It isn’t too late to order your fall strawberry plants, but time is dwindling. If you want to harvest nice, juicy, plump strawberries the first spring after planting, September is when you should plant. Sure, gardening isn’t on most people’s minds as the weather cools and football games are in full swing. But, a little planning now goes a long way toward enjoying a bountiful harvest next spring.
There are several strawberry suppliers who offer fall-shipped strawberry plants. And, as you might expect, StrawberryPlants.org has a directory of them. To order strawberry plants for fall planting and 1st-spring harvest, simply see this page (for more details, too): Fall Strawberry Plants.
I planted strawberry plants this last spring. They are Ozark Beauties which are ever-bearing, but also send out runners like June-bearing, and can be grown in the matted-row system. I have set up beds to do the 4-year rotation/transplant method.
I haven’t done anything yet to prepare them for over-wintering. Should I go ahead and thin them out (5-6 per sq. foot) now and cut them short, or do I wait for it to get cooler?
Guy,
You can go ahead and take appropriate steps to care for your strawberry plants. The Growing Strawberries reference page will help you with the details, and the Monthly Growing Strawberries Guide will provide a general overview. Good luck!