Contributed photo

Early spring, late March to early May, is the best time to plant strawberries in Iowa. According to horticulturists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, strawberries are suited for any home garden because they’re hardy, easy to grow and produce a good crop with moderate effort.

Strawberries should be planted in a place that receives full sun with direct sunlight at least six hours each day and has well-drained soil. When you’re ready to plant them, trim off the older leaves and place roots of the plants in water for an hour. Then plant immediately with each plant set in the ground with the crown of the plant even with the soil surface. A two-foot-wide path should separate strawberry beds. After planting, water the plants and apply a starter fertilizer.