what are the basic steps to keeping strawberry plants alive?

Answer 1

Sun and occasional water are a strawberries basic needs just like any plant.
Strawberries are pretty easy, but you need to keep an eye out for pest and disease. Every year you'll need to check them for suckers that are also known as sisters. Sisters are strawberry plants born from the roots of the host. You need to find them and sever them from the host. They are pretty easy to locate because there will be a long trailing shoot that attaches it to the host. If you just planted them this year or will be planting this Autumn make sure you water them frequently for the first few weeks and then you can cut back. Also, it is important to not let your new plants fruit for the first growing season. Plucking the flowers off will give the plant an opportunity to develop a healthy root system that will reward you with a larger yield of strawberries the next season. Other than this, I really can't think of anything else basic to tell you. Here is a site on the general care of strawberries.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries/growing.html

Answer 2

Good Soil - Organic Matter
Water - 1-2 Inches WK
Fertilze Monthly

Answer 3

I planted mine in good draining soil and put them in a hanging basket so they could trail. They sure put on some nice strawberries and the bluejays certainly enjoyed them. That was my first and last strawberry experience. I hope you have better luck !!!