I live in zone 6...northern Mass. In late fall I piled about 3 inches
of hay on top of my everbearing strawberries...1st years.

We have been having some warm days and I started to notice new growth
so I removed the hay and started airating the soil. They get about 8
hrs of late morning/afternoon sun. I figured that if they were left
covered and the weather was warm they would either rot under the damp
hay or it would become a great breeding ground for fungus and other
insects.

However now I'm wondering if mid-April was way to early to uncover
them and if I just should have parted the hay around the plants during
the day and cover them back up at night. Since this is my first
Spring with them I'm sort of learning as I go. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated.

On 14 Apr 2003 09:47:16 -0700, (seepnezorf)
wrote:

I live in zone 6...northern Mass. In late fall I piled about 3 inches
of hay on top of my everbearing strawberries...1st years.

We have been having some warm days and I started to notice new growth
so I removed the hay and started airating the soil. They get about 8
hrs of late morning/afternoon sun. I figured that if they were left
covered and the weather was warm they would either rot under the damp
hay or it would become a great breeding ground for fungus and other
insects.

However now I'm wondering if mid-April was way to early to uncover
them and if I just should have parted the hay around the plants during
the day and cover them back up at night. Since this is my first
Spring with them I'm sort of learning as I go. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated.

I think you'll be okay . . . here in Maine, mine stay uncovered all
winter and they don't seem to mind.

They should be fine. They're quite cold tolerant. I'm in zone 5b and
mine just have wood chips around them. They're up and growing, but
being pruned by the bunnies.

REgards, Dianna


_______________________________________________
To reply, please remove "fluff" from my address.

It sounds like your instincts were correct. They should be fine, even if
you get a bit more cold weather.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"seepnezorf" wrote in message
om...
I live in zone 6...northern Mass. In late fall I piled about 3 inches
of hay on top of my everbearing strawberries...1st years.

We have been having some warm days and I started to notice new growth
so I removed the hay and started airating the soil. They get about 8
hrs of late morning/afternoon sun. I figured that if they were left
covered and the weather was warm they would either rot under the damp
hay or it would become a great breeding ground for fungus and other
insects.

However now I'm wondering if mid-April was way to early to uncover
them and if I just should have parted the hay around the plants during
the day and cover them back up at night. Since this is my first
Spring with them I'm sort of learning as I go. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated.

In article ,
(seepnezorf) writes:
| I live in zone 6...northern Mass. In late fall I piled about 3 inches
| of hay on top of my everbearing strawberries...1st years.
|
| We have been having some warm days and I started to notice new growth
| so I removed the hay and started airating the soil. They get about 8
| hrs of late morning/afternoon sun. I figured that if they were left
| covered and the weather was warm they would either rot under the damp
| hay or it would become a great breeding ground for fungus and other
| insects.

The main point in covering them is to get an earlier crop.

Modern garden strawberries are a cross between Fragaria vesca and
some North American species. I can't tell you how hardy the latter
are, but the former grows right up to the Arctic.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.