Growing Strawberries 



strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow. Good plants set at the proper season 

 in good soil will respond with ordinarj^ care and cultivation. There is nothing complicated 

 about growing strawberries, and by following these easy instructions the beginner can assure 

 good results. Kavner's certilied stock is further assurance of success. 



Soil Requiiements: Strawberries prefer a slight- 

 ly acid, fertile, soil that is naturally moist but still 

 is well drained. 



rreparing Tlie Land: The soil can be plowed or 

 spaded in the fall and allowed to lie fallow over 

 winter. This aids in controlling insects and ne- 

 matodes. In the spring the land should be 

 thoroughly worked until it is in good condition. 



Fertilizer Kequirements: Strawberries grow es- 

 pecially well in land that contains a high amount 

 of organic matter. Any type of manure is helpful 

 if applied in the early spring and thoroughly mix- 

 ed with the soil before planting. Strawberries al- 

 so give excellent results when commercial fertilizer 

 such as 10-(i-4 or 8-8-8 is used. If the land is ex- 

 ceptionally fertile little or no fertilizer may be 

 needed but on most soils from 1.000 to 2,000 pounds 

 per acre is used. About half of this amount should 

 be worked into the soil about 10 days before plant- 

 ing and the rest api)lied during the growing sea- 

 son. These later applications can be made with 

 side-dressing attachments or applied directly on 

 the plants when the plants are dry. Fertilizer 

 should be brushed or washed off the leaves since it 

 can kill the plants if left directly on them. In gen- 

 eral it is best not to fertilize established beds of 

 strawberries in the spring. 



Control Of Soil Insects: A good precaution in 

 preventing damage to strawberries by grubs and 

 other soil insects is to apply Miller's 5% (^hlordane 

 (page 25) to the soil. Use about 1 pound to each 

 200 s(i. ft. of plant bed. This can be applied when 

 the ground is being prepared for planting or it 

 can be mixed directly with fertilizer or applied 

 separately. We use Chlordane on all our straw- 

 berry land and find that it gives excellent results 

 in preventing loss of plants from grubs, root 

 aphids, ants, and other pests. 



When To Plant: The best time to plant straw- 

 berries is early in the spring — just as soon as 

 the land can be properly worked. Light frost or 

 even snow will not harm plants that have just been 

 set. Recently there has been much interest in late 

 summer and early fall planting. In the past it was 

 difficult to obtain dormant strawberry plants at 

 this time and such plants give far better results 

 than actively growing plants. Now it is possible 

 to keej) spring dug plants in cold storage for late 

 |)lanting and we will have a supply of such plants 

 available. 



How To riant: An important factor in success- 

 ful planting is to set the plant at the depth shown 

 in the illustration on this page. Make a hole and 

 sot the plant so that the roots are straight. As an 

 aid for l)etter stands. Quicker starting, and better 

 plant beds we recommend Miller's V.H.P.F. soluble 

 fertilizer as a starter solution. Mix the powder 

 with water at the rate of 6 lbs. per 100 gal. or 

 2^4 tablespoonfuls per gallon and pour about 1-, 

 pint around each plant. We have used this ma- 

 terial for years and can assure you that it will 

 give excellent results without danger of plant in- 

 jury. After the plant is properly set be sure to 

 pack the soil around it so that it is firmly held in 

 the ground. The proper planting distance for 

 strawberries is to have the rows from 42 to 48 

 inches apart and the plants from IG to 24 inches 

 apart in the rows. 



Plants Required Per Acre 



Plants required 



per 



acre at various 



plantin 



distances: 











Rows 



Distance in Row 



Plants per Acr 



31/2 feet apart 





18 inches 





8,325 



31/2 feet apart 





24 inches 





0,225 



31/2 feet apart 





30 inches 





5,000 



4 feet apart 





15 inches 





8,750 



4 feet apart 





18 inches 





7,300 



4 feet apart 





24 inches 





5,425 



4 feet apart 





30 inches 





4,375 



Too Deep 



Weed Control: l*roper and I'reciuent use of hoes 

 and cultivating equipment is the best way to con- 

 trol weeds in strawberries. However, there are 

 some other aids that are of much benefit. For years 

 we have fenced our fields and used geese at the 

 rate of 2 or 3 per acre for control of grass. They 

 really do a good job. A weed killer known as Crag- 

 Herbicide 1 is especially good for strawberries and 

 is the only product we would recommend for this 

 purpose. If you cannot obtain it we can provide 

 you with It at a cost of $5.10 plus postage for a 

 2 lb. package. This sounds expensive but it must 

 be remembered that 2 lbs. will control weeds in one 

 acre of land. It should be used only according to 

 the manufacturer's directions. 



Control Of Diseases And Insects: In general 

 strawberries can be successfully grown without 

 use of sprays or dusts. However, there is often 

 some loss from fruit rot and insects that can be 

 prevented. We recommend Miller's Fruit Spray 

 for this purpose. If applied several times from the 

 pre-blossom period until 2 weelrs before fruit is 

 ripe it will save a lot of fruit that is normally lost 

 to rot and insects. See page 25 for further infor- 

 mation on this product as well as Chlordane and 

 VHPF soluble fertilizer. If the red stele disease i.s 

 a problem it can be readily solved by use of some 

 of the fine red stele-resistant varieties described in 

 this catalog. 



"Plants referred to as "virus-free" in this catalog have been field grown by us from virus free 

 foundation stock furnished by the U. S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils 

 and Agricultural Engineering, Beltsville, Maryland. Our field-grown stock has been dusted with para- 

 thion to control aphids which transmit the virus diseases. It has also been grown at considerable 

 distances from any other strawberry plants. Since viruses do not produce clear-cut symptons in most 

 strawberry varieties, but simply weaken and devitalize the plants, no guarantee can be made that these 

 plants are 100 percent free of viruses. Because of the measures that we have used to protect these 

 plants from virus infection, we believe them to be sul)stantially virus-free." 



BIY RAYNER'S PLANTS .AND YOIT Bl Y THE BEST 



