Evaluation of low temperature hardiness of strawberry plants under field and controlled conditions

When acclimated strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ’Redcoat’) from the field were placed in a programmable freezer, mother strawberry crowns were as hardy or hardier than daughter crowns when frozen to −11 °C. However, under field conditions, daughter plants expressed consistently greater hardiness than mother plants. Mulching had no effect on daughter plant survival, whereas enhanced mother plant survival was observed. Field-growth habit of mother crowns may be the important factor for consistent winter survival under prairie conditions. A simple scoring system was developed to predict survival of strawberry plants. Key words. Fragaria × ananassa Duch., strawberry, crowns, low temperature hardiness