wisconsindead
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Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:48 pm
Location: Zone 5b

Forgot to cover my Strawberries... Is it over?

Hey guys,

I kinda burned myself out this year and basically forgot all about gardening in the fall months. As part of that, I forgot to cover my row of strawberry plants. I finally established a long (~35 foot 30" wide) bed of strawberries only to forget to cover them for winter. Obviously, we just went through quite the cold spell here in Wisconsin and all over the country. We had single digit, even just below zero temps for days on end. I believe they did have some snow covering them for the majority of this. Are all my plants likely to be dead now!? Is there anyway to check whether or not they have survived that cold spell? Things are starting to melt now so I should be able to check the plants. I feel like such an idiot for forgetting. Sigh.

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MoonShadows
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Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:50 am
Location: Stroudsburg, PA - Zone 6a

I haven't covered mine the past two years and they have done fine each season.

PaulF
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Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:34 pm
Location: Brownville, Ne

Three years ago when we decided to stop growing strawberries we had not covered them for a few years. They came back fine when we wanted them and it was hard to get rid of strawberries when we didn't want them. Our cold is not Wisconsin cold but my guess is they will be OK.

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

They are quite hardy. I've never covered strawberries, even when I lived in Cincinnati in zone 6. I don't know about any colder zones than that.

JONA
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Location: Sussex. England

Bare root runners are regularly stored frozen so that they can be planted at various times of the year to ensure round the year cropping. No harm to them at all.

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MoonShadows
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Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:50 am
Location: Stroudsburg, PA - Zone 6a

JONA wrote:Bare root runners are regularly stored frozen so that they can be planted at various times of the year to ensure round the year cropping. No harm to them at all.
I never knew they were stored frozen.

JONA
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Location: Sussex. England

MoonShadows wrote:
JONA wrote:Bare root runners are regularly stored frozen so that they can be planted at various times of the year to ensure round the year cropping. No harm to them at all.
I never knew they were stored frozen.
We often bought what they call 60 day runners. These are plants lifted in the early spring while still dormant. They are then cold stored until we planted them in late June. Then 60 days later they gave us an autumn crop and then followed up with an early spring crop under glass protection.

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MoonShadows
Senior Member
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:50 am
Location: Stroudsburg, PA - Zone 6a

JONA wrote:
MoonShadows wrote:
JONA wrote:Bare root runners are regularly stored frozen so that they can be planted at various times of the year to ensure round the year cropping. No harm to them at all.
I never knew they were stored frozen.
We often bought what they call 60 day runners. These are plants lifted in the early spring while still dormant. They are then cold stored until we planted them in late June. Then 60 days later they gave us an autumn crop and then followed up with an early spring crop under glass protection.
Well, I be darned!

wisconsindead
Senior Member
Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:48 pm
Location: Zone 5b

Thanks guys. Seems like I might be OK.



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