Growing strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa · also called strawberryStrawberry is a low, herbaceous fruit plant raised from runners, easy to grow in beds and pots. In the hills it is a perennial; in the plains it is grown as a winter crop, planted in autumn and picked in late winter and spring.
Cold desert: Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti
At a glance
Strawberry in the Cold desert
Planted in spring under cover, picked in summer
No published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.Runners planted in a polyhouse in April and May bear from July to September. Plants need heavy straw mulch or a heated house to live through the winter.
No published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
Under cover only
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Under cover
- Today
- Not suited here
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold desertUnder cover only | Under cover: April to May | Under cover: July to September | ||
| Temperate Himalaya | August to September | April to June | ||
| Sub-tropical foothills | October to November | February to April | ||
| North-west plains | Mid-October | Mid-January to March (Winter Dawn)Early February to early April (Chandler) | ||
| Gangetic plains | October to mid-November | January to March | ||
| North-east hills and valleys | Mid-September to October | February to April | ||
| Arid west | October | January to March | ||
| Central plateau | October | January to March | ||
| Deccan plateau | Second half of October | December to April | ||
| South interior | September to November | January to May | ||
| West coast | Not suited here | |||
| East coast | Not suited here | |||
From seed to harvest
One season, day by day
Days from sowing
Before sowing
Well-rotted FYM or compostNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Mix into the beds or pots before planting · Before planting
Water little and often; the air and soil dry out fast. Drip under mulch saves water.No published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1,2,3
5.8 to 6.5
Well-drained, friable loam or medium sandy loam rich in organic matter, with a subsoil that holds moisture. Most roots stay in the top 15 to 20 cm. Heavy, clayey and waterlogged soils do not suit it. Gentle slopes suit it well.
SunlightNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
At least 6 hours a day
Full sun. Give beds and pots at least six hours of direct sun a day.
Temperature2,1Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Grows best at 15 to 26 °C
Takes light frost.
Monthly temperatures for the Cold desert aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
WateringNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Water little and often; the air and soil dry out fast. Drip under mulch saves water.
WeedingNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Weed by hand and keep the beds mulched.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before planting | Well-rotted FYM or compost | Mix into the beds or pots before planting |
Varieties and yield
1 to 2 kg a square metre
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Good neighboursNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Pests and diseasesNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Organic and cultural controls only.
Aphids
Signs
Small green or black insects under young leaves; leaves curl and turn sticky.
What to do
- Wash them off with a strong jet of water
- Remove badly infested leaves
Prevention
- Keep the polyhouse ventilated
- Check new runners before planting
Red spider mite
Signs
Fine speckling and bronzing on leaves, with webbing underneath in hot, dry air.
What to do
- Spray the undersides of leaves with plain water
Prevention
- Keep humidity up in hot weather by damping paths
Grey mould
Signs
Soft brown rot on berries that grows a grey, dusty mould.
Prevention
- Ventilate the house
- Keep berries off the soil with straw
- Remove rotten berries
Powdery mildew
Signs
White powdery patches on leaves, which curl upward.
Prevention
- Ventilate the house
- Do not crowd plants
- Remove affected leaves
Seed and the season's end
Saving seed1,2Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Strawberry is not grown from saved seed: seedlings do not come true. Keep healthy mother plants and root their runners instead.
When the seed is ready
A runner is ready to lift when it has its own roots and two or three leaves.
Plant runners soon after lifting. Raised runners can be kept in polybags until planting.
After the last pickingNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
After the last picking, cut back old leaves and keep the healthy crowns. Replant the bed with fresh runners every two to three years, on land where strawberry has not grown recently.
In the plains, pull out the plants after the last picking, since they do not survive the summer. Compost healthy plants; burn or bin plants with root rot.
Rotation
Do not replant strawberry on land where it grew recently: black root rot builds up in the soil.
Growing under coverNo published guide covers this for the Cold desert, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Grow in a polyhouse or trench greenhouse, in raised beds or pots. Keep the house ventilated on sunny days, and cover the crowns with thick straw before winter.
Sources
Where this comes from
Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.
These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.
- Package of practices for fruit crops 2020: strawberryDirectorate of Extension, SKUAST-JammuRead the source
- Strawberry (crop report)National Horticulture BoardRead the source
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