Strawberry care in winter (Keeping strawberry plants over winter) – Maintain strawberry plants
Growing strawberries in the ground cultivation. (I am growing japanese june bearing strawberries again this year.)
Last time, I planted strawberry seedlings in the ground. It’s been about 60 days since then. This time, I will manage the strawberries for winter and prepare them for the cold.
Strawberry winter care lasts until around late January of the next year. During winter, strawberries go into dormancy, and the stems and leaves hardly grow. (During dormancy, strawberries store nutrients in their roots to prepare for growth in spring.)
So, there isn’t much to do for strawberry winter care. Sometimes the leaves may die during winter, so I just remove them. Occasionally, buds may form and flowers may bloom, so I remove those too. (Since blooming during winter uses up the strawberry’s energy, I make sure to remove the buds and flowers early.)
https://www.vege-try.net/en/planting-and-growing-strawberrie...Outdoor strawberries in winter (Winter care for japanese june bearing strawberries)
Preparing strawberries for winter is very easy. Just remove the mulch from the growing area. The reason for removing the mulch is to expose the strawberries to the cold.
While strawberries are overwintering, being exposed to the cold for a certain time helps them grow strong again in spring. That’s why the mulch is removed during winter so they can get enough cold. (It may seem a little harsh to let strawberries face the cold wind, but it’s for their growth next spring.)
Roll up and keep the removed mulch because we will use it again after the strawberry dormancy is over. (After winter, put the mulch back on the strawberry area to start warming them again.)
This finishes the preparation for strawberry overwintering.
During winter, strawberries hardly grow. For winter care, the main tasks are removing dead leaves and watching their growth. If buds or flowers appear during winter, remove them. (Leave the buds and flowers starting in March.)
Related information on strawberry cultivation（Frequently Asked Questions for growing strawberries）
Preparing the soil for strawberries grown in open fields
Soil preparation for strawberries grown in open fields is usually done around mid-September each year. For base fertilizer (starter fertilizer), cow manure compost and chicken manure (organic fertilizers) are often used.
For strawberries planted directly in the ground, the planting time is around early to mid-October. Counting back from the planting time, mid-September is the best time for preparing the soil for strawberries. (Organic fertilizers take about one month to mix well into the soil.)
How do you make strawberry beds? (About making beds for strawberries grown in open fields)
For making beds for strawberries grown in open fields, use tools like a hoe, a trowel, and plastic mulch. First, add soil from around the bed into the strawberry plot to raise it a little. Then, flatten the top and shape the bed.
It’s good to pack the soil around the bed to keep it from crumbling. Finally, cover the bed with plastic mulch and put soil around the edges. Now, the strawberry bed is complete.
Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.