8 
HART’S NURSERY, SPENCERVILLE, INDIANA 
Successful Strawberry Culture 
ESTABLISHING THE PLANTATION 
The preparation of the soil for growing strawberries should begin the year 
before the strawberries are to be planted. For the best results some hoed crop 
should be grown on the land the preceding season. This practice will help to elimin¬ 
ate weeds in the plantation and also to keep down white grubs which are very 
troublesome where sod is turned over and planted to strawberries. 
Fall plowing is preferred to spring as it will leave the soil in better condition 
and permit getting on it earlier the following spring. In the spring, before setting 
the plants, the soil should be thoroughly disked and harrowed to get it into a good 
state of tilth. 
In setting the plants, it is very important to have the crowns placed at the 
proper level. If the crown is set too deep so that the growing point is covered with 
soil, the plant is very apt to die. On the other hand ,if the crown is set so shallow that 
the tops of the roots are exposed, they -will dry out and the plant will die. It is 
desirable to have the roots well spread out in the planting and to make firm the soil 
about the roots so that no air spaces are left about any of the roots. 
An excellent test to determine whether the soil has been properly firmed about 
the newly set plants is to take hold of a leaf and give a rather quick but light 
jerk. If the plant has been properly set the leaf will snap off, but if the soil has not 
been sufficiently firmed about the plant it will pull up. 
CARE THE FIRST SEASON 
No item is more important in the successful strawberry plantation than thorough 
cultivation of the soil. This should start immediately after setting the plants and 
should be continued right up until cold weather checks the growth of the plants. 
The frequency of cultivation will depend somewhat upon the soil, but it should cer¬ 
tainly be cultivated after every rain to conserve the supply of moisture. 
In addition to cultivating between the rows, it is necessary to hand hoe along 
the rows after every cultivation. This helps to keep down the weeds and forms a 
dust mulch where the cultivator cannot reach, and it also helps one to locate and 
uncover plants which may have been covered up by the cultivator. 
The strawberry is a shallow-rooted plant and feeds from a rather small area. 
Therefore, cultivation should be shallow and it is especially important to carry the 
cultivation as close to the plants as possible in order to conserve moisture and to 
aerate the soil in the region where the strawberry roots are feeding. 
MULCHING THE BED 
As winter sets in it is very desirable to cover the plantation with an even coat 
of mulching material about three inches thick. This must be applied after it is cold 
enough so that the plants will not make any growdh under the mulch, yet early 
enough to prevent alternate freezing and thawing of the ground if the winter conies on 
slowly. 
This mulch serves several purposes, chief among which are: 
To prevent alternate freezing and thawing during the winter and spring which 
would cause the plants to heave; to delay the starting of growdh in the spring, thus 
reducing danger from late spring frosts; to conserve moisture and to keep the fruit 
clean. 
