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["Mark & Helen Angermayer" <hangermayer@isp.com>]

Jim,

I haven't tried mowing and fertilizing.  Here most of the strawberries are
done by the end of June (except I have a few everbearing mixed in).  Are you
saying I should mow and fertilize then?

Mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Fruth" <>
To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 8:47 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Strawberries


> Mark said. "It's just that when they are covered for winter and then
> uncovered in
> spring, there is plenty of leafy green foliage and the plants look
healthy.
> This winter I didn't cover and the whole patch is brown with some bits of
> small green foliage.  I think the plants will bounce back, but they sure
> look better when covered"
>
> Mark,
>     Do you mow your strawberries and give them some nitrogen in late
summer?
>
>     Just as soon as the strawberries are through bearing and the daughter
> plants have ran, I mow the patch with my lawn mower set on high.  The idea
> is to eliminate the old leaves from the old plants and allow the new
plants
> a chance to see the sunlight.  The mowed leaves soon shrivel, their
> disease(s) stopped from spreading, and they become mulch for next year's
> crop.
>     Here in Minnesota, the time to mow is before the end of August.  Where
> you are depends upon the new growth.  If you forgot to mow your patch and
> the new leaves are nearly as tall as the old leaves, you've missed your
> 'window' of time for mowing.  The patch should be mowed at a time when
your
> lawn mower can be set at a height that it mows the old leaves but misses
the
> new leaves.
>     As soon as my patch is mowed, I spread Ammonium Nitrate.  Potassium
> Nitrate or any non-urea, high nitrogen fertilizer should be fine.  I
spread
> so there is a crumb of fertilizer in every 1 to 4 square inches.  The new
> growth needs nitrogen as the new plants grow and to develop next year's
> flower buds.
>
> To Bill Russell:  Bill, instead of  eliminating your patch, try mowing and
> fertilizing.  Who knows, your patch might snap back.
>
> Jim Fruth
> Brambleberry Farm
> Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
> For jams, jellies & syrups:
> www.bberryfarm.com
> (877)265-6856 [Store]
> (218)831-7018 [My Cell]
>
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