Strawberries are one of the most prolific and tolerable fruit crops that can be grown. These low-growing herbaceous plants thrive as perennials in zones 3-11 and hibernates reliably when properly cared for.
However, they can often appear a bit dead at the end of the season, as their foliage dies back in preparation for dormancy. Tidying up your strawberry beds ensures that the the crop remains attractive, disease freeand protected from the next frost.
Let’s delve into Five Quick Steps to Tidy Up Fall Strawberry Bedsensuring healthy and abundant growth next season.
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5 steps to organize strawberry beds in autumn
Strawberries are herbaceous crops that can look a little alarming in the fall. Your plants can appear brown, black, witheredand dead look.
However, it is important to remember that herbaceous plants are defined by their soft leaves and stems that die in severe cold weather. These plants do not have woody tissue like trees and shrubs. Instead, the crop releases its aerial parts so it can overwinter underground using root storage as fuel.
With this life cycle in mind, it’s easy to evaluate the fall cleanup needs of your berry beds. Grab your pruners, rake, and mulch to tidy things up and prepare for winter.
Reduce dead foliage
Contrary to many initial beliefs, brown, dying foliage is not actually a sign of dead strawberry plants. This crop dies naturally to the ground when the weather cools. If you haven’t had the first fall frost yet, your plants may have a mix of live and dying leaves. Rest assured, this is completely normal. Pruning spent foliage encourages each plant to channel your energy into the roots to prepare for torpor.
Wear sharp and disinfected pruners Trim all foliage to ground level. Disinfection is crucial with fall strawberries because many fungal diseases spread easily in the cooler, wetter weather. Invisible spores can fly between plants and travel on clippers to neighboring crops. It is useful to carry a diluted bleach spray bottle (1 full capful of bleach in 2-3 cups of water) to keep things clean.
Protect the crowns
When pruning, be sure to cut only foliage that is above ground level. Avoid cutting the crown of the plant.. The crown is the hardest and woodiest part of the plant where energy reserves are stored and growth begins. Cutting the crown can damage or kill the bur. Instead, focus on removing soft, wilted leaves and stems lying on the surface of the bed.
Collect and dispose of diseased waste
While some crops benefit from the “cut and drop” method, which leaves pruning in place, I always make sure to tidy up my strawberry beds in the fall so that no residue left. Wilting foliage creates a breeding ground for overwintering pests and diseases. It also looks unsightly and messy.
Use a rake or your hands to pick up this debris and take them to your compost pile. If there are any signs of disease, burn the prunings or throw them in the trash. Your bed should look fairly barren, with only the twigs of the crowns peeking above the soil surface.
Mulch with straw or leaves
Once all the wilted foliage has been pruned, it’s time to insulate the crowns for a cozy winter. Straw or leaf mulch is ideal for this job. If you use straw, make sure it is seedless and clean of harmful herbicide residues. GardenStraw is a trusted brand that is easy to spread over the bed without worrying about weed seeds or chemical contamination.
fallen deciduous leaves either leaf compost They are another excellent option for crushing strawberries. A layer of broadleaf decaying matter significantly improves soil health while suppressing weed growth and insulating crowns from freezing weather.
A two to three inch layer of mulch is best. Use your hands or a rake to spread the material over the soil surface. Your fall strawberry beds will appear neat, clean, and covered with a nice layer of mulch. Gardeners in colder climates can mulch up to four or five inches deep for added frost protection.
Insulate containers
Strawberries are one of the best crops for container growing. Whether grown in a hanging basket, pot or upright Green Stem PlanterThis fruitful little crop thrives in these spaces. However, containers are particularly prone to frost and cold damage because they do not have as much volume of soil as a garden bed. It is important to insulate the containers so that the wreaths can reliably overwinter.
The first option is to move the pots indoors to a garage or shed. It’s okay if the area falls below freezing, but ideally it should stay above 0°F. They do not need to be exposed to light because potted winter strawberries remain dormant below the surface.
The next option is to wrap your pots in icy blankets either thermal blankets. Move them under cover where it won’t rain or snow. This prevents the pots from cracking and expanding, which is especially important for clay pots such as terracotta.
Another option is to group the strawberry containers together on a patio or porch. More closely grouped pots result in more thermal mass and warmth.
Regardless of which overwintering option you choose for containers, be sure to follow the same pruning and mulching steps outlined above. Dormant potted berry plants perform almost the same as those in flower beds. The only difference is that they need to be added. protection against frost and humidity.
Key takeaways
Organize your fall strawberry beds prune dead and diseased foliageremoving debris, adding a layer of mulch two to four inches thick, and insulating containers. These steps will help your crop remain evergreen and overwinter. You’ll know it was a success when new leaves and stems sprout from the crowns in the spring, signaling that flowers and tasty fruit are just a few months away.
