With proper care, strawberry beds will produce good crops for three to five years, beginning one year after planting. An initial planting of 100 plants should provide enough fruit for a family of four, with surplus to freeze or make preserves. Selecting a Planting Site Choose your planting site carefully.
Strawberries grow best in a deep, sandy loam soil, rich in organic matter.
The soil must be well-drained. Keep away from areas that remain wet late into the spring. The site should receive full sunlight and have a gradual slope. This helps to prevent frost injury by allowing cold air to drain away from the plants. Do not plant strawberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant have been grown in the past four years, because these crops carry the root rot fungus Verticillium which also attacks strawberries.