Overview

Transform your garden into a berry paradise with these Guardian strawberry bare roots. This offering includes 50 high-quality bare roots of the popular Guardian strawberry cultivar, scientifically known as Fragaria × ananassa. The Guardian strawberry is a renowned June-bearing variety, celebrated for its exceptional characteristics that make it a favorite among home gardeners and commercial growers alike. These bare roots are designed for easy planting and rapid establishment, allowing you to quickly enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh, homegrown strawberries. Investing in these strawberry plant bare root specimens means choosing a reliable and productive addition to your edible landscape.

The Guardian strawberry stands out due to its impressive fruit quality and robust growth habits. Each bare root has the potential to develop into a vigorous plant, producing very large, firm, and remarkably disease-resistant berries. This makes the Guardian an excellent choice for those seeking both quantity and quality in their strawberry crop. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just starting out with growing strawberries at home, these bare roots provide a fantastic foundation for a successful and satisfying harvest season.

Key Benefits

Adding Guardian strawberry bare roots to your garden offers numerous advantages, ensuring a rewarding and productive growing experience. These benefits extend from the ease of cultivation to the quality of the harvest.

• Exceptional Berry Size and Quality: The Guardian cultivar is famous for producing very large, firm berries. This makes them not only visually appealing but also excellent for various culinary uses, from fresh consumption to jams and jellies.
• High Yields: Experience abundant harvests with these prolific plants. The Guardian variety is known for its high productivity, providing a generous supply of strawberries during its June-bearing season, ensuring you have plenty for all your needs.
• Disease Resistance: These berries are naturally resistant to many common strawberry diseases. This inherent resilience simplifies care and reduces the need for chemical interventions, making your strawberry plant bare root healthier and more sustainable.
• June-Bearing Variety: As a June-bearing strawberry, this cultivar produces a concentrated crop over a few weeks in early summer. This is ideal for gardeners who wish to process or preserve a large quantity of berries all at once, maximizing efficiency.
• Versatile Use: The firm texture and sweet flavor of Guardian strawberries make them incredibly versatile. They are perfect for eating fresh, baking, making preserves, freezing, or even creating refreshing beverages.
• Easy to Grow: These bare roots are straightforward to plant and establish, making them suitable for gardeners of all skill levels. With proper care, they quickly develop into strong, fruit-producing plants, simplifying the process of growing strawberries at home.
• Hardy and Adaptable: Thriving in USDA Zones 3-10, the Guardian strawberry demonstrates excellent hardiness and adaptability to a wide range of climates, ensuring success across many regions.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care is essential for ensuring a successful and prolific harvest from your Guardian strawberry bare roots. These plants are relatively easy to grow, but understanding their specific needs will help them thrive and produce the best possible fruit. The Guardian strawberry prefers a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate sunlight is crucial for fruit development and flavor. Plant your strawberry plant bare root in organically rich, moist, and well-drained soil. Heavy clay soils or sandy soils should be amended with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and nutrient content. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.5-6.8) is ideal for these plants.

When it comes to watering, Guardian strawberries require consistent moisture, especially during flowering and fruiting periods. Avoid letting the soil dry out completely, but also ensure it doesn’t become waterlogged, as this can lead to root rot. Regular, deep watering is more beneficial than frequent shallow watering. Fertilize your plants in early spring with a balanced fertilizer, and again after the main harvest to encourage strong runner production for next year’s crop. Pay close attention to pests and diseases, although the Guardian variety is known for its disease resistance, regular inspection can prevent any issues from becoming severe. Practicing good garden hygiene, such as removing old leaves and weeds, also contributes to overall plant health when growing strawberries at home.

These Guardian strawberries are hardy in USDA Zones 3-10, making them suitable for a broad range of climates. In colder zones, adequate winter protection, such as mulching with straw, can help the plants survive freezing temperatures. For June-bearing strawberry varieties like the Guardian, it’s often recommended to remove the first year’s blossoms to encourage stronger root development and a more abundant harvest in subsequent years. This practice helps the plant put its energy into establishing itself rather than producing a small, early crop.

Size & Details

This offering includes 50 Guardian strawberry bare roots, providing a substantial quantity for establishing a productive strawberry patch. Each bare root is a dormant plant without soil, ready to be planted directly into your garden. The Guardian variety typically grows to a height of 6-12 inches with a similar spread once established, forming healthy clumps that produce runners. These runners can be used to propagate new plants, further expanding your strawberry beds.

As a June-bearing strawberry, you can expect the main harvest to occur over a period of 2-3 weeks in early to mid-summer, depending on your local climate. The growth rate is moderate, with plants typically establishing well within their first season and beginning to produce a significant crop in their second year. These bare roots are an efficient and economical way to start a large strawberry planting, offering excellent value for those interested in growing strawberries at home for fresh eating or large-scale preservation.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these strawberry plants get? A: Once established, each Guardian strawberry bare root plant typically reaches a height of 6-12 inches and spreads about 12 inches wide, forming a compact and productive clump. They will also produce runners that spread further.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Guardian strawberry bare roots are intended for outdoor cultivation. They thrive in garden beds, raised beds, or large containers where they can receive ample sunlight and space to grow.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Guardian strawberries require full sun exposure, meaning at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth and fruit production. This is crucial for developing sweet and firm berries.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, growing strawberries at home with the Guardian variety is considered relatively easy. They are disease-resistant and, with consistent watering and proper soil, will yield abundant fruit, making them suitable for beginners.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: The 50 Guardian strawberry bare roots will arrive dormant, without soil or foliage. This is the ideal state for planting, as it minimizes transplant shock and allows them to establish quickly in your garden.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these bare roots? A: The best time to plant Guardian strawberry bare roots is in early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows them ample time to establish before the summer heat and subsequent fruiting season.
• Q: How long until I get fruit from these bare roots? A: As a June-bearing strawberry, you may get a small harvest the first year if you allow them to fruit. However, for a more robust crop, it’s recommended to pinch off flowers in the first year to encourage stronger plant development for a larger harvest in the second year.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Guardian strawberry is hardy in USDA Zones 3-10. In colder zones (3-5), providing a layer of mulch, such as straw, over the plants in late fall will help protect them through the winter months.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for these strawberries? A: These strawberry plant bare root specimens thrive in organically rich, moist, and well-drained soil. Amending your garden soil with compost before planting will provide the best environment for growth.
• Q: Can I grow these in containers? A: Yes, you can grow Guardian strawberry bare roots in large containers or grow bags. Ensure the containers have good drainage and provide enough space for the plants to spread and produce runners.