Does A Sprinkle Of Sugar Really Grow Perfect Strawberries?

Strawberries are worth the work and patience needed to grow well. When a gardening hack arises that claims to grow them quicker, it's natural to be wary. A misguided tip (like this infamous TikTok advice to use hardware cloth as an insect repellant) can damage or even kill your strawberries if you're not careful.

You may have heard of a tip circling around the internet to add a teaspoon of sugar with a mixture of water and dry yeast while fertilizing your strawberries. Sounds harmless enough, but what does the science say? Because of its high nutrient content, yeast can be a helpful addition to fertilizer as your plant grows and establishes its roots. Yeast feeds on sugar, which suggests a grain of truth to this gardening method.

It's worth noting, however, that most research about how yeast affects soil focuses on naturally occurring yeasts—not the dry yeast you can get at the grocery store. The sugar and yeast are not likely to harm your strawberry plant in such small amounts. However, a lack of harm does not equate to benefits for your plants, and the science is still out on whether this social media hack actually promotes plant growth. It may be best to stick to fertilizers with proven benefits like NPK fertilizers, which contain a specialized blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—all minerals your strawberry plant needs to grow and establish its roots.

Here are a few more tips for giving your strawberries a strong start as you care for them through the seasons. The first thing you'll want to take into consideration when planting is the time of year. Generally speaking, spring is the best time to plant strawberries because it will give them a chance to put down roots and survive the growing season.

According to a study published in HortTechnology, a sugar water solution can be useful as a foliar spray after you plant your strawberries to deter fruit-eating birds. Because birds cannot digest sucrose, spraying strawberry plants with a solution of water and table sugar after you plant them may act as a repellent. That being said, it's best to keep sugar out of your daily watering can. Healthy plants create the sugar they need through photosynthesis, so anything more is excessive unless you're reviving a sick plant.

During winter months, add straw mulch to the soil surrounding your strawberry plants. This will act as an insulator for the roots and protect the dormant flower buds from harsh conditions. When spring comes, and local temperatures reach about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the straw mulch and replace it with your fertilizer of choice to maximize your strawberry yield.