Strawberry Stack-A-Pot Update

I realized the other day that I haven't given an update on how my strawberry stack-a-pot has fared this summer.  This is my second year of growing strawberries in a stack-a-pot.  The first year, I ordered a small stack-a-pot from Amazon. This spring, I found a larger stack-a-pot at a local K-Mart store.  I planted the pots with ever-bearing strawberries, which are supposed to bloom throughout the summer.

My first attempt at growing strawberries in a pot was only semi-successful.  I got a few strawberries from the small pot.  But later in the summer, I discovered that whenever I fertilized the strawberries with a little Miracle Grow, the plants would start setting blooms and fruit.

This year, I was glad to find a large pot so I could plant more strawberry plants. Since we're in the middle of a drought, I've been watering the pots every day. Over-watering isn't really an issue with the stack-a-pots, since they are designed for water to drain from one level of pots to another. I've fertilized the plants every two weeks this summer, instead of once the entire summer last year.  And I've been really happy with the results.  Every day, I pick two or more berries off the plants.  No, that isn't a lot, but it's still fun to find little berries that are ready to pick every day.  One morning this summer, I actually picked a handful of berries off the plants, and I enjoyed a bowl of strawberries and cereal for breakfast.

Growing a large strawberry bed isn't an option for me, since most of our backyard is shaded. It's so cool that I can still grow strawberries -- and still be picking berries in September!  I haven't noticed any disease problems with the berries, but I do have to pick them before the ants and fruit flies get to them first.

Have you ever tried to grow strawberries in pots?  I'm curious to see if I can overwinter these plants, but I don't really have the space to keep the pots on the back porch or garage in the winter.