Watch how I preserve my hydroponic strawberries for winter!

[@francoisasselin4614]

Hi , i live in Canada, south sure of Montréal, i eat salade as main meal once à day from m'y 16 cup hydroponic indoor, i realy like your vidéo, still in thé 2 year old section, it's very impresive To see your mega set up, Thanks again

[@HomegrownPassion]

Glad you like hydroponics. You're welcome I hope you comment again.

[@lynnvi]

Katy. Thanks again for all of your videos, but answers to the questions below I have not found. We planted our strawberries a week ago and they are doing great. I have a question regarding solution application frequency. We have tomatoes in beto buckets. I will be moving spinach into mini baskets in a tray in about a week. And in about a week I will be planting micro greens in a tray that I'm finishing up this week. Could you outline an application frequency that would be a good starting point for all three of these items. I've had the tomatoes since last summer and they've done very well what 10 minutes on in 30 minutes off, 24/7 Right now I'm doing the strawberries 15 minutes on two hours off starting at nine in the morning until nine at night. Thanks Lynn

[@HomegrownPassion]

No only water tomatoes when its light same with strawberries. I watered 4 times a day 9-12-3-6 on strawberries. Remember they dont like wet roots

[@lynnvi]

Thank you very much , I will make that change on the tomato plants today ,I am just starting seeds (Geronimo, from Johnny's seeds) today to replace my year-old plants, that have produced all this time and I was obviously overwatering. Katie , Thanks again for your timely responses. With the size of your operation (I grew up on a farm in Missouri) I know you get lots of sleep🤣 @@HomegrownPassion

[@pennypalmer7089]

Hello! Wondering if you could suggest a food specific for strawberries that can go in our hydroponics system? Thanks in advance. ❤

[@HomegrownPassion]

not really i use nutrient formula based on my source water. Years ago when i was just messing around with strawberries I used a 12-12-12 water soluble fert that worked well.

[@somai_1]

Do you just put them in airlock bags? What % was your final h2o2 solution?

[@HomegrownPassion]

yes and 3 %

[@lwarholic]

I bet they will produce a ton with the size of those crowns! 🍓 Really cool video Katy.

[@762guild]

If you but them in the freezer, why not just leave them outside where is freezes. I dont understand. Thanks, love your vids.

[@HomegrownPassion]

I can’t put the buckets directly outside because we have so many deer they would devastate the plants. I am going to put the rest of the buckets on the floor of the high tunnel, cover with straw and open the ends-sidewalls so I can get it colder in their and not have such large temperature swings. We will see what happens.

[@modestobacktoneck]

your medium looks like soil not just perlite except just a little perlite

[@HomegrownPassion]

Yes, so last year we did a mix of soil and perlite. On the transplants we are going to use peat and perlite this year.

[@claymeinke5722]

My question is whats the difference between your freezer and nature freezing the plants? All the way from central Fl. we don`t have this problem here we just through a blanket over every thing and in a couple of days its 85% again! Best of luck with your second year strawberry harvest.

[@HomegrownPassion]

I would have to bring the plants out of the high tunnel to get them to freeze. Thats a big problem because we have so many deer that they would eat the plants so If I can get them to go dormant and then get them going again, I should be good. I did lower the high tunnel curtains to get it cold in there and the rest of the plants I am just going to cut back and leave them in the buckets.

[@loulauer5853]

Do you think the hydrogen peroxide solution would be a viable option to put in a spray bottle and use to treat plants (flowers and veggies) in my small greenhouse? I've tried all the 'other' options (neem oil, sticky traps, etc) but continue to have aphid and white fly problems and am at wits end.

[@HomegrownPassion]

I would try it. I have done it with store bought cheap stuff 3% and it didn't hurt the plants just don't do it in sunlight. Wait for dark and spray under leaves.

[@keyur.radiya]

Thank you! nice video. Never knew that it is done like this. How cold is it in the freezer?

[@HomegrownPassion]

Just a cooler.... about 38 degrees

[@kayepellow7010]

What kind of strawberries? What is the hydrogen peroxide formula?

[@HomegrownPassion]

Albeon strawberries and 3% hydrogen peroxide

[@modestobacktoneck]

can you share your hydroperoxide solution formula to wash or rinse for aphids and spider mites. Thank

[@HomegrownPassion]

yes just a 3% store bought cheap stuff. we use it straight.

[@MuzammilShah-b9p]

Hi you beautiful farmer

[@HomegrownPassion]

Good morning

[@modestobacktoneck]

if you freeze them when do you pull them out? Also, do you store them in any plastic containers while in the freezer and if not would that be a problem?

[@HomegrownPassion]

We are going to put them in plastic inside a wax box. Still not sure we are going to freeze may just hold the temp around 38

[@arnljotbringedal1504]

Hi, did you end up freezing or refridgerating? If freezer: deep freeze? Temp? Love the channel, greetings from Norway

[@qmoonwalker3847]

Wow! Had no idea that’s how you can over winter strawberry’s. Nice video.

[@HomegrownPassion]

Thanks for watching!

[@chris415-a]

Thanks for the video, it helps me see different approaches. I too have started growing strawberry's in hydroton on flood and drain tables, and in Oct I took down my tables, 400 strawberry plants and chilled them for a week at 33f, then took them out and trimmed all the leaves and roots down, and back in a the chest freezer which keeps the temp just above freezing. I plan on bringing the temp up and getting them growing again in March. I like your approach of H202, and wished I did that too, but hoping it was cold enough to stop any growth, but will spray them down with a diluted 35% mixture when warming up, don't want any bugs surviving from last year :)

[@HomegrownPassion]

Yes, sounds exactly like what we want to do and have told to do. We are also going to try and winterize some in the Bato buckets under straw and see how that goes.

[@gardnep]

Would it be better separating the new plants from the 2 year old crowns? The reason is that the older plants could have more disease than the younger ones. Strawberry I hear have a life of about 4 years before disease and genetic shift takes its toll. Separating them could keep the generations rolling over, particularly if they were in different rows next season. They will need to be replaced eventually. I have very few plants and might try your trick when our winter comes around. Great video. Thanks.

[@HomegrownPassion]

I like the idea about putting the older plants in one row. I'm not planning on going past 2-year plants, but it would be nice to do a test on the 2-year-old vs. 1 year to see what and how much production increases. Thank you for the comment!!!!

[@rameshu01]

Nice information. Just a curiosity how many time’s strawberries produce in a year in batto bucket if we trim all keep it clean and maintain properly

[@HomegrownPassion]

So, these are Albion which are ever bearing. We picked strawberries from April to the end of December. around a pound per plant. Check out the older strawberry videos for more information.

[@jonl.garton4616]

Do you actually need to freeze them or would 33 - 38 degrees, keeping the roots in water and solution for the chill period be good. I’ve heard you don’t want the roots to get dry. What’s your thoughts.

[@HomegrownPassion]

Yes, we are hearing that too. They are in the cooler now, but I think your right under 32 is probably a bad idea.

[@antoniosanford4675]

Do you ever use neem oil on your plants? I've been told it's best for the pests you've listed.

[@HomegrownPassion]

Yes, I do! It's one of the other things we have used along with insecticidal soap.

[@antoniosanford4675]

I've been told that you can do this with pepper plants as they are tender perennials.

[@HomegrownPassion]

Interesting. Will have to look into that.

[@lynnvi]

Katy We're just Single household with a greenhouse and as I said before really enjoy your videos. I planted bare root strawberries yesterday (That we purchased), next year will be trying your cleaning-freeze method. It looks like it would be mimicking the big growers. I've just sprouted spinach using your hydrogen peroxide method ,they're about three days old am all looking wonderful. My question now is they are in the dark. When do I have move them into the light, and at what point do I put them in my tray. Thanks very much Lynn

[@HomegrownPassion]

Hi Lynn! I move the spinach out into the light after a couple of days. it stays in the nursery channels under the light for about 2 weeks before I move them into the NFT channels.

[@lynnvi]

👍@@HomegrownPassion

[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

Why are the washed plants going into the "freezer."

[@HomegrownPassion]

So we have read that most commercial places refrigerate and then freeze before shipping. Still not sure how we are going to go. Trying different ideas out to see what would work best.

[@hawaii7187]

Love to see them love it

[@HomegrownPassion]

Thank you!