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nafex - [NAFEX] strawberries

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  • From: David Doud <doudone@netusa1.net>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] strawberries
  • Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 13:41:15 -0500

couple of strawberry observations I will share -

the most important purpose of mulch is to keep the crown with the already differentiated flower buds above critical temperatures - if you can count on snow cover all winter, that's a fine mulch to serve this purpose - there are mud control and weed control aspects of mulch - 'Wheeler' rye straw has weed suppression properties, and regular straw certainly provides a degree of weed suppression if it's thick enough -

strawberry plants grow out of the ground as they age - each year the plant wants/needs to put out new roots at the base of the crown - after a couple of years, that critical area of the plant is out of contact with soil, resulting in weak growth and poor cropping - a simple way to keep young plants is to crop, direct runners into the 'road', then till the 'row' after the runners have rooted - fresh plants each year by moving the row back and forth -

strawberries are also the weakest plants I know of - I do not know of a plant they will out compete - they are heavy feeders tho, and shallow rooted - - the first species to run out of water -

good crops only come from good management, nutrition, and religious attention to watering -

D Doud - n/central indiana - first thaw of 2008 right now w/ rain - -



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