T
hinking about adding some new strawberry plants to the garden next spring? Get ahead with a fall planting instead! Planting strawberries in fall allows for plants to become fully established sooner and gives close to, if not full, fruit production the following spring. Most strawberry cultivars can do well with this system, but planting them sooner rather than later is better to give them adequate establishment time. Preparations are essentially the same as spring plantings, however, plants must have adequate straw covering for winter. While many Iowa home-grown strawberry lovers cover their strawberry beds already, it is essential for a fall planting to succeed. The other area of concern is the plants may need some watering in fall but avoid excess fertilizer until spring warm up. Too much fertilizer in the fall can cause some perennials to not adequately adjust for cooler temperatures.
For more information on growing strawberries at home in general, please consult this publication: Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden
Currently, at Iowa State, we are planting a few different strawberry cultivars at different timings throughout the fall to observe cold damage and the ability of the plants to overwinter successfully. We are hoping to provide more insight into Iowa fall strawberry plantings in the near future!
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