How to tuck in your strawberries for the winter December 17, 2020 So far, 2020 December temperatures have been slightly above average with very little snow across the state. For gardeners growing strawberries, this means you still have time to do one critical task.
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Is strawberry good in winter?
5. Strawberries – 
Strawberries are a winter fruit you probably love to indulge in this season, and they have their own health benefits too. Strawberries are good for the skin because they are rich in antioxidants, and they can give your immunity a boost to avoid the usual winter ailments.
Some more fruits that just missed out on our winter fruits list but would do well in your diet include guavas, pears, pomegranates, papayas and chikoos. You can enjoy these fruits plain or in a fruit salad. Be careful not to blend the fruits too much if you are making a smoothie because they could lose their dietary fiber, which can help your digestion.
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What is the critical temperature for strawberries?
One of our earliest harvested fruit crops in Indiana are strawberries. This is good and bad news, depending upon the occurrence of a late spring freeze. Strawberries are very susceptible to these freezes for a number of reasons: Air temperature at ground level is often colder than the reported low temperature, low spots may be even colder, and rural locations, lacking the heat island we see in bigger cities are even colder than the temperatures reported in most ‘local’ news outlets Our early and fluctuating spring weather presents a problem for growers.
Like other fruit crops, strawberry flowers are susceptible to different temperature extremes at different times. They are most susceptible to freeze damage at open flower. The critical temperature for flower buds as they emerge from the crown is ~10°F. That critical value rises to ~22°F when flower buds have elongated but blossoms are tightly closed.
When the flowers petals become visible (popcorn), the critical temperature is 26°F, Open flowers can tolerate freezes down too ~30°. Developing green fruit better tolerates cold temperatures than buds or blossoms, to ~ 28°F. To determine if your flower buds suffered frost or freeze damage (Fig.1), cut through the buds; cold-damaged flower buds/blossoms will have a black center. 
Figure 1 Strawberry freeze damage *** Monitor fields for disease, Scout fields when dry (afternoon, evening) to reduce the risk of pathogen spread. Scout fields weekly for infected plants, especially when conditions are warm and wet. If conditions are wet, eliminate (or minimize) overhead irrigation Implement sanitation,
Reduce the inoculum of disease-causing fungi or bacteria by removing infected leaves and fruit. If disease levels begin to run high, infection foci (‘hot spots’) need to be eradicated (remove and destroy). This includes any and all infected plants, in addition to plants within ~ 5 ft. radius of the infected area.
Harvest all known areas of infection last to minimize the spread of the disease. Early and regular sprays, Fungicide applications work best when applied early and often, sometimes as often as 7-10 days depending on disease pressure. See the Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide at https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Hort/Documents/ID-465.pdf or the draft of the new version of the guide that follows.
The plant growth stage (phenology), and The weather forecast.
If the forecast predicts multiple days of rain around or during bloom, begin applications of captan to protect the crop, adding a FRAC 7, FRAC 11 or FRAC 7+11 fungicide if needed. Save that one application of iprodione (Meteor/Rovral) to protect against botrytis until bloom.
Follow up with captan or another fungicide that is effective against both botrytis anthracnose. Keep in mind that freeze damage will make damaged tissues more susceptible to infection by the botrytis and anthracnose fungi, and may warrant earlier use of a Pristine, Merivon, or Luna Sansation (FRAC7+11) fungicide, to protect fruit, and more importantly, the crown of the plant.
Use the new schedule to see if any additional fungicides are needed to protect against other potential disease problems. One upshot of the FRAC 7+11 fungicides is their broad range of activity against a number of strawberry pathogens. Root rot Management If your field has a history of Phytophthora diagnoses, then an application of Ridomil Gold SL may be necessary.
Phytopthora root and crown rots, along with leather rot, thrive in wet conditions. Up to 3 applications can be used per year (last column of table), so it is important properly time applications for maximum effectiveness. This means one application in the spring after the ground thaws but before first bloom, and a second application in the fall.
For supplemental control of leather rot, an application may be made at fruit set. Understand the proper timing of fungicide applications is critical to strawberry disease management. Unfortunately, most of the diseases that impact strawberry develop symptoms when fruit is ripening, The time to protect against infection occurred even before the first flower opened, through bloom.
What is the best thing to cover strawberries with?
Types of mulch for strawberries – Both straw and chopped leaves may be used. Straw mulch is by far the more common choice for covering strawberries. Local garden centers and hardware stores often sell straw in rectangular bales for about $5-8 per bale.
A rectangular bale is enough to create a 2-3 inch thick cover over a 10-foot-long row of strawberries. Straw may be harder to find in 2021 due to the summer’s drought. If using leaves, it is best to mulch them with a lawnmower first. The smaller pieces tend to stay in place better than whole leaves. On the other hand, whole leaves create a more suitable habitat for overwintering beneficial insects like butterflies, according to the Xerxes Society.
Two to three loosely packed wheelbarrows of mulched leaves cover about 12 square feet of strawberry plants at 2 inches deep.
How do you keep strawberries fresh longer without refrigeration?
How to Store Strawberries – When stored properly in the refrigerator using one of the below methods, strawberries should stay fresh for up to one week. Always examine your berries for mold and other signs of spoilage before eating them.
Place in air-tight glassware: Transfer unwashed strawberries into a glass food storage container or mason jar and make sure it’s sealed tight. Paper towel method: Place a clean, dry paper towel in a container and put unwashed strawberries on top. Close the lid and place the container in the refrigerator. Rinse with vinegar solution: Soak strawberries in a vinegar solution (one-part white vinegar and three parts water) for a few minutes. Then drain them, pat them dry, and place them on a clean paper towel in a glass container. Loosely place the lid on and store in the refrigerator.
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How long can strawberries sit out without refrigeration?
Strawberries should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cutting them. If they are left out for more than 2 hours, throw them away.
How many seasons can you get out of a strawberry plant?
Everbearing varieties generally have two harvesting seasons —late spring or early summer and late summer or early fall. Day-neutral strawberries continuously flower and grow strawberries as long as the temperature is between 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is a runner on a strawberry plant?
This blog post is specifically about planting strawberry runners. Why not check out our guide on How to Grow Strawberries as well? Strawberries can “reproduce” either through seeds or from runners. Strawberry runners are horizontal stems that run above the ground and produce new “baby” clone plants at the end of the long horizontal stem.
These baby plants (which are a genetic copy of the mother plant), set roots and grow into the ground surrounding the mother plant. Strawberry runners are properly termed “stolons”, but to keep it simple, we’ll refer to them by the more commonly recognized term “runners”. Runners are a more reliable and preferred method for establishing strawberries in your garden.
You can obtain strawberry runners from nurseries or online. They are sold as a crown with a spindly mass of bare roots. These rather uninspiring looking things produce some of the tastiest fruit over summer and autumn. Nurseries in Melbourne and all over the temperate regions of Australia (eg., NSW, SA, TAS & VIC) will start stocking these runners in early June. Strawberry runners are an economical way to grow lots of strawberry plants. If you buy your runners from reputable nurseries or mail order, they’ve hopefully been grown in conditions that are virus free. Such runners are called “certified runners”. Certified Strawberry Runner Growers actually encourage the mother plants to send out runner plants by removing all the flowers and fruit.
When you have your strawberry runners, you should prepare them for planting straight away. Unwrap them wash and their roots well in water. Discoloured leaves should be pinched off. Trim the roots back to around 10cm. Plant your runners the same day that you prepare them. If you are not ready to plant them on the same day, you should store them in the refrigerator, and plant them as soon as possible.
If you buy your runners from reputable nurseries or mail order, they’ve hopefully been grown in conditions that are virus free. Such runners are called “certified runners”. Certified Strawberry Runner Growers actually encourage the mother plants to send out runner plants by removing all the flowers and fruit.