When we first moved to our off-grid homestead – nestled among the Sangre de Cristo mountains at 8,000 feet – I wasn’t sure we’d ever be able to grow any fruit. Our high altitude garden is in zone 4 and the winters receive plenty of snow.
Luckily, we’re also blessed with the consistent Colorado sun and 35 acres of our own to experiment on. After doing a bit of research I discovered there are strawberry varieties that are rated to zone 4/5. And while this doesn’t always mean they’ll survive the winter, we decided to give it a try anyways.
Choose Bareroot Strawberries
While we have successfully grown strawberries from seed and happily picked up starts at our local nursery (shoutout to Brady’s Garden Supply), the best way to get a substantial strawberry harvest is to plant bareroot plants.
I ordered from Nourse Farms and was very happy with the service and quality of plants.
For the best selection, plan to order in late winter and schedule your shipment to arrive in early spring.
You want to plant your bareroot plants when the soil has warmed to about 50 degrees F. The planting depth is very important and Nourse has some great resources, so read up before planting.
Strawberry Varieties Successfully Grown in Colorado
This isn’t an exhaustive list of the strawberries that grow in Colorado by any means. These are simply the three varieties we have grown. Keep in mind we’re located in zone 4 at 8,000 feet. We’re located near Westcliffe, Colorado, which may be different than the environment you live in.
AC Wendy
This is a top Early Season variety. It produces large berries that taste great and is viable for zones 3-8.
Cavendish
A large berry for zones 3-7. This strawberry has grown great in our high altitude garden. It produces a large, juicy berry.
Sparkle
This strawberry plant produces slightly smaller berries, but they are certainly delicious and worth growing. It’s viable in zones 3-8 and recommended for beginners.
We’ve loved all three of these varieties. We’re going to expand our berry patch next spring, so stay tuned for more Colorado strawberry farm news.
