I love walking over to my strawberry bed in early summer to pick ripe berries to snack on. Then on the coldest days of winter, I dream about how good those homegrown strawberries are. I also think about how glad I am that I took the time to winterize my strawberry bed so there’ll be more berries next summer.

Why Winterize Strawberry Plants

Strawberries are generally considered hardy enough to grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. But the crown of the strawberry plant can die if temperatures dip below 20 degrees and they haven’t been protected. If you live where it’s that cold, take extra steps to winterize your strawberries.

Another reason to winterize strawberries: Alternate periods of freezing and thawing can cause strawberry plant roots to heave out of the ground and dry out.

When To Winterize Strawberry Plants

There’s no need to rush to do this before late fall. Give your strawberry plants a chance to acclimate to the cold weather. They’ll stop growing and be fine even as temperatures dip below freezing.

We don’t take the final steps of preparing strawberry plants for winter until November for the coldest zones and into December for USDA Zone 6. Get to know the difference between mock and wild strawberry plants.