7 Best Fertilizer For Strawberries: A Complete Guide

The best fertilizer for strawberries will be what you need to harvest your garden with the highest productivity. However, choosing the right fertilizer is not easy.

Strawberries at different locations and times will have their own nutritional requirements, making it hard to find the most suitable plant food.

Our top pick is the EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food. The product is straightforward to use.

The manufacturer features this organic plant food with the proprietary formula that contains high nutrient levels, trace minerals, soil life and humates. These organic compounds will be immediately directed to your plants, boosting bloom and improving the root growth.

One impressive feature is that the fertilizer is eco-friendly. Even the empty paperboard tube is recyclable.

The Top 7 Best Plant Food For Strawberries

EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food: Best For Overall.

This product is an excellent indoor and outdoor organic fruit fertilizer that is incredibly eco-friendly. The materials (organic plant root fungi and bacteria) used for the plant food comes from nature, making it harmless to your children and pets.

Besides, the empty paperboard tube after applications is also recyclable. Thus, there will be no adverse impact on the environment.

The manufacturer makes the product pretty easy to use. You just simply push 1 EarthPod right into the potting soil mix next to the tree center.

You can water and wait for the fertilizer to break down and slowly forms nutrients to the strawberry roots.

With proprietary formulas of organic nutrients, trace minerals (boron, copper, iron, soil life, and humates), the product can boost strawberry flowers and leaves production. Therefore, you can have more fruits when harvesting the crops.

However, the paper tubes are not really useful when it comes to protecting the product. The content can easily break down during transportation and storage, especially in humid conditions, because the water can go inside and activate the fertilizer.

What we like

• Eco-friendly
• Flower and leaf production
• Recyclable tubes

What can be improved

• Cannot be stored in humid conditions.

Espoma Holly Tone: Best For Acid-loving Plants

As strawberries are acid-loving plants, a soil pH of about 5.5 will be the best condition for them to grow. It means the Espoma Holly Tone is the perfect option for organic strawberries.

The fertilizer features 1% humic acids derived from Leonardite. Besides, the product gives the soil the elemental sulfur, maintaining the acidity levels in soils.

Moreover, the complex blend of natural organics and Bio-tone microbes (Up to 6,000,000 CFU per gram) allow optimum growth and blooms.

You will never encounter plant burning if you use this product. It is because the product has a slow release rate.

Unfortunately, this plant food is not year-round fertilizer, and you can only use it during the Spring and late Fall season. Also, the product will be ineffective in the Winter.

What we like

• Provide acidity for acid-loving plants
• Bio-Tone beneficial microbes
• Eco-friendly

What can be improved

• Only useful in Spring and late Fall
• Not for frozen soil

Dr. Earth Organic Acid Fertilizer: Best For Drought Conditions

The manufacturer equips the fertilizer with 8 select strains of ecto and endo mycorrhizae, making the strawberry plants develop drought tolerance. Besides, you can use it as an amendment for shrub and bare-foot planting.

Particularly, the food has a unique blend of seaweed extract and 7 probiotic strains. This combination will enhance nutrient availability and plant performance.

The seaweed extract in the product is a source of Nitrogen and offers trace elements, including magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron. All of these substances are the main elements for photosynthesis.

Meanwhile, the microbes like ecto and endo Mycorrhizae allow for superior buds and bloom.

However, soil application can be challenging for new farmers. For new plantings, you should add 2 cups per 1/2 cubic foot of soil, which will be inserted into the planting holes afterward.

Once planting, you have to provide a 1-cup additional fertilizer around the plant and mix it into the soil. Now, you can water the strawberries.

For established plants, you use 2 cups for every inch of trunk diameter, work on the soil and water thoroughly.

What we like

• A superior blend of materials
• Great for dry conditions
• 100-percent organic formula

What can be improved

• Hard application

Botanicare Sweet Berry Mineral Supplement: Best For Flavor And Aroma Enhancement

One impressive feature of the product is the scientific formulation with carbohydrates, such as glucose, fructose and sucrose. This characteristic helps improve the strawberry aroma and flavor.

Besides, it has ester formed by linking organic acids and alcohols, which will also act as a flavor and aroma enhancer in strawberry products.

The creator also utilizes vital secondary elements such as magnesium, sulfur, iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper and molybdenum. These components will be useful for maintaining the optimal plant metabolism and respiration.

The unique chemical composition of organic acids, amino acids, and polyphenolic compounds makes the product suitable for plant growth phases.

However, the product can be harmful to human health. Some strawberry growers complain that if you overuse the fertilizer, simple sugar and sulfates left on the fruits can burn your lungs.

What we like

• Carbohydrates for tasty berries
• Use for all phases of plant growth
• Maintaining optimal metabolism

What can be improved

• Can be harmful to human health

Fox Farm 6-4-4 Concentrate Fertilizer: Best For Plant Size And Structure

Having a special brew of earthworm castings, Norwegian kelp meal and essential micronutrients, the Fox Farm 6-4-4 can enhance plant Size and structure.

As a result, it will help develop flowers and organic strawberry beds, allowing for a fruitful strawberry crop.

The fertilizer also contains 0,02% boron, which plays a vital role in various plant functions, including cell wall formation and stability. It will help transfer sugar or energy into different parts of plants, making them grow faster.

Also, the formula has 6-4 NPK, which means there are 6% of Nitrogen and 4% of Phosphorus. Nitrogen will improve the photosynthesis, whereas the Phosphorus will be beneficial for root growth.

However, this liquid fertilizer is not organic, and after usage, there will be some phosphate left on the ground. It can build up for long periods and then go to nearby water bodies, causing cultural eutrophication.

Besides, in California State the product is believed to have some harmful substances and heavy metals which can cause cancer and congenital disabilities.

What we like

• Size and structure improvement
• Strengthen root system
• Grow faster

What can be improved

• Not eco-friendly
• May be harmful to human health

Miracle-Gro Shake’ N Feed Tomato: Best For Strawberry Production

One unique characteristic of the Miracle-Gro Shake’ N Feed Tomato is the special formulation with micronutrients. They will enable your trees to produce more fruits than unfed plants in the same fields.

Also, there is calcium in this granular fertilizer, which helps form strong cell walls. The fruits will, therefore, be long-lasting.

Thanks to calcium protection, your strawberry plants will stay away from disorder diseases like blossom-end fruit rots, bitter pit, and fruit cracking in edible crops commonly associated with calcium deficiency.

The product contains natural ingredients including kelps, earthworm castings, bone and feather meal. These materials will feed microbes in the soil, producing nutrients for your plants.

Unfortunately, many gardeners complain that the product has poor packaging. When they receive the fertilizer, many granules spill out of the box.

What we like

• Calcium for avoiding disorders
• Increase fruit production
• Strong cells

What can be improved

• Poor packaging

Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food: Best For Smart Release

You will find that the Osmocote Smart-Release has a convenient and smart design. The manufacturer characterizes the fertilizer product with a nutrient granule coated with semi-permeable resin.

When you use them, water will go inside the granule and dissolve the nutrients. More importantly, the unique resin coating can react at relatively low soil temperature.

The NPK is 14-14-14 NPK, which makes it suitable for early season start. This nutritional content will promote vigorous top-growth and strong root development, so the bad weather cannot take down your strawberry trees.

Besides, this balanced formula is great for flavorful fruits and bloom colors. It is, unfortunately, not too helpful when it comes to producing more fruits.

After applications of this water-soluble product, you can put your mind at ease for 16 weeks until you have to use the product again. It will help you save a lot of money.

What we like

• Smart and convenient packaging
• Beautiful flowers and bountiful vegetables
• Strong root development

What can be improved

• Not help the fruit production.

Buying Guide For The Most Suitable Fertilizer

Strawberry Varieties

June-bearing strawberries

June-bearers are the larger size strawberries than others. This strawberry type is the general time for bearing, but that can be earlier or later, depending on your region.

Everbearing strawberries

This type of strawberry has a modest-size crop. They can start producing as soon as there are 12 hours of daylight and can bear at the end of the summer.

Day-neutral strawberries

There are 3 peak periods of fruiting for this day-neutral type.

When To Fertilize Strawberries?

Strawberry fruit trees usually require large amounts of Nitrogen fertilizers in late spring and late fall because they start to produce berries.

It will be best if you have soil samples for testing, which help you know your native soil type (loamy soil, heavier soil, lighter soils, wet soil, or fertile soil), and its needs so that you can provide proper care.

Before strawberry plantings, you can add compost or fresh manure. This soil preparation will enable you to reduce the amount of fertilizers needed for plant growth.

Otherwise, you should choose a commercial 10-10-10 food for strawberries if you are using organic products.

Farmers should apply 1 pound of fertilizer per 20-foot row every month after berry plantings. For 1-year old and above fruit trees, fertilizing strawberry plants once a year after the plant has produced fruits will be more beneficial.

What Fertilizer To Use For Strawberries?

When reading instructions on the label, you will see 3 numbers on the bag that inform you about the ratios of these substances. Their balanced combination will be conducive to crop growth.

Nitrogen

This compound is one of the essential nutrients in all fruit trees because it stimulates photosynthesis. As a result, the application of Nitrogen helps your tree produce green leaves for healthy growth.

Some organic fertilizers and composts, such as blood meal or aged manure contain a lot of Nitrogen.

Phosphorous

All trees need this substance to transfer energy from one part of the plant to another, stimulating root growth. However, Phosphorus does not spread fast on the ground surface.

Potassium

Potassium, usually in the form of potash or potassium sulfate, plays an essential role in controlling water pressure inside and outside the trees’ cells. It also assists metabolism and is a main component of the root enhancement.

In addition, some substances such as manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, and iron sulfate, which contain mineral traces, are important to plants. They help them avoid some deficiencies.

Types Of Fertilizers For Strawberries

Compost

Compost fertilizers are regarded as an organic fertilizer and amendment for sandy soils. The manufacturer utilizes organic sources, including nature decomposing leaves, grass clippings, and other plant materials to create compost.

You can provide the compost pile with discarded outer leaves of lettuce, banana peels, and any other vegetable materials for better results. Then, the moisture and heat in the pile allows the microbes to break down the materials, giving nutrition to the soil over time.

Compost is great for all soil and should be used for every garden.

Before you plant strawberries, you should insert a compost layer around 1 to 2 inches of soil.

Commercial Fertilizers

This type contains a chemical blend of the 3 substances, including the form of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium, together with some trace minerals.

You can see the percentages of these elements on the bag such as “5-15-10” or “5-5-5”. The first number is the rate of Nitrogen, the second number is Phosphorus, and potassium is always the third number.

When fertilizing strawberries with commercial fertilizers, you should consider balanced fertilizers.

A balanced fertilizer will have all the numbers the same such as 5-5-5 or 10-10-10. If you are a new user, it is highly recommended that you should go for the 10-10-10.

You can use 2.5 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each 100 feet of strawberry rows.

Learn how to fertilize strawberries from a garden professional:

Conclusion

The best fertilizer for strawberries is the EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food.

The product has a lot of features, including flower and leaf production and recyclable tubes. They are also eco-friendly and do not harm your children.

Suppose you want to find the most suitable fertilizer. In that case, you can look at the criteria above, such as types of fertilizer, numbers on the label, and time to fertilize strawberries.

Last update on 2024-06-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API