Hello All,
This year I finally decided to try some strawberries. Although they didn't produce any the first year (it's my understanding this is normal) I want to make sure they survive over the winter.
Background Info: Square Foor Gardener with Mel's Mix, raised beds approximately 6" deep.
Should I bring them in for the winter, mulch with straw, prune, what???
Really confused on what I should do so PLEASE HELP!
Thanks...Richard in Tennessee
-
Venomous_1
- Cool Member
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:59 am
- Location: Murfreesboro, TN - USDA Zone 6b
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30550
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Is your raised bed on legs and off the ground or in raised bed with a solid bottom -- essentially in a container? I know from experience that strawberries in containers won't survive our zone 6b winter unless very well mulched (or buried in 28" of snow all winter like last winter).
My in-ground bottomless raised bed strawberries with a season's worth of root development deep into the soil do fine with about 6"~8" of leaves and straw mulch. I mulch them after hard freeze (20's) before lows drop into the teens, otherwise, there's too much chance of mice, etc. nesting in the mulch.
My in-ground bottomless raised bed strawberries with a season's worth of root development deep into the soil do fine with about 6"~8" of leaves and straw mulch. I mulch them after hard freeze (20's) before lows drop into the teens, otherwise, there's too much chance of mice, etc. nesting in the mulch.
-
Venomous_1
- Cool Member
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:59 am
- Location: Murfreesboro, TN - USDA Zone 6b
Sorry about that. My beds rest directly on the ground, but not in the ground.
Right now the leaves are still somewhat green as we have not had a hard freeze yet here in TN. Normally, we don't get down but into the single digits here during the peak of winter.
So do you think a thick layer of straw will do it? And when do I know when the right time is to cover them?
Thanks again...Richard in TN
Right now the leaves are still somewhat green as we have not had a hard freeze yet here in TN. Normally, we don't get down but into the single digits here during the peak of winter.
So do you think a thick layer of straw will do it? And when do I know when the right time is to cover them?
Thanks again...Richard in TN