When to plant Strawberries in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Start strawberries from seed in April and May in the subtropical zone, raising seedlings in trays for later transplanting. The seed is unusual: press it onto the surface of the mix and don't cover it at all, because it needs light to germinate — then wait out a patient 14–21 days. Plants reach fruiting size 70–84 days on, which is the whole point of the autumn start: it lines the crop up with winter and spring, when cool nights sweeten fruit and humidity sits at its annual low. This is no fringe experiment — the Sunshine Coast grows much of Australia's winter strawberry supply on exactly this calendar.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: April to May.

Growing notes

Strawberries invert the usual subtropical calendar: winter is the harvest season, not the dormant one. Half-hardy plants sail through mild Brisbane winters and shrug off the light frosts of inland districts, fruiting steadily from late winter through spring. Summer is where they suffer — heat, storm rain and humidity rot fruit, breed leaf spot and exhaust the crowns, which is why many growers around Coffs Harbour and further north treat strawberries as an annual, replanting fresh each autumn rather than nursing tired plants through the wet.

Set transplants 30–60 cm apart on mounded or raised rows in full sun, with straw mulch tucked right under the crowns. The mulch is not decorative: any berry resting on damp soil in this climate rots, or is found by slugs, before it ripens. Water at ground level in the morning and keep moisture off leaves and fruit.

Grey mould is the failure to expect — firm berries turning soft and fuzzy within a day or two of rain. Pick ripe fruit promptly ahead of forecast storms, remove mouldy berries immediately so spores don't spread down the row, and thin dense foliage for airflow. Birds will find colouring fruit before you do; a net over the bed from first blush is the only reliable answer.

Strawberries at a glance

Companion planting

Grows well with

Borage: Traditionally thought to improve strawberry flavour; attracts pollinators

Marigold: Deters nematodes in strawberry beds

Garlic: Deters aphids and fungal disease

Keep away from

Cabbage: Both suffer when grown together; strawberries stunted

Cabbage: Inhibit each other's growth

Broccoli: Brassicas inhibit strawberry growth

Common questions

When should I plant strawberries in Brisbane?

Sow seed in April or May and transplant the seedlings out. Plants reach fruiting size in 70–84 days, lining the harvest up with winter and spring — the natural strawberry season in the subtropics.

Why is my strawberry fruit rotting?

Grey mould takes hold when berries sit against damp soil or foliage after rain. Mulch under the crowns, water at ground level in the morning, thin leaves for airflow and pick ripe fruit before storms.

Do strawberries survive summer in the subtropics?

They often struggle — heat and humidity rot fruit and exhaust plants. Many subtropical gardeners simply replant each autumn rather than carrying plants through the wet season.

How do I germinate strawberry seed?

Surface-sow it and don't cover it — the seed needs light. Kept moist, it germinates in 14–21 days.

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