Impact of Fall Cold Injury to Strawberry Crowns on Spring Yield

 

Strawberry planting is underway and in some places is almost done in the Southeast. Now growers are watching for the cold outbreak that will bring widespread frost to the area. The cold temperatures could cause damage to the newly planted strawberries if frost comes before the young plants are sufficiently hardened off. This cold damage can cause reduced yields in the strawberry plants because of how it affects the leaves, according to an article in Vegetable Growers News here. Fortunately, I don’t really see a big change to the current weather pattern and expect above-normal temperatures in the Southeast to continue all the way to Thanksgiving, although they may moderate somewhat after the front that is expected to move through the area in the next few days.