Mulching for Strawberry Plants

Purchase (or gather, if you live on a farm) hay or straw to use as the mulch. Yard debris, such as grass clippings and weeds, aren't recommended because they are too dense and will potentially smother the plant, according to strawberryplants.com.

Spread the mulch around and over your strawberry plants in late fall or early winter (depending on your region's temperature) when temperatures start dipping toward below the freezing point. Purdue University Extension suggests adding mulch before temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use at least a 2-inch layer of mulch over the plants, as suggested by strawberryplants.com. The University of Illinois Extension recommends using up to 4 inches of mulch on and around the strawberry plants. Leave the mulch on the plants all winter to protect plants from the elements. Add replacement mulch if any blows away, exposing the plant.

Check on the strawberry plants when the weather begins to warm in the spring. Remove the mulch over the plant when the plant starts growing again. Keep the mulch close by (preferably between the strawberry plants) to use again in case of a frost warning.