When to harvest Strawberry (summer-fruiting) in the UK
Strawberry (summer-fruiting) is normally planted as runners or young plants rather than sown from seed — beds are usually replaced every three or four years — so the dates below are harvest dates, not sowing dates.
Harvest dates by region
Strawberry (summer-fruiting) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant's timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Harvest |
|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early June to early August |
| South Coast and Channel | early June to early August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early June to early August |
| South East and Home Counties | early June to early August |
| East Anglia | early June to early August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early June to early August |
| Wales and West Coast | early June to early August |
| Northern England | early June to early August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early June to early August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early June to early August |
| Northern Ireland | early June to early August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early June to early August |
Growing notes
Plant in August or September so plants are established for a full crop the following June; a bed stays healthy for about four years, then needs replanting on fresh ground. Perfect for pots, growing bags and hanging baskets, but containers dry out fast and need daily watering in summer.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 35 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 75 cm
- Plants per m²
- 4
- Yield per plant
- 0.4 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 20 cm
- Balcony rating
- 5 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- grey mould
- vine weevil
- strawberry black eye (frost-damaged flowers)
- birds
- slugs
Companion planting
Grows well near
- borage
- chives
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for strawberry (summer-fruiting).