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GROWING STRAWBERRIES
Easy Steps to a
Delicious Harvest Strawberry Shortcake is an American
favorite. It tastes even better if you grow the
strawberries in your own backyard.
Plan Before You Plant
Strawberry plants thrive
in sunny locations where the soil is fertile and well
drained. Do not plant strawberries where potatoes,
peppers or tomatoes have been grown within five years,
due to the risk of disease and insect problems.
Test the soil and, if
necessary, add lime to maintain a soil pH of 5.8 to 6.5.
Agway offers both June-bearing and ever-bearing
strawberry varieties that are suited to your Northeast
growing conditions. They very in size, flavor, ripening
time and processing quality. We can help you select the
ones that suit your family’s tastes and needs.
Twenty-five plants that are managed well will yield 15
to 30 quarts of berries. Calculate the number of plants
and the amount of garden space needed, based on space
the plants one foot apart in rows that are two feet
apart. The runner plants will spread out from the mother
plant to fill in the rows.
Planting Guidelines
The best planting time is
early spring while the ground is still cool and moist.
Rototill the area and incorporate Agway Peat Moss or
Agway Composted Manure plus Organic Humus to improve
heavy clay soils drainage.
Apply fertilizer
according to soil test results. If the soil wasn’t
tested, then two pounds of Agway All-Purpose Plant Food
for every 25 feet of row should be about right. Keep
bare-root strawberries in a pail of water during
planting to stop the roots from drying out. To plant,
spread the roots out in the soil and set the crown of
the plant level with the surrounding soil, not too deep
or too shallow. Firm the soil around each strawberry
plant and water well.
Although it may seem
drastic, it’s best to pinch off all flower blossoms on
June-bearing varieties the first season, so the plants
form extensive roots rather than producing fruit. On
ever-bearing varieties, remove flower blossoms until
mid-July of the first year, then allow the flowers to
set fruit for the remainder of the season.
During the summer the
plants will grow new runners that will root and become
new plants.
Help Your Plants
Thrive
If there is no rain,
water thoroughly every week, especially during flowering
and fruiting. Water early in the morning or late in the
afternoon, using a sprinkler. Avoid watering late at
night, which can encourage diseases.
After the first year,
fertilize strawberries with three to five pounds of
Agway All-Purpose Plant Food per 100-foot row during
renovation (right after harvest) and again in mid to
late August. Broadcast fertilizer in the row and then
brush off the leaves to prevent burning. Water well if
no rail is likely. Control
Weeds and Pests
Do your best to hoe or
hand week strawberry beds so weeds do not compete for
water and nutrients. A weed-free straw mulch between the
plants will help reduce weeds. Strawberries are
susceptible to insects and diseases. Inspect your plants
regularly, especially in spring right before harvest. If
a problem develops, take a sample to your Agway store or
Cooperative Extension office for identification and
advice on control measures.
Renovating Helps
Renovation is the yearly
task of thinning out strawberry plants. It should be
done right after harvest. Start by mowing off strawberry
leaves with a rotary mower set two to three inches high.
Next, rake the beds and remove any debris, especially
diseased leaves. Broadcast three to five pounds of Agway
All-Purpose Plant Food per 100-foot row and rototill to
narrow the rows to 18 inches wide. Water if necessary
during the summer to encourage vigorous new growth.
Overwintering In
the fall after several hard freezes, spread a three to
four inch layer of clean straw over the plants to
protect them from drying winter winds and cold
temperatures. In spring when growth begins, remove straw
from the tops of plants but leave it between the plants.
Use mulch for blossom protection when frost is
predicted. Mulch also keeps the berries clean as they
ripen, conserves moisture and reduced weeds. |
