Strawberry in Zone 8a & 8b
Fragaria x ananassa
Yes, strawberry grows in zones 8a and 8b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Mar 4–Mar 11.
When to plant strawberry in zone 8b
Zones 8a and 8b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Mar 4–Mar 11 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest the season after planting |
Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 6-8 in.
Before you plant: Strawberry has a winter-hardiness note for zone 8b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 8b
These go outside within two weeks of strawberry in zone 8b, so one planting day can cover them.
- GrapeMar 4–Mar 11
- AppleMar 11–Mar 18
- ApricotMar 11–Mar 18
- Aronia (Black Chokeberry)Mar 11–Mar 18
- BlackberryFeb 25–Mar 4
- BlueberryFeb 25–Mar 4
Strawberries are the one fruit that fits properly in a raised bed. One plant per square foot, low enough to shade nothing, and productive within a year of planting rather than the three or four a bush takes.
How strawberry fits zone 8's season
Zone 8b's frost-free window runs about 230 days, from March 25 to November 10. Strawberry takes about 1 growing season to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Strawberry is hardy in zones 3-10, so in zone 8b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 1 ft of spread at maturity.
Strawberry planting windows in every zone
Zone 8b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Buy as a start | May 9–May 16 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 4a & 4b | Buy as a start | Apr 24–May 1 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 5a & 5b | Buy as a start | Apr 19–Apr 26 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Apr 4–Apr 11 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 20–Mar 27 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Mar 4–Mar 11 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 9a & 9b | Buy as a start | Jan 25–Feb 1 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 10a & 10b | Buy as a start | Jan 9–Jan 16 | First real harvest the season after planting |
Good companions
- Lettuce: Shallow-rooted and quick, so it uses the gaps between young strawberry plants before they knit together.
- Borage: Long-standing pairing in kitchen gardens, grown to draw pollinators to the strawberry flowers.
Where to buy strawberry starts
Strawberry is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a clear consensus of positive, independent reviews, or ones we bought and use ourselves. Each item on our gear page says which.
See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing strawberry" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
← Back to the full zone 8b calendar · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →
Pin this for later
Growing Strawberry in USDA zone 8b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
Save to Pinterest