Strawberries have yellow leaves in winter: discover below the cause and the solutions that can help you save the plants and get rich harvests later!
Strawberries have yellow leaves in winter: pay attention to the temperature
Too much heat or cold can cause strawberries to develop yellow leaves. You should consider bringing your strawberries indoors if it gets too hot or too cool. Many gardeners treatStrawberries often grow as annual plants, even though they are actually perennial. In Germany, these plants are hardy down to -10 degrees. However, you can still protect them from frost so that their roots are not damaged. If the temperature is very low, the strawberry plant may die and develop yellow leaves. You can cover your strawberries if you haven't already.
Why should you mulch strawberries?
Strawberries would not survive without any winter protection. If left uncovered, frosts and low temperatures can damage the flower buds, which do not open until summer. We shouldn't rely on snow to cover plants every year because it serves partly as an insulator. To protect the strawberry buds from the cold, it is enough to cover the plants with a few centimeters of mulch over the winter.
If you never cover your strawberry plants in the winter and they do fine, then you should consider the following:
Either you didn't notice that your plants were being damaged, or you blamed something else for the decline in fruit production. Strawberries damaged by winter have yellow leaves and do not die completely, but their canopy is thinner and they bear less fruit.
Also read:Sawdust & bark mulch in winter as frost protection and long-term fertilizer for your plants
Apply mulch
Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch to your strawberry crops before snow falls and when daytime temperatures are below freezing for at least three consecutive days. When the strawberry plants have finished blooming, you can apply mulch.
Which mulch is suitable?
Shredded leaves and straw are both acceptable options. Most people choose to cover their strawberries with straw mulch. Straw is sold at hardware stores and garden centers.
If you want to use leaves, shred them with a lawn mower first to prepare them for use. The leaves provide a good environment for beneficial insects such as butterflies to overwinter. Spread the fully mulched leaves – you need a layer of about 5 centimeters.
Also interesting:The wonderful effects of strawberry leaves and how you can use them
Overwinter strawberries in pots to avoid yellow leaves and frost damage
If left outdoors all winter, potted strawberry plants are likely to suffer significant damage, if not outright destruction. One option is to store the container in a detached, cold garage. Alternatively, you can take the strawberry plants out of the ground in the fall, get a pot, bring it indoors over the winter and then plant these plants in the spring. Also, be sure to move strawberries planted in containers to a cool, shady location or insulate them to prevent leaf problems.
You can find other causes of yellow leavesin this article!
Cover photo: ULD altmedia/Shutterstock
