# bare root strawberries a no go???



## babylove1985 (Apr 2, 2014)

I purchased a bag of bare root strawberries from Walmart...not the best source, I know, but this was more of an experiment before I invested a lot of money. they have green in the raised beds about two weeks but show no signs of life. it had snowed a few tones since planting and I did not soak them before planting (didn't realize I was supposed to until after the fact). should I give it more time or cut my loss and Getty more?


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

I'd keep watering them and see. I've planted some, too and hope they make it. They really look dead when you first get them!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I got some of those this year too. It's been several weeks, and I "Think" I saw something yesterday, might just be weeds....
but I'm gong o keep watering, and cross my fingers....
BTW, I didn't soak mine either....:shrug:


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## gweny (Feb 10, 2014)

I can't wait to have patience either.

Growing mine from seed. They're green, but oh so tiny! That's what I get for ripping up the quinalt bare roots I got from Walmart 3 yo.. They just weren't performing well. I'm not knocking Wally worlds strawberries (the potato starts I got there are kicking butt compared to the local variety I planted!). It could've been my soil prep, so I started over. Since I started over I decided to try the giant strawberries. My beef with the quinalts was they were small and not very productive.


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## gsteinisu (Mar 12, 2014)

I started roots from quinalt and all-star strawberries from Walmart. I started them indoors about a month and a half ago. The all-stars came up in about a week to ten days and the quinalts never did come up. I took them back and got new ones, supposedly out of a new shippment. That was two weeks ago and no dice so far. If you can find your receipt then get your money back. The quinalts will not come up.


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## Andrewhill (Jul 2, 2013)

In my experience walmart keeps bare root plants so long they dry completely and are dead in store. 

I ordered from gurneys this year and they arrived with leaves. I will never buy bare root ones even slightly out of season or from a big box store again.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

babylove1985 said:


> I purchased a bag of bare root strawberries from Walmart...not the best source, I know, but this was more of an experiment before I invested a lot of money. they have green in the raised beds about two weeks but show no signs of life. it had snowed a few tones since planting and I did not soak them before planting (didn't realize I was supposed to until after the fact). should I give it more time or cut my loss and Getty more?


You don't give enough information to go on, but here are a couple of thoughts:

Since you don't show your area, your weather may have come into play. Remember that you have just planted dormant, bare-root plants. If they were good(still alive from sitting in a Wal-Mart distribution center and in a dry semi truck, then in the back store room for who knows how long--then out onto the sales floor.......you know where this is going...) and viable, then there will have to be some good sunshine, warm soil and moisture to wake them up and get them going. You have provided the moisture.

A BB store strawberry plant can be good. The trick is to look inside the package and see if the crown looks like it is sort of white and juicy. If it is brown, it is already dead and no amount of moisture will help it. The pack should feel moist, too. Usually the plant is packed in some spahgnum moss or pine shavings at the processing plant--hopefully with some moisture added, but that same condition will cause more rapid evaporation in the dryness of the store--especially those on the top of the bin.....

This website, also found in Post #6 of the "Fireside" sticky above, shows how to plant a strawberry plant correctly--and I am guessing that this may have been your problem--all other things being okay. There is a "Goldilocks" depth thet the plant will like--any other level, and it will die of suffocation(if too deep), or from drying out(if too shallow) http://strawberryplants.org/ See the section on Growing Strawberries. 

Hope this helps.

geo


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

If it just snowed, it's probably been a bit to cold for them to green-up well. I've had success with WM plants and disasters. If all the other strawberries planted around you are greening up and yours are not- you probably need to replant. If everyone else's strawberries are still brown, I'd wait a bit.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

I have bought walmart ones a coupe times. You have to be so careful. They start to compost in their bags which will ruin them. I found far better luck going to a farm market and buying some of theirs.


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