hay
Full Member
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:05 pm
Location: texas

dormant bare root strawberry plants

I bought a package of dormant bare root strawberry plants about two weeks ago. They were immediately unpacked upon arrival at home and then washed and placed in water for a few hours. They were planted the next day in a compost/composted cow manure/potting soil mix and then watered well with fish emulsion fertilizer. As of today I still see NO SIGN OF LIFE on these dormant roots. The weather has been fairly nice with warm days and cool nights and some rains during the time. NO SIGN OF LIFE has me worried. How long should it be before they start to sprout top growth? They just look brown and dead. Anyone with experince with dormant bare root strawberries? Please help with any ideas you might have as to what is happening. Thanks.

JONA878
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Posts: 1014
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:14 am
Location: SUSSEX

After only two weeks I shouldn't be too worried yet Hay.
There's plenty of time for them to get gowing.
Would suggest next time though to hold back on the fert at planting unless its a slow release one.
Straws do like good soil but they respond too well on high nitrogen and can develope too much top growth to the detriment of crop.

Jona

alepowsky
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Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:02 am

I am having the same problem! I ordered hanging strawberry plants (bare root) from a website and they aren't growing a bit.
I did wait a few weeks to plant them because I received them right before I went on vacation, but I planted them in good soil, water them daily, etc. They are not showing any signs of life!
I feel a little better hearing that 2 weeks is still early but they honestly look dead. The advertisement says I should have strawberries within 60 days, so I suppose there is time..
I'm kind of embarrassed though because I have started giving them as gifts and I have people asking me if they are ever going to grow!

JONA878
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Posts: 1014
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:14 am
Location: SUSSEX

If your plants have been out of soil for a few weeks and they were not wrapped and being kept in cold-store then you may well find that they have dried out and have given up the ghost.
Lifted strawberries store very well providing the roots are not allowed to dry out.

Cold stored runners do indeed crop 60 days after planting...but their roots again must be alive and healthy at planting.
If you want to store plants while you prepare their cropping site...then heel them in somewhere while you are doing the work then the roots have no time to dry out.

alepowsky
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 11:02 am

Well they were wrapped up really tight, still in the packaging. So they weren't just out in the open. But maybe it was too long being out of soil. Bummer.
Well I'll just see what happens after a few more weeks, hopefully they will come to life!

Thanks for your input!



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