Strawberries are rewarding fruits for the home gardener, offering flavor that store-bought varieties rarely match. Achieving a successful harvest depends heavily on understanding the local climate and adhering to specific timing. For Massachusetts growers, the region’s distinct seasons demand a focused approach to planting to ensure plants establish properly and thrive in the New England environment.
Ideal Planting Windows for Massachusetts
The most common and generally successful time to plant dormant, bare-root strawberry crowns is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. This window typically opens in late March and extends through early May in most parts of Massachusetts, depending on local conditions and the recession of hard frost. Planting early allows the root system to develop fully while the soil remains cool and moist from winter snowmelt and spring rains.
Establishing plants quickly before summer heat helps them survive drier, warmer months. The soil must be thawed and not overly saturated with water to prevent root rot.
A secondary planting opportunity exists in late summer, generally around August or early September. This timing is less conventional but works well for day-neutral types, allowing them to establish a root system before winter dormancy. Fall-planted strawberries benefit from cooler soil temperatures and may produce a small harvest the following spring.
Selecting Strawberry Varieties Appropriate for New England
Choosing the right type of strawberry is a major factor for success in the New England climate, requiring resistance to certain diseases and cold hardiness.
June-Bearing Varieties
The most widely used type is the June-bearing variety, which produces flower buds during the short days of autumn. These varieties yield one large crop over a three-to-four-week period in late spring or early summer, making them excellent for large-volume processing like freezing or jam making.
When selecting June-bearers, prioritize cultivars known for resistance to common soilborne pathogens, such as Verticillium wilt and Red Stele root rot, which are often present in older garden beds. Varieties like ‘Earliglow’ and ‘Jewel’ are recommended for their cold tolerance and flavor profiles suitable for the region.
Day-Neutral Varieties
Day-neutral strawberries, sometimes called everbearing, produce fruit continuously from summer until the first hard frost. These varieties are less sensitive to day length and produce flowers as long as temperatures remain between approximately 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Day-neutral types like ‘Seascape’ or ‘Albion’ are an excellent choice for smaller spaces, containers, or for gardeners who prefer a steady supply of fresh berries over a concentrated harvest.
Essential Ground Preparation and Planting Depth
Thorough preparation of the planting site ensures the bare-root crowns have the best chance to establish a robust network of feeder roots. Strawberries require full sun, meaning a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily to produce a healthy crop. The soil itself must be a deep, well-drained sandy loam, because standing water quickly leads to root decay.
Avoid planting strawberries in ground that has recently held plants from the Solanaceous family (tomatoes, potatoes, or peppers) for at least three to four years. These crops can harbor the fungus responsible for Verticillium wilt, which is detrimental to strawberry plants. Testing the soil in advance is recommended to determine the pH level, which strawberries prefer to be slightly acidic, ideally between 5.8 and 6.5.
Planting Bare-Root Crowns
When dormant plants arrive, soak the roots in water for an hour or two before planting to rehydrate them. The physical act of planting requires careful attention to the depth of the crown, which is the point where the roots meet the stem and new leaves emerge.
The crown must be set exactly at the soil surface, with all roots buried but the crown itself uncovered. Burying the crown too deeply will cause it to rot, while planting too shallowly will expose the roots to air and cause them to dry out.
After placing the plant, gently firm the soil around the roots and water immediately to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets. Trimming the roots to about four to five inches before planting can also encourage new root growth.