How to Prepare Strawberries for the Winter

It’s another one of those rites of passage of learning to garden: killing the strawberries you so desperately wanted to save.

Everybody loves strawberries, but nobody likes it when the strawberry plants they invested in last Spring die a slow and horrible death over the cold Canadian winter. Not that I’m bitter about the time it happened to me, or anything…

In this blog post, I’ll show you how you (and your strawberries) can avoid this terrible fate. I’ll even show you how to keep your strawberries alive if you planted them in containers!

DISCLAIMER: I garden in Zone 3b on the Canadian Prairies. My advice is best suited to that region, but also highly applicable to Zones 2 and 4. I realize that readers from many warmer zones read this blog, so I’ve tried to account for other situations where possible, as well.

Avoid Planting Strawberries in Pots and Raised Beds

Can you overwinter strawberries in pots and raised beds? If you live in a warmer-than-Zone-3 zone… probably. If you live where I live? No. Just don’t even bother.

I’m sure some master gardener with way more skills than I currently possess can do it. But for the beginner to intermediate gardener, you’re going to have way more success overwintering a strawberry patch that is planted directly into the ground.

And if you accidentally left your pot of strawberries out over a -40 winter? Forget it. They’re dead.

UPDATE: I was 19 weeks pregnant and angry when I first wrote this post… Overwintering strawberries can be done in Zone 3 if they’re in a raised bed (not a pot) and you cover them with 4-6 inches of straw. Do not forget to cover them with straw, otherwise, it won’t work!

Growing strawberries in your garden? Whether you're growing them in containers, raised beds, pots, or in the ground, you'll need to know how to keep your plants alive--especially in the winter! Click for my best tips for beginners in zone 3. #strawberries #winter #garden #gardening #tips #ideas #beginners

Here are 8 other mistakes you’ll want to avoid if you’re planting a container garden.

The Key to Keeping Your Strawberries Alive Over Winter

Is…wait for it…straw. *whomp, whomp*

You can also use leaves, mulch, shredded newspapers, or any natural, bio-degradable, weed-free insulation you like. Whatever you use, don’t use hay. It is very likely to contain weed seeds and will create a giant mess for you in the spring.

Apply a generous 4-6 inch layer over the strawberries and let the insulation do its magic. You don’t even have to remove the straw in the spring, as it should have compacted enough over winter that the strawberries will poke through once they’ve started growing.

Make sure you wait for at least three consecutive days of -5°C/20°F or lower temperatures at night before you do this overwintering method. This is important because you need to make sure the plant has gone dormant for the winter.

That’s it! Say hello to fresh strawberries in the garden this spring and goodbye to tears over yet another plant that you killed and wasted money on.

No time for fall clean-up in the garden? Here’s what you can skip!

A Few Thoughts for Those in Warmer Growing Zones

If you live someplace that doesn’t enjoy -40 winters, you could probably overwinter your strawberries in a pot or a raised bed. In addition to placing the straw on top of the strawberry plants, you’ll also need to wrap the pot or bed with burlap, old blankets, or some sort of insulation. You might also want to move the pots into an unheated garage or some other sheltered-but-cold location that will generally stay below freezing for the winter.

Related: 28 Hardy Fruits you can grow in zone 2 and zone 3

Have you overwintered your strawberries in the past? What works best for you?

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Comments

Alice

Question from a beginner gardener in Winnipeg. My husband and I have a small garden, but like the idea of growing strawberries in rain gutters on the fence. We realize it would be impossible to overwinter in the gutters. Sounds like putting them in the raised bed just for winter is also a bad idea? Could we transplant them into the ground just for winter and then replant them in the gutters in spring?

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  Yes! This is what I'm planning to do in my garden. I have my strawberries in bird cages. When you transplant them into the ground, make sure you cover them with at least 4 inches of leaves or straw.
  
  Reply
Marilene Leblanc

Hi. Newbie in the zone 2 in Northern Ontario. Next year I would like to plant many different veggies and strawberries. Some in raised beds, and others in planters. Could you suggest a good book for zones 2-3 and maybe seed catalogs? Thanks.

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  Hi Marilene, I really like the Gardener magazine, which is published out of Saskatoon (zone 3) where I live. I'm a zone 3 gardener and have also lived in zone 2, so if you poke around the website you'll find that everything on it applies to you and your situation. As for seed catalogues, I use Early's, Vesey's, and T & T the most. Generally you can grow anything from seed no matter your zone, you just have to have a long enough growing season for the days to maturity of the flower or vegetable. Hope that helps!
  
  Reply
Nicole

Well put my strawberries in a large above ground pot... hmm maybe in BC it might be ok. Lol Not as cold as Sask but I think I may drag them into the garage just in case. I will keep you posted if they survive. Never thought to ask you before hand.

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  I feel like it would be fine in BC, especially where you live! And they would definitely be fine in the garage.
  
  Reply
- Judy
  
  They won’t survive in the garage if it’s unseated but I was told you could dig the pot into the garden soil and keep them that way, I haven’t tried it. The fellow told me you just remove the pot in the spring , spray it off with water and you are good to go. If you try this let us know how and if it works. I have tried a heated garage where I kept it just above freezing and had no luck
  
  Reply
Edna

Just given strawberry plants from an older person who had started each plant in a pot- can I plant them into my garden now? Zone 3b is where we farm. It is now sept 26. We can keep them in a cool place in basement over winter if it is too late to plant into the garden.

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  Yes, now is a great time!
  
  Reply
Edna

Is it to late to transplant strawberry plants in the garden for zone 3b?

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  No, you've still got time, but do it quick!
  
  Reply
Sandy

I have strawberry plants in a pallet Planter. If I give them out how can I keep them in the unheated basement? Also I have a hanging strawberry planter could I hang that in the d basement?

Reply
- Kristen Raney
  
  Yes, you could give it a try if your basement is very cold, or there is an unheated part.
  
  Reply
Tamara

Hi there, Can you use grass clippings instead of straw? Thanks, Tamara

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Nonarae

Lmao so I’m in zone 3b too, in Wisconsin. First, I just want to say, it’s nice to get advice from somebody in a similar climate situation. It’s irritating to read posts on how to overwinter stuff, and then get to the bottom and the bio says their in Florida or some place warmer than here. Also, although I am in a colder climate, I don’t have yard space to plant in ground or in a raised bed. So I am planning on doing containers. However, I’m wondering, if I moved them into my husbands heated shop (he keeps the temp at 10°C over the winter), would that be enough to keep them alive? I could move them to my garage, but it’s unheated and I think it might still be too cold for them to survive.. thoughts?

Reply
Lyle

Chuckle. Yep, I enjoyed the humour and also found some practical and timely advice (its October 2021 - so one year after you wrote up this piece). I live in Eastern ON and so a bit warmer than you but was looking for some Canadian advice. Who knew that strawberries needed straw instead of hay? Oh wait …

Reply
Amanda

I live in zone 5a - Wisconsin and love reading articles on how to do things in the garden the “right way”. My garden grows bigger every year and it’s mostly dumb luck that we have any success at all! Your suggestion of thick mulch works like magic here, although I can’t take any credit for it. Our property is heavily wooded, so in the fall the leaves are literally impossible to keep up after, so I just let them cover the entire garden. In spring we till most of it, but my strawberries and melons are in raised beds so we don’t till those. Every spring the strawberries come back stronger than ever and no weeds!

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Tina

Omg. “ UPDATE: I was 19 weeks pregnant and angry when I first wrote this post…” Best line in a blog post ever 😂

Reply
Claire

Manitoba zone 3a ... thoughts on wintering strawberries in a large galvanized stock tank? Cover the tops with straw or would the sides of the tank require insulation as well?

Reply
Belynda

Hello, I am in Edmonton, Ab, and have a raised bed of strawberries - a large open bottom bed about 3’ x 6’, and about 18” tall. The first time I planted, I killed a full box of plants over the winter because I didn’t prep the bed, so I have repopulated the bed. I am seeing that transplanting into the ground for winter and covering with straw is my likely path… when should I move them? Before frost? After the first frost? And should I do any plant prep like trimming back before covering them for winter? Thanks in advance for any advice.

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Audrey

Hi. I have my strawberries in a large plastic barrel. Do I need to cut them back before winter? The barrel is going to be put in the garage for the winter, but should the barrel be wrapped with blankets? I am going to cover the plants on the top with mulch. Thanks.

Reply