overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

[geordief]

This was such a bad summer with the month long rain and lack of sunshine that I have only now got around to preparing a few strawberry plants into plastic pots.
They don't have as much roots on them as I would like and I am improvising to make them keep on growing ,making roots and leaves if at all possible. (I have no greenhouse ,heated or otherwise)
I am placing them on the top of a pile of warm stable manure that is against an East facing wall .I also cover them with fleece (US= Remay).
Around 3pm I move them to a South facing wall nearby to get the evening sun- and move them back to the manure heap for the night and following morning
Will I have suuccess in doing any of this?
Would it help to position some aluminium foil behind/ around to capture extra sunlight?
I know I am being boneheaded and also stingy as I could just buy extra plants but even then they would probably not do much for me until the following year...

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

Welcome to the forum, Geordief.

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[Amish Country]

Re: overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

Welcome to Flutrackers Geordief.

The soil in my strawberry bed was far from the most fertile. I put mine in raised beds, 3 to 6 inches above the surrounding soil. This helps for drainage in wet years. The beds are mulched with untreated bark and the plants have to just about be beaten back into the beds come spring. Do not use walnut, especially black walnut for bark mulch. The variety I have sends out runners that starts new plants growing and not always where they are wanted. Most strawberries don't like to be planted too deep. Their roots usually stay near the surface but they do like to be mulched. They mulch protects the roots and helps keep the berries off the ground so they are less prone to rotting. I am transplanting a bunch to a new bed this fall. It may give a small crop in the spring with hopefully a much bigger crop the following year.

After a few years production may fall off. At this point many farmers turn the beds under and replant with new plants or turn half of the length of a bed under and allow the runners from the unturned half to spread more vigorous, young plants to newly turned half. The remaining half can be turned under in a following year. Some varieties of strawberries spread more easily by runners than others.

I get non-GMO heirloom varieties because I do not use herbicides, or pesticides on them and they have to stand up to the bugs, powdery mildew, weather, weeds I miss pulling as well as produce productive new plants and produce a reliable crop.

 

[mixin]

Re: overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

Depending on how many strawberry plants you have, can you make a portable frame covered with clear plastic to set over the plants?

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Laidback Al]

Re: overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

Geordief, welcome to FluTrackers.

I believe that all strawberries, whether June bearing or everbearing, need to go through a period of dormancy before they will produce fruit the following year. So if your plants have already fruited and are at the end of the season, you should cover them with mulch or straw and wait until next season.

But I am not a gardener, so I hope that someone who knows more about strawberries than I do will answer your question.

Edited to Add: It looks like Amish Country answered your question.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: overwintering/bringing on strawberry plants

Welcome Geordief!