Key takeaways
- A 1.2m drainpipe tower holds around 15-20 strawberry plants in one pot's space
- A perforated watering pipe down the middle stops the top pockets drying out
- Space holes 20cm apart and stagger them so plants don't sit directly above each other
- Mix two parts John Innes No 2 with one part multipurpose for a compost that holds together
- Everbearers such as 'Albion', 'Flamenco' and 'Mara des Bois' crop from summer into autumn
- Stand the tower somewhere sheltered over winter and wrap the pipe in hard frost
A vertical strawberry tower squeezes a whole bed of strawberries into the space of one pot. It’s ideal for a balcony, patio or doorstep. The secret is a hidden watering pipe down the middle. Without it, the top plants dry out while the bottom ones sit in soggy compost.
This guide shows how to build a tower from a plastic drainpipe, step by step, and how to plant, water and feed it. For growing strawberries in beds and ordinary pots, see the guide to growing strawberries in the UK.
Why strawberry towers dry out at the top
Water runs straight down a tall column before it spreads sideways. Pour it on the top and most of it rushes to the base. Within a week the top plants are crisp while the bottom is waterlogged.
The fix is a central watering core: a thinner pipe down the middle of the tower, drilled with small holes and wrapped in mesh. You pour water into the core instead of onto the compost. It seeps out at every level, so the top pockets drink as well as the bottom ones.
No spare pipe? A column of pierced plastic bottles does the same job. More on that below.
Which kind of strawberry tower should you build?
A drainpipe tower holds the most plants and is the easiest to water evenly. But there are simpler options if you don’t want to pick up a drill.
| Build | Roughly how many plants | Watering | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drainpipe tower with a core | 15-20 | Even, through the core | Patios and balconies, best all-rounder |
| Ready-made stacking planter | 12-20 | Fair, some have a central pipe | A tidy, no-tools option |
| Stacked terracotta pots | 8-12 | Dries out fast | Beginners, a pretty patio feature |
| Wooden pallet planter | 15-20 | Fair | A rustic look on a fence or wall |
| Gutters fixed to a wall | 10-18 | Dries out fast | Narrow balconies and fences |
Stacked pots are the simplest: graduated pots sitting one inside the other, planted round each rim. They look lovely but dry out quickly. Ready-made stacking planters are tidy and easy, and some come with a central watering pipe.
Ready-made stacking planters are the no-tools option. Choose one with a central watering pipe if you can.
Stacked terracotta pots look pretty but dry out fast. Check them every day in summer.
How to drill the drainpipe
Start with a 150mm plastic drainpipe, about 1.2m long. Narrower pipe holds too little compost and dries out quickly. Cut it to length with a hacksaw or pipe cutter.
Mark the planting holes in a spiral, 20cm apart and staggered round the pipe so no hole sits directly above another. That gives each plant its own space and stops one plant shading the next. Leave the bottom 25cm without holes, because it sits down inside the base pot.
Cut each hole with a 40-50mm hole saw on a drill. That’s big enough to push a strawberry plant through but small enough to hold the crown snugly. Trim off any rough edges with a craft knife.
Gardener’s tip: Clamp the pipe flat on a bench before drilling, and wear gloves. A hole saw can snatch on curved plastic. A block of scrap wood inside the pipe behind each hole gives a cleaner cut.
Clamp the pipe flat and cut the holes in a staggered spiral, about 20cm apart.
How to make the watering core
The watering core is the most important part of the tower. Take a 32-40mm pipe the same length as the drainpipe. Drill 4-5mm holes every 5cm along the lower two thirds. Leave the top third solid so water doesn’t just pour out near the surface.
Wrap the drilled section in fine mesh, weed membrane or an old pair of tights, tied on with garden twine. This stops compost washing into the holes and blocking them.
The free alternative: cut the bottoms off three or four 2-litre plastic bottles and pierce their sides. Stack them neck-down in a column inside the tower and fill through the top bottle. It’s a little fiddlier but works the same way.
Stand the perforated core in the middle before you add compost. Every drop you pour in reaches the whole tower.
How to set up the base and fill with compost
Stand the drainpipe in a wide, heavy pot or bucket. A filled tower is heavy and catches the wind, so it needs a solid base. Put a layer of gravel in the bottom for drainage and weight. Hold the watering core upright in the centre of the drainpipe while you fill.
For compost, mix two parts John Innes No 2 to one part multipurpose. The loam-based John Innes holds water and nutrients and doesn’t shrink much. The multipurpose keeps the mix light and open. Add slow-release fertiliser at the rate on the pack.
Fill round the core in layers, firming gently as you go. Stop at each planting hole to put in a plant before you carry on filling. Don’t ram the compost down hard, because roots need air as well as water.
Warning: Don’t fill a tower with garden soil. It sets hard in a container and drains badly. Multipurpose on its own shrinks away from the sides, leaving gaps where water runs straight through.
How to plant a strawberry tower
Plant as you fill, one hole at a time. Push each strawberry plant through its hole from the outside and spread the roots inwards into the compost. Firm the compost round the roots.
Plant each hole as the compost reaches it. Keep the crown level with the hole, not buried.
Keep the crown, the point where the leaves meet the roots, level with the hole. A buried crown can rot, and one sitting too high dries out. Finish by planting two or three strawberries in the open top. Then water in through the core until water drains from the base.
Spring is the best time to plant, from March to May. You can also plant in late summer for a crop the following year.
Choose varieties that crop for a long time. Everbearers (also called perpetual strawberries) fruit in flushes from summer into autumn, so the tower keeps going for months.
- ‘Albion’: firm, sweet berries on a compact plant.
- ‘Flamenco’: good crops, especially later in the season.
- ‘Mara des Bois’: small berries with a lovely wild-strawberry flavour.
- ‘Cambridge Favourite’: a reliable summer-fruiting variety for one big early crop.
How to water and feed a strawberry tower
Water into the central core, not over the top. In warm summer weather that means every day, and sometimes twice in a heatwave. Push a finger into the top pockets to check. Towers dry faster than beds because sun and wind reach every side.
Container compost runs out of food quickly. The slow-release fertiliser covers the first few weeks. Once flowers appear, feed every week or so with a high-potash liquid feed, such as tomato feed, at the label rate. Pour it into the core. Stop feeding in early autumn. The guide to fruit in pots and containers uses the same feeding routine for other crops.
Pour water into the core, not over the leaves. It spreads out at every level, so the top and bottom drink evenly.
Runners, birds and grey mould
Snip off runners every week. Runners are the long stems with baby plants on the end. In a tower they dangle in the way and take energy from fruiting. Keep two or three if you want free plants for next year. The guide to strawberry runners shows how to root them.
Canes hold the net clear of the berries so birds can’t peck through it. Pull it taut so nothing gets tangled.
Birds love ripe strawberries. As the first berries start to colour, put netting over the tower. Push three tall canes into the base pot so the net sits clear of the fruit, and pull it taut at the bottom. Check it every day, and free any bird that gets caught straight away.
Grey mould can rot berries in damp weather. Towers help here, because most fruit hangs in the air rather than sitting on wet soil. Pick ripe berries every day or two and remove any mouldy ones quickly.
How to look after a strawberry tower in winter
Move the tower to a sheltered spot, such as against a house wall, before the frosts. Strawberries are hardy in the ground, but roots in a pipe or pot freeze more easily. In hard frost, wrap the pipe and base pot in fleece or bubble wrap. Keep the compost just moist, not wet.
Strawberry plants crop best for about three years. After that, replace them with young plants grown from runners, and refresh the compost at the same time.
Month-by-month strawberry tower calendar
| Month | Task |
|---|---|
| March | Build the tower and plant if plants are available |
| April | Finish planting. Water through the core. Cover with fleece if a hard frost is forecast |
| May | Start a weekly high-potash feed once flowers open |
| June | First berries. Net the tower. Water daily in warm weather |
| July | Main crop. Keep watering, feeding and picking. Snip off runners |
| August | Everbearers keep cropping. Remove any mouldy fruit. Pot up a few runners |
| September | Last main flush. Stop feeding by the end of the month |
| October | Last few berries. Tidy off dead leaves |
| November | Move the tower to shelter and wrap it before hard frost |
| December to February | Keep compost just moist. No feeding |
| Late February | Top up the compost and add fresh slow-release fertiliser |
Common strawberry tower mistakes
Skipping the watering core. The top dries out and the bottom stays wet. Always fit a core and water into it.
Using the wrong compost. Garden soil sets hard, and multipurpose alone shrinks and dries. Use the John Innes mix.
Cramming in too many plants. Overcrowded plants give small, sparse berries. Stick to holes about 20cm apart.
Netting too late. Birds can strip a tower in a morning. Net as soon as the first berries colour.
Leaving the tower exposed in winter. Roots in a pipe freeze more easily than in the ground. Move it to shelter and wrap it in hard frost.
A tower is just one way to grow upwards in a small space. The guide to vertical gardening ideas has plenty more, and patio garden ideas for small spaces helps you plan where it goes. Next, fill the rest of your pots with the guide to the best vegetables for container growing, or browse more projects in the how-to hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many strawberry plants fit in a vertical tower?
A 1.2m drainpipe tower holds around 15-20 plants. Space the holes 20cm apart and stagger them round the pipe, plus two or three plants in the open top. Cram them in tighter and the berries get smaller.
Why does the top of my strawberry tower dry out?
Water runs straight down before it soaks sideways. Without a central watering core, the top pockets stay dry while the bottom sits wet. Fit a perforated pipe or a column of pierced bottles down the middle and water into that.
What compost is best for a strawberry tower?
Two parts John Innes No 2 to one part multipurpose compost works well. The loam-based John Innes holds water and nutrients and doesn’t shrink much. Add slow-release fertiliser at the rate on the pack. Multipurpose on its own tends to shrink and dry out.
Which strawberry varieties are best for a tower?
Everbearers such as ‘Albion’, ‘Flamenco’ and ‘Mara des Bois’ crop longest. They fruit in flushes from summer into autumn. Add a summer-fruiting variety such as ‘Cambridge Favourite’ for a big early crop.
How often should I water a strawberry tower?
Every day in warm summer weather, sometimes twice in a heatwave. Pour the water into the central core. Push a finger into the top pockets to check. Towers dry faster than beds because wind and sun reach every side.
Do I need to feed strawberries in a tower?
Yes, because the compost runs out of food quickly. Slow-release fertiliser covers the first few weeks. Once flowers appear, feed every week or so with a high-potash liquid feed, such as tomato feed, at the label rate.
How do I protect a strawberry tower over winter?
Move it to a sheltered spot against a house wall. Roots in a pipe or pot freeze more easily than roots in the ground. Wrap the pipe in fleece or bubble wrap in hard frost and keep the compost just moist.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
