Can You Keep Strawberries in a Strawberry Jar Over Winter?

Frost Protection

• Cold winter temperatures will likely kill strawberries grown in strawberry pots unless you provide them with some protection. In areas with mildly cold winters, mulch the strawberry plants with 3 to 4 inches of straw after the first freeze. In areas with cold, long winters, wrap the pots and plants in burlap and store them in an unheated garage or shed.

Growing Indoors

• Bring strawberry pots indoors for the winter if you prefer. Strawberry plants produce better berries if they go through a cold, dormant period, but they will survive indoors. Bring them in after the first frost and store them in a cool, dry location. Water them occasionally to keep the soil slightly moist. In the spring, move them to a sunny, warm location and water and fertilize them. Move them outside after the last chance of frost.

Annuals

• Strawberries are inexpensive to buy, so many gardeners opt to grow them as annuals instead. This approach is less complicated than trying to protect them over the winter and may produce healthier plants, as well. To grow strawberries as annuals, discard old strawberry plants in the fall, along with the potting soil. Wash the pot out and store it in a shed over the winter to protect it from cracking.

Varieties

• Some strawberry varieties are more suited to keeping in a strawberry jar than others. Everbearing and day-neutral types produce few runners and keep a more compact form than June-bearing strawberries. June-bearing strawberries are vulnerable to late spring frosts. When kept over the winter in a strawberry jar, they will fail to produce strawberries if the buds are nipped by frost.