When to plant strawberries in zone 6b
In zone 6b, the average last spring frost is Apr 21 and the first fall frost is Oct 22. Here is strawberries's whole year, counted from those dates.
Plant in full sun, on well-drained ground that does not hold standing water. Higher ground and moving air reduce frost damage on blossoms. Minnesota says open flowers are damaged near 30°F.
The calendar date is for dormant plants in a matted row: University of Tennessee sets those plants 3–4 weeks before the average last frost, and this page uses the middle of that range. Set the soil line at the middle of the crown. Roots stay buried and the growing point stays visible. Minnesota plants dormant crowns in spring once a trowel enters the soil easily, and waits to set potted plants until frost risk has passed. Those two cases are not given separate calendar dates.
Space matted-row plants 18–24 inches apart, with rows several feet apart so runners can root. Pinch the first flowers on June-bearers so the plants establish; Tennessee says that pushes the first harvest to a little more than a year later. Day-neutral plants can fruit in the planting year after the early blossoms are removed. June-bearers need a winter mulch in cold climates; pull it back when new growth starts, and be ready to cover open flowers if frost returns.
Minnesota counts about four weeks from flowering to ripe fruit. Pick berries fully red; they do not ripen further after harvest. Oregon State says a June-bearing crop usually lasts around four weeks. Renovate June-bearers about one to two weeks after that harvest.