Transplanting strawberry plants is a great way to keep your strawberry patch healthy and productive for years to come. As a perennial fruit strawberries will continue producing year after year if properly maintained. An important maintenance task is periodically transplanting strawberries to prevent overcrowding and refresh the patch with new runner plants. This helps maximize fruit yields over time. But when’s the best time to transplant strawberries – spring or fall?
Why Transplant Strawberries
Strawberries naturally propagate by sending out runners that form daughter plants. Left unchecked, a strawberry bed can quickly become choked with plants competing for light, nutrients and space. This leads to more disease problems and smaller yields.
Transplanting runner plants to new beds helps
- Prevent overcrowding and improve airflow
- Rejuvenate older plants that are declining in productivity
- Expand your strawberry patch into new garden areas
- Share healthy plants with gardening friends and neighbors
Typically, strawberries are transplanted in early spring or late summer/early fall when temperatures are cooler. Extreme heat can shock and stress transplants, so the moderate temperatures of spring and fall allow for better transplant success.
Is Fall a Good Time to Transplant Strawberries?
While spring is generally preferred, fall can also be a viable transplanting time for strawberries. Potential benefits of fall transplanting include:
- Avoiding damage to emerging spring growth from late frosts
- Getting a head start on root establishment before next year’s growing season
- Opening up space in current beds by removing some plants in fall
The main drawback is that plants have a shorter time to grow roots before going dormant for winter Careful timing and preparation are key for the best results
When to Transplant Strawberries in Fall
To successfully transplant strawberries in fall, timing is critical. Here are some key factors to consider:
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First frost date – Transplant at least 6-8 weeks before your average first fall frost to allow enough time for root establishment.
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Plant health – Select only healthy, vigorous runner plants to transplant. Avoid diseased or stressed plants.
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Soil temperature – Transplant when soil temp is below 70°F, generally September/October depending on your climate.
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Day length – Transplant early enough so shortening fall daylight doesn’t limit growth.
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Plant age – Prioritize young runner plants over older mother plants that don’t transplant as well.
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Regional climate – Adjust timing appropriately for your local growing conditions and weather patterns.
How to Transplant Strawberries in the Fall
Follow this step-by-step guide for successfully transplanting strawberries in fall:
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Start by selecting only healthy, non-flowering runner plants to transplant. Avoid stressed or diseased plants.
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Prepare transplant beds in advance by mixing in compost and balanced fertilizer to enrich the soil. Space plants 12-15 inches apart in rows.
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Water plants very well 1-2 days prior to digging them up. Dig carefully to keep the roots intact.
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Transplant in the evening or on a cloudy day to reduce transplant shock. Replant at the same depth as before.
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Water transplants daily the first week, then weekly if rainfall is insufficient. Proper watering is critical for establishment.
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After transplanting, apply 2-3 inches of mulch to insulate plants if freezing weather occurs. Keep the crown exposed.
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Remove any flowers or runners the transplants produce to direct all energy into root growth.
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In zones with very cold winters, temporarily cover beds with row cover fabric for added protection. Remove covers in spring after final frost.
Caring for Fall Transplanted Strawberry Plants
To help fall transplants successfully overwinter:
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Continue watering regularly until the ground freezes. Aim for 1-2 inches of water per week.
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Fertilize again with a balanced fertilizer 4-6 weeks after transplanting to encourage good root development before dormancy.
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Monitor for pests like slugs that can damage young plants. Control pests as needed.
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Insulate plants by covering beds with straw or evergreen branches when hard freezes begin.
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Check for frost heaving and replant any plants that get pushed up.
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Remove mulch in spring after frost danger has passed.
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Resume regular watering and fertilizing as plants come out of dormancy and initiate new spring growth.
What to Expect After Fall Transplanting
With proper timing and care, fall-transplanted strawberry plants can become well established before going dormant for winter. However, due to the abbreviated rooting window compared to spring, you may observe:
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Higher overwintering losses, especially in cold climates
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Smaller, less robust plants emerging in spring vs. spring transplants
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Potential dip in flower and fruit production the first spring after transplanting
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Healthy runner plant development beginning the second year after transplanting
So have patience! Although yields may suffer the first spring, your fall-transplanted strawberries can recover and thrive in subsequent seasons once their root systems mature.
The Key to Success – Water, Water, Water!
More than any other care factor, providing consistent and sufficient water is absolutely vital to the success of fall strawberry transplants. Adequate moisture allows young feeder roots to grow and strengthen before plants go dormant. Drip irrigation is ideal to ensure uniform soil moisture.
Avoid fall transplanting altogether if you are unable to commit to diligent watering through plant establishment. Also take extra precautions with fall transplanting if your winters will be unusually cold or dry.
Should You Transplant Strawberries in the Fall?
While spring remains the best time for transplanting strawberries, fall transplanting can also work well when done properly. If circumstances necessitate that you transplant in fall, focus on selecting only the healthiest runners and amending soil before planting. Above all, be prepared to diligently water transplants through the fall and winter months to promote vigorous rooting before dormancy. With a little extra care, your fall-transplanted strawberry plants can flourish and bear delicious fruits for years to come!
Year 3: Three Producing Beds, Another Transplanting Strawberries Session
Bed 1 is now in its third production year. It is likely that these old plants will begin losing their productive capability soon. Beds 2 and 3 should also provide ample harvests. In the fall, transplanting strawberries occurs again. Following the same pattern, runner plants from bed 3 are transplanted into bed 4 in the fall. Also in the fall of year 3 after the strawberry plants in bed 1 have completely finished producing strawberries, they should all be removed. After removing, the renewal process should begin and continue into year 4.
How to Transplant Strawberry Plants
It is important to know how to transplant strawberry plants correctly so that they aren’t unnecessarily damaged and the stress to the transplant plants is minimized.
To transplant:
- Prepare your new location first. Make sure it is hospitable, sunny, rich, sandy loam, well-drained with slightly acidic soil, generally well-suited for strawberry plants, and historically acceptable (see the Growing Strawberries page linked above for more on the best growing conditions and soil-history concerns).
- Select the strawberry plants you will be transplanting. Generally, it is best to transplant established, young runner plants that are only a few months old. Choose only strawberry plants that look healthy, and remove any flower buds, damaged or discolored leaves, and runners prior to transplanting.
- Obtain a substance or material that will hold moisture. Sphagnum or peat moss is probably best, but something as simple as wet paper towels is usually sufficient. It is very important to keep the roots of your transplant strawberries moist during the transplanting process.
- Dig up your selected and prepared runner plants (or other strawberry plants). Take care to remove as much of the strawberry plant’s roots as possible from the ground (so that most of the roots are attached to the plant). Once free of the ground, cover or wrap the roots with your moistened peat moss (or other selected moistener).
- Transplant strawberries to your new, prepared strawberry bed. Do not dig up all the selected strawberry plants at one time and then try to plant them all at one time. Transplant one strawberry plant at a time. After each plant is in the ground at its new location, water it thoroughly before transplanting the next selected strawberry plant. This minimizes stress and increases the probability of success. Waiting until all the plants are transplanted before watering all the transplants simultaneously with a sprinkler or other apparatus may cause unnecessary plant loss.
To maintain the vigor and production of your strawberry plants, you may want to utilize a strawberry transplanting system. By transplanting strawberry plants to new strawberry beds each year, you can maintain three (or more) vigorous, well-producing beds. The steps below can be modified to allow the strawberry plants to fruit for additional years or fewer years as desired. By not transplanting each year, you can maintain the cycle with fewer strawberry beds.
Easily Transplanting/Moving & Fertilizing Strawberry Plants Late Fall: Just Dig Them Up & Move Them
FAQ
Can I dig up my strawberry plants and replant them?
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Dig Carefully:Gently dig around the strawberry plant, ensuring you get as many roots as possible without damaging them.
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Prepare the New Location:Prepare the new planting area by loosening the soil and adding compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and fertility.
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Replant:Plant the strawberry crowns (where the stems meet the roots) at the soil surface, not too deeply.
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Water Thoroughly:Water the newly planted strawberries well to help them establish roots.
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Mulch:Apply a layer of mulch around the plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
When can you transplant strawberries in the fall?
When several hard freezes in the low 30s to upper 20s occur, mulch your strawberry plants. Fluff up your straw and cover your plants 3 to 6 inches deep. Daylight hours are rapidly diminishing, so if you decide to transplant strawberry plants this fall, do it now.
Can you leave strawberries in the ground over winter?
In mild areas, strawberries may be able to overwinter without extra protection, but the plants will be healthier and fruit better if you prepare them for the winter season ahead.
Should you transplant strawberries in the fall?
As a perennial fruit, strawberry plants will return and produce fruit year after year when cared for properly. An important part of caring for strawberries is knowing when to transplant them to maintain healthy, productive plants. With a little planning and preparation, transplanting strawberries in the fall can be a viable option.
Can You transplant a strawberry plant at a time?
Do not dig up all the selected strawberry plants at one time and then try to plant them all at one time. Transplant one strawberry plant at a time. After each plant is in the ground at its new location, water it thoroughly before transplanting the next selected strawberry plant.
Should you plant fall strawberry plants?
This helps the plants establish more quickly than bareroot plants and helps minimize the number of plants that die (more plugs survive than do shipped and planted bareroot plants). Hopefully, those strawberry gardeners with an inclination toward planning will realize the benefits of planting fall strawberry plants.
Can I transplant a strawberry plant in winter?
Avoid transplanting new strawberry plants during winter. There is little to no plant growth during the season because of the low temperatures and lack of sunlight which slows the growth. This results in low photosynthesis and development rates, which would inhibit the growth.
Can you buy strawberry plants in the fall?
It is harder to find strawberry plants for sale in the fall months simply due to supply and demand. Demand is much less, so supply is much less. This post is for those people looking to plant strawberry plants in the fall so that they can reap a healthy harvest of strawberries during the gardening season the following spring/summer.
Do strawberries grow in the fall?
Planting strawberries in the fall allow the root system to establish itself over the fall months, prior to going dormant in the winter. This gives you a head start come spring, as your strawberry plant will be fully-rooted and more mature. When is the best time to transplant strawberries?