NEW ENGLAND FRUIT MEETINGS AND TRADE SHOW 



The New England Fruit Meetings and Trade Show will be held at 

 the New Hampshire Highway Hotel, Concord, New Hampshire. The meet- 

 ings are scheduled for January 4 and 5, 1978. 



The hotel is accessible from all major highways. Routes 3 

 and 93, which lead to Concord, are accessible from anywhere in Mass- 

 achusetts. Persons coming from Western Massachusetts and Southern 

 Vermont may find the most convenient route to be Routes 9 or 10 to 

 Keene, New Hampshire, and then Routes 9 and US 202, 89 and 93 to the 

 Highway Hotel. 



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MULCHING STRAWBERRIES FOR WINTER PROTECTION 



Richard Marini, Research Technologist 

 University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt . 



Winter injury is often one of the most limiting factors for 

 strawberry production in northern regions. Although most New Eng- 

 land growers mulch their plants in the fall to prevent winter in- 

 jury, it may still occur, especially when snow-cover is lacking. 

 Nevertheless, growers recognize the value of mulch but are often 

 unsure when to apply it and how much to use. A brief review of 

 the physiological changes occurring in strawberry plants during 

 the fall may help eliminate some of the confusion. 



Plants generally develop hardiness in response to fall envi- 

 ronmental conditions. Strawberries cease growing and enter rest 

 in late-summer and early-fall as daylength and temperatures decrease. 

 During this time, sugars accumulate in the leaves and roots, leaves 

 become less upright, and red color may develop in petioles and 

 leaves. Hardiness increases significantly after exposure to several 

 frosts, but may be reduced by subsequent warm, weather. Cool weather 

 is then needed to regain the lost hardiness. Strawberries usually 

 continue to harden into mid-winter. 



Because hardening conditions are not the same each fall, the 

 rate of hardiness development and the degree of hardiness attained 

 differs from year to year. If mulch is applied before near freez- 

 ing temperatures occur, plants often fail to harden sufficiently, 

 and may be injured more severely than unmulched plants. Therefore, 

 mulch should not be applied according to the calendar date, but on 

 the basis- of fall weather conditions. Researchers in Minnesota (1) 

 found plants mulched in early October were killed when exposed to 

 27°F, while those mulched in early November survived 18°F. Although 

 the critical temperature varies with the variety, well-hardened 



