How to Plant Bare Root Strawberries: Tips for a Successful Garden in Florida

[@susanparker-heitel702]

I am in Bradenton and planted Chandlers that cost a fortune and out of 75 plants got maybe 2 berries. This year from Parksdale I got beautiful bare roots - much healthier, and less expensive. They are the Brilliance berries meant for our area. I planted some in raised bed and some in green stalk and both are doing well. The green stalk look about double the size of the raised bed. From now on I will buy from Parksdale.

[@tamtamathome]

Wow! I’m in Bradenton as well and have been searching high and low for info on where to buy and which berry I should get. I know you posted this a yr ago but thanks for sharing!

[@gidget8717]

I loved seeing your son helping. I literally have been in the garden my entire life so far. Because I was born in the Appalachian coalfield we were poor, and we raised or foraged 90% of our food (plants & animals), you couldn't take time off for anything or you didn't eat during the winter. So every baby my mother had she put into a basket and we went to the garden with her. She would move the basket along the rolls as she worked. I remember her carrying my sister to the barn in the empty milk pail while carrying the fed bucket in the other hand. She carried her back in the empty fed bucket. Milking while holding a baby is quite a sight to behold! My married life started in 1972 and it has been much much easier than my parents. But I am so thankful for the knowledge of where food comes from and the connection humanity has with it. Its a good thing for all child to know such things. You're a good mommy ❤️

[@billjackson4137]

I order from the same place 20 plants; they sent 2 extra. All have survived and have berries. I planted in pots with a mix of black cow, sand, dirt, & peat moss. Only did the pots because I have not figured out where exactly I wanted to put in my yard. I planted prior to the hurricane. Around Oct 25th. Had a shade cloth over the area to protect from direct full sun when first started. My first-time planting this. Love watching all the get ideas on this channel. My yard is years from looking so good. 😓

[@RobinL4715]

Thanks for showing the reality of growing in FL. I have some everbearing strawberries I got last year- the squirrels ate most of them🙄. About half survived for another season, so we’ll see how we do. I ordered some Chandlers to compare- and may put some in my greenstalk in my lanai to keep the squirrels from feasting.

[@kimberlyd317]

Squirrels 😤… I’ve been feeling like all my gardening efforts are going to support the wildlife. Would be nice if they knew how to share!

[@conniecrites5148]

From what I have read you pinch off the flowers the first year. This allows the plant to concentrate on getting established. They also love full sun. You may need shade cloth in the hottest months. Mine have filled in my 4x12 bed. I had about 25 plants and only 1 died. Good luck with the ones you have let.

[@susanparker-heitel702]

Florida berries are one season and done - we do not pinch the flowers like they do up north.

[@conniecrites5148]

I'm not up north I'm in Florida.

[@Flowers4Bees.Veggies4Me]

I’m going to try strawberries this year. Thanks for the information. 🍓🍓

[@mariathompson5606]

I bought 18 (received 20) bareroot plants off the internet. The variety was Festival. I planted them in a tower, October 22, and they all took off well. Then the tower fell over. After replanting, October 31, I'm down to 11 plants and a couple of them aren't looking good. I'll probably end up with 8 or 9. It's been a learning curve for sure.

[@sonnyamoran7383]

I found that using straw mulch helped my berry plants through the summer

[@shykass8949]

My favorite variety to grow in Florida. I get mine from Hoss tools ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@bairdgardens3925]

I always look forward to your videos

[@oreopaksun2512]

Your farming assistant is amazing! So bright, articulate, and asks the best questions. Adorable. You and Ben are doing a fantastic job. I secretly think your strawberries just wanted more "best flattening" from the young grower. This is my first year gardening for edibles, and am trying strawberries, too. Overcrowded my Chandler strawberry runners into 2 stacked pots, medium on top of large (with elephant garlic, which are also space and nutrient hogs) The "extra" 7th runner melted with all the water from Nicole, but remaining six doing fine. The top planter strawberries are nice and strong, almost look like they were started way earlier than the lower deck; I guess strawberries like more sunshine. Must take advantage of the cooler weather to transplant the elephant garlic cause after less than 3 weeks, they are 18" tall and poking roots out of the bottom of the large pot, and will probably throw some shade (in my defense, I didn't expect elephant garlic to have so many wide leaves, duh, it's a leek!). For anyone in Central Florida (or Strawberry Crazed), Strawberry Festival is March 2-12, 2023 in Plant City (off I-4 between Tampa and Orlando). Then many commercial farms will open for U-Pick after, and depending on conditions, may go until mid-April. Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All! Strawberry update: I did separate my elephant garlic and strawberries, and since no one else would be nutty enough to uproot their bare root strawberries less than one month after planting, thought I would share. It turns out that even though some of the strawberry plants had more than 4 large leaves (though no flowers, not like Jaqueline's), the roots poking out from the bottom of the pots were all elephant garlic. Strawberries had very fine, barely there roots, which meant they were not very robust even though they looked good on top. So replanted, and will baby them like cuttings until they are better established. Upside: they do look fabulous in Mr Stacky planters.

[@dianaweatherford5005]

Thank you! I'm in Bradenton, tried the notorious Home Depot plants, Ozark Beauty everbearing last "Spring" probably March or April when they were in stores. Planted in pots, watered daily, mulched, part shade. The heat took em. I have one lonely little plant that just started to perk up now that our temps are low. I wanted to order Festival but Gurney's doesn't ship them until February and I wasnt sure when to plant them until this video! 😆 I'm going to try to find some locally so they can get established before the heat really sets in.

[@joannewolfram159]

We bought our bare root plants at Parkesdale Market in Plant City, 25 plants for $7.50. I purchased 2 bundles and ended up with 60 thriving plants!! Last year they had the Sweet Sensation variety. This year they had Brilliance.

[@WildFloridian]

Oh 😲 Very cool!

[@susanamilhem6265]

I got some from them too, but 25 for $22.50 big price difference.

[@dianaweatherford5005]

@@susanamilhem6265 They are sold out now, but $22.50 includes shipping. If you pick them up directly, they are cheaper.

[@mistycarter9809]

All of mine died to, we are in Jacksonville. Started some from seed as experiment and they are growing great. Keep going with videos, you are helping me get used to growing things in FL! We moved from IL, totally different seasons here 🙃

[@amayac2000]

This was so cute

[@doreenaitken5308]

So adorable ❤ you to😊

[@RevAcres01]

Great project with your son. Glad to hear strawberries will grow in the winter months in Florida.

[@muriellockhoff9560]

Love your planting buddie thank you for when to plant them

[@robertchaffee5662]

Ha! Ha! I was just thinking when you showed the 7 days "awe ! Look at those happy little plants !" And then you said "Happy!"...lmao

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

We got Florida Brilliance through this summer by daily light watering and first surrounding them with tobacco plants and then keeping them under an elevated row cover. A dozen parent plants yielded several hundred starts. This is after they made strawberries from late February through May. Archer, FL.

[@setrovillion]

Thanks for this! I didn't know what bare-root strawberries were supposed to look like when purchased. Watching this, I see mine were dead when I got them. No green leaves or stems, just roots. So I think I'll wait for fall, prepare a new bed, and then try again. I watch all your videos, learning a lot. I'm a transplanted KY Gardner, and my first year did not go well😅. With your help, I may get a couple vegs this time.😊

[@melanielinkous8746]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. Just ordered from the link you provided. 😊

[@mollytrap]

I tried strawberries too last year and had similar results…they’re tough! They produced lots of berries, but then they would get moldy before they turned red…so finicky! I’m sticking to mulberries and blueberries from now on. 😆

[@KathleenDandeneau]

I'm in Melbourne, Fl and I am trying to plant this variety after watching this. May seem like a silly question but can I use pine bark chips as mulch with strawberries? Great video, thank you!

[@kimberlyd317]

Going to try my luck with these! Just ordered. Maybe behind the curve on getting started but knowing they can over summer seems worth trying!😃

[@katc9198]

SO HELPFUL !!! THANK YOU THANK YOY THANK YOU !!!! ❤

[@79mini]

Soaked mine fully submerged added microryza and liquid feed they seem very happy. They pushed out new leaves almost immediately with in a day or two. This cold snap this weekend isn't likely to help things but looking forward what's to become of them.

[@MamaLee5]

Any recommendations on growing bare root strawberries in March 😬 in Central Florida? Bought them out of season not knowing. No wonder they were so cheap😂 I was thinking I could rehydrate and plant in small containers under grow lights until October? Or just put them in my vertical garden and hope they come alive in the correct season? I know other places you can plant them and they come back year after year. Anyone?

[@WildFloridian]

You should totally get them going. Just put them in a shadier area with a few hours of sun for the summer. They can survive and throw out daughters and come back. I planted Albion strawberries in spring 2023 and the are bigger and better. Same with quinault strawberries. Planted them spring of 2021 and they lived until fall 2023

[@MamaLee5]

@@WildFloridian Thanks so much for your response! I have the green stalks and was going to use 1 just for my strawberries. I have it on my pool deck just don’t know if they will get pollinated inside the pool cage? Will need to fuss with the location

[@susanamilhem6265]

Bought some from Parksdale, could not plant them right away(planted yesterday), so my leaves are not very nice. Wish I had seen this post b4, did not rehydrate but, it's raining today ave the next 2 days(hopefully not too much water). What do you think?

[@nathanielg1283]

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘮 😑

[@LoriHakaMyHeartCries]

I may be completely wrong, but isn't it Stark, Florida that has a strawberry festival and "u pick" in March? I bought strawberry starts several months ago and didn't realize that they were different breeds until they grow a bit. They were doing wonderful until the stupid storm "Nicole". The entire green house, tables and all were turned upside down... uurrgg.. I've been able to save a few pieces of the strawberry plants, but I'm sure they are mixed up together in the pots.... oh well, lessons learned... BTW I found 6 spiral "tomato" states at my Lowes. They were $4+ each, I bought them all. TFS all your knowledge. I think I'm going to order more strawberry plants from the place you recommended. Oh, just FYI, being in North Florida, we get many more freezes than y'all do, hence Greenhouse..✌👍🍂🥀🦩🍓🍓🍓🍓

[@amandagilds681]

Plant City has the strawberry festival every year. Lots of places so you picks :)