It's so hot what do I do??

[IssMai]

So I had ordered bare root strawberries a couple months ago but they didn't survive...I think I left them too long before planting. I have more coming but they've taken a month to ship. They're being delivered tomorrow but it's been pushing 90 all week and for the foreseeable future. Record high temps every day! I have shade cloth that I've been putting up over hoop frames when we've had hail (the weather this spring has been challenging )...should I shade my strawberry roots once I plant them at least until they're established or just let the sun beat down? My backyard is south facing with little shade anywhere and very high UV index here at altitude. And low humidity. I did select varietals that are supposed to tolerate a wide range of conditions after I killed off the last batch, but just not sure how to handle them with these conditions.

 

[alp]

I feel for you! Can you take them indoors or in a window sill before their roots have established? For once, I am speechless and sad, which is quite rare of me! Perhaps, grow peppers and chillies, melons - something which like the heat!

 

[IssMai]

I've got some warm season stuff going as well...just really don't want to lose this whole batch! Not sure I have a good way to keep them inside but I may try. At least until this heatwave passes. Maybe if I shade them in the afternoons but let them have morning sun?

 

[DirtMechanic]

I've got some warm season stuff going as well...just really don't want to lose this whole batch! Not sure I have a good way to keep them inside but I may try. At least until this heatwave passes. Maybe if I shade them in the afternoons but let them have morning sun?

You should read how the hydro crowd controls water temperatures. white or even silver mulch plastics. refridgerated water etc.

 

[Silentrunning]

Here is my solution to the temperature and moisture problem. These strawberry planters can be moved to an optimal location with no harm to the plants. On extremely hot days they go in our car port and I put a fan on them. If their is danger of frost in the spring they go in the barn. This batch is about at the end of its fruiting cycle but we got a lot of berries with minimal labor.

 

[TomatoTango]

Shadecloth them anytime the sun is hitting them to reduce temperature. It doesn’t seem to interfere with photosynthesis much but it can lower the air temp around your strawberries 10 Fahrenheit. Anything between 40-70% is what I use.

Also be sure you’re watering them enough and water early or late to avoid sun damage. They like water often, sometimes daily or every other day, especially while fruiting in hot summer. Their roots are shallow and don’t like drying out.

If you feed them biostimulants and certain nutrients like kelp and silicone you will increase their drought and heat tolerance considerably. My strawberries are able to withstand 90F and higher with these methods.

 

[IssMai]

Thanks for the advice all. I put about half of the roots out yesterday in a raised bed and watered well. This afternoon it hit 90, so I put up some plastic poles and made sort of a shade cloth tent over them. The other roots are going into pallet planters we saw on a website and with some effort we can probably move those as needed...just need to build them first