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["Ray Kaminski" <r-jkaminski@att.net>]

Jim. I do not fully agree that you cannot transplant strawberries in the late fall.  I grow about a 30 foot row of Honeoye berries and am in zone 4-5. Last year we had quite a bit of snow early and the patch was covered from early December to April.  Some years with little snow, the ground under the straw (cover) that I apply is frozen probably a good 6 inches or more.

In late fall, about the end of September, I fill in the spots  in the row where the plants are missing or too far apart with other plants that are too close to each other or have gone outside the row.  I try to have the plants set about 6 inches apart from each other and a well filled in row about 4 feet wide. In the spring I check the plants for any that might not have made it and ones that are not going to produce that year.  I have yet to find that any(close to zero) I moved are not producing. I water them good after transplanting and to me they seem very happy in their new home.  I till up all but the last foot of last years row and start a new row 4 feet away from that row.  When the runners start coming I move them so they go to each other and by fall I have a nice, fairly full row.  I use my own berry plants as I have not had disease or problems with them. Ray