What To Do In The Fall For Bountiful Strawberry Plants In The Spring

It can be easy to forget all about strawberry plants after they've finished producing berries for the year. However, to ensure your plants grow as healthy as possible and aren't damaged by winter cold and the repeated cycles of freezes and thaws it often brings, it's important to give your strawberry plants some protection. While strawberries grow in cold climates, and garden strawberries (Fragaria x Ananassa) can be hardy down to USDA Hardiness Zone 3 (or -40 degrees Fahrenheit) when properly winterized, they can be damaged by temperatures of only around 20 degrees Fahrenheit without proper protection. Luckily, the process of winterizing your strawberry plants isn't difficult, and it more than pays off when they provide you with delicious fruits next spring and summer.

If your strawberries are growing in hanging baskets, small planters, or other containers, they may not be able to survive winter unless you either transplant them into the ground before temperatures start to drop, or bury the planter in the ground. Alternatively, you could bring them into a garage or other protected area in autumn. If you have a raised strawberry bed or plants growing in ground, however, the best way to winterize them is with mulch.

When your soil temperatures are above 20 degrees Fahrenheit but consistently below 40 degrees, your strawberries should be dormant and ready for their winter protection. Strawis one of the best materials for mulching the little berry plants while surprisingly not being the origin of their name. You should put down a layer about 4 to 6 inches thick on top of the plants, but make sure the straw isn't compressed or packed down. If you don't have straw available, you can also use leaves to mulch your berries. Just make sure the leaves are chopped or shredded so they don't smother the strawberry plants. 

While it might be tempting to uncover your plants as soon as you have your first warm day of spring, it's better to be patient and hold off. Otherwise, a cold snap could come through and damage the plants or destroy flower buds. Instead, check on your plants regularly, and rake away the straw once about a quarter of the plants have new growth visible.