How to Grow Herbs With Strawberries

Start strawberries and herbs in mid-spring when nighttime temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. These plants do best with warm, sunny starts.

Choose a large, level site with full sun exposure and quick year-round drainage. Strawberries live for three to five seasons and require these conditions all year.

Amend the soil through the entire site. Turn 5 to 6 inches of organic compost into the top 10 to 12 inches of natural soil to give the plants a deep, rich and loose foundation. Mix 6-24-24 granular fertilizer into the top 6 inches of soil at a rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet. This fertilizer encourages root establishment.

Plan your plantings. Set an herb garden in the corner of the strawberry plot or plant herb plants in among the strawberries. Give strawberry seedlings 15 to 24 inches of space in the row and leave 3 to 4 feet between rows. Plant herbs at 6 to 12 inches in the empty rows, or in the herb garden. Don't plant the herbs between the strawberry plants in the row, as strawberries require room to spread. Herbs like basil, oregano and thyme may restrict insect populations in the strawberry patch.

Water the entire patch with 2 inches of water every week to keep strawberries and herbs moist and growing. Lay 1 to 2 inches of organic compost on exposed soil around all the plants to keep soil moist and warm.

Fertilize strawberries at mid-season with 12-12-12 granular fertilizer, per manufacturer directions. Don't fertilize the herbs, as they produce richer, tastier growth without fertilizer.

Harvest herbs in the first season. Bunch the stems and cut them off at the ground. Expect a strawberry harvest in the second season.