Harvest guide

Strawberry harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

Strawberries are the first fruit of summer and don't ripen after picking, so timing matters. Here is when to pick, what a plant yields and how many to grow for your family.

First crop: Fruits within about 13 months of planting and crops well for up to four years.(University of Missouri Extension)
Harvest months: June–October(RHS)
Per plant: 0.15–0.23 kg (0.3–0.5 lb) per plant(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook)
Spacing: 35–40 cm (14–16 in) apart, rows 75 cm (30 in) apart(RHS)
Family: Rosaceae (rose family)
Botanical name: Fragaria × ananassa

Strawberry planting and harvest calendar

Plant March–June, August–October. Harvest June–October.(RHS)

Strawberry season timeline

Plant
Harvest

Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Plant out
Harvest

When to harvest strawberries

Pick only berries that are bright red all over. Strawberries don't ripen any further once picked.(RHS)
They taste best picked during the warmest part of the day.(RHS)

How often to pick

Pick regularly while plants are fruiting, from early summer into autumn depending on the variety.(RHS)

How many strawberries to expect

That works out to 0.15–0.23 kg (0.3–0.5 lb) per plant. About ½ lb a year for June-bearing plants and ⅓ lb for everbearing.(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating strawberries fresh, plan on about 50 plants(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook). That should give 7–11 kg (17–25 lb) a year once plants are mature(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook).

About 50 plants for a family of four.

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your strawberries

Refrigerate unwashed berries, with their green caps on, and use within two to three days. Wash just before eating.(University of Maine Cooperative Extension)
Frozen strawberries go soft when thawed but are fine for smoothies and desserts.(RHS)

Track it

Log every strawberry harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of strawberries by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.

Prefer paper? Make a free harvest report PDF in your browser, with no account needed.

Strawberry harvest FAQ

How many strawberry plants do I need for a family?

NC State Extension suggests about 50 plants for four people. University of Missouri Extension suggests 25 to 50 for fresh eating, plus 50 to 100 more if you want to freeze berries.