Growing Roses and Strawberries Together

Growing roses and strawberries together in the home garden has many benefits: better area utilization, strawberries act as ground cover and bear fruits all season, soil patch looks very decorative.

Unfortunately, there are also some drawbacks to growing these plants together.

Updated: November 25, 2024.

Can You Grow Roses and Strawberries in the Same Garden Bed?

Roses and strawberries can be grown in the same garden bed, but careful planning is essential to ensure both plants thrive. Strawberries act as a natural ground cover, reducing weed growth and helping to retain soil moisture for roses. However, both plants have specific needs that must be addressed:

• Space: Maintain proper spacing to prevent competition for nutrients and sunlight. Roses should have enough room for their roots to spread, while strawberries can grow closer together as ground cover.
• Soil: Both plants prefer well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Adding compost or organic matter can help meet their shared requirements.
• Sunlight: Roses and strawberries both need full sun for at least 6–8 hours a day.
• Watering: Ensure consistent watering, but avoid waterlogging, as it can harm both plants.

Additionally, monitor for pests, as strawberries can attract slugs and insects that may also affect roses. Regular maintenance and observation will help these plants coexist successfully in the same bed.

Benefits of Planting Roses and Strawberries Together

Planting roses and strawberries together offers several benefits that enhance the health, aesthetics, and productivity of your garden:

• Natural Ground Cover: Strawberries provide excellent ground cover, reducing weed growth and helping retain soil moisture, which benefits the deeper-rooted roses.
• Improved Soil Health: Strawberries' shallow roots improve soil aeration and structure, which can indirectly support the growth of roses.
• Pest Deterrence: Certain strawberry varieties emit a mild fragrance that may deter pests harmful to roses, creating a natural protective barrier.
• Efficient Space Use: Combining these plants allows you to maximize garden space, as strawberries grow low to the ground while roses grow upward.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The combination of vibrant roses and lush strawberry foliage with occasional berries creates a visually stunning garden display.
• Microclimate Benefits: Strawberries can regulate soil temperature and protect rose roots from excessive heat during hot weather.
• Pollinator Attraction: Both roses and strawberries attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, promoting a healthier garden ecosystem.

With proper care, roses and strawberries can complement each other beautifully, making them a great choice for companion planting in ornamental and productive gardens alike.

Do Strawberries Improve the Health of Rose Plants?

Strawberries can indirectly improve the health of rose plants when grown as companion plants, primarily by creating a beneficial microenvironment in the garden. Here’s how strawberries contribute:

• Soil Moisture Retention: Strawberry plants provide natural ground cover, reducing water evaporation and maintaining consistent soil moisture, which benefits roses' deep roots.
• Weed Suppression: The dense foliage of strawberries suppresses weed growth, minimizing competition for nutrients and water in the soil.
• Improved Soil Quality: Strawberry plants can enhance soil structure by promoting aeration and reducing erosion, indirectly supporting healthy root systems for roses.
• Pest Management: Although strawberries do not directly protect roses from pests, their presence can diversify the ecosystem in the garden, attracting beneficial insects like pollinators and reducing the impact of specific pests.
• Aesthetic and Functional Benefits: Healthy strawberry plants contribute to a balanced garden environment, indirectly creating optimal conditions for roses to thrive.

While strawberries don't actively boost rose health, their role in improving the garden environment can lead to healthier roses when properly managed. Regular care and monitoring are still essential to ensure both plants coexist harmoniously.

Roses and Strawberries Growing Conditions

Both roses and strawberries prefer fertile, loamy soil, rich in organic matter and moist soil, but it must drain well. When preparing the soil, feel free to add plenty of aged manure, compost, and humus. Also, feel free to add balanced NPK fertilizer (10-10-10, 5-10-10, etc.) rich in microelements, preferably with a gradual release of nutrients. Too much nitrogen should be avoided - plants will grow vigorously but will be generally weak and prone to diseases and pests.

Periodic supplementation is required to keep these 'heavy feeders' happy, so feel free to add some NPK fertilizer on a monthly basis.

Roses and strawberries prefer positions with full sun - a minimum of 6 hours of full sun is required for good growth. Roses can make strong shadows when grown dense, so when growing roses and strawberries together, don't choose small/miniature roses, but larger shrub-sized varieties and prune shrubs regularly - this will benefit both the strawberries (more sun) and roses (well-aerated shrub, fewer problems with pests and diseases).

Mulching benefits both roses and strawberries - it keeps moisture in the soil (remember that strawberries have rather shallow roots), prevents strawberries from touching the soil and prevents fruits rot, prevents weeds, etc. Also, mulch in contact with soil starts to decompose and helps in feeding the plants.

Disadvantages of Growing Roses and Strawberries Together

Growing roses and strawberries together also has some drawbacks and issues, for example:

• roses prefer soil with a pH between 6 and 6.8, preferably around 6.4 - 6.5. Strawberries like soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, preferably around 6.2 - 6.3. Both values are rather close - both plants prefer slightly acidic soil, with strawberries preferring more acidic soil. Getting pH so accurate can be hard, but keep in mind that larger roses have deeper roots than common strawberries, and if required, keep the upper layer of the soil more acidic (pH around 6.2) and the lower layer less acidic (pH around 6.5).

Note: going into such details is far beyond any home gardener, so when growing strawberries and roses together, aim for a pH of around 6.3 - 6.4, and your roses and strawberries will grow well.

• when growing roses for rose hips, rose flowers are not removed until rose hips are ripe. Removing old flowers stimulates the production of new flowers, so prepare yourself for fewer flowers on such roses.
• aphids can be a big problem for roses. Aphids like nitrogen, so to control them, organic fertilizers and NPK fertilizers are used with slow release of nutrients. Roses grown for flowers can be fertilized with products containing insecticides that enter the plants through the roots and protects the plants from both sucking and chewing insects. Such fertilizers are NOT for plants that are going to be consumed!

Note: insecticides in the form of spray can kill both good and bad bugs and, in the long run, can cause even more damage. Note that ladybugs and green lacewings can help in keeping pests under control, but in the case of a stronger attack, chemicals should be CAREFULLY used.

Photo: sometimes it is hard to keep strawberries under control

• strawberries that propagate using runners can cover large areas quickly and grow too densely. Regular pruning of such strawberries is required in order to keep the required distance between strawberry plants.

Hint: in early spring, remove ALL strawberry plants from the soil patch, add aged manure, compost, and NPK fertilizer, till everything, and then plant back strawberry plants some 20-30 cm (8-12 inches) apart. If the pH is too low, consider adding some garden lime. Replanting is a shock to the plants, but strawberries are very tolerant to replanting - if not pruned and replanted, strawberries can spread out like weeds :)

When done properly, growing roses and strawberries can yield a large strawberry harvest with numerous colorful roses.

Companion Plants for Both Roses and Strawberries

Several companion plants work well with both roses and strawberries, providing benefits like pest control, improved soil health, and enhanced garden aesthetics. Here are some excellent options:

Pest-Repelling Plants

• Garlic: Repels aphids and spider mites that commonly attack roses and strawberries.
• Chives: Its strong scent deters pests like Japanese beetles and aphids, while also improving the flavor of strawberries.
• Onions: These alliums repel pests harmful to both plants and improve soil health.

Pollinator-Friendly Plants

• Lavender: Attracts beneficial pollinators like bees while repelling pests such as whiteflies.
• Thyme: Low-growing thyme helps attract pollinators and acts as a fragrant ground cover.
• Marigolds: These vibrant flowers deter nematodes and other pests, benefiting both roses and strawberries.

Soil-Improving Plants

• Clover: Adds nitrogen to the soil, promoting healthy growth for both strawberries and roses.
• Comfrey: Its deep roots bring nutrients to the surface, enriching the soil and benefiting nearby plants.

Low-Growing Ground Covers

• Sweet Alyssum: Offers a beautiful, fragrant ground cover that attracts beneficial insects while keeping weeds at bay.
• Creeping Thyme: Provides similar benefits as sweet alyssum with a more herbal scent.

Aesthetic and Functional Plants

• Calendula: Bright flowers enhance the garden's beauty and repel pests like aphids and thrips.
• Nasturtiums: Act as a trap crop, drawing pests away from strawberries and roses.

Herbs for Pest Control and Soil Health

• Basil: Repels pests like whiteflies and improves the growth of companion plants.
• Mint: Its strong aroma deters pests, but plant it in a container to prevent overgrowth.

Nutrient-Contributing Plants

• Borage: Attracts pollinators, deters pests, and improves soil nutrients with its deep roots.

Careful selection of companion plants creates a thriving garden ecosystem where roses, strawberries, and their companions mutually benefit from each other’s presence.