Temperature for Growing Strawberries

Planting Temperatures

• For spring planting, plant strawberries when temperatures are reliably above 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the soil has warmed up and dried out enough to be workable. Plant them early so that they have time to become well-established before the weather gets too hot. In U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10, plant strawberries in the fall when temperatures are consistently below 80 degrees.

Growing Temperatures

• Strawberries prefer temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees. The flowers will not develop or set fruit when temperatures are outside this range. Flowers and fruit are damaged by temperatures below 32 degrees and the plants sustain permanent damage at temperatures in the 20s.

Extreme Heat

• While strawberries will not set fruit when the daytime temperatures rise above 80 degrees, the plants will continue to grow as long as they receive enough moisture. In USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and 10, where summer temperatures are consistently high, strawberries are likely to succumb to the heat, wither and die. In hot areas such as these, strawberries are grown over the winter.

Extreme Cold

• Freezing weather can damage or kill strawberry plants, so care needs to be taken to protect them when temperatures drop below freezing for any length of time. Covering them with plastic sheeting or a lightweight tarp is beneficial for a light frost. When extended freezes are expected, continuous watering with a sprinkler is helpful. The water freezes on the plant and insulates it from colder temperatures. Keep the sprinklers on until temperatures rise and all ice has melted.