Strawberries in New York: Growing Tips and Peak Timing

Sweet, juicy, plump, and red — there’s nothing that beats a fresh-picked strawberry. Whether you eat them straight out of the field, make them up in pies, or top your vanilla ice cream with them, the juicy berries are simply the best. But if you’re planning to grow some for the first time or want to find the best U-Pick farms, you’ll need to know when strawberries in New York are ready for planting and harvesting. Let’s take a look at planting and fruiting seasons, along with varieties, places to pick them, and how to tell when they’re ready to pick.

When To Plant Strawberries In New York

Hardy, cold-tolerant plants, strawberries in New York should be planted outdoors when spring is in the air. Unlike other plants, these juicy fruits can be placed outdoors as soon as the soil is soft enough to work. Usually, this still means several weeks after the last frost has passed, but if the weather consistently is warmer sooner than that and you can easily get a trowel in, you’re set.

Most folks find these basic times work for planning a strawberry patch in the state.

• USDA Hardiness Zone 3: April 24
• USDA Hardiness Zone 4: April 21
• USDA Hardiness Zone 5: April 9
• USDA Hardiness Zone 6: March 31
• USDA Hardiness Zone 7: March 13

When you plant these berries in the spring, you’re giving them enough time to establish roots and grow strong enough for a plentiful season.

It should be noted that extremely cold frosts can damage strawberry plants, so you may wish to cover them if an unexpected frost is predicted after you’ve done your planting. Some varieties, though, actually do well with a bit of cold. Everbearing and day-neutral varieties, in particular, like the colder weather and produce more abundantly even into the fall.

When is Strawberry Picking Season in New York?

Strawberries in New York begin to ripen right around mid to late May into early June each year. Exact timing is based on several factors, including your USDA Hardiness Zone, the variety of the strawberry, and the weather. Milder spring weather usually results in earlier picking times.

Strawberry seasons is relatively short, though, so keep a close eye on your plants once May hits. If you’re planning to pick berries at a U-Pick location, be sure to check the farm’s website regularly to ensure you don’t miss the harvest!

How to Know When Strawberries are Ready for Harvesting

Look for the following indicators to develop before you start picking.

• Ripe strawberries are evenly colored red all over. If any green or white still exists on the berries, skip picking those and come back in a few days to check again.
• Fully ripe strawberries reach between 1 and 1.5 inches in size. This may vary by the variety of berry, though, so ensure you know your variety’s peak size.
• Ripe strawberries are firm to the touch but not hard. If they are hard, they’re not ready. If they’re soft, they’re overripe. You should pick these immediately to save what you can of the berries.
• Taste the strawberries for sweetness. They should be juicy, flavorful, and sweet when ripe. If they’re bland or sour, they’re not ripe yet.

How to Pick Strawberries

When your strawberries are ripe, gently grasp the stem just above the fruit. Pull the fruit off the plant. If the stem is tough and hard to remove, move onto other berries. This indicates the berry isn’t quite ripe yet.

You should harvest all your berries regularly once ripe strawberries start to appear. They spoil quickly on the plant. Most varieties begin to ripen within 3 to 6 weeks of flowering, so start checking around this time for the fruit.

Best Varieties of Strawberries in New York

One of the key factors in producing the best crop of strawberries in New York is choosing the right varieties to grow. The following come highly recommended for New Yorkers, as long as you care for plant the berries as necessary.

• Tribute — Fruits within 6 to 7 weeks after blooming
• Honeoye — Typically fruits 4 to 5 weeks after blooming
• Albion — Produces fruit typically 5 to 6 weeks after blooming
• Quinault — Often produces 6 to 7 weeks after blooming
• Seascape — Fruits about 5 to 6 weeks after blooming
• Allstar — Most commonly fruits 5 to 6 weeks after blooming
• Ozark Beauty — Produces fruit about 6 to 7 weeks after blooming
• Earliglow — Fruits after 2 to 3 weeks after blooming
• Chandler — Typically fruits 4 to 5 weeks after blooming
• Jewel — Generally fruits 5 to 6 weeks after blooming

Tips for Growing Strawberries in New York

• Know your USDA Hardiness Zone. You should always plant according to the temperatures and predictions for your zone each year to avoid planting too early or too late.
• Ensure plenty of room between plants for runners to spread. Strawberry plants naturally propagate themselves by sending out runners. This means they need about 18 inches between plants to provide the new plants with enough room to expand and thrive.
• Amend your soil to make the soil slightly acidic. Strawberries in New York prefer 5.5 to 6.8 pH levels.
• Be sure to plant your strawberries in New York in full sun for 8 hours daily.
• Aged compost is one of the best ways to amend your soil for strawberries.
• Water strawberries with 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly. Always avoid wetting the leaves, and instead directly water the soil to prevent rot and other health issues for the plants.
• Harvest your strawberries in the cool or morning and immediately refrigerate them for best results.

Best Places for Picking Strawberries in New York

Throughout the state of New York, you’ll find several amazing farms with U-Pick options. Head to these for your best bountiful crop of berries without losing your entire garden space each year to them.

• Rose’s Berry Farm, South Glastonbury
• Bishop’s Orchards, Guilford
• Scott’s Yankee Farmer, East Lyme
• Jones Family Farms, Shelton
• Fishkill Farms, Hopewell Junction
• Glover Farms, Brookhaven
• Lawrence Farms Orchards, Newburgh
• Greig Farm, Red Hook
• Lewin Farms, Wading River
• Samascott Orchards, Kinderhook

Best Strawberry Festivals in New York

To celebrate all things strawberries, head out to these festivals in and around New York.

• West Cape May Strawberry Festival, West Cape May, New Jersey, early June
• Ort Farms Car Show and Strawberry Festival, Long Valley, New Jersey, early June
• VonThun Farms Strawberry Festival, Washington, New Jersey, early to mid-June
• Beacon Strawberry Festival, Beacon, New York, mid-June
• Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival, Mattituck, Long Island, mid-June
• Historical Society of the Massapequas’ Strawberry Festival, Massapequa, Long Island, mid-June