3/3/2019 How to Acclimate Strawberry Plants - Stark Bro's

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How to Acclimate Strawberry Plants

Acclimate (ac·cli·mate): "To become accustomed to a new climate or to new conditions. Also to harden o a plant."

Acclimating strawberry plants helps to minimize stress to transplants in a new environment. Some of our strawberry plants arrive to you
potted and leafed out with tender new growth, since they were grown in the controlled climate of our greenhouses. This tender new
growth can be sensitive to things like direct sunlight and sudden changes in temperature, so we strongly recommend following this simple
process prior to planting your potted strawberry plants outdoors.

NOTE: This is part 2 in a series of 11 articles. For a complete background on how to grow strawberry plants, we recommend starting
from the beginning.

Things that may cause injury to tender new growth in transplants:

temperatures (below 50ºF or above 90ºF)

frost snaps
strong/direct sunlight
wind

These conditions are more likely to occur during early spring, but can be expected during di erent times of year in di erent areas. Here
are a few steps we recommend you follow to acclimate (or harden o ) your strawberry plants before planting outdoors:

1. Upon arrival, keep strawberry plants in the pots they arrived in and place them in a sheltered, shady spot outdoors — like on a back
porch. Leave them there for 3 to 4 hours and gradually increase the time spent outside by 1 to 2 hours per day. Bring them back indoors
each night.

2. After 2 to 3 days of this acclimation process, begin transitioning the strawberry plants from their shaded spot to one that provides
some morning sun. Return them to the shade in the afternoon. If this con icts with your schedule, try moving the plants to an area that
receives ltered sunlight instead, which is less intense than direct sun. Be sure still to bring them indoors again overnight.

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Water regularly as needed to keep the roots from drying out. If the soil in the pots is dry to the touch, then you know it’s time water.
You may occasionally mist the leaves with water, since the environment indoors is drier than outdoors.
Observe foliage daily. If signs of leaf injury appear prior to planting, move those plants back into ltered sunlight and start from the
rst step again. Proceed to the second step when conditions improve.
After 7 days, your strawberry plants should be able to handle the outdoor conditions, as long as temperatures are expected to stay
between 50ºF and 90ºF. If daytime temperatures are expected to drop within the next day or so, continue to repeat the second step.
Monitor your plants, and the weather, until conditions are more suitable for planting outdoors.

3. After 7 to 10 days, and if the weather conditions are right, your strawberry plants are ready for planting in a permanent location. For
best results, try to plant tender plants on a cloudy day.

Please note: these are general recommendations. Your particular growing environment might require a slight variation on these
guidelines, since some plants can take more time (or less time) than others to harden o . Factors like the current year’s weather,
individual plants, and your location can a ect the acclimation process.

NEXT: Choosing a Location for Strawberry Plants

Previous: How to Grow Strawberry Plants

In This Series
Introduction

Getting Started

Acclimate

Location

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Planting

Soil Preparation

Care & Maintenance

Fertilizing

Pest & Disease Control

Pruning

Spraying

Watering

Other Topics

Harvesting

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