strawberry companion plants will repel many pests and attract pollinators. This keeps your plants thriving and pest-free so you can pick strawberries without any worries throughout the season.