Not my area of expertiese but I planted some strawberry plants directly into a grassy hillside that gets mowed regularly and they are still alive. Maybe they don't need as much pampering as thought?

To do a no till strawberry bed, or raspberries, blueberries, etc. takes a bit of long term planning to properly prepare the bed they will grow in. You need to start 2 or 3 years in advance to properly prepare the beds. But you could do as Bob64 did with less production and more problems.
To prepare the beds you start with a good, reliable soil test from a lab recommended by your Cornell University USDA Cooperative Extension Service office and prepare that bed by adding organic matter as well as needed nutrients and allow the Soil Food Web to develop that soil for you.
Using these simple soil tests,

1. Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
can also help you see what is happening with your soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell CES

"From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top."

Thanks for that info, kimmsr!

Joanna,

I have strawberries planted in my flowerbed and they grow and produce fine. This is a spot that wasn't tilled and is all clay; other the the mulch on top of the clay.

I say, just plant your strawberry plants and mulch around them. The runners will easily root through the mulch.

BTW, my plants multiply so fast, I remove half the plants in late fall.

Regarding earthworms, kimmsr says...." Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy."

From the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Quality  Agronomy Technical Note No. 11:

"Many people consider earthworms to be an indicator of soil quality because they respond to and contribute to healthy soil. For earthworms to be abundant, a field must meet several conditions that are also associated with soil quality and agricultural sustainability: moderate pH, surface residue for food and protection, and soil that is not waterlogged, compacted, droughty, or excessively sandy. Not all healthy soils will have earthworms."

Lloyd

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to actual USDA publication

I just dug a 5x5 spot for strawberries. I'm going to flip the sod into the area right next to it to make a no-till bed for more strawberries. I'm going to lay down cardboard, then do a compost-in-place thing to prepare the spot.