Chandler Strawberry Growing Guide: How to DIY?

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Kenique loves gardening and has since he was a kid. He credits his grandmother with helping him learn the tools of the trade and fall in love with the hobby. Ken's favorite thing to grow is orchids!

Useful Information on Chandler Strawberry

Growth Habit and Spacing

Chandler strawberry plants are fast growers. They have a prostrate growth habit. At maturity, they reach 12 to 18 inches (30.5 – 45.7 cm) in height. Similarly, the plants spread of 12 to 24 inches (30.5 – 61 cm).

Consider spacing your Chandler strawberry plants 12 – 18 inches (30.6 – 155 cm) apart. As a general rule, wider plant spacing will deliver the largest berries. Finally, it would help if you spaced rows 3 to 5 feet apart (91.4 – 152.4 cm)

Winter Hardiness

Chandler strawberry plants do best in USDA zones 5 to 8. In the United States, they strive from the lower mid-west and mid-Atlantic down into the southeast. But they also do well in Southern California. This variety of strawberries is not the most winter hardy. For those in Zone 4 (possibly 3), stick to a more hardy strawberry variety such as Albion.

Sun Requirements

Plant your Chandler strawberry in full sun. An adequate amount of sunlight is vital for optimal plant growth. Provide your plants with at least 6 hours of sun each day.

Soil Requirements

Your Chandler strawberry plants enjoy rich, fertile, and well-drained soil. A soil pH level of 6.5 to 6.8 is recommended.

How to Water

To produce high-quality and plump berries, your Chandler strawberry plants will need a good amount of watering.

Water your plants weekly if there isn’t consistent rain. Ensure that the soil is evenly moist but not soggy throughout the growing season. Chandler strawberry plants are not drought tolerant.

How to Fertilize

Feed your Chandler strawberry plants with a high potassium general fertilizer in early spring. A soil rich in potassium is important for flower production: the more flowers your plant produces, the higher the chance of a big crop.

Common Conditions and Pests

Unfortunately, Chandler strawberries are one of the less disease-resistant varieties of strawberry, unlike varieties such as the Albion strawberry.

This is a sacrifice of the great taste and lovely appearance. According to Burpee.com, a reputable and prominent online plant nursery, here are some common diseases that affect Chandler strawberry plants:

Condition	How to Identify	Cause	How to Prevent and Treat
Black Root Rot	Feeder roots appear rotted away, and thicker roots have gray to reddish-brown blotches. Infected roots are soft and mushy. The plant declines slowly as it finds difficulty taking up water and nutrients from the soil.	Pathogen attacks damaged roots. Made worse by poor nutrition, winter injury or, drought.	Ensure beds have good drainage. Be careful not to damage roots when weeding. Provide adequate winter protection, such as heavy mulching.
Botrytis	Gray mold appearing on the fruit at any stage. Legions develop near the stem end or the side of the fruit. Strawberries become cottony white. Flowers turn brown.	Botrytis cinerea, a fungus, causes this condition. It usually occurs because of excess moisture or humidity.	Plant your strawberries in raised beds, and use plastic mulch to prevent fruit from touching the soil Do not water overhead. Space plants adequately ensure good air circulation. Weed regularly to prevent overcrowded beds. Remove moly fruit. Avoid burying the crown of the plant when planting.
Powdery Mildew	Leaves appear to have a whitish or grayish surface and may curl.	Humid weather conditions cause this fungus.	Give plant good air circulation with good spacing and pruning.
Red Stele	The roots of the strawberry plant are rotten. The core appears red when the root is cut lengthwise. If severely diseases, the young plants become blue-green and the older ones red, yellow, or orange.	A fungus caused by humid weather conditions and	Remove infected plants and destroy them so the fungus does not spread to other plants. Always ensure that your strawberry plants have adequate drainage. Do not plant strawberry plants in areas where this disease has already occurred.
Verticillium wilt	Affects the first leaves in late spring after the beginning of fruit production. Leaves turn brown along their margins and between veins. As the disease progress – leaves wilt and dry up.	A soil-based fungus.	Rotate crops. Do not plant strawberries with crucifers (cabbage, broccoli, etc.), cucurbits, nightshades (eggplant, tomato, potato, etc.), or mint in prior years.

If your strawberry plants are suffering from any of the above, you may also consider contacting your local Cooperative Extension Service for specific treatment recommendations for your area.

Below is a table of pests and cultural problems which may affect your Chandler Strawberry plants. Note, not all bugs affect all areas – as such, your local Cooperative Extension Service is a valuable resource for more information.

Pest / Cultural Problem	How to Identify	How to Prevent and Treat
Aphids	The presence of greenish, red, black, or peach-colored sucking insects on the underside of leaves. Aphids leave a sticky residue that attracts ants.	Introduce natural aphid predators into your garden – lady beetles and wasps are good examples. Wash off the bugs with a strong spray or with insecticidal soap.
Lygus Bugs (Tarnished Plant Bug)	Lygus bugs measure ¼ inch (0.64 cm) long and are green or brown with yellow markings.	Lygus bugs reproduce over the winter in garden beds, so remove all debris after the first frost.
Slugs	If you notice large holes in the foliage or leaves entirely eaten – you may have slugs. Slugs leave a slime trail, feed on foliage at night, and are a problem in damp weather.	Handpick the slugs at night. Burpee.com recommends attracting slugs to traps using cornmeal or beer. Beer trap – dig a hole in the ground and place a large cup or bowl with steep sides in the hole. Let it sit overnight. By morning the beer should be filled with slugs. Cornmeal trap – put a tablespoon or two of cornmeal in a jar and rest it on its side near the plants. The smell of cornmeal attracts slugs, but they cannot digest it.
Spittlebugs	The mature insects protect themselves from predators with white foam. The young insects feed on the stems and leaves.	Wash the foam off with a strong water spray. Doing so will also kill the larvae. Wash once or twice a week for as long as you need. Spittlebugs usually cause minimal damage.
Strawberry Crown Borer	The larvae are white with brown heads. They feed on the crown and root tissue of strawberry plants. Adults are black and have two to three bright yellow bands. Infected plants wilt and have stunted growth. The foliage of the strawberry plant may turn red. When pulled, plants separate from their root systems.	Remove damaged plants to prevent spread. Prune out infestations. Always clean debris under and around your strawberry plants.

How to Mulch

Consider applying a thick layer of straw or a strawberry mulch mat under your Chandler strawberry plants when the strawberries start to form. Providing this layer below the plants will prevent the fruit from touching the soil.

When fruits touch the soil there is a risk of getting spoiled or diseased fruit. You can also use sheets of black plastic mulch, which helps retain moisture and reduce weeds.

The Usefulness of Companion Plants

Consider planting your Chandler strawberry with companion plants. Companion plants help in many ways. They attract pollinators, control pests, and fill up available space. Also, the right selection of plants can help boost the quality and quantity of nutrients in the garden bed.

Choose your companion plants based on your climate. Several vegetables, flowers, pulses, and herbs grow well alongside strawberries. You can plant them with asparagus, peas, spinach, lettuce, onion, garlic, and rhubarb for zones with cooler summers.

Beans make quite the giving companion as they improve the soil by fixing nitrogen. The nitrogen, in turn, feeds the strawberry plants and promotes abundant foliage. Some flowers are good at attracting pollinators. Some include borage, chives, and thyme. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are attracted to these plants.

Pollinators help to cross-pollinate among plants, thus boosting fruit production. Another benefit of herbs is that their potent oils tend to repel pests. This is great for your insect-prone Chandler strawberries. A classic combination is marigolds and strawberries. Marigold beautifies the garden bed and helps to prevent pests. Marigolds have beautiful and opulent blooms in colors from yellows to oranges to reds.

How to Harvest

Chandler strawberries are short-day June-bearers. This title means that they produce a single large crop in spring to early summer. In areas with milder winters, Chandler strawberry plants will bear fruit as early as March.

How to Prune

For strawberries planted in late summer, remove any flowers that form during the first year to encourage next-year fruiting. Producing blooms and fruit stresses the plant and takes up plenty of vital nutrients. By following this practice, your Chandler strawberry plant has many flowers if they don’t get too much stress in the first year.

After the annual harvest, remove all old leaves with hand shears. Be careful not to touch the crown (the visible center of the plant). Pruning allows beneficial sunlight into the center of the plant.

Where to Buy Chandler Strawberry Seeds and Plants

Chandler strawberry seeds and plants are easy to find – local nursery, garden center, or online sellers. The following are links to some reputable online plant and seed sellers:

Burpee – https://www.burpee.com/strawberry-chandler-prod003049.html
Gurneys – https://www.gurneys.com/product/chandler-junebearer-strawberry
Johnny’s Selected Seeds – https://www.johnnyseeds.com/fruits/strawberry/
Nourse Farms – https://www.noursefarms.com/product/chandler-1/
Eden Brothers – https://www.edenbrothers.com/store/strawberry-plant-chandler.html

Some online sellers and nurseries only ship Chandler strawberry plants from late winter into spring.

FAQ

Question: Can I Grow Chandler Strawberry Plant in a Warm Climate?

Answer: Chandler strawberry strives in warm climates. The plant originated in California and is recommended for gardeners in the southern United States. Chandler strawberry does best in USDA zones 5 to 8; it is unlikely to do well in near-tropical south Florida.

Question: Chandler is a June Bearing Strawberry Variety; Will it Only Bear in June?

Answer: Chandler strawberry will only bear one crop per year. However, the month varies based on the climate: the warmer the region’s winter, the earlier the crop. In zone 8, it is likely to produce a crop in March. But in some areas of zone 5, Chandler strawberry will not have a crop until the end of June.

Question: Any Helpful Harvesting Tips for Chandler Strawberry?

Answer: Pick the fruit as it ripens; it should be entirely red. Pick the berry with a short piece of stalk attached. Regular picking may help keep your plants fruiting during the relatively short bearing season.

Question: What Can I Do With Chandler Strawberries After I Pick Them?

Answer: Chandler strawberries are delicious straight off the plant. They can keep for up to a week in a refrigerator, but they must be kept dry. Chandler strawberries freeze well and make tasty preserves.

Question: Will I Get Fruit the Same Year I Plant my Chandler Strawberry?

Answer: Yes, you can get fruit in the first year. But, it is always better to remove all flowers you see until the end of June.
June-bearing strawberries such as Chandler should not be allowed to produce in the first year. Allowing plants to bloom the first year will severely reduce the number of strawberries you will get in the following harvest.

Question: Do I Need to Plant More Than One Variety of Strawberries to Get Fruit?

Answer: No, you do not need to plant another variety. Chandler strawberries are self-pollinating/self-fruiting – they do not need another type of strawberry to produce good fruit. They make excellent quality fruit just fine on their own.

Final Thoughts on Growing Chandler Strawberry

The Chandler strawberry has very few rivals in terms of taste and appearance. However, there are two distinctive characteristics of this variety that you should consider before planting. Firstly, it is June-bearing; roughly, the bearing season lasts about a month or even less. This period can be anywhere between March and June, depending on how warm your local climate is.

Secondly, Chandler strawberries are prone to diseases and pests. You will have to take particular precautions to ensure that your strawberry beds are protected from some of the common causes of disease, such as – excess humidity, poor crop rotation practices, and fruits touching the soil.

But, if you are a seasoned strawberry grower and don’t mind taking some extra precautions. But this variety’s good qualities make up for the associated hassle. Chandler strawberry is a good choice. They are firm, large, beautifully shaped, and always sweet.