Vertical Strawberries in zone 4

We saw some strawberries growing in pouches on HSN a while ago and I've been thinking about it ever since. I'm wondering about growing some in a vertical grower but am curious about what to do with them in the winter time. The guy on HSN said that he just lays the pouches flat on the ground in the winter time so that they are insulated by the snow-though I don't know what zone he's in. I'm in zone 4 so it gets a little tricky overwintering things at times-especially in containers. Could I take the "tower" apart and lay them in the garden with straw over them to protect the strawberries over the winter or am I wishfully thinking that I can have a container strawberry garden in my zone? If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. I'm also wondering if anyone has a favorite everbearing variety that they're growing in a tower.
Thanks!
Deb

DMurray, IMHO if you plan to grow Everbearing strawberries in vertical stackers, you must plan to give them a winter resting place. If it is near the house where you can remember to see that it doesn't completely dry out, dig a deep trench and cover with lots of mulch it should overwinter nicely.
Another tip: If you go to a nursery and buy last years plants, they will be able to bear for you this year. {look in the little pots they come in. Sometimes you get more than one in a pot.} Devota

Thank you, Devota. Overwintering container grown plants is always a challenge here-in fact I don't usually even try. I would really like to give strawberries a try, though-it just might take some experimentation to get it right.

If you have perenial plants that come back after a rough winter, I think it might be okay for the strawberries. One reason to mulch heavily is that you don't want a late winter or early spring thaw to wake up the sleeping plants and then kill them. I hope you try it there and let us know how it works for you...BUT cheer up, spring is on the way. We will talk of winter later on, huh? Devota

Ha! Winter is back with a vengance-it is snowing heavily out as I write this. They said on the news last night that last year on this date we got 8". I must have blocked that from my memory because I don't remember-one snowstorm kind of blends in to next. If I remembered them all in detail, I don't think I could live here!. At least this time of year it usually only sticks around for a day or two . . . .

I see there is a coop in the works for some stackers-I was kind of looking at the self watering ones on Bob's site, but if the price is right I guess I can just hook up a drip line to them.

"If you have perenial plants that come back after a rough winter, I think it might be okay for the strawberries. One reason to mulch heavily is that you don't want a late winter or early spring thaw to wake up the sleeping plants "

My perennials do well here (most of the time . . . ) That's the nice thing about this growing system-it would be easier to cover them in the stackers than an entire garden bed. I'm definitely going to give it a try this year!

One thing you have there that should help later on...longer days. I lived in Alaska when I was a kid. People who gardened there loved the long days. Plants really responded to it. I remember the feeling that spring would never come aqnd then Boom, there it was. Here spring teases with warm cool warm cool, in Alaska, when Spring came it was for real! Hang in there. Your spring will come too. One thing, if you can get year old "day neutral" strawberries they will be desease resistant and sturdy. I have one stack with a day neutral: Tri Star. I won't get any berries this year because this is their first year and you have to pinch off the blooms to encourage strong growth in the plants. AAraragh!!
BUT I have a bunch of second year plants, [bought from a local nursery,] that will produce for me this year so I don't have to whine about it. LOL

I'll have to look around for year old plants. Most of the nurseries around here try to sell of much of their stock in the fall so that they don't have to worry about carrying it over the winter months. A few of the larger ciy ones might have some-I'll get around to look as soon as the weather warms up a bit.

Good boy? girl? D in TN