If you want to learn how to grow strawberries in rain gutters, then you’ve come to the right place. Growing strawberries in pots is easy, but it is more convenient when you can do so in space-saving rain gutter planters! Not to mention, the flavour of home-grown strawberries can never compare to store-bought strawberries.
Rain gutters can be mounted to the side of decks, or vertically to the side of your house or shed to create a “strawberry wall.” A rain gutter about 4 and a half feet long is enough to grow 3-4 strawberry plants, depending on plant size.
These rain gutters not only keep pests away, but they make for much easier gardening!
You can also use the same concept for growing lettuces and herbs. It saves space, and helps you maximize your produce output.
A variety of people have devised their own ways to come up with their own rain gutter gardens. You can read all about them with the provided links below:
http://www.simplifylivelove.com/2012/03/my-gutter-salad-garden.html
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-strawberries-rain-gutters-25601.html
http://www.rootsimple.com/2013/03/growing-strawberries-in-a-self-watering-gutter/
Let me know in the comments below if you will be exploring these methods of growing bush fruit, herbs, and lettuces this summer! I may just try it out myself, as it seems simple enough, and I love a good homegrown strawberry!
Curious on the strawberry rain gutter idea. Are these perennial plants? Do they come back? I’m guessing no, but figured you can clear this question up for me. I love the idea, but don’t want to repurchase plants every year. It doesn’t seem sensible.
Hey Margaret,
Strawberries are perennial plants, and usually grow bigger and better as the years go by! 🙂
how does one overwinter in cooler like zone 4 or 5 climates?
Strawberries are perennial, so they will come back each summer. They grow here in Canada, where it gets cooler.
That is true.. But in Calgary where I live it gets really cold. strawberries in the rain gutters would not come back a second year as they would have frozen to death! vs strawberries in the ground that are insulated by the soil. (and a mulch mix to protect them applied in october)
but if you could remove the rain gutters, place them in your garage next to a heated wall and cover them with a tarp. keeping the soil slightly moist over the winter then take the gutters back out after the last frost the strawberries should pick up once again.
For your best crop buy the baby plants and trim all flowers and runners off for the first year no strawberries. – second year you will have a well established root system and a huge berry harvest..
That being said I am growing strawberries for the first time this year. some I am trimming others I am letting the runners make clone plants, and others I am letting just the berries grow!
Hey Taylor,
Thanks for the input! 🙂
You can create an artificial grow cycle with strawberries if you keep them in total darkness for 30 days.
[…] hanging pots we used roof gutters to fill in the extra pallet space! I saw something online about strawberries being grown in gutters so thought this was an awesome […]
Comment:hi my question is about the drainage do I need to drill holes or just water in little amounts.thank you
Water in little amounts. Some drainage holes at the bottom would be a good idea, though.
There's another blog where someone tried to do strawberry gutters… it didn't turn out well. There's some info about the original pic posted here as well, hope this helps everyone if they try out this method!
http://houseofjoyfulnoise.com/strawberry-planting-in-rain-gutters/
http://houseofjoyfulnoise.com/gardening-fail-growing-strawberry-plants-in-rain-gutters/
I have done this with lettuce and strawberries. I am in Florida, and my issue has had been has been the torrential rains we have. Raindrops sometimes as big as my fist! The plants can usually take the beating, but the soil in this shallow gutter is another thing…soil pushed out, roots exposed… the only solution I have found is moving the gutters in my barn. Has anyone devised some sort of shelter for theirs? Maybe a greenhouse type? I have to find a answer this season, because it's a great idea otherwise! My plants have grown beautifully.
will the strawberries in the gutters grow back the next year? i'm in zone 7 area
They should, if taken care of properly to ensure they don't totally die in winter
Zone 4, nothing survives a winter in any raised container garden with a width or length of less than 4', including rain gutters. Zone 4, If you have a rain gutter 4' x 4' and on the ground, then you might get the one plant in the very middle to survive, that's if you put several inches of mulch on top of it for protection! LOL Frost heaves kills the roots and the cold winds desiccate all exposed tissues!