For anyone seriously considering starting a commercial strawberry farm, cost calculations are critical. Most strawberry farms fail due to the farmer’s lack of economic knowledge, not their lack of farming knowledge. One of the basic questions that must be answered when considering the numbers is how many strawberry plants per acre should be planted.
Generally, a new strawberry farm should start small. Calculating the number of strawberry plants per acre is much easier and less risky when the farmer doesn’t jump in with both boots. The first planting for a newbie berry farmer should be around 1/2 acre to 1 acre of planted strawberries. This allows the budding strawberry business to grow as the farmer learns (without suffering a bankrupting loss if the learning is through the school of hard knocks).
Regardless, this chart will help satisfy the curious or give the prospective commercial grower a place to start:
Strawberry Plants Per Acre
The tried and true system for perennial commercial matted row strawberry production encourages rows spaced 4 feet apart with strawberry plants planted 24 inches (2 feet) apart in the rows. This system will require a little less than 5,500 strawberry plants per acre to be planted. There are, however, other spacings and systems that can be used. For handy reference, see the table below.
Table of Strawberry Plants Per Acre Based on Spacing
| Row Spacing | Plant Spacing within Rows | Strawberry Plants Per Acre |
|---|---|---|
| 48" | 24" | 5,445 |
| 48" | 18" | 7,260 |
| 48" | 12" | 10,890 |
| 42" | 24" | 6,222 |
| 42" | 18" | 8,297 |
| 42" | 12" | 12,445 |
| 36" | 24" | 7,260 |
| 36" | 18" | 9,680 |
| 36" | 12" | 14,520 |
