What to do with your strawberry plants after the season is done?
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They are perennials. They will overwinter OK even here in New England including the cold spell last winter. Some people put straw over them as frost protection but that usually just attracts firld mice.
I have been growing strawberries for many years. After fruiting the plants will start to send out "runners" that develop into new strawberry plants. To keep my strawberries growing strong and healthy I side-dress with composted manure and keep the beds weeded. Once a year I also sprinkle a few handfuls of bone meal over the bed. My strawberry bed has produced well for the past 8 years, and even produced enough berries and plants to give away to friends.
trim them toss out the mother plant,wrap up the other strawberries place in a freezer
i just leave them in the ground if they are in your garden. If they are in pots, you can bring them inside or store them somewhere. I dont know if the plants in pots will come back next year though. I know for sure the ones in a garden will come back next year and perhaps you will have more strawberry plants too.
Just let them be. They know what to do. :-) The plants that gave you berries this year will send out runners with a new little baby plant at the end, which will root itself into the soil a foot or so away from mom. This new baby plant will give you berries next season, so don't disturb it. Some people will remove the mother plant, which will no longer produce berries next year, but I don't bother...too much work. Maybe someday I will try it and see what happens.
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