Strawberries (Fragaria) are a widely grown species. They are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, fibreand antioxidants ,known as polyphenols.
Strawberry is a sprawling plant. Seedlings send out runners, which in turn will send out their own runners.
During the first growing season, remove flowers as soon as they appear. Removing the flowers promotes root and runner development thereby insuring a large crop the following year..
Strawberry plant prefer a well drained soil, high in organic matter. They need full sun at least 6 hours per day. Do not plant strawberries where peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes have been grown nearby or previous year. These plants could harbor serious disease verticillium wilt.
Before planting apply a 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer. After the first harvest in the second season strawberries should be fertilized after renovation in July. Do not over fertilize. Overfertilization will cause excessive vegetative growth, reduce yields and increase losses from foliar diseases.
Strawberries need about one inch of water per week during the growing season.
Strawberries are very susceptible to frosts in the spring.
A strawberry patch will continue to be productive for three to four years as long as the planting is maintained and renovation is an important part of strawberry care.
Common Planting Systems are:
- Matted Row Systems
- Spaced-Row Systems
- Hill System
Strawberries one day after -3oC frost treated left 3.5 kg ha AminoA+ right untreated
Strawberries Spring 2015 after 2 x 5 kg ha AminoA+. Control Left.
Treated Strawberries 7 days after -3oC frost.
Untreated Strawberries 7 days after -3oC frost.