Overwintering containerised strawberries

[bazzaboy]

This year I managed to get a reasonably good crop of strawberries through “containerising” the usual bed into plastic mini-troughs… range of varieties, more precise watering, feeding, location etc and even rotating some through the greenhouse for an earlier crop. But whereas I used to leave the bed to fend for itself over winter, now I don’t know what to do for the best – a cold spell may be essential for strawberries but I imagine containers and roots frozen solid may be a bit too severe? Searches on the Internet have produced a bewildering range of (sometimes contradictory) suggestions some of which are listed below…. What would you suggest (latitude north Notts, UK)? Many thanks… b.

Suggestions to date include:
1. Replant as a bed and repeat the containerisation next spring?
2. Sink pots/troughs into a spare patch or raised bed and cover with straw, grass clippings or leaves?
3. Place pots/troughs in garage, or unheated greenhouse, or coldframe or at foot of brick wall (to reduce wind-chill) but don't cover?
4. Some suggest removing all foliage, some suggest removing foliage as it dies back (one chap suggested running the lawn mower over ‘em) and then covering with fleece?
5. Do nothing and get next year’s strawberries from Tescos? bm bm!

[WrexTheDragon]

Mine stay out side all winter.

[FB.]

Mine stay outside in barrels on the patio, with no protection. They didn't have any problems during last years cold winter.

[rustylady]

As long as they're not too wet they won't come to any harm from the cold.

[BFG]

Strawberries are extremely tough in my experience.

Apart from a sacrificial/wildlife patch, I grow all mine in containers or hanging baskets and don't do anything apart from watering them if they've dried out and a feed once or twice a year if I remember/bother.

[Alison]

Always leave mine outside, even the ones in tubs and they're fine.

[Mrs Jackson]

There are some strawberry plants at my Mum's house that live in a couple of troughs with no drainage holes in. She never remembers/bothers to empty the water out of them so most winters they fill up with water (to about an inch over the top of the soil) and only get emptied out every couple of weeks when someone else spots them and decides to rescue them. They always come back to life and have been going for about 4 years now. Admittedly the crop isn't so great any more, but they don't appear to suffer terribly from wet/cold. The strawberry plants at my house are all in pots or hanging baskets and quite a few of them have been killed off during summer through forgetting to water them, but they've never had any problems getting through winter. So to be honest I'd just do whatever's easiest for you, they seem pretty hardy!

Mrs J

[bazzaboy]

oh great, thank you everyone, I'll take your advice and do, er, not a lot! It's so good when the BEST solution is also the EASIEST! Happy days... b.