Winterizing Your Strawberry Plants - The Definitive Guide, by Amish Gardening on YouTube. 14 min 46 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 46 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Wait until the plants are dormant. In most cold climates that means a few hard frosts have hit and the leaves have died back, usually late fall.
Pick up fallen leaves, spoiled fruit and old debris from around the plants so pests and disease have nowhere to overwinter.
Trim dead and damaged leaves with clean pruners, but leave the healthy green leaves and the crown itself alone. Cutting back too hard weakens the plant.
Water the bed deeply a day or two before the first hard freeze if the soil is dry, so the roots go into winter with moisture.
Let the ground freeze first, then spread 2 to 4 inches of loose straw over the plants. Cover the crowns completely but keep the mulch fluffy, not packed.
For potted strawberries, move the pots into a garage, unheated shed or against a sheltered wall. Or sink the pots into the ground and mulch over the rims.
Check the bed once or twice over winter. Push straw back over any crowns that get exposed by wind, and never let water stand around the pots.
In spring, pull the mulch back gradually as new growth appears. Leave a thin layer on hand to cover the plants if a late frost is forecast.
Tips and common mistakes
Mulching too early on warm soil traps heat and can rot the crowns, so wait for real cold.
Use straw or pine needles rather than leaves or hay, which mat down and hold water against the plants.
Pots freeze and thaw much faster than garden soil, so containers need extra protection or a sheltered spot.
Clean your pruners with rubbing alcohol between plants to avoid spreading disease.
Questions
When should I winterize my strawberry plants?
After a few hard frosts, once the plants have gone dormant and stopped growing. Mulching too early in mild weather is a common mistake.
Can I just cover the plants with a bucket or tarp?
No. Solid covers trap moisture and can smother the crowns. Loose straw mulch lets air move while still insulating the plants.
Should I cut all the leaves off before winter?
Only remove dead and damaged leaves. Leave the healthy growth and the crown intact so the plant has energy to regrow in spring.
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.
