Photo: Ruth Hartnup / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Strawberry

Fragaria × ananassa

Also called Garden strawberry and 9 more names

فراولة

A winter fruit for pots and raised beds: plant from October to December, pick from about January to May, and treat the plants as annuals, because Dubai's heat finishes them. Needs clean water.

Mature size0.15–0.3 m tall, 0.3–0.6 m spreadGrowthModerateSunSun/part shadeWaterHigh

Heat: 1 of 5

Salt: 1 of 5

Drought: 1 of 5

Shade: 2 of 5

Ease of care: 2 of 5

Use in a design Get it looked after

Also known as

The other names Strawberry is sold and searched under.

English names: Garden strawberry
Botanical names: Fragaria ananassa
Arabicالعربية: فراولة
فريز Freez
Hindiहिन्दी: स्ट्रॉबेरी Strawberry
Urduاردو: اسٹرابیری Strawberry
Malayalamമലയാളം: സ്ട്രോബെറി Strawberry
Tagalog: Presas
Bengaliবাংলা: স্ট্রবেরি Strawberry
Persianفارسی: توت‌فرنگی Toot farangi

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Strawberry behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

JJan

FFeb

MMar

AApr

MMay

JJun

JJul

AAug

SSep

OOct

NNov

DDec

Avg high °C

24°

26°

29°

34°

38°

40°

42°

40°

36°

31°

27°

Plant out

Oct – Dec

Regular water and feed

Jan – Mar

Pick when three-quarters red

Jan – May

Plants decline in the heat

May – Sep

Plant out: Oct–Dec
Ministry calendar: nursery September–November, field October–December. BBC Good Food Middle East gives October–November for containers. Space plants 25–45 cm apart (UF/IFAS).
Regular water and feed: Nov–Mar
UF/IFAS: water often and fertilise regularly with a balanced fertiliser. NC State: roots are short, so give about 1 inch of water frequently.
Pick when three-quarters red: Jan–May
UF/IFAS: first berries 90–110 days after planting; Ministry: 120–180 days. Berries do not sweeten after picking.
Plants decline in the heat: May–Sep
UF/IFAS says strawberries usually decline once summer temperatures arrive. Dubai's average high is 38°C in May and about 40°C or more from June to August.

Strawberries are bought as transplants or started in the nursery from September to November and planted out from October to December, in sun or light afternoon shade. Through the winter they get regular water and balanced feed. Flowers follow in the cool months and the first berries are ready about 90 to 110 days after planting, from about January, with picking running to about May. As the average high climbs to 38°C, the plants decline, so clear them and refresh the bed for next October.

Meet the plant

Meet the Strawberry

Meet the strawberry, the crop that makes a balcony feel like a garden. A trough of low green plants with scalloped leaves, white flowers and, by January, small red berries that were ripe on the plant, not in a truck.

Its character is fresh and a little fussy. It likes sun and a bit of afternoon shade, rich soil that drains, and frequent small drinks. It does not like salt, and it does not like Dubai's summer, so it is a winter pleasure.

What it brings is the one fruit that children pick and eat in the garden. A few well-fed plants in a raised bed or hanging basket can fill a bowl at the weekend, and it costs very little to try.

Strawberries are the exception among Dubai's winter crops, a fruit grown like a vegetable. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's calendar lists nursery planting from September to November and field planting from October to December, with harvest 120 to 180 days later. BBC Good Food Middle East gives October to November and says strawberries can be grown in containers. A Dubai gardener profiled by Gulf News counts strawberries among the 90 varieties in her garden. As in Florida, where UF/IFAS says they decline once summer heat arrives, treat them as annuals here.

UF/IFAS says to plant transplants 10 to 18 inches (25 to 45 cm) apart at ground level, in raised beds or in containers, in rich soil or potting mix, with frequent watering and regular balanced fertiliser. The first berries are ready about 90 to 110 days after planting. NC State adds that the plants like full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, and that their short roots need frequent watering with about 1 inch of water. Pick when at least three-quarters of the fruit has turned red, because UF/IFAS says berries do not sweeten further after picking and keep only a few days.

Strawberries are among the most salt-sensitive crops. FAO gives a yield threshold of only about 1.0 dS/m and rates the crop as sensitive, so use mains water on a drip line, fill the bed or pot with sweet soil and compost, and do not water from salty sources. The ASPCA lists strawberry as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, which makes it an easy choice for a family balcony.

Design

Where to use it

Balcony and container fruitEdible edging for raised bedsHanging-basket cropFamily garden treat

Grow strawberries in a raised bed edge, a long trough or a hanging basket, where they get morning sun and a little afternoon shade and can be reached by children. Fill with sweet soil and compost, give them a drip line and use mains water. Because the plants decline in summer, plan to replant each October.

Lettuce

Another winter crop for a container or edge, with the same October window and a similar need for steady water.

Parsley

A herb with the same October to November window and a similar wish for compost-rich soil.

Onion

A winter bulb crop for the same raised bed, using little space between the strawberry rows.

Mint

A herb that grows in the same pot-and-trough way on a balcony, and tolerates part shade.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering: Summer: Not grown through summer in Dubai: UF/IFAS says plants decline in summer heat, so they are cleared by about May or June.
Winter: Water frequently, early in the morning from a drip line, since NC State says the short roots need about 1 inch of water frequently.
Establishment: Keep newly planted crowns moist and lightly shaded; UF/IFAS says to water strawberries often.
Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained soil or potting mix (UF/IFAS, NC State). Use sweet soil and compost in a raised bed or large pot, since the native sand carries too much salt and strawberries are salt-sensitive.
Feeding: Fertilise regularly with a balanced fertiliser (UF/IFAS) through the fruiting months.
Pruning: Remove runners to encourage better fruit production (NC State).
Planting: Plant from October to December at 25–45 cm spacing, at ground level in a raised bed or in a container (UF/IFAS), in full sun or light afternoon shade. Net the plants if birds visit.
Pests: BirdsSlugs and snailsAphidsLeaf spots and fungal diseases

The care steps and the full guide, in WhatsApp. You pick who gets them.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Using salty water. FAO gives strawberry a threshold of only about 1.0 dS/m and rates it sensitive, so use mains water.
Planting in September. The Ministry's field dates start in October, when the weather is cooler and plants establish more easily.
Letting the plants dry out. NC State says the short roots need frequent watering with about 1 inch of water.
Picking underripe berries. UF/IFAS says berries do not sweeten after picking, so wait until at least three-quarters of the surface is red.
Keeping plants through summer. UF/IFAS says plants usually decline in the heat, so replant new ones each October.

Extra notes

Good to know

Strawberries are botanically an aggregate accessory fruit, and the 'seeds' on the outside are achenes (Wikipedia).
The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany in the 1750s from two American species (Wikipedia).
FAO rates strawberry as sensitive to salt, the lowest of its four categories for tolerance, with a threshold of about 1.0 dS/m.
NC State says the plants reproduce by runners and generally need replacing every 3 to 4 years.

Toxicity: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses according to the ASPCA (strawberry, Fragaria spp.), and the fruit is a normal food for people. NC State's Plant Toolbox also tags the plant as non-toxic for cats, dogs and horses.

Pros

Fits containers, raised beds and baskets, which suits balconies (UF/IFAS, NC State)
Generous Ministry window: nursery September–November, field October–December
First berries about 90–110 days after planting (UF/IFAS)
Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA)

Cons

One of the most salt-sensitive crops: FAO threshold only about 1.0 dS/m
Declines in summer heat, so it is grown as an annual (UF/IFAS)
Short roots need frequent watering, about 1 inch of water (NC State)
Many pests and diseases; birds take ripe fruit unless netted (NC State, UF/IFAS)

FAQ

Common questions

When should I plant strawberries in Dubai?

The Ministry's calendar gives nursery planting from September to November and field planting from October to December. BBC Good Food Middle East gives October to November for containers.

How long until I can pick strawberries?

UF/IFAS says the first berries are ready about 90 to 110 days after planting. The Ministry's calendar gives 120 to 180 days.

Can I grow strawberries on a balcony?

Yes. BBC Good Food Middle East says strawberries can be grown in containers, and UF/IFAS says raised beds and containers work. Give them morning sun and frequent water.

Will strawberries survive the summer?

Not usually. UF/IFAS says plants usually decline once summer heat arrives, so grow them as annuals and replant in October.

Are strawberries salt-tolerant?

No. FAO rates strawberry as sensitive, with a yield threshold of about 1.0 dS/m. Use mains water and sweet soil.

Are strawberry plants safe for pets?

The ASPCA lists strawberry as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Not sure how it suits your garden?

Ask on WhatsAppAsk about Strawberry on WhatsApp

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-29 by Plant Guide horticulture desk.

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