CULTURAL PRACTICES (Continued) 



Before setting, the plants should be soaked in 

 water for several hours or over night, so that the 

 roots may absorb all the moisture possible. This 

 will aid in carrying the plants until feeder roots 

 can be sent out. The plants should be protected 

 from the sun and wind and should be kept moist 

 until set. 



Distance to Plant: The plants should be set from 

 15 to 36 inches apart in rows from 3% to 4% feet 

 apart. The distance plants are set in the row 

 should vary according to the variety. Heavy bed- 

 ding varieties such as Blakemore and Dunlap 

 should be set farther apart than varieties that make 

 large plants but do not bed so freely, such as 

 Chesapeake or Beauty. We have found 3 feet 8 

 inches a good distance for the rows but on very 

 fertile soil it is well to space them 4 or even 4I/2 

 feet. With plants set 18 to 20 inches and rows 3 

 feet 8 inches about 8,000 plants are required per 

 acre. 



Cultivation: After the growth starts the plants 

 should be kept thoroughly cultivated. It is well to 

 cultivate at weekly intervals until the plant bed is 

 made. This will aid in preserving moisture and 

 will also cut down on the hoeing necessary to keep 

 down weeds. Cultivation next to the plants should 

 be shallow, stirring the soil to a depth of not more 

 than 2 inches. The plants should be hoed soon af- 

 ter they are set and care taken to uncover any 

 plants that have been set too deep. This is im- 

 portant, don't neglect it. Hoeing should also be 

 shallow, from 1 to IV2 inches. In the cultivation 

 always avoid going to depth that will disturb the 

 roots. Generally, the well spaced matted row is the 

 best system for growing strawberries. The first 

 runners should be encouraged as the early plants 

 are much more productive than the late runners. 

 When hoeing it is well to see that the plants do 

 not become too thickly set in the bed. This should 

 be given special attention with free bedding varie- 

 tieti such as Blakemore and Dorsett. 



With 3% foot rows a bed 18 to 24 inches wide, 

 with the plants well spaced, will be ideal for heavy 

 production of large fruit. Where the rows are fur- 

 ther apart the bed may be wider in proportion. Be 

 suro that the plants are not crowded in the bed. 

 For the hill system the plants are set much closer 

 and all the runners kept cut otf. As this method 

 requires much hand labor we feel it should be used 

 only when space is very limited or with the Ever- 

 bearers. 



Removing Blossoms: Flower stems usually ap- 

 pear on strawberry plants soon after they are set 

 in the field and as the production of fruit is a se- 

 vere drain on their vitality, the flower stems should 

 be removed as they appear. With the Everbearers 

 the blossoms should be removed until the plants 

 are well established, this will usually require about 

 sixty days. 



Fertilizer and Manure: Well rotted stable man- 

 ure is ideal for strawberries. This may be applied 

 immediately after the ground is plowed in the 

 spring and disced in. When applied to the preced- 

 ing crop the results are usually as good as when 

 applied directly to the soil for berries. If you do 

 not have this material, green manure and commer- 

 cial fertilizer may be used with very good results. 

 Though green manures are desirable they are not 

 essential for profitable berry production except 

 when the soil is deficient in humus (organic mat- 

 ter). For several years we have used a mixture of 

 3 parts of dissolved bone and 1 part 10% acid phos- 

 phate, at the rate of 700 lbs. per acre in the drill, 

 applied about a week before the plants are set. 

 This has given very satisfactory results. The fer- 

 tilizer should be thoroughly worked in and mixed 

 with the soil or it may be appplied as a top dress- 

 ing after the plants are set. With unfavorable con- 



ditions or with a late spring it is better to apply 

 as a top dressing than to wait a week for the fer- 

 tilizer to become mixed with the soil. Never set 

 the plants immediately after the fertilizer is ap- 

 plied, wait at least a full week. When it is applied 

 broadcast, 1000 lbs. per acre may be safely used 

 but it should be worked into the soil well, at least 

 a week prior to setting plants. We do not recom- 

 mend using more than 1000 lbs. broadcast or 700 

 lbs. in the drill. Raw bone meal may also be used 

 and give very good results. However, this is rather 

 expensive and is slow to become available. Nitrate 

 of Soda, Sulphate of Ammonia and Potash Salts 

 should be avoided as any of these materials will 

 burn the roots should they come in direct contact 

 with them. If such material must be used it should 

 be applied as a top dressing and placed consider- 1 

 able distance from the plants. If poultry manure '] 

 is available a combination of two parts manure and | 

 one part 16% phosphoric acid will make a very sat- 1 

 isfactory fertilizer. This should be applied as for 

 the other commercial fertilizers. A top dressing in -'■' 

 late summer though not necessary, will often in- , 

 crease the yield and the size of the fruit consider- j 

 ably. Usually the fall application is preferable as i! 

 it does not cause such a rank growth of vines and j 

 weeds as when applied in the spring before fruit- 

 ing. This should be applied when the leaves are | 

 dry, at tlie rate of GOO to 800 lbs. per acre, of a ,' 

 mixture containing from 4 per cent to 7 per cent .j 

 nitrogen, 6 per cent to 10 per cent phosphoric acid . 

 and 4 to 6 per cent potash. All fertilizer should , 

 be brushed off the leaves. 



Mating Varieties: The perfect varieties will pro- ■ 



duce a full crop of fruit when planted alone. The ] 



imperfect varieties must be planted with some per- ' 



feet variety of the same season to pollenize the ■: 



blossoms. There should be two rows of the perfect \: 



and four rows of the imperfect. All varieties we ,i 



list are perfect flowering. !' 



Mulching: There are several reasons why mulch- j 

 ing is desirable. Its use prevents the freezing and I 

 thawing of the ground in winter, keeps the soil .'■ 

 cool and conserves moisture during the fruiting |' 

 season and also helps to keep the berries clean dur- , , 

 ing a rain. Strawy stable manure, straw, wild hay 'j 

 or marsh grass are materials commonly used, ap- J 

 plied at the rate of about 3 tons per acre. The i 

 mulch should be applied before the first hard ', 

 freeze, as it has been found that the first sudden |i 

 drop m temperature does more damage to unpro- ■; 

 tected plants than subsequent freezes, even though - 1 

 the temperature may go mucn lower, in other 

 words to apply a mulch after there has been a hard , 

 freeze, in the hope of preventing winter injury is j 

 simply locking the door after the horse is stolen. ■ ; 

 In the spring the mulch should be raked off be- 

 tween the rows or worked down around the plants i 

 where it will also serve to retard the growth of , 

 weeds. 



Spraying and Dusting: As strawberries are sel- j 

 dom subject to any serious damage from diseases > 

 or insects spraying or dusting are not commonly j 

 practiced. Setting healthy plants of varieties im- j 

 mune or resistant to disease is much more desir- j 

 able. In sections where the Weevil (Clipper) pre- 

 vail they can be controlled by dusting the beds just 1 

 after tlie first buds appear, and again about 10 I i, 

 days later, with a mixture of 85% Sulphur and . 

 15% Arsenate of Lead. . • 



Summer and Early Fall Planting: There are two j i 



reasons why Summer and early Fall planting is • i 



seldom successful: first, it is almost impossible to | ( 



get good plants and second : even if you get good , * 



plants they seldom, if ever, give as good results as \ 



plants set in the early spring. Don't put off your , 



planting until Fall. If you do you are almost sure < 



to be disappointed. ! ■ 



PLANTS IX GOOD CONDITION 



April 1, 1938 



I received the strawberry plants Monday, and 



they were in good condition. Just had time to 



get them in the ground before a big rain. — Mrs. 



Ruth Gleckler, Pike Co., Illinois. 



WEI.I. PLEASED WITH PLANTS 



April 25, 1938 



I received my berry plants O.K. You sure gave 



me service and I thank you. I was well pleased 



with tlie plants, and hope to buy more next year. — 



:Mr. Arthur C. Wilev, Cattaraugus Co., New York. 



