Can strawberries survive the winter? Strawberries are actually hardy plants, which means they can definitely survive the winter, but how you care for them during this time is also key. Although some agree that strawberries are easy to grow, they may also agree that they are not the easiest perennials to grow, and to ensure a juicy harvest at harvest, you must overwinter .
Preparing strawberries for the winter isn’t really that difficult, as long as you’re armed with the basics.
As temperatures drop each year, most crops need protection from the cold and although strawberries are hardy perennials, they still need protection. If they don’t get extra protection in the winter, they can die or catch a cold.
Strawberries are the most popular type of berry grown in garden sheds and the reason is quite understandable. This delicious and nutritious fruit is relatively easy to grow, and growing it in your garden means you know exactly what you’re eating. So read on to find out how to take care of it in winter.
Contents
Why prepare strawberries for the winter?
The reason you need to overwinter strawberries is that temperatures below 15 degrees F can easily damage new growth that emerges, which means less crop yield next year.
Another important reason to keep it out of the cold is that it can expose the crown of the plant to dry air and hungry critters looking for a winter fruit to feed on.
Strawberries are hardy perennials, but they lack the thick bark that protects many perennials.
To keep your strawberries alive all year round, care for them through the winter until the warm spring arrives. Another reason you should protect your plant in winter is that when the ground freezes repeatedly, it pushes the plants up.
How to maintain your strawberries in winter?
Different varieties of strawberries produce different fruit during their growing season, but either way, they all need winter protection.
To care for your plant over winter, first make sure the plants are truly dormant, which means checking the crowns to make sure there is no new growth.
After that, here are some simple tips for taking care of your strawberry plants in winter.
- Once the temperature drops below 32 degrees F, cover your strawberry plants. Piling mulch over the plants keeps them from being exposed to the cold. Use 3 to 4 inches of loose mulch and avoid heavy, compacted materials and a few good options to choose from including straw, clean hay, leaves, bark, cobs, or chopped corn stalks.
- Another way to protect strawberries in winter is to cover them with a sheet of enchanted polythene. This method is recommended in warmer climates, but on exceptionally cold nights.
- To protect potted strawberries in winter, move them to a sheltered location where the cold won’t be a problem. Potted strawberries are more susceptible to frost damage than terrestrial plants, so move them to a covered porch, basement or garage. But if the container cannot be moved, cover it with mulch, as you would with plants.
Do you prune strawberries for the winter?
Strawberries do not need to be cut like all other blueberries. They need protection to get through the winter season, although they keep their foliage intact until the first growing season, but they will never be pruned.
How cold is it for strawberries?
The temperature is considered too hot for your garden strawberry plant if it is above 80 degrees F. The ideal temperature should be between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, as long as the plants are protected from frost, they can tolerate temperatures as low as 22 degrees F.
To extinguish
Strawberries are hardy perennials and will survive very well in sub-freezing temperatures, but anything too extreme can damage the fruit.
Therefore, in regions with high cold temperatures, extra caution is recommended. By following the simple tips above, you can be sure that your plants will grow well in the spring, ready to bloom and bloom.