Gadenin日本語Get the appThe plant shrinks because it is dormant
As temperatures fall in late autumn, strawberries go dormant. The leaves flatten to the ground and shrink and almost no new leaves appear. It looks stalled, but through this period the plant is counting the hours of cold it receives, and it only starts again in spring once it has had enough of them.
So the job in winter is protection, not growth. Try to keep it warm and growing and dormancy stays shallow, which means fewer flower trusses and uneven, drawn out growth in spring.
| Stage | The plant | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Late autumn | Leaves flatten and shrink | Remove autumn flowers, do not feed |
| Early winter | New leaves stop | Strip old leaves, lay mulch |
| Midwinter | Fully dormant | Just look at it |
| Late winter | Central leaves start moving | Strip old leaves and feed |
Red leaves are normal
In winter the lower leaves of a strawberry color red or purple. Cold stops the plant using the products of photosynthesis and pigments build up in the leaf, and it is usually a perfectly normal response. As long as the new leaves at the center of the plant are still green, there is nothing to fix.
What you are looking out for is a plant that goes dark red and shrivels right through, including the central leaves. That means damaged roots, or a crown that was planted too deep and is rotting. Scrape the soil back at the base and check whether the crown is buried.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| Lower leaves red, center green | Normal coloring from cold | Leave it alone |
| Whole plant dark red and shrunken | Root damage or planted too deep | Dig around the base and correct the height |
| Leaves crumpled and thin | Compost frozen or dried out | Move under cover and water at midday |
| Plant lifted proud of the soil | Frost heave | Firm soil back around it without treading |
A hungry plant also goes red. Resist feeding in midwinter to fix it: waiting until late winter gives you a better plant in spring.
Stripping the old leaves
This is the one job in winter that genuinely pays. It costs half an hour and it removes most of the material that gray mold will otherwise start from in spring.
- Do it once in early winter Remove dead leaves, yellowed leaves and old leaves lying flat on the ground. Three to five green leaves at the center is plenty to keep.
- Pull downwards by hand Hold the leaf stalk and pull down and it comes away at the base. If you use scissors, leave no stub, and do not leave the trimmings lying on the soil.
- Why it matters Dead leaves are where gray mold overwinters. Removing them reduces the source of infection in spring and lets light and air into the crown so new leaves come away faster.
- Do not overdo it Taking green leaves as well delays growth in spring. A dormant plant survives the cold on the leaves it has, so anything with color in it stays.
- Do it again in late winter Tidy up anything damaged over winter before you feed. Cut off any runners that have started at the same time.
Water sparingly in winter
Plants in open ground generally need no watering at all in winter. A dormant plant takes up very little, and continuously wet soil damages the roots. Even if the surface looks dry, rainfall is enough.
Containers are different. Once the surface has been dry for a few days, water on a mild morning. Watering in the evening means the compost freezes overnight and damages the roots. Water until it runs from the bottom, but do not leave the saucer full.
| Grown in | Winter watering | When |
|---|---|---|
| Open ground | Not usually needed | Leave it to the rain |
| Trough | When dry for a few days | A mild morning |
| Hanging basket | About once a week | A mild morning |
Frost protection and when to mulch
Strawberries tolerate freezing perfectly well. The problem is frost heave lifting the roots out of the ground. Husks or chopped straw around the crown soften the freezing at the surface and stop the plants lifting.
Lay black plastic mulch between early winter and the end of winter. The purpose is less about warmth and more about stopping soil splash in spring and keeping weeds down. Cut a hole over each crown and pull the leaves out through it so the crown is not covered.
- Strip old leaves first Once the mulch is down you cannot get at the crown. Clear the dead leaves and correct the planting height before you cover anything.
- Mark the holes before cutting Mark directly above each plant, then cut. Get it wrong and you end up forcing leaves through, snapping stalks and opening wounds.
- Pull all the leaves through Bring every central leaf out through the hole so the crown is not under plastic. Covered, it sits damp and rots.
- Add row cover in cold gardens A layer of row cover over the top keeps frost and drying wind off. It traps heat on mild days, so take it off once new leaves start moving in late winter.
Feed in late winter to set up the spring
Feed in late winter, shortly before the new leaves start moving. Feed earlier and the dormant plant cannot take it up. Feed later and it is too late to fill out the flower trusses. A light pinch of granular fertilizer per plant, set a little away from the crown, is enough.
Too much nitrogen gives you leaf at the expense of fruit. A dilute liquid feed every fortnight is easier to judge and harder to get wrong.
| Feed | Per plant | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Granular fertilizer | A pinch, about a fifth of an ounce (5 g) | Once in late winter |
| Dilute liquid feed | Weaker than the label states | Every fortnight |
With plastic mulch down, lift the edge beside the plant, feed underneath and put it back. Liquid feed poured over the top does not reach the roots.
Rescuing plants damaged over winter
A weakened plant suffers more the more you handle it. Look at the center first: if there is a live growing point, keep it and fix what is wrong. If not, take it out.
The cut-off is the end of winter. A plant with no new leaves once the growing points should be moving is not coming back. Lift it, fill the gap, and think again about how you choose parent plants.
| What happened | Likely cause | What to do today |
|---|---|---|
| The center has blackened too | Frost heave dried the roots | Firm soil back and add mulch |
| The plant rocks when you touch it | The roots never took | Firm it in and wait until late winter |
| The growing point is buried | Planted deep, or soil washed in | Scrape the soil away and correct the height |
| Compost froze and the leaves crumpled | Evening watering and an exposed position | Move under cover and water in the morning |
Leave the gap where you pulled a plant empty until spring. If the cause was a soil-borne disease, replanting straight away simply repeats it.