If you’re growing strawberries, a sudden cold snap can be a real worry. You might be asking yourself, can strawberry plants survive frost? The short answer is yes, but it depends on the severity of the frost and the stage of growth. With some preparation and the right plant choices, you can protect your berry patch and ensure a good harvest.
This guide gives you practical steps to shield your plants and introduces you to tougher varieties that handle the cold better. Let’s get started.
Frost-Resistant Strawberry Varieties
Your first line of defense against cold is choosing a hardy plant. While no strawberry loves a deep freeze, some are bred to withstand colder temperatures and bounce back quicker in spring. These are often called “June-bearing” types, as they have a single, heavy crop period.
Top Picks for Cold Climates
- Sparkle: A classic, reliable variety known for its excellent flavor and good tolerance to winter cold and late frosts.
- Jewel: Produces large, firm berries and shows very good winter hardiness when properly mulched.
- Allstar: As the name suggests, this is a consistent performer with good disease resistance and solid cold tolerance.
- Honeoye: An early-season berry that is notably vigorous and hardy, often recommended for northern gardeners.
- Cabot: Developed in Canada, this variety is specifically bred for extreme cold resistance and has a great flavor too.
Understanding Plant Hardiness
It’s crucial to check your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. Most strawberry varieties are perennial in zones 5-8. The varieties listed above can often suvive in zone 4 with protection. Always buy plants from a reputable nursery that specifies the zones they are suited for.
How Frost and Freeze Damage Strawberries
To protect your plants, it helps to know what your dealing with. Frost and freeze events cause damage in a couple key ways.
Damage to Blossoms and Fruit
The most critical time for protection is in spring when the plants are flowering. Open blossoms can be killed at temperatures just below 32°F (0°C). A damaged blossom will produce no fruit, or a malformed “cat-faced” berry. Small green fruit are slightly hardier but can still be damaged by a hard freeze.
Damage to Crowns and Foliage
In late fall or winter, without a protective snow or mulch layer, extreme cold can damage the plant’s crown—the short stem at the base of the leaves. A damaged crown may not send up new leaves in spring. Foliage will blacken and die back in freezing temps, which is normal, but the crown must survive.
Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Plants
Proactive care is the best strategy. Here’s what to do before, during, and after a frost event.
Fall Preparation for Winter
- Weed and Clean: In late fall, remove any weeds and old, diseased leaves from around your plants. This reduces places for pests to overwinter.
- Water Deeply: Give your plants a thorough watering before the ground freezes. Well-hydrated plants handle winter stress much better.
- Apply Winter Mulch: This is the most important step. Do not mulch too early! Wait until after the first few hard frosts, when the soil is cold and plants are dormant (usually late November or December). Apply 3-4 inches of loose, weed-free straw, pine needles, or shredded leaves over the plants.
Spring Frost Protection Tactics
Spring is a tricky time because the plants are no longer dormant but frosts are still possible. Your winter mulch should be gradually raked off the plants in early spring as new growth begins, but keep it piled nearby.
- Monitor Forecasts: Pay close attention to nighttime lows when plants are flowering.
- Re-cover Plants: If a frost is predicted, gently pull the saved straw mulch back over the plants to keep the warmth of the soil in. Remove it the next morning.
- Use Row Covers: Floating row covers (frost cloth) are excellent. Drape them over your strawberry bed before nightfall. They can provide 2-8°F of protection. Anchor the edges with soil or stones.
- Water the Soil: Wet soil holds heat better than dry soil. Watering the garden bed during the afternoon before an expected frost can help.
What NOT to Use for Frost Protection
- Avoid using plastic sheeting directly on plants without support, as it can transfer cold to the leaves and trap moisture.
- Don’t use heavy materials like whole leaves or grass clippings that can mat down and smother the plants.
Assessing and Managing Frost Damage
If you suspect damage, don’t panic. Wait until the temperature rises and the sun has been up for a few hours to assess.
Check the Blossoms
Gently touch the center of a flower. If it’s black or dark brown, it is damaged and won’t produce fruit. You can carefully pick these off to encourage the plant to put energy into remaining healthy flowers.
Check the Crown
For winter damage, wait until spring growth should be starting. Scatch a tiny bit of bark from the crown with your fingernail. If it’s green underneath, the plant is still alive. If it’s brown or dry, the crown may be dead.
Long-Term Strategies for a Healthy Patch
A few good gardening practices will build your strawberry plants overall resilience.
Site Selection and Soil
Plant strawberries in full sun in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Raised beds can help with drainage and warm up faster in spring, but they can also freeze quicker in winter—so mulching is extra important.
Annual Renovation
For June-bearing beds, renovate them right after harvest. Mow or shear the foliage, thin out old plants, and fertilize. This promotes vigorous new growth that will be hardier going into winter. A healthy plant is always a tougher plant.
FAQ: Strawberry Plants and Cold Weather
At what temperature do strawberry plants freeze?
Open flowers are damaged at 30°F (-1°C). The growing point in the crown can be killed when temperatures in the crown drop below 15°F (-9°C), especially without mulch.
Can I use blankets to cover strawberries from frost?
Yes! Old blankets, sheets, or burlap sacks make a great temporary cover. Just make sure to remove them once the temperature rises above freezing the next day.
Should I cut back strawberry plants before winter?
No, do not cut back leaves in fall. The foliage helps protect the crown and will die back naturally. Remove dead leaves in spring during cleanup instead.
How do I protect potted strawberry plants from frost?
Potted plants are more vulnerable. Move them to an unheated garage, shed, or against a sheltered house wall. You can also bury the pot in the ground and mulch over it, or wrap the pot in bubble wrap and mulch the top.
Will a light frost hurt strawberry plants?
A light frost (above 28°F) may nip the leaves but usually spares the crowns and unopened buds. It’s the hard freezes that cause the most significant damage, especially to open blossoms in spring.
Growing strawberries in areas with frost is completely manageable. By selecting Frost-resistant strawberry varieties and being ready with your mulch and row covers, you can significantly reduce the risk. Pay attention to the weather, understand your plants’ vulnerabilities, and take action when needed. With these practices, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a sweet, homegrown harvest year after year.