Q-
What are dormant plants?
A- This is a plant that has been in a frozen storage for a period of time
and is just waking up, or warming up. When
planted it will spring to life and grow normally.
Q-
Can I keep the strawberry basket indoors or outdoors?
A- The plants need the sunshine and the night and daytime temperatures so
it can grow big and produce big sweet berries.
Outdoors is better but indoors is fine as long as the basket gets plenty
of light.
Q-
When do I plant my strawberry hanging basket?
A- You should plant it as soon as you receive it. The
dormant plants need to be planted as soon as possible to insure their success.
Q-
When will I see new growth on the Strawberry plants?
A- After you plant the plants in your Strawberry Hanging Basket, you
should see new leaves beginning to grow in about 1-2 weeks.
Q-
When will I see blossoms on my Strawberry Hanging Basket?
A- It usually takes 4-6 weeks for blossoms to start to appear. When you
do see blossoms growing, it is very important to pick the first set of blossoms
off, thus allowing the plants to build energy and grow big.
Q-
Will there be more blossoms after I pick the first set off?
A- Yes. The strawberry plants you have in your Strawberry Hanging Basket
is an everbearing plant, which means, it will produce strawberries from mid May
to the first frost sometime in late October if you are in Zones 3-6. Zones 7-11
should enjoy strawberries almost year round. Check the USDA zone/climate chart
on the web to see what zone you are in.
Q-
How long after I plant my Strawberry Hanging Basket can I expect to harvest
strawberries?
A- It generally takes 6-8 weeks before you can pick your first
strawberries. But, after that, you’ll be able to enjoy berries almost every
day during your growing season.
Q-
How many strawberries can I expect off of one Strawberry Hanging Basket?
A- Each basket contains 8 plants. Each plant should produce up to 2-3
pounds of berries throughout your growing season (this could be affected
adversely by poor watering and not following the recommendations for fertilizing
your basket).
Q-
How long are the strawberry plants good for?
A- Strawberry plants are usually good for about 3-4 years, after which
they begin to lose strength to produce big strawberries. At this time you will
want to pull the old plants out and order some new plants.
Q-
When do I need to put my Strawberry Hanging Basket to bed for the winter?
A- When your weather shows signs of freezing, you can bring it indoors,
or help the plants go dormant again. To
do this place your strawberry hanging basket in one of your flower beds close to
your house. Clip back most of the foliage on your plants. Cover the Strawberry
Hanging Basket with either leaves or straw mulch 6-10 inches above the brim of
the basket. Make sure you water the basket before you do this. It is not
necessary to dig a hole to place it in. Just set it on the ground in your flower
bed and then cover it. Check once a week to make sure its not drying out,
especially if you have a mild fall and/or late start to winter. You may need to
water it once or twice a week if the weather stays above freezing.
It’s very important not to let it dry out, as this will put stress
on the plants.
Q-
What is a “Runner” on a strawberry plant?
A- A runner is a daughter plant that is produced by the original plant
you planted in the Strawberry Hanging Basket. It will be a long stem coming from
the plant that will have leaves on it as it gets longer. You should clip these
off for the first year, as they will take energy from the plant and
strawberries. When your Basket wakes up from a long winters nap in the spring,
you can let a few of the runners grow and then take and push them about 1-2
inches in the vacant holes on the side of the basket. You can also stick some in
the top of the basket for more plants. This will give you more berries. Be
careful to not place more than 2 or 3 in the top of the basket as this will
crowd the other plants and they will produce smaller berries.
