Baby strawberries - better in a pot, under cover or in the allotment?

[Kaiya]

I sowed some alpine strawberries from seed this spring, and eventually they came up a month or so ago. They range in size from a good hand sized plant, to microscopic leaves, and they're now in individual pots. The larger ones keep trying to flower and I remove them. They are all currently pretty happy looking plants.

I have three options for where they can overwinter - in their 3-5 inch pots on my patio (where they are currently, against the house), in their 3-5 inch pots in my mini greenhouse, or out in the ground in the allotment. I assume the pots are more likely to freeze, but they'll be closer to home to shelter from snow etc. and I worried that although the mini greenhouse is slightly warmer and sheltered it may be too warm and encourage them to grow too much. We're in Essex, and the allotment soil is somewhat improved clay and their future bed is this seasons potato bed, so has been generally dug but is still rather lumpy.

Any advice appreciated!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Strawberries benefit from exposure to the cold weather (vernalisation) and are really quite hardy so don't keep them inside. I would personally leave them in their pots and sink them into the ground and move them to their final positions in the spring

[Aberdeenplotter]

Had this feeling I read somewhere that Strawbs should not follow spuds in the garden.

had a quick look and found this - "There are several disease that can infect strawberries. Vermicullum wilt(V. alburatrum) cause wilt in midsummer with the outer leaves dying. This fungus can survive several years in the soil. Avoid growing peppers, blackberries, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes before or where the strawberries are located. Plant resistant cultivars such as Guardian, Surecrop, Silettz, and Catskill. Rotate the area where strawberries are growing every 4 or 5 years. "

[VirginVegGrower]

I have alpine/wild strawberries in my garden. They grow like weeds once established and need no live or care. Don't cover or treat as normal strawberries. They don't need it. I would throw into ground - either garden or allotment. Use your pot for something else.

[Kaiya]

Thank you both! I have planted them out in the allotment and wished them good luck. I did still plant them in this year's potato patch, not because I was ignoring that advice but because if the feral potatoes that keep popping up are any indication, our plot was used primarily for supplying Essex with spuds in previous years! They are *everywhere*. I find so many I've no desire to grow potatoes myself next year.

Though now you mention it, I did lose my transplanted normal strawberries this summer (planted elsewhere on plot) - I assumed to drought, but maybe to something more sinister? I'll see how these little ones get on.

[Nicos]

If you are worried- stick some fleece over them when the weather gets bad.

I did this and sort of forgot/wasn't brave enough to remove it...and I was picking strawberries a month before my neighbours!!!
*You do have to remember to remove the fleece for a while when you're working down on the allotment when they start flowering though!!

I see you are in Essex Kaiya-
perhaps it's a good idea to pop your rough location in your profile ??