20 Sparkle Strawberry Bare Roots – Cold-Hardy, Sweet Berries for USDA Zones 3-8

Overview

Transform your garden into a berry paradise with these premium sparkle strawberry bare roots. The ‘Sparkle’ strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Sparkle’) is a highly sought-after, June-bearing heirloom variety renowned for its intensely sweet, rich, old-fashioned flavor. This vigorous plant is celebrated for its exceptional cold hardiness, making it an ideal choice for gardeners in northern climates. Each order includes 20 Sparkle Strawberry Bare Roots, ready to be planted and establish themselves in your garden. Known for producing a single, abundant crop of medium-sized, deep-red berries in late spring to mid-summer, ‘Sparkle’ strawberries are perfect for fresh eating, jams, and desserts. These plants are easy to grow and will quickly become a cherished addition to your edible landscape, providing a bounty of delicious fruit year after year.

The ‘Sparkle’ variety stands out among other heirloom strawberry varieties due to its robust nature and consistent yield. Gardeners appreciate its reliable performance and the nostalgic taste that modern hybrids often lack. Whether you’re an experienced grower or just starting your gardening journey, these sparkle strawberry bare roots offer an excellent opportunity to cultivate a rewarding and flavorful crop. They are designed for success, establishing quickly and providing a strong foundation for future harvests.

Key Benefits

Choosing ‘Sparkle’ strawberries for your garden offers a multitude of benefits, from their delightful flavor to their impressive resilience. These plants are a fantastic investment for any home gardener looking to enjoy fresh, homegrown fruit.

• Intensely Sweet Flavor: Experience the true taste of an old-fashioned strawberry with ‘Sparkle’ berries, known for their exceptionally sweet and rich profile, making them perfect for eating fresh or in culinary creations.
• Exceptional Cold Hardiness: Thriving in USDA Zones 3–8, these cold hardy strawberry plants are particularly recommended for northern climates, ensuring robust growth and fruit production even in colder regions.
• June-Bearing Variety: Enjoy a large, concentrated harvest of berries in late spring to mid-summer, characteristic of june bearing strawberries, providing a generous bounty for processing or immediate consumption.
• Vigorous Growth: ‘Sparkle’ plants are known for their strong, healthy growth habits, establishing quickly and producing abundant yields of medium-sized, deep-red fruit.
• Heirloom Quality: As a popular heirloom strawberry varieties, ‘Sparkle’ offers a reliable and time-tested performance, ensuring a consistent and delicious crop year after year.
• Versatile Use: These delicious berries are perfect for a variety of uses, including fresh eating, making jams, jellies, pies, and other desserts, or freezing for later enjoyment.
• Easy to Grow: With proper care, these sparkle strawberry bare roots are relatively low-maintenance and forgiving, making them suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successful cultivation of your sparkle strawberry bare roots begins with proper planting and ongoing care. Strawberries thrive in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce the sweetest and most abundant fruit. Choose a location in your garden that receives ample sunlight throughout the growing season. The soil should be well-draining, rich in organic matter, and slightly acidic, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8. Before planting, amend heavy clay soils with compost or peat moss to improve drainage and aeration. For bare roots, plant them with the crown (where the leaves emerge) at soil level, ensuring the roots are spread out in the planting hole. Water thoroughly after planting.

Consistent watering is crucial, especially during fruit development and dry periods. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. Avoid overhead watering if possible, as this can encourage fungal diseases; drip irrigation or soaker hoses are ideal. Fertilize your june bearing strawberries in early spring with a balanced fertilizer, and again after the main harvest. Remove any runners that emerge during the first year of planting to encourage stronger root development and better fruit production in subsequent years. Mulching around the plants with straw or pine needles can help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and keep berries clean.

These cold hardy strawberry plants are resilient, but winter protection is beneficial in colder zones. After the first hard frost, cover your plants with a layer of straw or other insulating material to protect them from extreme cold and freeze-thaw cycles. Remove the mulch in early spring when new growth begins. Monitor for common pests like slugs and birds, and diseases such as powdery mildew or leaf spot. Good air circulation and proper plant spacing can help prevent many issues. With attentive care, your fragaria ananassa sparkle plants will reward you with years of delicious harvests.

Size & Details

This offering includes 20 Sparkle Strawberry Bare Roots, carefully harvested and prepared for planting. Bare roots are dormant plants without soil, making them easy to ship and handle, and they establish quickly once planted in your garden. Each bare root is approximately 4-6 inches long. These plants are June-bearing, meaning they produce one large crop of fruit per season, typically from late spring to mid-summer, depending on your specific climate and USDA Zone. The ‘Sparkle’ variety is a vigorous grower, and established plants can spread to about 12-18 inches wide, reaching a height of 6-8 inches. Expect to see your first significant harvest within the second year after planting, with some fruit potentially appearing in the first year if planted early and cared for well. The berries are medium-sized, deep-red, and known for their exceptional sweetness and aroma.

These sparkle strawberry bare roots are highly cold-hardy, thriving in USDA Zones 3-8, making them an excellent choice for a wide range of climates, particularly those with colder winters. They prefer a rich, well-draining soil with consistent moisture. Proper spacing of approximately 12-18 inches between plants is recommended to allow for good air circulation and optimal growth. With their strong root systems, these bare roots are designed to transplant easily and spring to life in your garden, providing a bountiful harvest of delicious heirloom strawberry varieties.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these strawberry plants get? A: Once established, ‘Sparkle’ strawberry plants typically grow to about 6-8 inches tall and can spread up to 12-18 inches wide. The sparkle strawberry bare roots you receive are dormant and ready for planting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: These sparkle strawberry bare roots are intended for outdoor cultivation. They are a cold-hardy variety that thrives in garden beds, raised beds, or large outdoor containers within USDA Zones 3-8.
• Q: How much sunlight do these strawberry plants need? A: ‘Sparkle’ strawberries require full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal fruit production and sweetness.
• Q: Are these cold hardy strawberry plants easy to care for? A: Yes, ‘Sparkle’ strawberries are known for their vigorous growth and resilience, making them relatively easy to care for. With proper planting, watering, and occasional fertilization, they are suitable for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Q: What condition will the sparkle strawberry bare roots arrive in? A: Your order will contain 20 dormant bare roots, which are plants without soil or foliage. They are carefully packaged to ensure they arrive in excellent condition, ready for immediate planting.
• Q: How long until I get fruit from these june bearing strawberries? A: While you might get a small harvest in the first year if planted early, these heirloom strawberry varieties typically produce their first significant crop in the second year after planting, during late spring to mid-summer.
• Q: What’s the best time to plant fragaria ananassa sparkle? A: The best time to plant strawberry bare roots is in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. This allows the plants ample time to establish their root systems before the summer heat.
• Q: Will these strawberries survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, ‘Sparkle’ strawberries are highly cold-hardy and are recommended for USDA Zones 3-8. In colder zones, applying a layer of straw mulch after the first hard frost will help protect them through winter.
• Q: Can I grow these strawberries in containers? A: Yes, you can grow ‘Sparkle’ strawberries in large containers or grow bags, ensuring they have good drainage and sufficient space for their root systems to spread.
• Q: What kind of soil do these plants prefer? A: These sparkle strawberry bare roots prefer well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter and slightly acidic, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8.