CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 



STRAWBERRIES are grown successfully in every state. They are easy to grow and 

 beginners are proud of their fine berries. 



BEARING. Standard varieties set in the spring of 1971 will bear their best crop in 

 May or June of 1972. Everbearing varieties set in the spring produce berries in late 

 -summer and fall of that year. 



PLANTING. Early spring planting is of the greatest importance in growing straw- 

 berries. This means just as early in the spring as weather permits preparing the land. 

 The plants are established while the soil is still cool and moist and a good stand 

 becomes the rule. With dormant plants and irrigation, later setting is possible but it 

 is not as easy. Planting time is usually February, March, and early April in the south- 

 ern states; March and April in the middle states; April and May in the northern states. 



PLANTING DISTANCES. In general we worms which cut or injure your plants. 



recommend setting plants 18 to 20 inches 

 apart in rows 4 feet apart. This requires 

 a little over 7,000 plants per acre. [See 

 table) Somewhat closer planting is satis- 

 factory in small gardens where space is 

 limited, for the hill system as with ever- 

 bearers, or for late setting where a good 

 stand is uncertain. 



For the small garden order 7 plants 

 for each 10 feet of row you want to set 

 or figure 1 plant for each 5 square feet. 

 Thus for a plot 10 by 10 you would need 

 about 20 plants. 



PLANTS FOR VARIOUS PLANTING 





DISTANCE 





Rows 



In the row 



Total per acre 



3 ft. apart 



18 inches 



9,680 plants 



3 ft. " 



24 " 



7,260 " 



3V2 ft. " 



18 " 



8,297 



3V2 ft. " 



24 



6,223 " 



4 ft. " 



18 " 



7,260 " 



4 ft. " 



24 " 



5,445 



3 ft. 8 in. " 



18 



7,128 " 



SOIL AND LOCATION. Any soil that 

 makes good yields of garden or field 

 crops will produce strawberries in abun- 

 dance, 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 



Treatment makes the use of sod land 

 much safer. 



5. Change the place of the strawberry 

 bed every few years. It will help to 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] because lots of organic 

 matter in the form of animal manures or 

 green crops has been incorporated in the 

 soil. Of course, if irrigation is available, 

 you can give the plants water when 

 necessary. 



IRRIGATION. If you have irrigation it 

 will certainly pay to use it for strawber- 

 ries, both for establishing the new bed, 

 as well as at fruiting time. However, irri- 

 gation is not mandatory. In addition, if 

 you have a frost during bloom, irrigation 

 during the danger hours has saved straw- 

 berry crops from frost and freeze damage 

 with temperatures as low as 20°F. 

 LAND PREPARATION. In late winter or 

 very early spring the land should be 

 plowed or in small plots spaded to a 

 depth of 6 to 8 inches. Then with a har- 

 row or rake it should be leveled off to 

 form a smooth friable planting bed. Here 

 are some of the 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 

 Continued on Page 37 



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