23 
GROWING EVERBEARERS 
Everbearing strawberries make a delightful and use- 
ful crop for the home garden. They are quite popular 
with those who like novelties and are willing to put 
out a little extra time and money to have berries out 
of season. 
You don't have to wait very long. No other fruit 
crop can touch Everbearing strawberries for quick 
returns. Plants are set in March or April. Berries are 
ripening from August to November of the same year. 
Strawberries provide one of the best of all sources 
of Vitamin C, which cannot be stored in the body and, 
therefore, must be regularly in the diet. Everbearing 
varieties make possible a continuing and pleasing 
source of this vitamin all through late summer and 
fall. It -must be admitted that a more economical source 
would be from berries of the regular spring crop, 
quick frozen in home unit or frozen food locker. Fresh 
berries lose very little of their Vitamin C on quick 
freezing. 
Where Everbearers do well, mostly in the northern 
states, some growers use them successfully as a 
money crop. Generally, Everbearers are not as certain 
and sure in their cropping as spring varieties, so 
before starting out in a fairly big way, try Everbearers 
in a small way, to see if you have the climate and 
conditions where they produce berries in satisfactory 
amounts. Be sure you are right — then go ahead. For 
profit, it's a good idea to select 
one of the Everbearers like 
Mastodon, which makes a pretty 
good spring crop, even if the 
fall crop fails. 
Everbearing varieties during the first few weeks 
must build up the strength and vitality to produce 
fruit this year as well as to continue growth. 
Set good strong plants on well prepared land and 
set them early on soil that is retentive of moisture 
or where water can be applied or conserved by mulch. 
Cut off the spring blossoms as soon as they appear 
and remove the summer blossom clusters at each 
hoeing until about the middle of July. 
Everbearers give a greater response in fall fruit 
production to liberal applications of stable manure 
broadcast before planting than to any one thing we 
can mention. 
Everbearers are often grown by the hill system, as 
it is thought the plants produce more fruit if runners 
are removed. Where this system is used plants may 
be set closer together. Plants 18 inches apart in rows 
2 feet apart are not too close for hill culture. We 
have obtained the highest yields of good berries in 
regular rows with new run- 
ner plants spaced 4-6 inches 
apart in the bed. 
Yields, Everbearing plants >^\* 
set early on good, moist 
soil should yield one pint 
or more per plant 
during late summer 
and fall. Much bet- 
ter yields are often 
obtained. Yields 
as high as 2 
quarts per plant 
have been re- 
corded. 
