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How to winterize strawberries


How to Winterize Strawberry Plants

Strawberries, Fragaria × ananassa, are low-profile, fruit-bearing perennials suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10.

Sometimes considered a challenging crop, folks in cold regions with freezing winters often grow plants as annuals and discard them at season’s end.

However, when you select the hardiest cultivars, and provide a little pre-winter TLC, your favorite berry-makers can yield sweet and tasty treats year after year.

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In our comprehensive guide to growing strawberries, we cover all you need to know to plant, care for, and harvest strawberries.

In this article, we focus on a few easy steps to take to winterize plants so they return with vigor each spring.

Here’s the lineup:

What You’ll Learn

There’s a chill in the air. Let’s get started!

Why Winterize?

Most types of strawberry require 200-300 chill hours with temperatures between 45 and 32°F for optimal fruit production.

However, according to Emily Hoover, extension horticulturalist at the University of Minnesota Extension, temperatures of 15°F or below can cause fatal damage to the crown.

If you live in a region where the ground freezes in winter, your strawberries will benefit from a few proactive measures to help them survive the coldest months of the year.

There are four reasons why:

  1. To avoid damage to next spring’s buds.
  2. To minimize root damage from temperature fluctuations caused by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing.
  3. To inhibit “heaving,” a spontaneous uprooting caused by soil shifts during freezing and thawing.
  4. To retain the moisture needed to keep crowns – the part of the plant where the stems originate – from drying out.

With a bit of preparation, you can protect your plants from the ravages of winter and set them up for a healthy return after their period of dormancy.

Container-grown plants can be prepared using the same methods described below and then placed in a basement, shed, or garage to winter over.

Four Easy Steps

The four steps to prepare strawberries for winter are: renovate, fertilize, water, and apply mulch.

Let’s look at each step in more detail:

1. Renovate Your Plants

There are three types of strawberry plant:

After harvesting fruit, plants that are expected to winter over need to be renovated. This process consists of pruning foliage, thinning, and removing debris and weeds.

For June-bearing varieties, you’ll need to prune the foliage to a height of one to two inches above the crown. You can do this with pruning shears or hedge clippers.

If you have a large flat strawberry patch, you can also use a lawn mower with the blade set to the appropriate height, but be sure to mow no more than one week after the last harvest or you risk damaging the new leaves.

Thin plants that have spread and matted together to rows eight to 12 inches wide, with two to three feet between them.

Remove runners as needed to contain your plants to their target width. You may use a tiller for this task.

If they are not growing in rows, thin them to five per square foot, or about four to six inches apart.

Discard all those that have been weakened by adverse weather conditions, disease, or infestation by pests.

Remove any weeds and debris.

For everbearing and day-neutral varieties, prune off any leaves that appear damaged, diseased, or pest-infested. Remove entire plants if necessary.

Thin those remaining to five per square foot, or about four to six inches apart.

Remove runners to prevent the growth of new plants and remove any weeds and debris.

Be sure to discard diseased and pest-infested foliage in the trash, not on the compost heap.

2. Fertilize

Outreach Horticulturist Richard Jauron from the Department of Horticulture at the Iowa University Extension recommends the application of a balanced, 10-10-10 (NPK) fertilizer at a quantity of five pounds per 100 feet of row, or one pound per 25 plants at least one month before your average first frost date.

Take care to avoid direct contact with foliage, apply granular fertilizer or pellets between plants in beds and containers, and in the aisles between the rows. Water in well.

3. Water

After you have renovated your plants, continue to water right up until first frost. Provide one inch of supplemental water per week in the absence of rain.

During the cold months, while they are dormant, there is no need to provide supplemental irrigation for those growing in the garden.

Container-grown plants placed in a cold shed or garage will require minimal water, just enough to prevent the soil from drying out completely.

4. Apply Mulch

Mulch is the final step toward winter readiness. An application of mulch provides a layer of insulation that is especially important in regions with little to none of nature’s own insulation: snow.

Photo via Alamy.

Covering plants not only helps to keep them uniformly cold during temperature fluctuations, it aids in retaining the moisture essential to crown health, while also promoting optimal drainage.

Timing

The application of mulch is not something to be rushed for three reasons:

The best time to apply mulch is between late November and early December, after first frost when much of the foliage is brown and floppy, and before temperatures drop below 20°F.

As mentioned earlier, at 15°F, plants not covered by mulch or snow are susceptible to fatal crown damage.

Application

Choose a mulching material that is loose to avoid matting, facilitate air circulation, and aid in drainage.

Straw or pine needles are excellent choices. Avoid leaves and grass, as they are likely to mat, as well as hay, because it tends to be full of weed seeds.

Photo via Alamy.

To apply mulch, drop it around and over the plants by loose handfuls. The pieces of straw or pine needles should separate as they fall, creating airy heaps, rather than tight clumps.

Completely bury all visible foliage beneath a continuous cover of mulch, all the way down the rows, or to the edges of the beds, raised beds, or containers.

For those growing in the garden, the pros at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach recommend an application of three to five inches of mulch.

They recommend six to eight inches in raised beds, especially pyramid planters, because the soil temperature becomes even colder than ground soil.

Some folks prefer to lay mulch when rain is in the forecast, to help hold it in place.

If you’re in an especially windy locale, you may want to anchor the mulch in your rows and beds with chicken wire. You can use bricks, rocks, or stakes to hold the chicken wire in place.

Regardless of when you lay it, or if you anchor it, mulch will compact over time and you may need to make additional applications during the winter months.

If you are growing your strawberries in barrels or pots, you can move them into storage in a cold shed or unheated basement or garage. Wrap the containers loosely in burlap, and fill the sides and top with six to eight inches of straw.

Berry On

That’s all there is to it. To recap, there are four steps to take to prepare your strawberries for winter’s onslaught:

And then, one dry day in early spring, after the winter winds have ceased to howl and the snow has finally melted, gently pull back the mulch.

If you see green shoots, it’s time to remove the mulch and let them bask in the sunshine. If not, try again soon.

What should you do with the mulch?

Rake it into the aisles between rows, to soak up spring rain and make walking less muddy. Leave some tucked around the sprouts to inhibit weeds, aid in moisture retention, and keep future berries up off the dirt.

Keeping mulch near is also handy when a late-season frost threatens, for short-term protection in a pinch.

We hope that winterization is soon a routine part of strawberry care in your garden, so you can weather the cold months with confidence, and berry on!

Have you successfully overwintered your strawberry plants? Share your tips in the comments section below.

And for more information about growing strawberries, check out these guides next:

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Winterizing Strawberry Plants – Strawberry Plants

Winterizing strawberry plants is necessary for gardeners in many areas. As the temperatures drop each year, people write in asking when and how to winterize strawberry plants. This post will cover the basics and help you determine how and when to protect your strawberry plants as the weather cools.

Jump to:

Why Winterize Strawberries?

Strawberry plants are perennial. They produce for many years after the initial planting, and they can thrive for very long periods if a rotation is used to keep plants fresh. But, there is a problem with perennial plants. How do they survive the freezing temperatures of the winter months? Well, strawberries are classified as forbs. Consequently, they don’t have the thick bark that protects many other perennials like most trees. If they don’t get extra protection (at least in the colder Zones), they will either die or suffer cold injury. Both death and injury can significantly hamper your plants’ ability to grow strawberries for you!

Simply put, you need to winterize strawberries to keep them alive and well.

When Is the Right Time to Winterize Strawberry Plants?

Strawberry plants should be winterized when they have entered dormancy and the temperature threatens to get cold enough to damage them. The time when strawberry plants go dormant varies. It depends upon the temperature and daylight in your location. As the days shorten in the fall, strawberry plants begin to march toward dormancy. Yet, it isn’t until the temperatures drop well below freezing for several nights in a row that the plants will actually begin their slumber.

For USDA Hardiness Zones 5 or lower (4, 3, etc.), plants will often enter dormancy by the end of November. For Zones 6 through 8, the plants will usually go dormant in December. You know the plants have gone dormant when you have a combination of cold temperatures and plants with dead-looking, wilted vegetation. If winterizing strawberry plants in mild winters, they will often live without any mulch or special winter care in Zones 7 and higher (8, 9).

How to Winterize Strawberry Plants in the Ground

First, ensure that the plants are truly dormant by checking the crowns to make certain there is no active new growth growing. Then, gently remove all the dead and wilted leaflets by carefully raking them out of your strawberry patch. Next, clear any accumulated leaves or debris from the strawberry beds. Finally, place a thick layer of a suitable mulch over the strawberry plants. The lower your USDA Hardiness Zone, the higher you need to pile the mulch. Any material that allows water to drain and air to circulate is an acceptable mulch. The most common, of course, is clean straw. Pine needles is also a good choice. Hay can be used, but it isn’t the best option. Hay almost always has loads of grass seeds and other weed seeds that will find a happy home alongside your strawberries making much more work for you when spring comes. Mulches that compact tightly or do not allow airflow are not appropriate for winterizing strawberry plants. Leaves, for example, will trap moisture. Wet, clumpy mulches will harbor pathogenic fungi and bacteria that can damage or kill or your strawberry plants, if they aren’t suffocated outright by a compressed mulch mat.

How to Winterize Potted Strawberry Plants

Potted strawberry plants are a little bit more difficult to care for because they are a little bit more vulnerable than in-ground plants. The soil in pots is quicker to freeze than the better-insulated soil of Terra Firma. Winterizing strawberry plants in containers can be done several ways, depending on how much effort you wish to expend.

Winterize Potted Strawberries in the Ground

If the ground isn’t already frozen when you decide to prepare your plants for winter (it should not be!), you can overwinter your strawberry plants in the ground. If you have a spare area, simply dig pot-sized holes and place the pots containing your dormant strawberry plants in them. Pack the dirt down around the sides of the pot tightly to simulate a natural planting and provide insulation. Then, mulch them just like you would if they were actually in-ground plantings. In the spring after the danger of cold injury has past, pull the pots up, wipe them off, and re-place or re-hang them in their designated places. If this method is too much work or is impossible…

Use Ambient Heat to Protect Potted Strawberry Plants

If your home is situated so that it has a side sheltered from the harshest winter weather, utilize it to help protect your strawberries. Homes are not perfectly insulated. If you heat your home, a lot of that heat is going to be lost through the walls during the winter. Placing your strawberry plants in containers along the wall of your home on the most sheltered side can keep them happy all winter in milder Zones. It is a good idea to mulch these plants as well. This is one of the easier ways to go about winterizing strawberry plants in pots!

Overwinter Strawberry Plants in the Garage

If you have an unheated garage, you can winterize strawberry plants in it as well. You typically don’t have to mulch them in a garage, but you do want to have them against an inner wall (to utilize the ambient heat) if you live in very cold locations. If you don’t, it can actually be best to keep them by an outer, unheated wall as long as the temperature inside the garage doesn’t get much below the upper 20s.

Strawberry plants require water over the winter, however. So, be sure to check the soil moisture levels. If the soil drys completely out, the plants will die. If the soil stays soggy, they will probably die as well. Water just enough each week to keep the soil slightly damp. An easy way to achieve an appropriate level of moisture is to place a handful of snow (if available) on each potted strawberry plant once a week. The snow gradually melts and keeps the soil moist, but not soggy.

Winterizing Strawberry Plants in Non-Standard Containers

Most people plant strawberries in pots. But, lots of people use other methods as well. Strawberry pyramids and tires and cinder block plantings can generally be treated like plants in the ground (just mulch a bit extra due to the greater surface area exposed to wind). Overwintering strawberry towers or winterizing strawberry plants planted in gutters or pipe systems is more difficult. If the strawberry towers or gutters/pipes can be moved into the garage or other similar shelter, they will often do better than if left suspended above the ground and exposed to all the harshest weather winter can throw at them. If that isn’t possible, one option is to wrap the containers in an insulating-yet-breathable material (like burlap) after dormancy has arrived. Several layers will need to be applied to offer sufficient protection, so it is also necessary to check the soil to ensure it remains moist. That may involve unwrapping and re-wrapping several times during the winter (which is a frozen pain in the fingers). But, if you live in colder Zones, it has to be done if you want happy and productive plants in the spring.

Winterizing Strawberries: Conclusion

Regardless of how you accomplish the task, most people will have to protect their strawberries in some way over the winter months. Cold injury is particularly problematic for strawberry plants since they produce fruit by means of perennating buds. In short, the flowers that become strawberries aren’t formed in the spring. They get their start during the waning warm days of the previous year in the form of flower buds in the crown of the strawberry plant. If strawberry plants have poor care or nutrition during the end of August, September, and October, they won’t form many buds. If the plants suffer cold injury, the buds are be damaged. When the buds are damaged by the winter weather, no flowers are produced when spring rolls around. And everyone knows that no flowers means no strawberries.

So, pay attention to your plants in the fall. And, protect them through the winter by appropriately winterizing strawberry plants. Then, when spring arrives, you’ll be harvesting heaps of delightful and delicious strawberries! If you want to see more, follow up with: Strawberry Flowers and Overwintering Strawberries. Good luck!

Learn more:
Growing Strawberries in Cold Weather
Fall Strawberry Plants
Strawberry Plants and Cold Injury

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How to freeze strawberries: 5 ways

05/27/2017

How to freeze strawberries for the winter in order to preserve their fresh taste and aroma as much as possible? How to keep her appearance, taste characteristics and vitamins until the new season? These questions are asked by housewives, stocking up on ripe berries at the height of the season.

General principles for the preparation and storage of berries

Method No. 1. Dry freezing of whole berries

When dry freezing, the berries completely retain their shape. Strawberries can be frozen whole, without stems, or with stems. In general, it is perfect for decorating desserts, making compotes and all kinds of desserts. nine0003

Rinse and dry the berries completely before freezing. Arrange them at some distance from each other in a single layer on a board or spacing lined with cling film. Place in the freezer for 2 hours. Pour frozen berries into a bag or tray, close tightly and store in the freezer on the vegetable shelf.

Method No. 2. Freezing strawberries in halves

Some recipes may require not whole berries, but cut into neat halves (cake with strawberry jelly and other desserts). When thawed, the berry cannot be cut in half, retaining its shape. Therefore, it is separately worth freezing part of the strawberries in halves. nine0003

Freezing, as in the first case, dry. Berries of medium size, clean and well dried, cut lengthwise into equal halves. Lay them cut side up on a cutting board or spacer lined with cling film. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until the strawberries are firm. Pour the berries into a bag or container for further storage.

Method No. 3. Strawberries in sugar

You can freeze strawberries in sugar with or without tails. Under a layer of granulated sugar, the berry retains its taste and aroma well. After defrosting, it can be immediately eaten, as well as used to prepare complex desserts and compote. nine0003

To freeze dry and clean berries, place them in a food container suitable for storing food at low temperatures. Pour its contents with sugar at the rate of 1 kg of berries - 200 g of granulated sugar. Close the container tightly with a lid and place in the freezer. Store as such until use.

Method no. 4. Strawberry puree

Dry freezing is suitable for dense and dry strawberries. If the berry is too large, juicy or slightly wrinkled, it is better to puree it. Frozen strawberry puree is suitable for making yoghurts, smoothies, sauces, ice cream, pie filling, etc.

To freeze, place washed and de-stemmed berries into a tall bowl of a blender. Add sugar at the rate of 300 g per 1 kg of berries, then grind until smooth. If you want to make pitted puree, grind the sweet mixture through a sieve. Pour the strawberry puree into dry silicone molds or into storage trays lined with cling film. Freeze for 3-4 hours, then remove the workpiece from the molds, remove the cling film and place for long-term storage in plastic bags or in containers with a lid. Use in portions or break off as needed a piece of mashed potatoes of the desired size with a sharp knife. nine0003

Method No. 5. Strawberries in ice

It is most convenient to freeze small berries in ice, with or without tails. Such a blank can be used to decorate drinks, add to cocktails and lemonades. In addition, ice cubes can be used for cosmetic purposes.

Use ice-freezing containers for preparation. Place small whole or halved berries inside the cells. Fill them with cold boiled water so that it completely covers their surface. Send the container to a special compartment of the freezer designed to freeze ice for 5-8 hours. Use as needed. For more convenient storage, transfer the frozen cubes to disposable plastic bags. nine0003

How to defrost strawberries correctly?

The defrosting mode directly affects the taste and appearance of the final product. The container with the workpiece is best placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator and wait for a slow defrosting at 0 degrees Celsius. In no case should you subject the berries to shock defrosting under running hot water or in the microwave.

Strawberries in the fridge

Similar recipes

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How to freeze strawberries for the winter / Four proven ways - an article from the "How to freeze" section on Food.

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How to properly prepare a berry

Strawberries are one of the few berries that remain juicy even after deep freezing. And the strong form allows you to use it in several ways: choose the right one depending on what you plan to cook.

  1. Strawberries bought from the market or brought from the garden should be sorted out. Fruits without dents and damage should be properly frozen whole. If the presentation is slightly spoiled or there are signs of rot, it is better to cut or grind the berries. nine0003

  2. Rinse the crop thoroughly under the tap. For convenience, put a colander in the sink, but pour the berries in parts. Soaking is not worth it - strawberries can absorb excess moisture, this is useless for further freezing.

  3. Tear off the leaves of clean strawberries; if necessary, carefully cut out the remaining stem.

  4. Spread the harvest on a clean waffle towel so that the berries do not touch each other. Let the strawberries dry naturally. nine0003

  5. Follow the instructions below depending on the chosen method.

Method One: Freeze whole berries

This option is great for baking and decorating desserts. You can make compote or quick jam from whole strawberries. Such a breakfast will look spectacular in the middle of winter - healthy oatmeal or Belgian waffles with berries.

If it is important for you to keep the beautiful shape of the berries, you need to freeze in two stages:

  1. Arrange the fresh harvest on a tray or cutting board, size enough to fit in the freezer. Arrange the berries at a small distance from each other. Send to the freezer for 3-4 hours.

  2. Scoop out the prepared portion and put into a bag or container that will keep the strawberries in all winter. So the berries do not freeze to each other.

If you are in a hurry and the appearance of the berries is not so important, you can freeze immediately in the bag. nine0003

Tip

This method is also suitable for freezing fresh strawberries.

Method two: cut into slices

The principle is the same as in the previous method. The only difference is that before freezing, it will be correct to cut the berries into two or four parts. From such a blank in the winter you will get excellent milkshakes, fragrant smoothies, fillings for pies and casseroles.

Method three: sprinkle with sugar

This way we get strawberries frozen in their own juice. The berry perfectly retains a delicate aroma and taste. nine0003

You can also freeze slightly crushed berries. Cut off all spoiled places, and then divide the large fruits into parts, and leave the small ones whole.

Place them in a large container such as a bowl or deep saucepan. Sprinkle with sugar and stir with a large bamboo or wooden spoon. Do not use metal appliances, they will turn the berries into porridge even in a couple of movements.

Only 100-200 grams of granulated sugar is required per kilogram of strawberries. The more sugar you use, the softer the berries will be when defrosted. Important: you do not need to cook them. nine0003

During the next 15 minutes, fresh strawberries will release juice under the influence of sugar. As soon as you see the syrup, you can transfer the workpiece into containers, and then into the freezer. With this method of freezing, soft bags will not work. Choose plastic or glass.

Important: if you freeze strawberries with sugar, they will inevitably lose their shape. Therefore, it is not useful as a decoration for dishes. But for the filling, this is the best option. What else to cook from candied berries? Homemade strawberry jellies, mousses and, of course, strawberry dumplings. nine0003

Fourth method: make a puree

This option is for berries, whose appearance has deteriorated in the garden or during transportation. Throwing away healthy strawberry wealth is a crime, it is better to puree and freeze. From the ground strawberries in winter, you can cook delicious sorbets, add to ice cream and casseroles, cook quick jams and jellies.

The most correct way to do this is to chop fresh and sorted berries with a knife, and then smash with an immersion blender. You can grind through a sieve or use a wooden pusher. nine0003

If desired, sugar can be added to the finished strawberry puree at the rate of 150 grams per kilogram. But in this case, harvesting is good only for sweet dishes.

Strawberries without sugar will keep well for the whole year in the freezer. But it can be used to prepare meat sauce. As in this recipe:

Puree should be poured into containers or glass jars. Alternatively, you can freeze in ice cube trays. Pour the finished strawberry cubes into one bag with a fastener. nine0003

How to preserve the benefits of berries

In deep freezing conditions, that is, in a special section of the freezer, strawberries can be stored for 6 to 12 months. The temperature should not be higher than minus 18 degrees. In this case, the storage period should be reduced to 90 days.

Important rule: do not defrost berries under hot water or on a central heating radiator. Strawberries should thaw naturally at room temperature or on a refrigerator shelf. The second method is more gentle, but will take time. Some recipes call for frozen berries. For example, this sorbet:

Another rule: it is forbidden to freeze strawberries twice. Once the berries are well thawed, cook immediately or discard.

Under these conditions, the berries will retain their useful and nutritious properties. In strawberries and wild strawberries, for example, this is a decent dose of vitamin C. So, its regular use is a good way to support immunity in the cold season.

It is no secret that strawberries contain antioxidants and acids such as folic and ascorbic acids. They have a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. nine0003

Strawberries are tasty and low in calories. If you cook without sugar, then in 100 grams of the berry there will be only 30-40 kcal.

There is also a minus - strawberries are included in the list of the strongest allergens.

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