Your Strawberry Plants Need This October Fix Before Winter Arrives, by Botana Garden on YouTube. 10 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Wait until the plants go dormant. Look for shrivelled, flat-lying leaves and stopped growth after a few hard frosts. Do not mulch while plants are still actively growing.
Pick off diseased, mouldy or dead leaves and put them in the bin, not the compost. This cuts down on disease carrying over to spring.
Leave healthy green leaves in place. They still feed the crown and help insulate the plant through winter.
Skip heavy nitrogen fertiliser in fall. It pushes soft new growth that frost will kill.
Spread loose straw over the bed once dormancy has set in. Pile it about 3 to 4 inches deep so it covers the crowns but still lets some air through.
Use straw rather than hay. Hay holds moisture, packs down and often carries weed seed.
For pots, move containers against a sheltered wall or into an unheated garage. Wrap the pot in burlap or bubble wrap so the roots do not freeze solid.
Water sparingly through winter only when the soil is dry and not frozen. Do not keep the bed soggy.
If a hard freeze hits before you mulch, add straw right away to protect the crowns from frost heaving.
In spring, pull the straw back once new growth appears. Leave a thin layer to protect early blossoms from late frost.
Tips and common mistakes
Mulching too early traps warmth and can rot the crowns, so wait for real dormancy.
In mild climates you may need little or no straw, so check your USDA zone first.
Young plants benefit from a slightly thinner layer so they are not smothered.
Keep straw a little clear of the crown centre to avoid trapping water against it.
Questions
How do I know my strawberries are dormant?
The leaves look flat, dull and slightly shrivelled, and new growth has stopped after several hard frosts. That is the signal to start mulching.
Can I use hay instead of straw?
It is better to avoid hay. It mats down, holds moisture and usually brings weed seeds, while loose straw stays airy and insulates well.
When do I remove the mulch in spring?
Pull most of it back when you see fresh green growth, but keep a thin layer to shield early flowers from late frost.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
