Because strawberries are perennials, they need to be properly wintered over the cold season. Find out here how you can do this successfully.
Garden-grown fruit and vegetables are not only delicious, they are also he althy. In addition to tomatoes, strawberries are particularly popular in home gardens. Since the latter belong to the perennial plant varieties, the question of what measures to take for overwintering arises, especially towards the end of summer. The naturally hardy properties of strawberries make the overwintering process much easier. Nevertheless, the fine roots, which run directly below the surface of the earth, are highly endangered by frost, which is why you should consider the following aspects when storing strawberries over the winter.
Prepare overwintering in good time
In the case of strawberries, flowering occurs as early as autumn, so the yield in the coming year depends on the type of overwintering. With these measures you can encourage new sprouting in the spring as early as autumn:
➞ Remove foliage:
Dry leaves drain strawberry plants of valuable energy, so carefully remove them with pruning shears. Foothills of the plant can be recognized by the fact that the shoots take root in a different place. You must also cut these off. As a result, the plant becomes more compact and can concentrate its full energy on the actual overwintering. When removing the foliage, be careful not to damage the heart of the plant.
Annual strawberry plants should be pruned no later than mid to late July to give enough time to form new leaves and flowers before winter. The growing season for biennial strawberry plants is too short, so thinning out these specimens would have a negative effect on leaf and flower formation. Therefore, these plant varieties are not to be processed further. For this reason, young strawberries should not be planted later than mid-August.
Strawberry Plant Thinning Checklist:
- Dry foliage and runners carefully with the help of aRemove secateurs without damaging the heart of the plant
- Annual strawberry plants must be cut no later than mid to late July
- pruning is not recommended for biennial plants
- Young strawberries should be planted no later than mid-August
➞ Loosening soil:
To protect against frost, the soil can then be loosened a little. Enrichment with sand or an organic fertilizer is recommended for this purpose. This also promotes the growth of the plant in the following year. In addition, you should regularly check all strawberry plants for pests and pathogens, both in summer and in winter. Also keep an eye out for mold on strawberries.
Hibernation: the location is crucial
How carefree the hibernation actually goes is influenced, among other things, by the location of the strawberries. In principle, breeding is possible both in pots and in the open air. Depending on the variant, there are different considerations to be made with regard to overwintering:
» Overwintering in a pot
- Change of location possible without any problems
- ideal on the balcony near a house wall, as there is protection from the weather here and it is warmer overall
- covering with straw and/or brushwood is possible if required
- due to the hardy properties of strawberries, they should always be overwintered outdoors
- do not water too much, as waterlogging during frost could have devastating consequences on the survival of the plant
» Hibernation outdoors
- cannot change location after planting
- no additional protection by surrounding pot
- choose a spot that is as sheltered from the wind as possible
- Bark mulch, straw, brushwood and fleece are possible as a cover
- occasional watering is necessary on frost-free days
What should be considered with the winter cover?
Covering strawberry plants during the cold season provides additional protection against weather-related influences such as moisture and frost. Especially in the open air, strawberries are almost defenseless against the weather. A first layer of bark mulch provides the fine roots with an insulating effect against the weather. Depending on the location, another layer of straw and/or brushwood is recommended. Simply lay this out between the plants. The strawberries are coated, so to speak, but not completely covered.
Alternatively, you canalso put a special garden fleece over the strawberries. However, you have to pay attention to its excellent breathability, because good air circulation is essential to effectively prevent the development of fungus and rot. Covering with plastic foils of any kind is therefore strongly discouraged, since no air circulation can take place here. In this case, it is difficult to avoid plant disease.
How long should strawberry plants be covered?
In fact, it is often difficult to estimate the point at which strawberries can do without a cover. The late frost, which can sometimes cause irreparable damage to the strawberries, proves to be almost the greatest challenge. Thus, the cover should be maintained until no more frost is to be expected. The month of March, possibly also April, is used as a guideline for this. Strawberry plants should also not be covered for too long, since the insulation on warmer days favors the development of rot and diseases in the transpiring plant.
Even during the winter, strawberry plants should be watered on frost-free days. Part of the water finally evaporates directly on the plant surface, which ensures the supply of valuable nutrients. However, care must be taken that no irrigation water accumulates in the ground, as the roots would be irreparably damaged if the water froze.
Conclusion:
Basically, every winter proves to be a stress test for outdoor plants. With a thorough preparation in autumn and a careful selection of insulating materials, there is a good chance that all strawberry plants will survive the cold season unscathed.