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How to Prepare Your Strawberries for the Winter

September 24, 2020

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It’s another one of those rites of passage of learning to garden–killing the strawberries you so desperately wanted to save. Everybody loves strawberries, but nobody likes it when the strawberry plants they invested in last Spring die a slow and horrible death over the cold Canadian Winter.  Not that I’m bitter about the time it happened to me, or anything.

Here’s how you (and your strawberries) can avoid this terrible fate. I’ll even show you how to keep your strawberries alive even if you planted them in containers.

Disclaimer time: I garden in in zone 3b in the Canadian Prairies and thus my advice is best suited to that region, and also highly applicable to zones 2 and 4.  I realize that readers from many warmer zones read my stuff, so I’ve tried to account for your situation where possible.   I love comments from those who live in other places!  Your knowledge of different zones helps lots of people become better gardeners. . .which is probably why you’re here in the first place.

Second disclaimer, as of writing this post I’m 19 weeks pregnant and. . . hormonal, shall we say?  As I’m re-reading this I realize it might come off as really angry, but it’s meant to be funny.  I hope it’s funny.

Avoid Planting Strawberries in Pots and Raised Beds

Can you overwinter strawberries in pots and raised beds?  If you live in a warmer-than-zone-3-zone. . . probably.  If you live where I live? No.  Just don’t even bother.

I’m sure some master gardener with way more skills than I currently possess can do it.  But for the beginner to intermediate gardener, you’re going to have way more success overwintering a patch that is planted directly into the ground.

And if you accidentally left your pot of strawberries out over a -40 winter?  Forget it.  They’re dead.

Here’s 8 other mistakes you’ll want to avoid if you’re planting a container garden

(Update, when I’m not pregnant and definitely not so angry: It can be done in zone 3, if it’s in a raised bed (not a pot) and you cover them with 4-6 inches of straw. Do not forget to cover them with straw, otherwise it won’t work.)

Growing strawberries in your garden?  Whether you're growing them in containers, raised beds, pots, or in the ground, you'll need to know how to keep your plants alive--especially in the winter!  Click for my best tips for beginners in zone 3. #strawberries #winter #garden #gardening #tips #ideas #beginners

The Key to Keeping Your Strawberries Alive Over Winter

Is. . . wait for it. . . straw.  *whomp, whomp*

And waiting for at least three consecutive days of -5 degrees Celsius/20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower temperatures at night.  This is important because you need to make sure the plant has gone dormant for the winter.

Getting back to mulch–you can also use leaves or mulch or shredded newspapers or any natural bio-degradable and weed free insulation you like.  Whatever you use, don’t use hay.  It is very likely to contain weed seeds and will create a giant mess for you in the Spring.

No time for fall clean up in the garden?  Here’s what you can skip.

Apply a generous 4-6 inch layer over the strawberries and let the insulation do it’s magic.

You don’t even have to remove the straw in the Spring.  It should have compacted enough over winter that the strawberries will poke through once they’ve started growing.

That’s it!  Say hello to fresh strawberries in the garden this Spring and goodbye to tears over yet another plant that you killed and wasted money on.

Related: 28 Hardy Fruits you can grow in zone 2 and zone 3

A Few Thoughts for Those in Warmer Growing Zones

If you live someplace that doesn’t enjoy minus 40 winters, you could probably overwinter your strawberries in a pot or a raised bed.  In addition to placing the straw on top of the strawberry plants, you’ll also need to wrap the pot or bed with burlap, old blankets, or some sort of insulation.  You might also want to move the pots into an unheated garage or some other sheltered-but-cold location that will generally stay below freezing for the winter.

Those of you who live in zone 5 or warmer, I would love to hear what works for you in the comments.

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Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

13 Comments
Filed Under: Fruit Season, Gardening Tagged: fall clean up, fall garden chores, hardy fruits, Strawberries, winter, winterize

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Alice says

    July 2, 2019 at 6:14 am

    Question from a beginner gardener in Winnipeg. My husband and I have a small garden, but like the idea of growing strawberries in rain gutters on the fence. We realize it would be impossible to overwinter in the gutters. Sounds like putting them in the raised bed just for winter is also a bad idea? Could we transplant them into the ground just for winter and then replant them in the gutters in spring?
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2019 at 7:29 am

      Yes! This is what I'm planning to do in my garden. I have my strawberries in bird cages. When you transplant them into the ground, make sure you cover them with at least 4 inches of leaves or straw.
      Reply
  2. Marilene Leblanc says

    September 25, 2019 at 7:08 pm

    Hi. Newbie in the zone 2 in Northern Ontario. Next year I would like to plant many different veggies and strawberries. Some in raised beds, and others in planters. Could you suggest a good book for zones 2-3 and maybe seed catalogs? Thanks.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 30, 2019 at 10:14 am

      Hi Marilene, I really like the Gardener magazine, which is published out of Saskatoon (zone 3) where I live. I'm a zone 3 gardener and have also lived in zone 2, so if you poke around the website you'll find that everything on it applies to you and your situation. As for seed catalogues, I use Early's, Vesey's, and T & T the most. Generally you can grow anything from seed no matter your zone, you just have to have a long enough growing season for the days to maturity of the flower or vegetable. Hope that helps!
      Reply
  3. Nicole says

    September 25, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    Well put my strawberries in a large above ground pot... hmm maybe in BC it might be ok. Lol Not as cold as Sask but I think I may drag them into the garage just in case. I will keep you posted if they survive. Never thought to ask you before hand.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 30, 2019 at 10:09 am

      I feel like it would be fine in BC, especially where you live! And they would definitely be fine in the garage.
      Reply
    • Judy says

      July 4, 2020 at 8:07 pm

      They won’t survive in the garage if it’s unseated but I was told you could dig the pot into the garden soil and keep them that way, I haven’t tried it. The fellow told me you just remove the pot in the spring , spray it off with water and you are good to go. If you try this let us know how and if it works. I have tried a heated garage where I kept it just above freezing and had no luck
      Reply
  4. Edna says

    September 26, 2020 at 6:35 am

    Just given strawberry plants from an older person who had started each plant in a pot- can I plant them into my garden now? Zone 3b is where we farm. It is now sept 26. We can keep them in a cool place in basement over winter if it is too late to plant into the garden.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 30, 2020 at 5:18 am

      Yes, now is a great time!
      Reply
  5. Edna says

    September 26, 2020 at 6:37 am

    Is it to late to transplant strawberry plants in the garden for zone 3b?
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      September 29, 2020 at 7:54 pm

      No, you've still got time, but do it quick!
      Reply
  6. Sandy says

    October 31, 2020 at 6:26 am

    I have strawberry plants in a pallet Planter. If I give them out how can I keep them in the unheated basement? Also I have a hanging strawberry planter could I hang that in the d basement?
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      January 20, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      Yes, you could give it a try if your basement is very cold, or there is an unheated part.
      Reply

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Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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