COMMON SENSE METHODS 



tor 



Growing Good Strawberry Crops 



Soil and Climate 



Good berry crops are grown in every state in 

 this country as well as in other countries both 

 north and south of us. No one need hesitate to 

 plant strawberries because of climatic conditions. 



All soil types are used from fairly heavy clay 

 to light sandy loam. Like most other crops, how- 

 ever, strawberries respond quickly to fertile, well 

 drained soils that are full of humus and retentive 

 of moisture. 



Also, experience, though valuable, is not neces- 

 sary. Common sense methods enable even the 

 beginner to grow strawberries successfully. The 

 absence of strawberry plantings in any locality 

 should not deter anyone from attempting to grow 

 them. In fact a lack of local supply may even 

 increase the chances for success because of a 

 better local demand. 



Selecting the Location 



In general it can be said that any good garden 

 soil will grow strawberries successfully. In se- 

 lecting a site for larger plantings, a field should 

 be chosen that has good drainage, and "frost 

 pockets" should be avoided. In many low lying 

 areas especially in the Coastal Plains section 

 open ditches have provided adequate drainage. 

 During the period of several rather dry years 

 many of these ditches have been filled. A couple 

 of more normal or wet years have shown to many 

 of the younger berry growers that a return to 

 the "faith of our fathers" in the matter of open 

 ditches is necessary as well as profitable in grow- 

 ing fine crops of berries. 



Adequate moisture is essential. Land that has 

 been highly manured or that contains plenty of 

 humus from turned-under cover crops such as 

 cow peas, clover, rye, rank growth of weeds, etc., 

 will have a high moisture holding capacity and 

 is therefore desirable. Other soils may have 

 moisture by being naturally springy or having a 

 low elevation. Any or all of these are desirable 

 for a good strawberry site. If possible fields fol- 

 lowing hoed crops are less likely to give trouble 

 with weeds in the strawberry patch. Probably a 

 sandy loam is the ideal soil type but heavier soils 

 loosened up with plenty of humus and manure, 

 or lighter soils made more spongy and moist by 

 the same treatment can be used with good suc- 

 cess. 



Sod land should be avoided if possible, as the 

 white grubs winter over in such land and cut off 

 the young plants soon after they are set the fol- 

 lowing spring. If you have no other land avail- 

 able, plow it in the fall, harrow it during the 

 winter and early spring as often as you can, and 

 many of the grubs will be killed out. 



Preparing the Land 



The roots of strawberry plants rarely pene- 

 trate further than one foot into the soil. It has 

 been found that 90% were in the top six inches 

 of soil with 73% of the roots in the top three 

 inches. This emphasizes the importance of hav- 

 ing these few inches of top soil in as good condi- 

 tion as possible for best results. 



The matter of drainage, moisture-holding ca- 

 pacity and fertility are the important factors to 

 consider if the location of planting strawberries 

 has not been selected in advance. If selected the 

 previous year, a green manure crop can be 

 plowed in in the summer and an early winter 

 cover crop such as rye planted and plowed in 

 early spring. Stable manure applied to the previ- 

 ous crop is still good for strawberries, although 

 it can be applied to advantage in the winter or 



spring before planting. The land selected should 

 be plowed in early spring. If stable manure is 

 to be used it should be spread broadcast on the 

 land just after it is plowed. Then the land either 

 with or without the manure should be disced 

 thoroughly and if necessary harrowed to level it 

 up so that a nice soft even planting bed is avail- 

 able. As with other crops a loose friable soil in 

 a good state of tilth is desirable for strawberries. 

 While several successive crops of strawberries 

 are sometimes grown on the same land success- 

 fully it is not considered good practice and if 

 practiced results should be watched carefully. 



ireen 



M 



anures 



As an aid in preparing the land for straw- 

 berries, green manures are about as satisfactory 

 as applications of stable manure, although pos- 

 sibly results are not as quick. Clover, beans, peas 

 and other legumes are fine. Oats, wheat, rye, 

 millet are also good. Legumes are preferred if 

 a heavy crop can be grown. However, the nitro- 

 gen creating advantages of legumes may be off- 

 set by the heavy growth possible with non- 

 legumes under some conditions. A heavy growth 

 of ordinary field corn sowed broadcast and 

 plowed under green when the growth was from 

 three to five feet in height has given fine results 

 in a few cases and is worth considering. Rank 

 growth of weeds and grass if plowed under green 

 are also valuable in adding humus and retaining 

 moisture. Weeds and grass should not be allowed 

 to go to seed, especially if a hoed crop like straw- 

 berries is to follow. Soil preparation for straw- 

 berry plants starts so early in the spring that 

 winter cover crops should be selected which make 

 a large amount of growth in the fall and if pos- 

 sible have a fairly large root growth. For this 

 purpose we have found nothing better than rye 

 planted early. 



Time to Set Plants 



EARLY SPRING IS THE LOGICAL, 

 NATURAL AND MOST SUCCESS- 

 FUL TIME TO SET STRAWBERRY 

 PLANTS. DON'T NEGLECT SET- 

 TING SOME PLANTS THIS SPRING, 

 1936, IF YOU WANT A CROP IN 

 SPRING OR EARLY SUMMER, 1937. 

 FALL, 1936 PLANTING (EYEN IF 

 PLANTS LI YE) WILL MEAN LITTLE 

 OR NO CROP UNTIL EARLY SUM- 

 MER, 1938. 



EYERBEARING VARIETIES, EYEN 

 MORE THAN OTHERS, SHOULD BE 

 SET EARLY IN THE SPRING, BUT 

 THEY BEAR THEIR BEST CROP IN 

 SUMMER AND FALL OF THE SAME 

 YEAR. 



How Early? 



Just as soon as weather permits getting 

 ground ready. In the South, February, March 

 and early April. In the middle states, March and 

 April. In the Northern states, April. Also, the 

 first half of May in late seasons and in states far 

 north. 



