James W. Brittingham, Salisbury, Md. 
Instructions For Growing Strawberries 
It does not take an experienced person to grow strawberries. Early planting is of 
utmost importance. By following instructions given below they can be grown by anyone 
with very good results. 
Type of Soil—Strawberries do well in any good garden soil. They thrive more 
abundantly, however, in reasonably low land than in very high sandy soil. If a spot has 
grown in rank grass and weeds it is an indication the soil is fertile eough to grow straw- 
berries. 
Soil Preparation—As soon as the weather permits in the early spring, work the 
ground to a depth of about six inches and then break up the small lumps of soil and work 
the land to form a reasonably level bed. By doing this, the soil will pack well around 
the roots of the plants, and makes cultivation much easier. A rye or crimson clover sod 
is very good to turn under. 

a March and April; 
Southern States—February and March. It is well to start planting as soon as possible 
after the weather has permitted getting the land in order after the winter freezes. The 
earlier the plants are set the better they get a start before the hot days come on, which 
often brings dryer weather and the plants do not grow so fast. 
Time to Plant—Northern States—April and May; Central States 
Care of Plants—It is always best to set your strawberry plants as soon after they arrive 
as possible. Before setting cover the roots with water for an hour or two. This will 
assist considerably in helping the plant get established, especialiy in dry weather. If the 
plants cannot be set as soon as they arrive it is best to put them in cold storage at about 
32 degrees. If not convenient to do this then wet the moss which the plants were packed 
in and lay over the roots in order to keep them damp. Put away in a cool shady place 
out of strong winds until they can be used. Never wet the tops before setting especially 
if they are being set in a very hot sun, as this may cause the leaves to scald and thus 
damage the plants considerably. 
Planting Distanee—Rows 314, feet apart, 18 inches distance in row, 8,000 plants per 
acre. 
Planting Depth—It is important to set the plants in the ground deep enough so the 
roots are entirely covered with soil. Do not cover the crown as that would cause the 
plant to die. If the entire root is not set in the ground the sun and air will dry the roots 
and the plant will not thrive as well as if all the roots were put below the ground. 
Cultivation—The first cultivation should come about one week from the time plants 
are set in the ground, and from then on as often as you see they need it to keep the ground 
broken and free from grass and weeds. Frequent shallow cultivation is recommended in 
time of a drought as that will help retain the moisture, even though grass and weeds may 
not appear. 
Removing Blooms—Blooms usually appear on strawberry plants a few weeks after the 
plants are set in the ground. It is always best to remove these first blooms from the vine 
in order to give more strength to the main plants which you want to make a nice fruiting 
bed for the following season. With EVERBEARING PLANTS the blooms should be re- 
moved for about the first ten weeks, at which time the plants should be fairly well estab- 
lished, then let the blooms appearing after that time remain on the vine to make fruit. 
Fertilizer—Do not use fertilizer directly at.the roots as this may seriously impair the 
growth of your plants. Stable manure is very good but should be spread and worked into 
the ground before your planting. It is recommended to wait uatil your plants have become 
well established then give them a light side dressing (about 400 Ibs. to the acre) of any 
commercial fertilizer with analysis of 6-5-5. However, if the soil is quite fertile no ferti- 
lizer is especially necessary. 
13 
