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

Rivka wrote:

"It's fairly standard practice, at least according to most of what I've read on the subject; the old leaves die off after harvest anyway, and it's supposed to reduce disease pressure by having the old leaves break down faster, instead of hanging dead on the plant."

 

My old leaves don't die off and hang dead on the plant, at least not until fall.  They seem to go right on photosynthesizing and adding energy to the crown, which seems to be key for runner production (at least in my area, NY may be different).

 

Mark

KS

----- Original Message -----

From: Road's End Farm

To: North American Fruit Explorers

Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 8:28 AM

Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Strawberry runners

On Jul 21, 2009, at 9:16 AM, Melissa Kacalanos wrote:

Why would you mow strawberries? It sounds like something a nursery would tell you to do to prevent your strawberries from runnering.

It's fairly standard practice, at least according to most of what I've read on the subject; the old leaves die off after harvest anyway, and it's supposed to reduce disease pressure by having the old leaves break down faster, instead of hanging dead on the plant. I've never had any problem with plants refusing to runner afterwards. You need to do it fairly soon after the end of harvest, though, before the new leaves have grown; and mow high, so you don't damage the crowns; maybe the ones that wouldn't runner were mowed too late or too low?. -- I haven't actually seen much difference between years that I do mow them and years that I don't.

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly

---

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