Runners should be planted so that the crown is level with the soil. Do not leave plants exposed at the head of the field - always keep the roots covered with damp sacking. When planting take care not to let the roots dry out. This will allow the crowns to build up for the following year. Planting can take place from the end of August until the end of March when ground conditions are suitable.įrom an early planting, that is, before the third week in September it should be possible to achieve an economic crop in the next summer but for later plantings it is advisable to remove the flowers and not take a crop in the first year. In this traditional system the plants are set at 90 cm (36") apart in rows with 42.5 cm (17") between plants giving a density of 25,317 plants/hectare (10,250 plants/ acre). There are two types of growing systems for Field Strawberry Production, both are detailed below. Strawberry roots are very intolerant of soil that has poor structure.Īfter ploughing, the soil should be cultivated to produce a rough tilth and ensure good germination of annual weed seeds which can be killed off either by light cultivations or by a contact herbicide used a few days before planting. Thorough soil preparation is required avoid cultivating or working soil for strawberries if conditions are too wet. Ploughing should be deep and if the ground is likely to be compacted, sub-soiling before ploughing will help break up any soil pans and make sure drainage is not impeded.īefore preparing the soil for planting, soil analysis should be taken and base dressing applied accordingly. Dressings of 50 tonnes per hectare are generally recommended. Strawberries benefit from the addition of farmyard manure to the soil before planting. If weed cover is very dense it may be necessary to give more than one treatment - for this reason it is as well to allow as much time as possible between killing off weeds and preparing the ground, otherwise there may be regrowth of these perennial weeds. Grasses can be killed using glyphosate (Roundup) but where broad-leaved weeds such as buttercup, daisy, dandelion, docks, thistles or nettles are present, it is necessary to use a specific broad-leafed killer (examples include Banlene, Broadshot or Garlon) prior to spraying with glyphosate.
It is essential that the soil is free of perennial weeds before planting. Heavy soils, while holding moisture and nutrients, may not be sufficiently well drained for modern day strawberry varieties. However, these soils will dry out more quickly in the summer and without irrigation plants may suffer from stress. Light soils will have higher temperatures in the spring so growth will start earlier. Strawberry plants will not tolerate impeded drainage or waterlogging as this will lead to root diseases and death of the plant. Strawberries will succeed on a wide range of soils but a deep medium loam is preferred.
Wind can seriously reduce growth so a sheltered site with a gentle south-westerly slope is ideal. Avoid low lying areas of ground which may collect cold air.Īpart from this the strawberry grows and crops best under sheltered conditions.
Frost pockets may be caused by anything which prevents the slow flow of cold air away to lower ground. Strawberries are susceptible to spring frosts so it is important to make sure that the site is not a frost pocket. After the flower is fertilised it is generally 4-6 weeks before the berry is ripe. To produce a well-shaped berry it is necessary for good pollination to be achieved otherwise the fruit will be malformed. Pollination is achieved mainly by insects but wind movement and moisture may also help. Older plants produce heavier crops but berries tend to be smaller. One year old plants usually flower before older plants with only a small number of trusses with fewer flowers on each truss, so producing earlier fruit and generally bigger berries. The trusses emerge in sequence on each crown and the flowers open in sequence on each truss, so giving a flowering period of approximately four weeks.