One of the biggest questions I get asked in the fall when I am putting the strawberries to bed for winter, is “you’re covering them completely with wood chips?”
Great question and the answer is yes. The purpose of covering is for protection yes, BUT the main reason is that strawberries produce on the first year plants. After that they produce some, but their main purpose is to spread out new babies which will BE the next seasons producers. The result?... A LOT of leaves, but not many berries.
What typically happens if you have a strawberry bed is that it quickly becomes over grown with “mother plants” and the little ones (the producing ones” have to fight so hard to get sun and nutrients making the overall production low. When you cover with a heavy mulch the old plants can’t make it back thru in the spring and only the strong young ones do. This keeps your patch always thinned with only producers making your production optimal! The added mulch gives not only nutrients as it breaks down but also helps with moisture retention and weed control. The joys of a no-till garden ❤️