✅ Cutting strawberries over the winter &

Strawberries are perennial and can be overwintered successfully. It can be useful to cut the strawberries in preparation for winter.

Pruning prepares the strawberries for winter

Strawberries (Fragaria) in the hobby garden ideally stay in the same bed for about three years. In order for the plants to produce good yields during these three years, they must come through the winter unscathed every year. Because the flowers of strawberries are already formed in autumn, overwintering has a major impact on next year's yield. Even so-called once-bearing strawberry varieties are overwintered. The 'once bearing' refers to the fact that it can only be harvested once per season.

Cutting strawberries to prepare for winter

Freshly planted strawberries are not cut in autumn. For plant protection reasons, the foliage is removed from plants that have already borne fruit. This important measure before overwintering serves to prevent leaves that are affected by fungal diseases that are not yet visible, so that no diseases spread. This "cleaning" of the strawberries should be done as soon as possible after the harvest and at the latest in mid/end of July. In the case of late-bearing varieties, it is not necessary to remove the leaves. The remaining growing season after harvest is too short for new leaves and flowers to form. Therefore, pruning after mid-July would have a negative effect on flowering and yield next year.

Removing the leaves provides protection against fungal diseases

When removing the leaves, it is essential to ensure that the heart leaf remains undamaged. If this is guaranteed, the cutting can also be done with a lawn mower (set as high as possible) or a brush cutter. The leaves should not remain as mulch on the strawberry bed, after all, fungi can also survive on dead leaves and the cut would have lost its meaning. If you have a well-functioning compost heap that heats up quickly, you can put the leaves there. In addition to the leaves, allRemoved superfluous tendrils and runners. After cutting, the strawberry fertilization involves covering the plant stubble around the plant (leaving heart leaves free) with ripe compost or composted manure. The plants grow through the compost layer and have enough nutrients for flowering.

Summary of cutting strawberries:

After the harvest or at the latest in mid/end of July, the leaves of the strawberry plants are removed
All plants with a later harvest deadline will not be cut
Heart leaves must not be damaged when cutting
Do not leave leaves as mulch in the bed, remove them

Overwintering strawberries successfully

In the planting year, the strawberry plants are still very small and particularly sensitive. Strawberries should be planted by mid-August at the latest so that they have a chance to grow well and successfully survive the winter. Both the roots and the flowers of the strawberry plants must be protected from frost. The roots are not very deep and are therefore not particularly well insulated. The flowers are particularly sensitive in spring and should therefore be protected from late frosts.

Overwintering strawberries in a pot

Strawberries in a pot or flower box have the advantage that they are mobile. They should stand in a sheltered place over the winter, ideally near a house wall and on an insulating material (wood or styrofoam). In areas with mild winters, these precautions should actually be sufficient for strawberry plants in pots. If you garden in endangered locations or want to be on the safe side, you should cover your plants with brushwood, straw or fleece, for example. However, straw should not cover the entire plants, as this creates a humid microclimate that attracts fungi. Therefore, it is best to only place straw around the plants.

Potted strawberries are placed in a sheltered spot in winter

Twigs are more permeable to air and can therefore be draped over the whole plant. Fleece can also be laid over the plants - it ensures sufficient air and moisture exchange. For strawberry plants that are under a protective canopy, don't forget to water them a little on frost-free days. But be careful: Don't water too much, the water in the soil will not freeze the next time there is a frost and damage the roots.

Overwintering strawberries in the bed

Strawberries are in the bedexposed to their location without protection. They are therefore already happy when they are planted if they are placed in beds that are not excessively exposed to the wind or are in cold lakes. Since waterlogging in winter can lead to significant frost damage to the roots, this should also be taken into account when choosing a location and preparing the soil. In gardens that don't allow for many alternatives and that are prone to waterlogging due to clayey soil, adding sand to the soil could provide better drainage.

Planting on hill beds or in raised beds approx. 40 cm high would also be an opportunity to overwinter strawberries in poor soil locations without water-related damage. Depending on the region, the strawberry plants in the bed should be covered just like those in the pot. Either with straw around the plants or with brushwood or fleece over the whole plant. In the spring, the antifreeze should not be removed too early. Late cold snaps or late frosts can otherwise cause major damage to the flowers. A black pistil is the typical symptom of flowers that have frostbitten. Unfortunately, they will no longer bear fruit.

Successfully protecting strawberries from frost:

Place pots and boxes in sheltered places
Do not forget to water moderately on frost-free days for pots in covered areas
Cover strawberry plants in pots or beds in cool regions with fleece or brushwood
Straw is also suitable as insulation, but should not be placed on the plants but on the ground around the plants
Retain frost protection until the last late frost, strawberry blossoms are very sensitive in spring

If you've successfully wintered your strawberries, check out this article for tips on caring for, propagating, and picking strawberries.

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