Strawberries are a popular and rewarding fruit for the home garden in Illinois, but successful cultivation depends heavily on proper timing. Planting the dormant crown initiates the first year of this perennial fruit, making the initial establishment period the foundation for future harvests. Understanding the regional seasonality and the plant’s biological needs is necessary to maximize the productivity of a strawberry patch.
Optimal Planting Windows in Illinois
The most effective time to plant strawberries in Illinois is in the early spring, using dormant, bare-root crowns. Planting should begin as soon as the soil is workable and dry, typically occurring from mid-March through early May across the state. Southern Illinois is often ready for planting a few weeks earlier than the northern parts.
Early planting allows the plants to develop a robust root system before the summer heat arrives. This established root mass helps the plant draw nutrients and moisture throughout the growing season. Plants should be set just after the danger of severe frost has passed and before intense heat stresses the young transplants.
Spring planting of bare-root crowns remains the standard method for establishing a long-term strawberry patch. These crowns are shipped while dormant, ready to begin active growth as the soil warms. This timing allows for a full season of growth and runner production before their first winter.
Preparing the Site and Planting the Crowns
Strawberries require a location that receives a minimum of six hours of full sunlight daily for optimal fruit production. The soil must be well-drained, as crowns are highly susceptible to rot if they sit in standing water. Incorporating organic matter, such as composted manure, before planting will improve the soil structure and nutrient content.
Strawberries thrive in slightly acidic soil, ideally with a pH range between 5.5 and 7.0. Before planting, soak the roots of bare-root crowns in water for 20 to 30 minutes to rehydrate them. For the common matted-row system, plants are typically set 18 to 30 inches apart, with rows spaced three to four feet apart.
Correct planting depth is important for survival and growth. The crown, the central growing point, must be positioned exactly at the soil level. Planting too deep causes the crown to rot, while planting too shallow exposes the roots to drying out. Spread the roots out in the planting hole, and firm the soil gently around them to eliminate air pockets.
Managing Growth in the First Season
The first season’s management focuses on plant establishment rather than fruit production. For June-bearing varieties, all flowers must be immediately removed throughout the entire first season. This practice prevents the plant from expending energy on developing fruit, forcing it instead into root development and runner production.
For everbearing and day-neutral varieties, remove all blossoms for the first four to six weeks after planting. After this initial establishment period, flowers can be allowed to develop, yielding a small harvest later in the first year. Removing flowers is necessary because allowing fruit to develop in the first year reduces the size of the crop the following season.
Consistent moisture is needed throughout the first growing year, with strawberries requiring about one inch of water per week. Mother plants will produce runners that root to form daughter plants. In the matted-row system, a controlled number of runners are allowed to root to gradually fill the row into a bed no wider than two feet. Applying a straw mulch around the plants helps suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture, and prepare the bed for winter protection.