Should I cover them with straw or any leaves for the winter?
In late fall or early winter, you can cover them with pine needles, straw or wood chips.
Here are more tips to winterize the berry plants:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/winterizing-strawberry-plants.htm
Once my berries turn red on the vine, they become really mushy. They are not overripe..it happens before they are fully ripened. Can slugs do this? Or is it a fungus? I just thought it was strange that they aren't mushy when they are still white.
Unfortunately the photo did not come through. It will be hard to say without seeing the damage.
It does sound like a fungal issue, though.
This article will explain: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/strawberries-rotting-on-vine.htm
This article will help you to understand fungicide use: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm
Strawberry plants will flower when one leaf appears?
Usually, you will notice cups, or rosettes of leaves. This will indicate that it is a flowering stolon. These are usually brought about by temperature differences, or daylight lengths, depending on the type of strawberry that you have.
This article will help you with the care of strawberries: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/growing-strawberry-plants.htm
I have a small patch of strawberries, about 3' x 6' and it does get cold up here in the mountains. I read you can use straw to protect them but I am not sure when to put the straw on them.
You are in zone 6b and here is an article on winter protection of strawberries:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/strawberry-plant-frost-protection.htm
I live in zone 7. I got them yesterday and put the bare roots in water.
It's a little early yet. Wait until the soil is workable in early spring, usually March or April. You can go ahead and plant them in pots till then. Don't leave them in water.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/growing-strawberry-plants.htm
This is my strawberries second year, for the first year I pinched off many blossoms so that the plants would grow stronger. During the season I made sure to fertilize them whenever the leaves began to look purple as I was told this was a phosphorus deficiency. Right now the snow is starting to melt and they bed is full of new growth (tons to honest) and all of it looks purple. It still seems too early as the ground is most likely still frozen and much too wet to fertilize. Should I wait until later in the season?
Before fertilizing, make sure that you test your soil. Purple can, certainly, be an indication of a phosphorus deficiency. It can also be a symptom of being cold (which they handle just fine) or that your pH is too low to absorb phosphorus.
Testing your pH and nutrient content will give you all of the information that you need to know, exactly, what the strawberry needs. These two articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm
This article will help you with general strawberry care:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/growing-strawberry-plants.htm
What zone are these types of strawberries in? I'm new to gardening and helpful tips, caring directions? I also am wondering how to care for it when being in a planter, since it still gets down in 30 or lower at night even though we're technically in spring.
They are hardy in zones 4-8. You are in zone 6a. You should definitely be mulching your strawberries until the frosty nights are over. Here are articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/winterizing-potted-strawberries.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/quinault-strawberry-growing.htm