Yesterday we spent the day covering Strawberries with row covers to protect them from the cold weather that’s coming. This time of year, we cover the strawberry plants to protect the “crown” of the plant. The crown is where all of the new growth comes from in the Spring. In the Springtime, the row covers protect the flowers from frost. We have single digit weather coming Monday a.m. and Tuesday a.m. that’s much too cold for the crowns without protection. We have covered with fabric that is 1.5 oz per yard (about the thickness of a T-shirt). This layer of protection will give us about 10 degrees increase in temperature as it traps the heat in the ground from escaping. We’ll keep them covered until March, then we will uncover and remove all of the dead foliage that grew this Fall. Once the dead foliage is removed, then the crowns will be ready to grow. We hope to begin picking at the beginning of May. Prayers for a dry Strawberry season!
