In order to explore the effects of different nitrogen forms on plant growth and fruit quality in strawberry, sand-grown seedlings of cultivar ‘Benihoppe’ were treated by N-deficiency, nitrate, ammonium, and mixture of nitrate and ammonium, and then the plant height, physiological indexes of functional leaf and different development periods of fruits were measured. The results indicated that nitrate could promote plant growth and improve fruit color and quality. The sugar-acid ratio was 14.58, and the polyphenol content was 2.77 % in red-ripening fruits derived from nitrate-treated seedlings. Ammonium was beneficial for the synthesis of leaf pigment and improvement of the fruit yield, but it delayed the plant growth. The average weight of single fruit could reach up to 12.64 g, and the contents of titratable acids and polyphenols were 1.12 % and 0.47 %, respectively, in the experiment of ammonium treatment. Interestingly, the mixture of nitrate and ammonium was more suitable for the plant growth and fruit development compared to the other two nitrogen forms and the N-deficiency, and the average plant height and single fruit weight were 32.47 cm and 11.07 g, respectively. Moreover, the sugar- acid ratio was 14.22, and the contents of dry matters, soluble solids and polyphenols were 12.12 %, 13.10% and 2.32%, respectively, in the red-ripening fruits. Therefore, in strawberry production, application of nitrate will benefit for improving fruit quality, and the mixture of nitrate and ammonium is suitable for the plant growth, fruit yield and quality of strawberry.