roots, cutting them back to 4 or 5 inches will 

 make the setting job easier and insure a better 

 job of planting. THE CROWN OR BUD 

 MUST BE AT THE SOIL SURFACE— NOT 

 ABOVE AND BELOW— see illustration 

 below. 



;00 SHALLOW JUST H3GHT . TOO Dl 



Any setting tool ranging from a hand trowel 

 or shovel to a transplanter may be used. If 

 a transplanter is used, it is important to check 

 behind the transplanter to determine if the 

 plants are being set at the proper depth. 



Water applied by cup in the home garden, 

 by the transplanter or by irrigation immedi- 

 ately after planting is very beneficial. Soak the 

 roots in water immediately prior to planting 

 if you cannot irrigate or water while trans- 

 planting. 



Plants should be set as soon as possible 

 after arrival. If the weather is hot, dry and 

 windy, it is advisable to delay planting a day 

 or two for more favorable conditions. 

 NEVER ALLOW PLANTS TO BE EX- 

 POSED TO THE SUN AND WIND PRIOR 

 TO PLANTING. Keep the boxes containing 

 the plants from the wind. Never take more 

 plants out of the box than you will plant in 

 15 minutes. 



CHEMICAL FERTILIZATION: Some garden 

 soils will not require chemical fertilizer the 

 first year. Most garden plantings, however, 

 would be benefited by a 1 pound application 

 of 10-10-10 fertilizer spread evenly over the 

 top of the foliage on 40 feet of row length 

 in Mid-August. The fertilizer should be 

 brushed off the leaves with a broom or leaf 

 rake. 



Strawberry roots grow very slow and ferti- 

 lizer applied to each side of the row does not 

 become available to the plant until long after 

 it has been applied. If a fertilizer high in 

 nitrogen is applied over the top of the plant 

 1 to 3 weeks after planting and brushed off 

 immediately, it will greatly stimulate plant 



growth. Commercial growers should make 

 this type application soon after planting and 

 again in early August. A similar August treat- 

 ment should be made on 2 and 3 year old 

 plantings. Consult your County Extension 

 Agents for rates and ratios. ALL FIELDS 

 SHOULD BE TESTED AND ANY CAL- 

 CIUM, MAGNESIUM, PHOSPHOROUS 

 AND BORON REQUIRED, APPLIED 

 PRIOR TO PLANTING. 



IRRIGATION: It would be beneficial at 

 sometime on all strawberry plantings; how- 

 ever, irrigation is not necessary for straw- 

 berries growing in a good garden soil or on 

 the better loam soils. Irrigation is helpful 

 during periods of drought in the 1st growing 

 season; and prior to harvest, as well as, a 

 means of preventing frost damage during the 

 blossoming period. Applying a small but con- 

 tinuous amount of water to the foliage and 

 flowers will protect the blossoms even if the 

 temperature drops as low as 25 °F. Water, 

 however, must be applied continuously as long 

 as the temperature is below 32 °F. 



As a rule, irrigating the Midway variety 

 between blossoming and the start of the 

 harvest season will always increase produc- 

 tion and fruit size. Sandy soils require more 

 frequent irrigations than loam soils. 



CULTIVATION, HOEING AND TRAIN- 

 ING: Shallow cultivation (not to exceed 1 

 inch near the plant) helps control weeds, 

 provides a loose soil for the daughter plants 

 to establish their roots and helps establish 

 the matted row system by pushing the run- 

 ners into the row area before they root. The 

 home gardener should also use a hoe to train 

 the first daughter plants in the row while 

 hoeing for weed removal. Train the first new 

 runners out like spokes from a wheel and 

 root them until a row 2 feet wide is estab- 

 lished; five to six plants per square foot is 

 enough. Later formed plants should be cut 

 off. Commercial growers substitute a blade 

 or 'rolling coulter for the inside shovel on 

 their cultivator when the desired number of 

 plants have been established. 



CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL AND 

 PLASTIC MULCH: Commercial growers all 

 use herbicides to control weeds in straw- 

 berries. The 3 most common chemicals used 

 are Dacthel. Diphenamid. and Tenoran. Dac- 

 thal may be incorporated into the soil prior 

 to planting or sprayed broadcast immediately 

 after planting. Diphenamid should not be 

 applied until the strawberry has established 

 3 fully developed leaves. Both of these chem- 

 icals control weeds only as the seed germi- 



42 



