Container gardening is a fun, easy way to spend more time outdoors with your hands in the dirt. Even if you don’t have much room outside, you can still enjoy the benefits of container gardening with these exciting ideas to utilize vertical space and grow fresh strawberries today.
It is possible to grow strawberries straight in the garden, but keeping the fruit from rotting on the ground can often prove difficult. Growing these plants in buckets is an excellent way to keep the berries off the ground and ensure a bountiful harvest.
While container gardening in traditional buckets is a fairly straightforward process, eventually endless pots can become boring and clutter up your patio. It seems only fitting that your lovely strawberry plants have a container as attractive as the fruit. With a little effort and creativity, you can turn your patio into a berry oasis.
Wall of Berries
Since strawberries have shallow roots, they are an excellent choice for various methods of vertical gardening. One of these options is a felt vertical wall garden. You can purchase vertical gardens and simply hang them against a fence or the side of your house. Once the strawberries begin to grow, they will trail down and cover the surface with fresh fruit that is easily harvested. Felt options are ideal because they can help with water retention and soil microbe control.
Recycled Rainboots
If you have an old pair of rainboots sitting around, they can easily be recycled into cute planters for your strawberries. Drill a few holes in the soles for drainage and in the sides for airflow and fill with potting soil. The plants will thrive and make a colorful decoration for any garden.
Easy Berry Tower
For this simple project, all you need is a 4-inch PVC pipe and a drill. Drill 2 ½” holes along the entire pipe. Make three rows of holes around the pipe, being sure to offset each row from the others. Stop drilling holes about a foot from the bottom, as this part of the pipe will be in the ground. Spraypaint the pipe in any color to match your garden decor, or paint it black for a sleek look that will help your strawberries stand out. Fill pipe with lightweight planting mix and stick your berry plants in the holes.
Hanging baskets
Covering your porch in a hanging basket with bright red strawberries on the vine trailing out the edges is sure to make your outdoor living space pop. Baskets are a fantastic way to keep your strawberries close to the house and remind you to harvest them once ripe.
Cans
Soak old food or coffee cans to clean them and remove the label. Drill a few holes in the bottom and along the edges for drainage. These little jars make excellent gifts or table decorations for your patio. Experiment and express your creativity by painting the cans or attaching a string to make a garland of strawberries.
Gutters
Using old rain gutters as trenches for your strawberries can be an efficient use of space and a great way to reuse material. Simply mount rain gutters along your fence or shed and plant away!
Boxes
Whether you have an old tool box sitting around in your shed, or want to take advantage of wood scraps from your most recent project. Any kind of box can make an excellent home for strawberry plants. You can set it in your garden or leave it on your patio. Paint it or keep it plain. Keep an eye out for antique metal boxes or containers at yard sales and thrift stores as they can make great eye-catching additions to your garden decor.
Buckets
Sometimes simple is best. And what is more simple than a five-gallon bucket? Though it may seem unsightly, once you decorate a five-gallon bucket and infuse it with your personality, it can make a super cute planter for your strawberries. Rub the whole thing with fine-grit sandpaper before painting the encourage the paint to stick. Plus, this container even comes with a convenient handle for portability.
Straw Bales
Straw bales make excellent organic planters for strawberries. Be sure to consider the location of your straw bale as it will not be portable once planted. Wet the bale with water and cover overnight with a tarp to help loosen the straw and aid planting. Spread apart a small hole in the bale and fill with potting soil, compost, and your strawberry plant. Repeat the process 4 times across the top of the bale.
What containers have you used for strawberries? Let us know in the comments below!
-Taylor Ramsey
