100 Guardian Strawberry Bare Roots – June-Bearing Fruit Plants

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with our premium 100 Guardian Strawberry bare roots. The Guardian strawberry, scientifically known as Fragaria × ananassa ‘Guardian’, is a highly acclaimed June-bearing cultivar celebrated for its exceptional qualities. These bare root plants are an economical and effective way to establish a productive strawberry patch, yielding an abundance of large, firm, and incredibly flavorful berries. Ideal for home gardeners looking for reliable performance and generous harvests, the Guardian strawberry bare roots are a fantastic choice for anyone desiring fresh, home-grown fruit.

Known for their vigorous growth and resilience, Guardian strawberry plants are a popular selection for both novice and experienced growers. They are particularly valued for their ability to produce a concentrated harvest over a few weeks in early summer, making them perfect for large-batch preserving, freezing, or making delicious jams and jellies. With proper care, these bare roots will quickly establish themselves, transforming into thriving plants ready to deliver a bountiful crop.

Key Benefits

Choosing Guardian strawberry bare roots for your garden offers numerous advantages, from their impressive fruit quality to their robust growing habits. These plants are designed to provide a satisfying and productive experience for any gardener.

• High Yields & Large Berries: The Guardian cultivar is renowned for producing a prolific quantity of very large, firm strawberries, ensuring a generous harvest perfect for all your culinary needs.
• Disease Resistance: These plants exhibit strong natural resistance to common strawberry diseases, reducing the need for chemical treatments and promoting healthier growth. This makes them a more sustainable choice for your garden.
• Excellent Flavor Profile: Enjoy sweet, juicy berries with a classic strawberry taste, ideal for eating fresh, baking, or preserving. The superior flavor of home-grown June-bearing strawberries is unmatched.
• Versatile Use: Perfect for creating delicious desserts, adding to breakfast cereals, making smoothies, or preserving for year-round enjoyment. The concentrated harvest of these Fragaria x ananassa plants is excellent for preserving.
• June-Bearing Type: As a June-bearing strawberries variety, these plants produce a single, heavy crop in late spring to early summer, which is ideal for gardeners who want to process a large quantity of fruit at once.
• Adaptable & Hardy: Hardy in USDA zones 3-10, the Guardian strawberry adapts well to a wide range of climates, making it a reliable choice for many regions across the United States.
• Easy to Establish: Planting strawberry plant care is straightforward, especially with bare roots, allowing for quick establishment and growth into productive plants.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper strawberry plant care is essential for a successful harvest from your 100 Guardian Strawberry bare roots. These plants thrive with consistent attention to their basic needs, ensuring vigorous growth and abundant fruit production. They prefer 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 intensity. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent scorching, but generally, more sun equals more berries.

When it comes to soil, Guardian strawberries perform best in organically rich, moist, and well-drained soils. A pH between 5.5 and 6.8 is ideal. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and aeration, while sandy soils will benefit from organic matter to enhance water retention. Consistent moisture is vital, especially during flowering and fruiting. Water regularly, ensuring the soil remains evenly moist but never waterlogged. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are excellent methods to deliver water directly to the root zone, minimizing fungal issues on foliage.

These Fragaria x ananassa plants are hardy in USDA zones 3-10. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer, and again after the main harvest to encourage runner production and prepare for the next season. Remove runners in the first year to promote stronger crown development and larger berries. For subsequent years, allow some runners to root to establish new plants, or remove them to maintain plant vigor. Protect plants from pests and diseases by ensuring good air circulation and promptly removing any affected leaves. Winter protection with straw mulch is recommended in colder zones (3-5) to prevent frost damage to the crowns.

Size & Details

This offering includes 100 Guardian Strawberry bare roots, ready for planting. Bare roots are dormant plants shipped without soil, making them lightweight and easy to transport. Upon arrival, it is crucial to plant them promptly or store them properly until planting. Each bare root has a crown and a healthy root system, which will quickly develop into a full plant once established in the ground. The Guardian strawberry is a June-bearing variety, meaning it will produce one large crop annually, typically in late spring to early summer, depending on your climate zone.

Mature Guardian strawberry plants typically reach a height of 6-12 inches and spread about 12-18 inches, forming a dense ground cover over time. These plants are known for their robust growth rate once established. Expect your first significant harvest the year after planting, though some fruit may appear in the first year if planted early. The berries themselves are consistently large, often reaching 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, making them highly desirable for both fresh consumption and processing. The high-yield strawberries nature of this cultivar ensures a rewarding harvest.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do Guardian strawberry plants get? A: Mature Guardian strawberry plants typically reach a height of 6-12 inches and can spread up to 12-18 inches, forming a productive patch. The foliage is relatively compact, making them suitable for garden beds or containers.
• Q: What is a June-bearing strawberry? A: June-bearing strawberries produce one large, concentrated crop of berries over a period of 2-3 weeks, typically in late spring or early summer. This type is ideal for gardeners who want to harvest a significant amount of fruit for preserving.
• Q: How much sunlight do these plants need? A: Guardian strawberries require full sun, which means at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth and fruit production. Ample sunlight contributes to sweeter and more abundant berries.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, with proper planting and consistent watering, strawberry plant care for the Guardian variety is relatively easy. They are known for their disease resistance and robust nature, making them a good choice for beginners.
• Q: What condition will the bare roots arrive in? A: The 100 Guardian Strawberry bare roots will arrive dormant, without soil. They will have a healthy crown and root system, ready for immediate planting or proper temporary storage until you are ready to plant.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these bare roots? 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: Guardian strawberries are hardy in USDA zones 3-10. In colder zones (3-5), it is recommended to apply a layer of straw mulch over the plants in late fall to protect the crowns from freezing temperatures.
• Q: Can I grow these high-yield strawberries in containers? A: Yes, Guardian strawberries can be successfully grown in containers. Ensure the containers are large enough (at least 8-10 inches deep and wide) and have good drainage. You may need to water more frequently than ground-planted berries.
• Q: How long until I get fruit from my Fragaria x ananassa plants? A: While some fruit may appear in the first year if planted early in spring, a substantial harvest from your Guardian strawberry bare roots is typically expected in the second growing season after planting.
• Q: Are these plants resistant to diseases? A: Yes, the Guardian cultivar is specifically bred for its strong resistance to several common strawberry diseases, contributing to healthier plants and a more reliable harvest.