Bare root strawberries

[MikeB]

Hi all
New to all this and have just received 36 bare root strawberry plants. Question is do I plant them out in the plot now or would it be best to put them in individual pots and bring on in the greenhouse planting out in March.
What do you think?
Thanks
Mike

[Aberdeenplotter]

Hi and welcome to the vine. No idea which part of the country you are in but you can add that somewhere. I'd give them a good soak and then plant in pots in the greenhouse. Strawberries are quite hardy so I wouldn't be hard and fast about March for planting out, Keep your eye on the weather forecast once they have settled in to their pots and in the nicer days set them outside to harden off and if a prolonged mild spell is forecast, plant them out. I'm doing the exact same thing with overwintering onion sets. I was late in getting them so they got set off in the greenhouse and will be planted out in the first available window

[Snadger]

I have just ordered a dozen bare rooted strawberries for my new plot so will be interested in replies to this thread.

Luckily, I already have a bed prepared that had sweetcorn in it last year and I am able to cover bed with a sheet of glass if need be.. I was planning on planting mine straight away.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Snadge, we're subject to some prolonged severe wintry weather up here which is where my advice was coming from so I guess location is key to the question/answer

[MikeB]

I am on the south coast close to Portsmouth. So weather is normally pretty mild. Dont see any of that white stuff very often.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Mike and welcome
Are they all the same variety?
I bought some last year - 3 different varieties. Potted them up in modules in the greenhouse, until they showed signs of life then planted out most of them. I kept 6 of the earliest variety and grew them on in a planter in the GH for a few early strawberries.

[Snadger]

Snadge, we're subject to some prolonged severe wintry weather up here which is where my advice was coming from so I guess location is key to the question/answer

Its only because I am able to cover with a double glazed window pane that I would dream of planting straight away.The wind alone would batter and dry out the plants anyway. In a glorified cold frame I am hoping they will be ok until it warms up a bit.

[Snadger]

Hi Mike and welcome
Are they all the same variety?
I bought some last year - 3 different varieties. Potted them up in modules in the greenhouse, until they showed signs of life then planted out most of them. I kept 6 of the earliest variety and grew them on in a planter in the GH for a few early strawberries.

You must have went for the same offer I have ordered. Earlies mid and late fruiting varieties. Can't remember whether I ordered 12 or 15 mixed plants. Were yours separated into the three varieties or just in a bunch VC?

I was going to bring some from my old plot but they never did well and were probably virused.

[veggiechicken]

They were in 3 bundles, Snadge. May have had a few bonus ones in there too. Can't remember the varieties now.

[MikeB]

You must have went for the same offer I have ordered. Earlies mid and late fruiting varieties. Can't remember whether I ordered 12 or 15 mixed plants. Were yours separated into the three varieties or just in a bunch VC?

I was going to bring some from my old plot but they never did well and were probably virused.

Hi
Came as 3 separate packs in one box. Look really nice plants. 12 of each. Early mid and late. Was an offer from t and m. Am going to plant in 3 inch pots and keep in cold frame just to get them settled. Once Feb out the way its normally milder down here so will get them in the plot then.

[4Shoes]

I bought a pack 1 year past - October 2017 Planted in 3 beds. They initially looked ok, but the wet spring took about a 1/3rd of them.

Honeoye
Cambridge Favourite
Florence

Starting again, I'd start them off in pots and plant out in the spring.

[MikeB]

I bought a pack 1 year past - October 2017 Planted in 3 beds. They initially looked on, but the wet spring took about a 1/3rd of them.

Honeoye
Cambridge Favourite
Florence

Starting again, I'd start them off in pots and plant out in the spring.

Thanks for that. That's exactly what I feared and why I was thinking of starting in pots.

[burnie]

Cold store plants not usually delivered until March, pots in a greenhouse for me, I sank mine in the border soil too to protect the roots from freezing.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

The first bare rooted strawberries I bought, a good few years back now (Cambridge Favourite) I soaked overnight in teped water to rehighdrate, then potted them on individually in 3 inch pots with a little Blood Fish n bone sprinkled into the potting mix and kept them in the frost free potting shed till they started showing signs of life, nurtured, all 15 made it, then planted them out into the well prepared bed I had already done in early April.

The said same plants I have taken and rooted the runners from for the last 10 years and are still doing me proud

Although the are delicious, I have been, and thinking of having a change for the last few years for "Mara Des Bois" as I have read so many raves and reviews about these things!

[Snadger]

I have some beds which I can cover with glass. The beds are roughly 5 foot X 4 foot. I am thinking maybe five bare rooted strawberry plants per bed? I have 15 plants coming but will probably only plant 10 in two beds and pot up the third batch of five. They are earlies, mids and lates so I think the lates will b the ones I pot up.