Why so early? Experience has taught that 

 strawberries live better and grow better if they 

 can become established early in the spring while 

 the soil is still cool and moist. Late set plants 

 are more likely to run into hot, dry conditions 

 which make good results unlikely if not impos- 

 sible. Furthermore, investigations have shown 

 that runner plants made early are much more 

 fruitful than those made in late summer or fall, 

 see page 15. Early spring planting, therefore, 

 tends to promote a larger percentage of highly 

 productive, early set runner plants. If ordering 

 plants be sure to order early enough so that they 

 can be at hand as soon as the ground is prepared. 



When a plant grower in the latitude of New 

 York or Massachusetts can dig plants, berry 

 growers in those sections should be setting their 

 plants. This is a big advantage we can give 

 growers in those latitudes. We can dig and ship 

 plants earlier and have them right at hand for 

 early planting. 



should be set farther apart than varieties like 

 Chesapeake which makes comparatively few 

 plants. When set in rows 3 feet 8 inches apart 

 and spaced 20 inches apart in the row, it requires 

 about 7,000 plants per acre. 



Setting the Plants 



Care of Plants 



Set plants on arrival if possible. It will help 

 if roots of the plants can be dipped in water and 

 allowed to "plump up" for some time before set- 

 ting, perhaps over night. If plants have become 

 quite dry and with- 

 ered in transit it will 



help to put them in „ 



soak, that is to let 

 them stay in the 

 water for two or 

 three hours, perhaps 

 longer. When this is 

 done, however, they 

 should be set fairly 

 soon after being- 

 taken from the 

 water. At any rate 

 have them thor- 

 oughly moistened 

 and plump when 

 planting. If any- 

 thing prevents im- 

 mediate planting and 

 the weather is cool, 

 the top of the crate 

 should be taken off 

 and the plants 

 loosened in the crate, 

 still keeping the 

 roots covered with 

 the packing material. 

 Placed where it is 

 cool, plants will keep 

 like this for two or 

 three days on early 

 shipments. When 

 plants are received 



late and and lots of growth has been made, or 

 where longer delays in setting are unavoidable, 

 plants should be heeled in in some shaded or 

 protected place. Dig a V-shaped trench, open 

 the bundles, spread them out in thin layers with 

 buds just even with the surface of the ground, 

 then firm the soil back against the roots of the 

 plants. If necessary several layers of plants can 

 be heeled in the same place with one or two 

 inches of soil between each layer. Wet the soil 

 and plants thoroughly when heeling is done. 



■ ; v..v- 



Too Shallow 



Where commercial fertilizer is to be used 

 under the plants, rows should be run out 3 or 4 

 inches deep with a one-horse plow, the fertilizer 

 drilled into these rows and thoroughly worked 

 in. Then the soil should be thrown back into 

 these furrows and again leveled off. Where con- 

 siderable acreages are planted, a horse-drawn 

 transplanter such as is used for sweet potatoes, 

 tomatoes, tobacco, etc., is often used. To do a 

 good job this way, however, requires skill and 

 experience, if the crowns of the plants are to be 

 left at the proper level with the roots extending 

 straight into the ground and not set on a slant, 

 oftentimes near the surface of the ground. This 

 method requires a driver, two operators and an- 

 other man to walk behind to fill in missing plants, 

 reset those too high or too low and to firm the 

 soil around the plants. A spade, trowel or dibble 

 are the tools most often used in setting plants. 

 Where one of these is 

 used, they are set 

 down the prepared row 

 with the roots of the 

 plants spread out as 

 much as possible and 

 the bud of the plant 

 just at the surface of 

 the ground. It is also 

 important to press the 

 ground firmly against 

 the roots and to see 

 that dirt is filled in 

 near" the crown of the 

 plant so that the top 

 of the roots -will not 

 be left exposed. (See 

 sketch for proper 

 depth of planting.) 

 Where the fertilizer is 

 not put under the 

 plants, the rows can 

 merely be laid off with 

 a marker and the 

 plants set by any of 

 the methods suggested 

 down the marked row 

 instead of down the 

 fertilized row. 



Just Right 



Too Deep 



Clipping the Roots 



IF FOR ANY REA 

 SON LATE SETTLNG 

 IS UNAVOIDABLE, EXTRA CARE SHOULD 

 BE TAKEN TO HAVE THE SOIL FIRMED 

 VERY THOROUGHLY AGAINST THE ROOTS 

 FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. FURTHERMORE, 

 LATE IN THE SEASON ROOTS OF PLANTS 

 TEND TO BECOME DRY AND WITHERED, 

 AND FOLIAGE GROWTH HEAVY WITH 

 LONG LEAF STEMS. UNDER SUCH CON 

 DITIONS WATCH CAREFULLY TO AVOID 

 SETTING THE BUD TOO DEEP. 



Some growers clip the roots of strawberry 

 plants before setting. If not cut too short it does 

 no harm. However, it is not necessary nor help- 

 ful if you can get the roots of the plants in the 

 soil without being doubled up. It is better to 

 clip the roots somewhat than to have them 

 doubled up in the ground. Where a horse-drawn 

 transplanter is used it is probably better to clip 

 the roots anyway to expedite handling the plants 

 unless they are very small. 



Cultivation 



Distance to Plant 



We recommend setting the plants in rows ZV2 

 to 4 feet apart, or even as much as 4^ feet, if 

 the soil is very fertile. The plants should be set 

 15 to 30 inches apart in the row, depending on the 

 varieties set, the width of the rows themselves 

 and the fertility of the land. Free growing 

 varieties like Dorsett, Blakemore, Dunlap and 

 Narcissa which make large numbers of plants 



Vneover the buds. The plants should be culti- 

 vated and hoed soon after they have started 

 growth after being set out. It is very important 

 at the first hoeing to uncover the buds of any I 

 plants which may have been planted too deep or 

 have become covered after planting. If this is not 1 

 done very early many of these plants will die. Most 

 of them will not recover in time to amount to 

 anything even though they might live all summer. 

 On heavy soils this is even more important and in 

 some cases is the biggest single factor in failing 

 to get a good stand of vigorous growing plants. 



Cultivate often enough to keep the surface of 

 the ground from becoming crusted and to keep 

 down the grass and weeds. It is not necessary to 

 practice deep cultivation. A depth of one to one 

 and one-half inches is deep enough for the hoe, 

 or perhaps slightly deeper with the horse culti- 

 vator. Frequent cultivation should be given even 

 though weed and grass growth is not a serious 



10 



