Planting Bare Root Strawberries Perfectly Every Time! 

Thanks! I thought it was pretty clever 🙂

Sounds exciting! I’ll have to let my dad know to keep an eye out for them in Texas - he usually plants some strawberries in spring every year

Good luck!!! 🍀

Thanks for joining! 🙂

Yay! Hope they're doing well for you!

Yes they are, thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you! I don't have a preference and tend to use whatever I have on hand, though straw might hold less moisture against the crowns if you overhead water and are concerned with rot.

Thank you!!

Me too!

I’ve been going through some real bullshit lately but there are a few good ones in the editing queue, hang tight

Strawberries can handle some cold but in my experience don't do very well if the GS freezes solid and they're not fully established. I'd definitely plant the roots as soon as you can manage so they can get growing, in like at least 4" pots - I usually mix some Dr. Earth food in with my potting soil to give them a boost, and then may consider putting some in the planting hole as well at time of transplant depending on how good my potting mix is and how healthy/hungry the baby plants look.

Did the previous batch grow at all? Sometimes we get bad bare roots, and they're too dry to grow. Your mix didn't sound bad, though if the soil stayed soggy they may have rotted. I definitely recommend using a mycorrhizal dust or granular product on bare root plants - I'm currently playing with gibarellic acid in this space as well, but don't have enough experience yet to recommend amounts for soaking.

@@VeronicaFlores the first batch that I spoke of did not make it at all. I ordered a second one. I cannot afford giberallic acid currently. Had used Vitax Q4 rootmore. Will see how the second batch does. I'll have to wait for the next summer for a harvest. Thanks for following up on my comment. Have a wonderful spring-summer.

If you have a good spot outside in the shade I say do that! Just keep an eye on it for birds and drying out

Depends on your location - in Texas and other hot climates we often do it before last frost and then mulch them well

@VeronicaFlores thank you. we are in Rochester NY

Yeah I put a spoonful in the jar and give it a stir - it's not an exact science on my end, just trying to give the roots a boost after shipping. Where you get healthy starts is more important IMO.

I've honestly left them in water for like 72 hours without any ill effects - I'd make sure that only the roots are submerged (not the crowns or they may rot) and that they're in a spot that's slightly shaded and not crazy hot!

I usually pin them in a small pot of soil with a landscape staple, or into soil nearby if they’re in a big space, and then dig up and cut them away once roots are well-developed.

They definitely can be! I have a sandy clay sloped spot where I’m at now (and more acidic soil) and they’re very happy with both

Sorry just seeing this! If it’s temporary, they’re fine in most pot sizes

I usually go 2-3, and try to propagate runners around year 3-4.

@@VeronicaFlores Thank you so much for a rapid reply.

As needed - I don't if the roots look healthy, I do if they're black and necrotic

I think both size and overall health/hydration matters a lot - if roots are totally dried out and like dark brown and stringy, it's really hard to rehydrate them sometimes, and will require a lot of energy from the crown to grow more. If they're healthy though, feel free to trim slightly if you really need to for them to fit (or plant them in larger pots if you have the space!) Usually you can get the roots to fit though, even in 4".

Sounds like they might need more water

The thought is that less occupied real estate = less "available nutrients" in that area of soil than there would be if the roots were spread out to reach more surface area. They aren't competing with each other per se, but why not help them be better resourced right from the start if you can?

They should always have at least a little crown- worst case scenario, just make sure the roots are covered to the base of the nubbin

@@VeronicaFlores yeah I think I got beat by home Depot because everything that was like I got it almost looked like it was dead like it was dark brown so I think that I just got GOT. Boo to them

@@andreagnadinger1797 BOOOO yeah I loathe those little baggies from there- they're almost always dead by the time they get to you. :(

Phew - any idea what you’re doing wrong after hundreds? 🫥

@@VeronicaFlores not just buying strawberries from the store.

Already potted strawberries from the big box are fine, and you’re more than welcome to buy those from the big box and plant them instead. This video is specifically geared towards gardeners who want to work with bare root plants because of more interesting varieties available, as well as lower cost per plant. If you feel eliminated because of the (objectively) helpful parameters I’ve set for where to get *actually alive* bare root crowns, then you’re clearly not my intended audience, and would be just as well off lighting a $5 or $10 bill on fire as you would buying those mostly dead big box bare roots. I haven’t eliminated anyone - I’ve merely attempted to prevent them from experiencing the sunk cost and heartache that is working with bagged trash propagation materials. That being said, this video can also help you to evaluate if the potted varieties you’ve bought from the big box were set in their pots correctly to begin with, and what adjustments may need to be made for how the crown is situated in transplanting. In any case, I highly recommend that you try taking deeper breaths.