How to Plant With Strawberry Jars

Decorative as well as functional, strawberry jars are a traditional way to grow strawberries vertically when good garden space is at a premium. Strawberry jars, generally made from clay, feature slots on the sides in which to tuck strawberry seedlings, as well as open tops for additional strawberry plants. Modern growers add the innovation of setting a PVC pipe punctured with holes into the jar. By filling the PVC pipe with water or liquid fertilizer, you'll ensure that each strawberry plant gets the water and nutrients it needs. Look for pipes that are slightly longer than your strawberry jar is high, or cut it to the length you need.


Drill holes along the length of your capped PVC pipe, stopping several inches from the top, or uncapped end, of the pipe. Use a 1/2-inch drill bit, and set the holes 1 inch apart on all sides of the pipe.


Put potting soil into the jar so that it is just below the first planting hole.


Set the PVC pipe into the center of the jar so that the capped end it is resting on top of the potting soil.


Set a strawberry plant into the bottom planting hole. Reach inside the jar to spread the plant's root system out.


Add potting soil until the roots of the first strawberry plant are covered.


Add one plant to each of the rest of the remaining planting holes. Fill the pot with potting soil up to each new planting hole as you go. Keep the PVC pipe in an upright, centered position as the jar fills with soil.


Set two or three strawberry plants into the soil at the top of the jar, following the spacing recommended by the nursery. Don't plant too closely to the top of the PVC pipe.


Fill the PVC pipe with water. If using a wide-mouth container such as a watering can, set a funnel into the PVC pipe to help direct the water into the pipe.