Strawberries-Frost protection or not?

[nedreadnibor]

Some sources say protect Strawberries over winter from frost - some others say a good frost around the crown does them good, hardens them and can even imrove cropping. So which do you believe?
At the moment I would probably use common sense and keep very young plants protected from frost and too much rain. Older established plants, I would guess, can take what is thrown at them more - including frost - Right?
Maybe the folks saying they need frost protection are just tring to sell a product for that?
Thanks for any answer.

[Clanad]

Many gardeners tend to believe that mulching plants overwinter protects them from freezing. If temperatures reach down to 5 or 10 degrees F (or lower, such as here in the western U.S.) for several days and nights consistently then the ground will freeze along with the plants. The actual purpose of the mulch is two-fold, in my opinion. The first is to protect the plants from the dessicating effects of the winter winds and the second is to assure the plants have protection against constant freezing and thawing.
Here, we make sure the temperature have reached at least 15 degrees F for several days if not weeks, before mulching. I use the same rule of thumb for the roses. The "hardening off" of the plants is beneficial to next seasons blooms and fruits. (We often see temps down to -20 degrees F and lower). In one area, I have to stake down some bird netting to make sure the winds don't uncover the plants.

Best of luck!

[nedreadnibor]

Thanks for that answer.

[WendyS]

I've had a strawberry bed for three years and have never given it any winter protection, despite the fact it has been exposed to some hard frosts. The plants have all survived, even young ones taken from runners, and cropped well but I know many people do protect their plants with straw or bracken. I think there may be a danger that if you cover them with straw and we have very wet winter weather, a continual covering of wet straw could possibly cause the plants to rot. If you want to cover them, maybe a sheet of clear polythene, weighed down with a few bricks would be a possible option.

[nedreadnibor]

Thanks for the answer.