Strawberries might be one of the simplest fruit plants to grow at home – requiring very little complex maintenance and being quite resilient – however, there are still various practices you need to follow and a little research you need to do to fully understand what care they need.
One way to do this is to research what a healthy strawberry plant should look like – both in terms of plant health and fruit yield – to properly tell where you are succeeding and which areas need work.
But how many strawberries grow on average per plant, and what can affect these numbers?
Table of Contents
Average Strawberries Per Plant
Generally speaking, the average strawberry plant should produce around 40-70 strawberries across the entire season. Still, of course, this depends on the age and size of the plant, the weather and surrounding environment, and the general health that it is in.
However, these numbers still equate to roughly 1.5 to 3 lbs of strawberries, which can be a great addition to your family’s diet in summer and fall.
The yield will be much higher if you have multiple plants or a more industrialized setup – for example, multiple plants in a large greenhouse.
This might sound like a lot, but it still means that for large families or small farms intending to sell strawberries, you need around 7 to 10 healthy strawberry plants to see you through the growing season.
What Types Of Strawberries Are There?
When we talk about strawberries, there are three specific types: June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral strawberries.
June-Bearing
These produce a single large harvest of strawberries around June time, but these generally only grow in the northern hemisphere, as hotter climates can affect harvests negatively.
Ever-Bearing
These strawberry plants start growing fruit when there are 12 hours of sunlight or more, and as such, have much more joy throughout the summer months – and in climates with longer days and more sunshine.
Day-Neutral
These are the most versatile and unaffected by the amount of sunlight they are exposed to throughout the day.
These are the most common type and are the most commercial type due to their versatility.
How Long Do Strawberry Plants Live?
The one downside of strawberry plants is that they are relatively short-lived, perennial plants, which generally only last for a period of 5 or 6 years.
This is also in the best-case scenario regarding health and conditions, and this lifespan is usually less.
Without a greenhouse and proper conditions, the most anyone can expect strawberry plants to last is around three years – although strawberry yield will continue to dwindle towards the end.
How To Know The Age Of Your Plants
If you have multiple strawberry plants, knowing the age of individual plants can soon be confusing.
This is why it is important to separate and mark the plants to know which ones are which and which stage of their lives they are at.
This can be highly beneficial, as it can allow you to foresee some plants’ deaths and then swap them out for fresh plants to continue the fluidity of the growing cycle.
How To Know When To Dispose Of Them?
As you might expect, it can be tricky to know when a strawberry plant has reached the end of its life and the best time to dispose of the plant and set some new ones.
This is especially tricky if the plant is around three years old but had a good final yield that year.
There can be a temptation to keep the old plant, but ultimately, this can be more of a waste of money than anything else – not to mention the plant taking up vital space that could be used by a growing plant.
The best way to tell is that there should be some dwindling of production at the three-year point, and at this time, you would be wise to bite the bullet and dispose of the plant to allow you to plant new ones and continue your garden production.
How To Improve Plant Yield
While the lifespan of any strawberry plant is capped at six years tops, the very nature of strawberry plants means that it is very easy to get new ones and set them growing to replace aging plants.
This is done through a process called propagating, wherein the shoots or ‘runners’ produced by mature plants can grow new plants, be separated, and start a new plant growing without the need for new seeds or fully grown transplanted plants.
How Many Runners Are Produced?
Generally speaking, older plants produce fewer runners than their younger counterparts, so it is best to take advantage of them earlier in their lifespan.
This helps set you up for the future and secure new plants while the chance presents itself.
However, the general number of runners produced in healthy young plants can be anywhere between 2 and 10 per season – meaning that keen-eyed gardeners can potentially increase their plants during this time.
Final Thoughts
And there, we have everything you need to know about strawberry plants and how many strawberries you can expect to grow on each.
It’s true that the general yield of a plant depends on many factors- ranging from the plant’s health, the environment it is kept in, and the care it is shown.
However, they still follow general averages, allowing you to keep track of how well your plant is doing comparatively.
So, if you want to know more about strawberry plant yields, then be sure to check out this guide. Something tells me you won’t be disappointed!
Further Recommendations:
- When to plant Strawberries in Seattle
- Golden Kiwi vs Green Kiwi – which is the best?
- The ultimate guide to growing Serrano Peppers in pots
- How to grow mushrooms in Georgia
- Can Dogs Eat Kiwi Fruit?
Video: 7 Tips to Increase Strawberry Yield
Like this post? Share it with others!
