Strawberries do not like winter weather; the plants should be mulched in fall before temperatures drop below +20 F. However, allow the strawberry plants to harden or acclimate to cool fall temperatures before mulching the planting. Plants that are mulched prematurely are more susceptible to winter injury than those that are mulched after they have been properly hardened. Excellent mulching materials include clean, weed-free oat, wheat or soybean straw. Chopped cornstalks are another possibility. Leaves are not a good winter mulch for strawberries. Leaves can mat together in layers, trapping air and creating space for ice to form. The leaf, air and ice layers do not provide adequate protection. Leaf mulch actually may damage plants due to excess moisture trapped under the material. The depth of the mulch should be 3 to 5 inches at application. The material should eventually settle to 2 to 4 inches. In windy, exposed areas, straw mulches can be kept in place by placing wire or plastic fencing over the area. The fencing can be held in place with bricks or other heavy objects.
Another option is a strawberry pyramid, a type of raised bed. In winter, temperatures in raised beds may be several degrees colder than ground level plantings. Because of colder temperatures, strawberry plants growing in raised beds require more protection that ground level sites. Place 6 to 8 inches of straw or chopped cornstalks on strawberry pyramids or other raised beds in fall.
Strawberries do not like winter weather; the plants should be mulched in fall before temperatures drop below +20 F. However, allow the strawberry plants to harden or acclimate to cool fall temperatures before mulching the planting. Plants that are mulched prematurely are more susceptible to winter injury than those that are mulched after they have been properly hardened. Excellent mulching materials include clean, weed-free oat, wheat or soybean straw. Chopped cornstalks are another possibility. Leaves are not a good winter mulch for strawberries. Leaves can mat together in layers, trapping air and creating space for ice to form. The leaf, air and ice layers do not provide adequate protection. Leaf mulch actually may damage plants due to excess moisture trapped under the material. The depth of the mulch should be 3 to 5 inches at application. The material should eventually settle to 2 to 4 inches. In windy, exposed areas, straw mulches can be kept in place by placing wire or plastic fencing over the area. The fencing can be held in place with bricks or other heavy objects.
Another option is a strawberry pyramid, a type of raised bed. In winter, temperatures in raised beds may be several degrees colder than ground level plantings. Because of colder temperatures, strawberry plants growing in raised beds require more protection that ground level sites. Place 6 to 8 inches of straw or chopped cornstalks on strawberry pyramids or other raised beds in fall.