STRAWBERRY CULTURE 



Strawberries are one of the easiest of fruits to grow. Good land, good cultivation, good 

 plants and good judgment will assure success. 



First — Plant early in the spring, just as soon as 

 weather conditions permit preparing the soil. 



Plants set while fully dormant start far better and 

 have much more vitality than those set late, after 

 growth has started. To enable our customers to 

 set fully dormant plants even when weather or 

 climatic conditions makes early planting im- 

 possible, we are using a new method of handling 

 plants which is outlined elsewhere in these culture 

 directions. 



Second — Renew at least part ».f your plantings 

 every year. A planting is usually considered good 

 for two or three years fruiting, with proper culti- 

 vation and favorable weather. Normally with 

 second and third year beds, blossoms appear earl- 

 ier and are therefore more subject to frost damage. 

 Berries are usually smaller than the first years 

 fruiting. By renewing at least part of your plant- 

 ings each year you will be assured a more constant 

 supply of the finest quality berries. Taken year 

 after year, strawberries are the most productive 

 and among the most profitable of the small fruits. 

 Berries every year are your assurance of highest 

 returns. 



Third — Set good plants. Quality and vitality of 

 plants will largely influence growth and produc- 

 tion. Rayuer's vigorous, healthy plants assure 

 high yields and big returns. 



Adaptability — With the adaptability of varieties 

 for different soil and climatic conditions (see page 

 C) strawberries can be grown in practically every 

 section of the Country. 



Soil — Select good soil, well supplied with humus 

 (cover crops, weeds, grass, etc.) and well drained. 

 Land that has previously had thorough cultivation 

 is best. 



Preparing the Land — When plans can be made 

 ahead, it is well to plow down a cover crop pre- 

 ceding planting strawberries. This will Increase 

 fertility, improve physical condition and also aid 

 in retaining moisture. Plowing down weeds in 

 the fall while green is also a good practice, adding 

 humus and preventing the maturing of seed. The 

 land sliould be plowed as early in the spring as 

 possible and harrowed and dragged until a firm, 

 even plant bed is formed; rows then marked out 

 three and one-half to four feet apart. A horse- 

 drawn marker is best with a large planting. With 

 a small planting a line or hoe is satisfactory. 



Time to Plant — Early spring is the best time to 

 set strawberry plants. Plants should be set as 

 soon as the ground can be worked. Light frosts 

 that do not heave the ground will not injure the 

 plants. We cannot stress too greatly ithe im- 



portance of early planting. The plants are then 

 fully dormant and the weather is most favorable 

 to their becoming established. 



Early planting is the most important single 

 factor in successful strawberry culture. April in 

 the North; March and April in the Central States; 

 and November 1 to April in the South. 



Care of Plants — Before setting, the roots should 

 be covered with water so that they may soak up all 

 water possible. This will aid in carrying the plant 

 until feeder roots can be sent out. Before and dur- 

 ing planting, keep plants protected from wind and 

 sun and moist at all times. If plants cannot be 

 set soon after arrival they should be removed from 

 the crate, the packing material moistened, and 

 repacked loosely. Stored in a cool, damp place 

 they will keep in good condition three or four days. 

 If plants must be kept longer, should be kept in 

 commercial cold storage around 32 degrees, or the 

 bundles should be opened and the plants heeled 

 in a V-shaped trench. A few cautions on heeling 

 in: spread the plants thinly so the soil contacts all 

 roots, pack the soil firmly back in the trench up 

 even with the crowns (see illustration on next 

 page). Keep shaded and water thoroughly, espec- 

 ially if the w^eather is warm. 



Planting — The important points are to have the 

 roots straight down with the soil packed firmly for 

 their entire length and the cro"wn even with the 

 surface. Proper depth is very important (see 

 illustration). Roots should be clipped if too long 

 to get in straight. 



Fertilizer and Manure — Well rotted stable man- 

 ure, compost or similar materials are very good for 

 strawberries. May be applied just before soil is 

 prepared or if used on the preceding crop, results 

 are practically as good. Complete commercial 

 fertilizers (approximately a 5-10-4 mixture) give 

 good results and are used by many successful 

 growers. To aid the plants in getting a vigorous 

 start fertilizer may be applied broadcast and thor- 

 roughly worked in the soil a week ahead of setting 

 plants, or may be applied as a top dressing at the 

 first cultivation after'plants are set. Apply evenly 

 and brush off any that may be on the leaves. Six 

 pounds per 100 feet of row or 700 pounds per acre 

 is ample for this application. Chicken manure 

 mixed two parts manure to one part 16% super- 

 phosphate make a satisfactory material. Top dress- 

 ing in the late summer will usually increase size 

 and yield, especially on thin soils. Five to seven 

 pounds per 100 feet of row or 600 to 800 pounds per 

 acre of a 5-i0-4 mixture usually give good results. 

 Chicken manure and commercial fertilizers are 

 causLic. Applying evenly while the foliage is dry 

 will prevent possible injury. 



Controlled Storage Highly Successful 



Strawberry plants dug in winter and stored at controlled temperatures often show better results 

 than freshly dug plants. The United States Department of Agriculure has conducted extensive 

 experiments on our farms on proper storage temperatures and practices. These experiments prov- 

 ed that plants dug while still fully dormant (before April 10) and stored at the correct temperature 

 would be more vigorous than freshly dug plants, especially when set later than April 15. 



For our own plantings we are now using controlled storage plants that are dug during the 

 winter. These plants can be kept dormant as long as desired. When weather has held up planting 

 until late spring plants held dormant by controlled storage have given us as good results as fresh 

 dug plants set in March. 



We know from our experience that plants set in late April or May will do much better if dug 

 while fully dormant and properly stored, instead of freshly dug plants that have begun to make 

 spring growth. If you have a commercial storage plant near you that provides storage at 32 de- 

 grees, we recommend you order your plants early and store them so you can have them whenever 

 desired. We recommend storage plants without reservations. 



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