By Clint Thompson
Strawberry production is progressing in Alabama. Growers who received their plants and put them in the ground in a timely fashion have an advantage over those who didn’t, according to Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University.
“The earlier that you can get the strawberry plants in the ground the better. You’re more likely to get a larger plant and more fruit,” Vinson said. “Your plants are likely to be acclimated to the cold. That’s always good if you have a cold front come through. They’re more likely not to have any damage at all from that cold weather if they’re already acclimated.
“The problem is some people weren’t able to get their plants in the ground until pretty late and then the cold front came through. Those plants are most likely not acclimated to the cold yet, so it’s a good idea for them to cover.”
According to UGA Extension, row covers are “simply miniature greenhouses placed directly over the row of crops.” Producers mostly implement row covers to protect plants from the adverse effects of cold winds and frost.
“Anything freezing and below, if your plants aren’t acclimated, I would cover them,” Vinson said. “Some people will say, strawberries are a cold climate plant, so they can take the cold. That is true, but we’re in the business of growing commercial strawberries. The focus isn’t really seeing how cold tolerant our plants are. We’re trying to produce some fruit at commercial levels. It’s not to say that since they’re cold tolerant that they won’t have any damage at all.”