I use round plastic dustbins with lots of 1.5" holes drilled in the sides for the plants. The bins have a 9" diameter central core of gravel for drainage/aeration which is surrounded by compost. They produce very well and the runners can be pushed into any spare holes.

How do you over-winter them? Do they survive in the barrel or do you have to bring it inside?

You can get 30 or 55 gallon plastic drums, cut the top out.
Then mark perforated rings every 8 inches around the drum.
The lines should be 6 inches wide & 8 inches apart.
Each line should be off set from the line above, you can get 3-4 rings.
Cut the 6" lines, then heat with a heat gun, using channel locks to pull the soften plastic as you heat it, until you form a3"-4" X 6" cup in the side of the drum.
OR you could use a 4-6 inch diameter PVC pipe with 2" holes cut in the sides at a angle, with a hole saw. This is a strawberry tower.
If you live near a company that makes a large metal drain pipe you can use 3 or 4 sizes to make a step tower like the fruit catalogs sale.

If you have a tower, do all the plants get sun? I was thinking of buying a tower that stacks, but I thought some plants might be shaded by the others.

If the garden gets 6-8 hours of sun then the tower will get sun from all sides.
My uncle put up concrete blocks(2 blocks high,16 inches) in the corner of has garden & filled it with shredded leaves, let it set all the Fall, Winter, then planted in the Spring, no shade.
He had berries for over 5 years, the house was sold after his death.

Following up on an old post, but ...

I bought a 20' section of 8" PVC hollowcore (it's lighter) and had it cut into 3 sections of 8,8 and 4 feet. I used a hole saw and cut either 1 1/2 or 2" holes (cant' remember which) all around after creating a template and skewing the holes on each layer.

The 8" is much better than the 4 or 6 inch per the web reports people have posted - better root development and internal area for the roots.

The 8' posts were buried 2+' down and filled with the 1-1-1 mix from the container gardening forum. I have drip tubing leading to the top of each off a splitter and a fertilizer injector. A timer waters the plants twice per day.

Until my timer broke last week, the plants were beautiful and the berries were starting to turn red. Hopefully the plants will survive, but the berries are likely goners.

In a square foot of space I have 80 or so berries. Each tower basically replicates one of my 14 x 4 conventional strawberry beds.

Andrew

andyinnyc, how are your plants going now.
The 8" pipe should be better with more room for the roots.
I have not seen it, it is uncommon in the big box stores.
could you show us some pic.
Thanks for your reply.

hex2006 do you have any pics you could share to show how you did the strawberries in teh plastic barrels? Would love to give it a try.
THanks
Penny email me pennydcrumpton@gmail.com