How to winter over potted Strawberry plants.

If you have a corner by stairs or open under your stairs, put them somewhere where they will be a little sheltered and cover them up real well with leaves or something. The reason they don't come back is the pots totally freeze all the soil for the whole winter, where as the ones in the soil don't get it as bad. I overwinter my potted strawberries in there pots under the lilacs across the driveway against my neighbors house (I do have permission). I don't cover them or anything, but usually only loose the oldest ones that probably were worn out and at the end of there life anyway. I don't think that it gets quite as cold here in SE Minnesota as you do, but we get pretty cold. They get totally covered by snow from the snow blower and that may help insulate them some too.

Your plants are beautiful! Move indoors and use grow lights during the winter months, water as you normally do. I did this with geraniums for years and had good luck. Blooming flowers brighten the cold winter months.

Hello Richard, Your plants look great. I would plant them in your garden among your other strawberry plants. That is where they have the best chance of survival. I hope this helps you. Good luck.

You have beautiful plants, but they won't make it through the winter as they are. The safest way is to plant them inside and use grow lights, or to plant them with your other plants in the soil. You can overwinter them in the pots by first taking each pot and placing it in a protected area (such as a garage). Water the plants sparingly, allowing excess water to drain off. We put our plants up off of the floor by using a bale of hay/straw to prevent the pot's soil from freezing from the bottom up. We cut an approximate hole the size of the pot and push the pot down further into the straw bales, trying to get the top of the pot below the level of the straw. Depending on the temperature, you can cover the top lightly with burlap or a layer of the straw, adding it or removing it based on the temperature. This method does use a lot of attention but it works for us...and we have spent hundreds of dollars replacing our everbearing fruit...so it has been worthwhile. BTW, check your plants every now and then to be sure there are no mice. You don't want to use plastic so as to prevent moisture which can also freeze the plant.

I leave mine outside in an area that is protected somewhat, but they still get covered with snow to help insolate them from extremes. I don't do anything else, they need the rest for the winter and if they are brought inside for the winter they would not get the rest they need. If you want to bring them inside in spring to get an early start at growing for the season you can, but they will need light once they start coming back, perhaps a grow light. I hope this helps, I have done it this way for 17 years and have most come back. They only produce for a few seasons really well and they get too old or die, so I expect some to not come back each year.