Although the harvest of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries is over for the year, continued care of your berry patch through the fall and winter will minimize plant loss and ensure a good harvest next year.

Strawberries

After temperatures have dropped below freezing, apply 3 to 5 inches of mulch such as hay or pine needles. (If you apply mulch before the first frost, you will create artificially warm conditions and your strawberry plants might start growing instead of going dormant.)

As cold temperatures set in, watch for frost heaving.  If strawberry plants are pushed up out of the ground, replant them so that their roots are completely covered with soil.

In spring, remove the mulch when your strawberries show signs of growth such as new leaf emergence.  If frost threatens while plants are in bloom, cover them with row cover or old sheets. Put the cover on in early evening and remove it in the morning once the risk of frost injury has passed.

Raspberries

After the harvest, the second-year canes that bore fruit will start to die.  Remove second year canes in late summer or fall, cutting them off at soil level.  (Note:  Fall-bearing raspberries produce fruit at the top of first-year canes, too. Remove only the portion of the first-year cane that fruited, not the entire cane, as this type of raspberry will bear fruit again on these same canes the following year.)

During late winter, remove all weak, broken, diseased and insect‑damaged canes and narrow the rows to 12 inches.  Shorten the remaining canes so they are about a foot taller than your trellis and tie them to the trellis.

Blueberries

Blueberries have superficial roots. For cold protection, mulch the plants with bark or sawdust. Blueberries in pots are most susceptible to winter injury because the roots are more exposed. Bury the containers in the ground or wrap them in a blanket or bubble wrap for protection

Heavy snow can damage blueberries by bending and breaking their branches. Gently remove the snow before it freezes to limbs and branches. Do not attempt to remove ice encased on branches; let it melt off naturally.

Pruning enhances blueberry growth and removes older canes that are no longer productive.  Prune your blueberries in late winter because plant structure is more clearly seen and healing of wounds is better.  (See sidebar.)

Regardless of the berry type, clean up your berry planting now. Remove fallen leaves, decaying fruit and weeds. Irrigate plants until the rain returns, providing 1 to 2 inches of water each week. Do not fertilize your berries again until next spring; applications of nitrogen at this time can stimulate late growth that is prone to winter injury.

Blackberries

Like raspberries, second-year canes that bore fruit will start to die after harvest and should be removed.  Unless there is a lot of cane disease, delay cutting off the canes as long as possible. This allows the dying canes to move nutrients back into the crown and roots.

For trailing blackberries only: After you have removed the second year canes, trellis the first-year canes.  If you live at higher elevations (or in more exposed areas), leave the first-year canes on the ground throughout the winter.  Protect the canes with straw and train them onto the trellis in late February after threat of severe cold has passed.

Steps to pruning blueberries

1. Remove all dead, diseased and broken canes first.

2. Remove low growth that would touch the ground when loaded with fruit.

3. Cut out short, soft shoots that developed from the base of the plant late in the season.

4. Remove branches that are touching and branches that head inward (into the open center).

5. Remove 2 to 3 older canes (6 years or older).  Older canes are more than one inch in diameter, are covered with lichens, and have twiggy tips.

6. Remove all but 2 to 3 new canes.  The ones you keep should be strong and well-placed on the plant.

Jeanette Stehr-Green is a Washington State University certified, Clallam County Master Gardener.