Abstract Soluble solids content (SSC) is one of the main parameters for evaluating the nutritive value of strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ), which is affected by a number of factors including genetics, environmental conditions and cultivation practices. In this study, we found that there was a positive correlation between SSC and phosphorus (P) content in fully ripened strawberry fruits. The positive correlation between SSC and P content was first verified among 24 strawberry cultivars with the correlation coefficient r = 0.95. Furthermore it was also verified among strawberry fruits harvested at different dates ( r = 0.96) and among different parts (top, middle and bottom) of strawberry fruits ( r = 0.87). To provide further confirmation, plants of strawberry cultivar ‘Yanli’ in solar greenhouse with the conventional cultivation management were irrigated with different concentrations of P fertilizer (phosphoric acid) once a week from the beginning of white stage and the result showed that P content and SSC in fruits from plants treated with 6.0 mM phosphoric acid increased 45.0% and 16.7%, respectively. Photosynthetic rate (Pn) and water use efficiency (WUE) of phosphoric acid treated plants increased 28.8% and 16.1% compared with the control plants. Our research lays the theoretical basis for improving the flavor of strawberry by applying P fertilizer.