Different varieties significantly differ in terms of their frost resistance or, more broadly, winter hardiness. Many of them have been known for years, and we know that they are excellently adapted to our climatic conditions. They rarely freeze, even in very harsh winters. However, in recent years, many varieties bred in countries with a warmer climate than ours have appeared on the seedling market.☀️
Generally, these varieties are very attractive in terms of yield, fruit beauty, taste, resistance to some diseases, but what unites them is their not entirely proven winter hardiness. Therefore, I recommend covering them for the winter ❄️ with <b>white agrotextile</b> (preferably the thicker one, i.e., P-50, but P-23 can also be used), as well as with ordinary straw or perforated foil.
The covering should be carried out in late autumn or early winter when the plants have already entered a dormant state and the ground is frozen. The cover, of course, will not provide the hibernating plants with temperatures > 0 °C, but it will protect them from frosty, drying wind, and also reduce the temperature amplitude in the immediate vicinity of the plants. In other words, covering strawberries 🍓 will create for them a secluded and more or less constant wintering conditions, without drastic temperature fluctuations.
And that’s all we can do. The rest is in God’s hands.😊
It is important to be aware that even the best cover may not be effective if the plants enter the winter dormancy period in poor condition, i.e., weakened, heavily affected by leaf diseases, and with clear signs of nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, we must remember about proper fertilization and protection of strawberries after the fruit harvest. Healthy and well “fed” plants, with an adequate supply of starch, will certainly overwinter better than diseased and hungry ones.🙂
In the case of amateur cultivation (where there is usually a greater possibility of choosing a location for strawberries than in the case of large fields), I always advise finding the best location for the new strawberry planting. It will be perfect if we plant them in a sheltered place, not exposed to strong, winter winds, but, of course, sunny. In such conditions (of course, additional covering will not hurt), there is a high chance of good overwintering even for those varieties that are considered very frost-sensitive..🧐
Ah, one more thing: in autumn and winter, the soil in which strawberries grow should be moist. Remember that the probability of frost damage in strawberries will be greater, the greater the water deficit in the soil in winter. Therefore, the need for watering strawberries before the end of their vegetation cannot be completely ruled out.