24 



COMMONSENSE METHODS FOR GROWING 

 GOOD STRAWBERRY CROPS 



Strawberries are grown successfully 

 in every State in the Country. They are 

 relatively easy to grow. Beginners can 

 produce fine crops by following com- 

 mon sense methods. 



WHEN DO THEY BEAR? Standard 

 varieties set in March, April or early May 

 1953 will bear their best -crop in May or 

 June 1954. Everbearing varieties set in 

 early spring produce berries in late sum- 

 mer and fall of the same year. Fall setting 

 is not a good practice in most cases. 



FALL PLANTING 



Setting plants in late August, September 

 or early October with the idea of getting a 

 partial crop the following May or June is 

 not a good practice. Results in most cases 

 do not justify the extra effort. 



Setting the plants in late October or 

 November to get the job done when not so 

 rushed by work as in spring or to avoid the 

 hazards of delayed planting in spring, due 

 to bad weather, frequently is justified. 

 These advantages should be weighed 

 against the time and trouble of mulching 

 through two winters instead of one, and 

 more work in controlling weeds and grass. 

 Usually a part of the fall set plants fail to 

 survive the winter, but those that do sur- 

 vive start earlier and grow better than 

 spring set plants. 



With good early dug dormant plants 

 available for spring planting we think fall 

 setting is very rarely justified except in 

 Florida or other sections far South. 



WHAT KIND OF SOIL AND 

 LOCATION ARE BEST? 



Any soil that makes good yields of gar- 

 den or field crops will produce straw- 

 berries in abundance, whether that soil is 

 a light sandy loam or a heavy clay. Here 

 are some pointers. 1— In rolling country a 

 sloping field gives better air drainage and 

 less injurious frosts. 2 — Run the berry rows 

 across a steeply sloping field rather than 

 up and down to help prevent erosion. 3 — 

 Follow a hoed crop to make less weeds and 

 grass to contend with in the strawberries. 

 4 — Avoid sod land that may harbor grub 

 worms which cut or injure your plants. 5 — 

 Change the place of the strawberry bed 

 every few years. It will help keep up the 

 vigor and growth and reduce the danger 



of a build up of disease and insect trouble. 

 6 A rank growth of weeds and grass on 

 a vacant lot, garden plot or unused field 

 indicates soil fertile enough to grow good 

 crops of strawberries. 7 — Most important 

 of all, select land that holds moisture well 

 because (a) it is naturally springy, (b) it 

 has a high water table, (c) irrigation is 

 available or (d) because lots of organic 

 matter in the form of animal manures or 

 green crops has been incorporated in the 

 soil. 



HOW SHOULD I PREPARE THE 

 LAND? In late winter or very early spring | 

 the land should be plowed or (in small i 

 plots) spaded to a depth of 6 or 8 inches. ; 

 Then with harrow or rake it should be 

 leveled off to form a smooth friable planting ! 

 bed. 



Here are some things which are not 

 necessary but which are very helpful in 

 getting bigger, better crops of berries: 



1. Plowing under in late summer a 

 heavy growth of green crops such as peas, 

 beans, clover, sowed corn, weeds, grass, etc. 

 All these rot quickly and are much more 

 valuable if plowed under while still green. 



2. Early fall sowing of rye or wheat to ; 

 give a heavy sod to be plowed under in 

 late winter or very early spring. This will ! 

 be easier to handle if disced up thoroughly 

 before plowing. 



3. Applications of horse, cow, hog or 

 sheep manure at the rate of 5 to 20 tons per 

 acre. This is the best of all preparation for 

 a fine crop of berries. Results are almost 

 equally good if one of these applications 

 has been made for the previous crop. 

 Poultry manure is better when applied to 

 the previous crop but is helpful to current 

 crop if full of litter and only three to four 

 tons per acre are used. Excessive applica- 

 tions of poultry manure may cause some 

 burning especially in dry seasons. 



For small areas a good guide in the 

 application of horse, cow, sheep or hog 

 manure is to figure 1 to 2 bushels for every 

 100 square feet. Manure from poultry and 

 broiler houses is not recommended be- 

 cause it either contains chick weed seed 

 from feed or bedding or stimulates exces- 

 sively the growth of chick weed, which be- 

 comes very serious in many strawberry 

 growing areas. 



