How to Overwinter your Strawberries | Protecting your Strawbs for the Winter (UK)

[@truthiseverything9511]

The first two video suggestions were 16 and 13 minutes. I immediately looked for the one under five minutes. Bingo! Thank you so much!

[@honeydew4576]

Hooray! I FINALLY found a video that helps me get it. I've been struggling to wrap my head around how to protect strawberries in snowy winters, and how to get the timing of it right......because you don't want them to go dormant too early. Your video was the "aha" moment for me. Thank you, and subscribing!

[@robertwren8878]

They go dormant when their ready they handle it themselves,like all perennials.

[@littledotti]

Easy, simple and to the point. Not droning on like other KZbinrs. Love it. New, also subscribed.

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Thanks for the feedback 🙂 I hope you like my channel

[@carolel2851]

Thanks for that l was wondeting what to do with strawberries in pots over winter...this is the first year lv ever grown strawberries 👍

[@djgmurphee]

What would you recommend for strawberries in the ground ? Most probs the straw will blow away over winter tia

[@koouriprathusha8063]

I don't have a greenhouse at home, what's the alternative for that and also does black plastic covering work in place of pine straw? Thanks for the video, it is helpful.

[@charlessoukup1111]

Missed just WHEN you do your pruning...I live in SW Michigan, a touch milder right in the hydrosphere of Lk Michigan...big fruit belt all up the coast. One post said wait until the first couple frosts to prune. Saw yours were all dead. Do you leave ANY green healthy leaves?? Plan to move next to sliding glass doors on deck, north exposure. Doubled my number of pots with runners this season. 76 & a bit gimped up so my deck - about two dozen good sized pots of veg's is all I can manage regularly...tho I have several garden spaces in yard next door, they ain't happenin! Good job, good style. Still bit unclear of timing the prune, if all leaves must go ..new to container strawb's.

[@allandownton]

Do you fertilize the Everbearing strawberries after the last crop or just before the first frost?🍓🍓🍓🍓

[@Joshgiddens]

I have six first year strawberry plants, i’ve been told to leave the foliage on for this winter, they are stored in a plastic greenhouse with straw over the soil what are your thoughts on this? I’m a complete novice thanks 😊

[@david111davies]

What about watering ? They would go bone dry in my glasshouse so do you need to keep them moist or literally just leave them. Also what time of year would you water them and try to bring them out of the dormant state etc ?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Yes, watering...I forgot to mention that! 🤦‍♂️a few have reminded me in the comments. So I watered about once a week. Kept them moist but not wet. Once temperatures start to warm they tend to do their own thing and you'll see new growth.

[@mattwalker8230]

Nice and simple 😉 I have mine in a big pot, but the slugs kept getting them, was thinking of making a wall rack out of something like gravel boards and lining them, and put them high up. 🤔

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Could be an idea. I'm happy to keep mine in the Greenhouse but only issue is the airflow sometimes.

[@mattwalker8230]

@@TheGreyGardener1990 interesting being differnt climates in the UK, you in the North East and needing protection, mine on the Isle of Wight still very green and live outside year round 🤔

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

@@mattwalker8230 I do it more really for the birds and pests not being able to get at them. I like to think they grow a bit bigger too 😉

[@malsearle]

On top of the shed 😀

[@robertwren8878]

Copper pipe or copper wire they hate it or egg shells!

[@truthiseverything9511]

Thank you!

[@JB-lv9jb]

Just what I was looking for what to do with the strawberry plants in winter. Explained it quite well, thanks. Was wondering if you can advice what type of straw you use in the video to mulch. And if I cannot find straw, can I use coir basket liner as mulch instead.

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

I think it was just bedding straw. I guess anything that keeps it insulated should work. I think I forgot to mention to sparingly keep it watered. Once a week should be fine

[@JB-lv9jb]

Many thanks 👍🏼

[@EdithIsaacs-n2t]

Z​@@TheGreyGardener1990

[@somai_1]

Can I keep them in a dark unheated garage in the winter? And use shredded leaves as mulch?

[@barriesansom2070]

Thanks a lot..👍

[@paulajohnson1096]

Can leaves be used instead of straw And if you don't have a greenhouse, how well do you think they might do if they were moved to an outdoor raised bed? What about leaving them in the pot and burying the strawberries still inside the pot into a raised bed?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Never tried leaves to be honest but give it a go. Yeah the raised bed idea should be ok 👍

[@paulajohnson1096]

@@TheGreyGardener1990 thank you

[@honeydew4576]

I would think a thick layer of leaves and even that covered with black plastic could work. The idea is to keep them warm.

[@robertwren8878]

Thats .not true they dont need to be kept warm they are extremely hardy they are practically a weed and shut down they are perrenials. Insulate the pot with bubble wrap and cover with straw but leave them outside to get on with what they do best. If you have a warm winter they will begin to flower early but if a cold snap for a period of time occurs after your in trouble and could be fatal. Let them get on with it.

[@rammie6240]

Hiya! How would they be watered throughout the winter? (If they do need to be watered throughout the winter)

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Very minimal. Just don't let the soil completely dry out. Think I actually forgot to mention it in the video!

[@rammie6240]

@@TheGreyGardener1990 Thank you! I'm quite new to growing strawberries and wanted to keep them alive throughout the winter and your video was the first I've watched and turned out to be incredibly helpful! Every website I read didn't have diagrams and seemed too complex to understand but your video explained perfectly, so thank you very much!

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

@@rammie6240 you're welcome

[@josh22920killer]

Hello! Im currently growing strawberries in a raised bed, i need to add more soil to the plants, but don't want to burry the crown. If i add soil on top of the plants when they go dormant for the winter, would they be able to grow through that new layer of soil (1-2 inches)? Or do i need to uproot my strawberries to add more soil?

[@robertwren8878]

No cos if you have a wet winter they will rot! They need air flow,go to the woods and get pine needles cos strawberries need a slight acidic soil and they are ideal.

[@josh22920killer]

@@robertwren8878 thanks for the help!!!

[@IvyChan-b9e]

Should I not mulch them as long as the leaves are still green? My strawberries are bearing fruits during this season though they are not turning red. Thanks.

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

You can do yeah, it won't make too much difference

[@lemyatom]

Thanks for this! Any alternative to straw? I can grab some but don't have any to hand. Would ripped up cardboard or anything like that work?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

That should work in theory although I've never tried it. Someone said they were going to try with leaves as well

[@t-bone6467]

So is the concern that leaving potted strawberries outside all winter could result in the roots being killed if the soil in the pot freezes?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

It's more keeping the crown covered I'd say

[@onefreebird1]

What if you didn't let the plant die outside first?

[@alexanderhernandez5141]

This may be stupid but do you still water them?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Once a week will be fine. I forgot to include in the video. Good question!

[@destinyno1]

Hi this is very helpful 😀 Do I need to do this as soon as the plants have finished fruiting or is this done during winter?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

Just during the winter will be fine

[@GreytOutdoorsMedic]

When is a good time to bring them out after winter is over?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

March would be good

[@malsearle]

When do you replant them ? Im in the NE too

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

I keep them in the pots and they will pop through when the weather starts to warm up

[@malsearle]

@@TheGreyGardener1990 thanks . We are thinking of potting them this year as the slugs got to them last summer

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

@@malsearle yeah thats the reason I pot them, that and the birds

[@stevenhoward4507]

Could you show us how to stop slugs and snails without spending loads on materials ?

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

For strawberries in particular in pots or just in general mate?

[@stevenhoward4507]

@@TheGreyGardener1990 just in general, our new plot is ready for the new year now but we are looking how to protect what we grow. Materials have gone so expensive so curious what we could do with what we can get our hands on.

[@TheGreyGardener1990]

@@stevenhoward4507 no worries. Will add it to the list mate. A guy on the allotment told me of this organic spray you can get for £12 or something. I've forgotten the name but when I see him next I'll ask him. Another guy uses it on his cabbages and he literally has no damage at all. They're pristine

[@jessfox9722]

Clearly explained and easy to follow instructions. Like someone else mentioned, no droning on and keeping the info back to the end or shrouding it in mystery 🫶🏻👍🏻