Covering strawberry bed for winter?

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fruiteater Almont, MI Nov 01, 2009

Hi
I need an advice. I know that you're suppose to cover strawberries for winter with mulch or straw, but I wonder if I can cover them with dried leaves from the trees. I mean there are plenty of them right now and I'd like just to rake them up and pile them on top of the raised strawberry bed. Can I do that or it may hurt the strawberries?

Thank you

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HoneybeeNC Charlotte, NC(Zone 7b) Nov 06, 2009

fruiteater - I see no one has answered your question, and I can't either because I've never covered strawberry plants.

However, I don't think I would cover them with leaves. Once leaves are wet, they pack down, and I would be concerned that this would lead to the strawberry plants getting too wet under there, and dying.

I think straw would be a better solution as it lets rain drain through.

Strawberries are very hardy. I grew up in England where the winters can be rather grim, and our strawberry plants came through such winters without being covered.

Maybe you have a neighbor who has had experience with covering/not covering strawberries in your neck-of-the woods. Your local Extention Agent should know the answer.

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gardadore Saylorsburg, PA(Zone 6a) Nov 07, 2009

I've used pine needles in the past but now prefer straw, especially straw from bales that have broken down from my strawbale gardening. If you use leaves then just make sure you either apply them chopped up fine or remove them early enough in the spring for the plants to leaf out again since the leaves will form a mat. If you can't get straw what about pine needles?

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HoneybeeNC Charlotte, NC(Zone 7b) Nov 09, 2009

I never thought of pine needles - yes they would be perfect! Strawberries prefer a slightly acid soil, so pine needles would contribute this as they break down.

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michelle1982 Warwick, RI Apr 17, 2010

I live in Rhode Island and winters get pretty bad not to mention the great flood this year I planted 4 plants last summer never got anything thought they died so I never covered them for the winter and this spring I was pulling them out of the side yard I now have a lot of them.So it is what ever you choose. A friend told me to put a thin layer of straw under the leaves as they sprout so once it fruits strawberries wont rot from bottom from sitting in the dirt

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