Post Harvest Treatment

Once the leaf canopy begins to die off, usually by early to mid-December, the plants should be trimmed off and given a thorough fungicide drench against botrytis.

The trimming should be delayed until the leaf canopy has begun to die down as earlier removal can cause reduction of crop yield in the following year. Remove all dead and dying leaves leaving the young short stemmed dark green leaves.

While strawberry plants require a certain amount of cold to break dormancy, too low a temperature during the winter can cause damage to the crown.

In peat bags the plants will still withstand temperatures as low as -5°C without serious damage. Where temperatures less than this are expected the plants should be given some protection - either by heating or by covering the plants with fleece.