STRAWBERRY CULTURE 



Sometime you may have read of Secret Methods for raising Strawberries. Well, the secret 

 is the same as applies to any other crop, suitable soil, good plants, proper fertilization and clean, 

 thorough cultivation. Anyone can grow berries successfully by following these simple direc- 

 tions. Most experienced growers follow this same procedure and have been doing so for years. 



In strawberry culture, as with most other crops, there are a few seemingly unimportant op- 

 erations that are really of major importance in relation to the success of the enterprise. Most 

 of these cause no additional expense but by neglecting or failing to perform them at the proper 

 time will be a decided setback to your project. We wish to call your attention to the para- 

 graphs under Soil Selection, Preparing Land, Time to Plant and Fertilizer and Manure. These 

 operations are of major importance and should be given special attention. 



Adaptability: In this the Strawberry is the 

 most versatile fruit grown and is successful from 

 Florida to Alaska and from Maine to California, 

 and can be grown on almost any soil that will re- 

 tain sufficient moisture to mature the fruit. The 

 adaptability of each variety for certain latitudes 

 make this wide range possible. 



Soil Selection: To produce the maximum yield 

 the selection of suitable soil is of major import- 

 ance. As strawberries draw very heavily on mois- 

 ture at fruiting time and if there is not sufficient 

 present, the crop will be cut down materially, the 

 soil selected should be retentive of moisture, should 

 contain an abundance of humus and at the same 

 time have good drainage. These are the essentials 

 of good strawberry soil. In sections where the 

 white grub is prevalent, the soil selected for ber- 

 ries should have been planted to truck crops that 

 had thorough cultivation for two years, previous 

 to setting the berry plants. Soil that has been 

 planted to truck crops is preferable in all cases 

 as the clean cultivation given the preceeding crop 

 will cut down the presence of weed seed and the 

 soil will be in better mechanical condition. Newly 

 plowed sod land should be avoided as it may be 

 badly infested with white grub and at best it is 

 rough and hard to get in any sort of condition. 

 If no other land is available, plOAV in the fall and 

 disc or harrow several times during the winter 

 and spring. This will aid in getting the soil in 

 better condition and most of the grubs will be 

 killed out. 



Preparing the "Land: When conditions permit it 

 is well to plow down a cover crop of rye and vetch 

 or other cover crop suitable for your section, of 

 course, this is not necessary, but it will add much 

 humus to the soil whi(^h will increase the fertility 

 and aid in retaining moisture. If the land should be 

 covered with grass or weeds, these should be plow- 

 ed down while green when they will add much 

 humus to the soil and the seed will not likely germ- 

 inate, but if permitted to die the growth is of little 

 value and the seed Avill make constant hoeing neces- 

 sary. The land selected should be plowed as early 

 as possible in the spring and disced or harrowed 

 thoroughly until a lirm, even plant bed is obtained. 



Time To Plant: From our experience Early 

 Spring is the very best time to plant. When the 

 plants are dormant they withstand digging, ship- 

 ping and transplanting better, start growing quick- 

 er and are much more vigorous than when planted 

 after the growth has started. It costs no more to 

 plant early than late thus there is no reason why 

 everyone should not enjoy the beneficial results 

 of Early Planting. Light frosts, that do not heaA'^e 

 the ground will not damage the plants. April is 

 the proper time to set plants in the Northern 

 States, in the Central States March and early April 

 and in the Southern States from November 1 until 

 April 1. Be sure to have your order in early so 

 that the plants will be at hand when your ground 

 is ready. 



This is one of the great advantages we can offer 

 you. Our climate is such that we can furnish you 

 hardy, fresh dug plants promptly any time after 

 Feb. 1, whereas North rn plant growers are un- 

 able to dig until your plants should have been in 

 the ground. Th(>n too. our plants are permitted 

 to go through the winter unprotected and are 

 therefore more hardy than plants grown Avhere 

 conditions make mulching necessary. 



Caro of Plants: I'lants should be set as soon as 

 received. If for any reason you are unable to set 

 them for three or four days the plants should be 

 removed from the crate and the roots and moss 



dampened, replaced in the crate and stored where 

 it is cool, preferably in a cellar. Should you ex- 

 pect to hold the plants for a longer period it is 

 better to heal them in the ground. The roots 

 should be dampened, the bundles opened and the 

 plants heeled in a V-shaped trench Avith the croAvns 

 even with the ground, and the soil packed firmly 

 around the roots. If desirable they may be heeled 

 in several layers Avith a feAv inches of soil be- 

 tAveen each roAV. By healing the plants in a shady 

 place and keeping the soil moist they Avill keep 

 in perfect condition for tAvo Aveeks or CA'en longer. 

 Be sure to have the plants well spread out so that 

 the soil will come in contact with all the roots. 



Planting:: There are many methods of setting 

 plants and of course you should use the one best 

 suited to your needs. The main object is to haA'e 

 the roots straight down and spread out fan shape 

 Avith the crown even with the surface of the 

 soil and the soil packed firmly al)out the roots. 

 There are no beneficial effects from clipping the 

 roots but it is better to clip off an inch or tAvo 

 than to have the roots doubled up. If a horse 

 drawn transplanter is used this practice Avill be a 

 great aid in getting the plants set properly. It is 

 very important to set the plants at the proper 

 depth, as any that are set too deep Avill seldom 

 amount to anything cA^en though they may live all 

 summer and those set too shalloAv Avill haA'e the 

 top of the roots exposed to the air, this will dry 

 the roots out and often the plant Avill die. 



The most popular tools for setting plants are the 

 troAvel, dibble or spade. Under faA^orable condi- 

 tions the horse draAvn transplanter Avill give good 

 results provided the operators use care so that the 

 plants are set properly. 



Before setting, the plants should be soaked in 

 water for several hours or over night, so that the 

 roots may absorb all tlie moisture possible. This 

 Avill 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 24 inches apart in roAvs from SVz to 

 4% feet apart. The distance plants are set in the 

 roAV should vary according to the variety. Heavy 

 bedding 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 roAvs but on very 

 fertile soil it is Avell to space them 4 or CA^en 4% 

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

 feet 8 inches about 8,000 plants are required per 

 acre. 



Cultivation: After the groAvth starts the plants 

 should be kept thoroughly cultivated. It is Avell 

 to cultivate at Aveekly intervals until the plant bed 

 is made. This AAdll aid m preserving moisture and 

 will also cut doAvn on the hoeing necessary to keep 

 doAvn Aveeds. Cultivation next to the plants should 

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

 than 2 inches The plants should be hoed soon 

 after they are set and care should be taken to un- 

 cover any plants that have been set too deep. This 

 is important, don't neglect, it. Hoeing should also 

 be shalloAv. from 1 to U/^ inches. In the cultiA-a- 

 tion always avoid going to a depth that Avill dis- 

 turb the roots. Generally, the Avell spaced matted 

 row is the best system for growing straAvberries. 

 For this system each plant is permitted to make 

 15 to 25 runner plants and sometimes even more. 

 The first runners should be encouraged as the ear- 



