Rainline Garden
When to plant strawberries in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Plant strawberry plants Mar 15 – Apr 26. In Bend: May 12 – Jun 23. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 12 to 18 inches apart
- Planting depth
- Crown at soil level: not buried, roots covered
- Frost
- Hardy perennial; comes back every year
- First harvest
- A light crop the first summer; full crops from the second year
June-bearers give one big crop; everbearers and day-neutrals give smaller harvests through summer. Oregon and Washington breeding programs have produced many of the best varieties for this climate.
Strawberries planting dates by city
| City | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Baker City, OR | Apr 27 – Jun 8 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | May 12 – Jun 23 |
| Burns, OR | May 14 – Jun 25 |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Gresham, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | May 12 – Jun 23 |
| Medford, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Pendleton, OR | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Roseburg, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Salem, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| The Dalles, OR | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Bellingham, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Everett, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Forks, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Olympia, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 15 – May 27 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Vancouver, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 26 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Apr 1 – May 13 |
| Yakima, WA | Apr 10 – May 22 |
How to grow strawberries
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant strawberry plants on your city's dates, 12 to 18 inches apart. Crown at soil level: not buried, roots covered.
- Water regularly, mulch with straw, and pinch off runners in the first year so plants put energy into roots.
- Harvest: Pick fully red berries every couple of days, in the morning, with the cap attached.
Varieties that do well in the Northwest
- Hood (an Oregon classic)
- Shuksan
- Seascape (everbearing)
- Albion (day-neutral)
Watch out for
Gray mold (botrytis) in wet springs and slugs on ripe berries. Mulch with straw to keep fruit off the soil.
Blueberries
Raspberries
Asparagus
Rhubarb