I would like to plant some , maybe 4 rows 50 ft each. Not really to sell but a nice patch on our farm for family and friends.

School me on strawberries. I have no experience with them. We have a sizable garden, asparagus tomato’s peppers squash etc but never messed with berries. What variety do you like? Should I do perennial or annual? Sandy loam soils , well drained and I have access to water if irrigation is necessary.

Thanks in advance!

Strawberries are prone to wilts, mildew and disease. Almost all commercial ones are done on an annual hill system with plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Planted in fall or late winter and ripped out after harvest.

But for the home garden the matted row system is just fine and will get you several years before they need renovation or replacement.

Matted row is planting in a row leaving room for runners to fill in. You guide the runners for spacing. Renovation entails cutting off the tops post harvest and if crowded removing strips of plants on each side of the row to give room to fill again.

As to type there are three; June bearing, everbearing and day neutral.

June bearing, or more properly spring bearing, are determinate bearing one crop early in the year.
Everbearing are indeterminate bearing a steady crop as long as temps stay below 75° (don't quote me on the exact number).
Day neutral are similar to everbearing but I don't understand the difference.

But all are sensitive to heat effecting bearing which is why June bearing is the choice for the south. But in these there are early to late varieties so planting two or three different ones can prolong the harvest.

Plan to restart new beds every few years in clean soil with new clean plants.

BTW strawberries are ripe here now.

Sandy loam should be ideal. They will need mulched, pine straw is about perfect, and drip is better than overhead.

Good advice above. My rows died out last winter even with good cover. Starting over. You will have less wilt, mildew, mold etc. on higher, lighter and slightly acidic soil if you have that. They need a lot of water when they are producing berries. Don't let them set berries the planting year. I am assuming, maybe incorrectly you are planting June bearing plants. I cover with wheat straw. I had a patch at our son's place and they have heavier clay which really grew huge plants with tons of berries but always wet and damp and mold was a huge problem. If you have good yields 4 50 foot rows wil give you a lot of berries. I hope you have a big family and lots of friends! Good problem to have.
I also tried not to pick them when the leaves were wet or damp if I could. Using straw you will get mice and shrews which will mean you have lots of berries that get chewed on. Keeping it drier will also keep the slug numbers down. With quite a few mice it is not uncommon to have a few pine or bull snakes in your patch hoping for some protein. Also at the end of the year I run over mine with my lawn mower an knock the old growth down to the crowns..

Bryce

100' X 25' patch ...cut X's in plastic and planted crowns with a small handful of fish fertilizer and rock phosphate set off to the side.



About 5 weeks later



Seascape variety of day neutrals. Planted in early May started bearing the end of July and by the 1st of October had produced 175 flats (about 1500 lbs)

I can get you crowns from this patch if you need any. I'm cleaning up the runners that rooted into the sawdust right now.

Beaver peeler do you have a bcs or Grillo?

^^I assume you mean a hand tiller? I have a troybilt but this berry patch never saw its use.

BCS and Grillo are not just tillers but more properly two wheeled tractors. They are Italian makes that originated to work small parcels in mountain terrain where large tractors won't go. They work around a pto type attachment system that can take not just tillers but mowers of all types, hay balers, run chipper/shredders, generators, etc. Basically most anything you can on a larger tractor on a smaller scale.

https://www.earthtools.com/

I was wondering how you buried your landscape fabric

The landscape cloth was stapled down over the berms and then sawdust was shoveled into the aisles for pickers to be on. The whole 100X25 parcel had a lot of perennial weed issues and the covering of ground cloth pretty much took care of that issue.

Thanks for the advice guys! So maybe I’ll downsize and start with 2 or 3 short rows. Is seascape a good all purpose variety? Should I get plants or crowns to get them established?

Bareroot crowns is the best and cheapest way to go. "Seascape" is my go to variety for the last 25 years. It is a day-neutral, so flowers and fruits continually all summer. Actually there are some ebbs and flows in production but there are always some ripe fruit. Size is good and the flavor and sweetness is outstanding. Red through the middle not white interior like some.

If it were me I'd contact some local growers and see what they plant In your area.

Do you replant the seascape every year in the same spots? How long have you used the same plot for strawberries?

I rotate the day-neutrals out fairly quickly. Like Warrior says they are prone to some of the wilts that build up in strawberry ground. If I plant this year i get a crop starting in mid summer until frost and the following spring I get a nice crop. By the end of the second season I take them out. So I'm always planting a new field every year.

Beav's advice to see what others are planting near you is solid advice too. I do know that Seascapes do well in a lot of places. I have friend that grows them every year in Wisconsin and wows the locals because they're not used to having local strawberries in August. Over the years I have gotten a few on here growing them in different locales.

beaverpeeler, fill me in on the day neutral vs everbearing please.

Down here the heat shuts down everbearers about the same time the june bearers are done.

I would love to be able to have strawberries over the summer.

The older version of strawberries that produce supposedly all summer long were called everbearers. These actually tended to be more of spring crop and a fall crop, not much in between. As I understand it about 30-35 years ago they isolated a gene in rocky mountain wild strawberries that has been called a "day-neutral" gene. Strawberries in the high rockies had to produce bloom during the longest days of the year whereas normally shorter days instigate blooming in strawberries. Berry breeders took this innovation and ran with it so now we have strawberry varieties that can produce virtually non-stop for 6 months to a year or more if the climate allows.

In my father's day we used to have what was called the 5 ton club for strawberry growers (June bearers). WIth the newer day-neutrals growers scoff at those production records 20-25 T/acre being the norm.

We start picking around the 10th of June and are done by the 1st week In July. But we will irrigate (over Head) to keep the berries cooled down during any hot spells.
We also Irrigate to frost protect.

Beaver peeler how are your yields the second year compared to the first?

Also when do you get rooted runners in the sawdust, about how many do you get and do you plant those in the fall for the following years crop? Do you have to irrigate the sawdust to get the runners to root.

My water table is pretty high like 2’ down with jars packed clay, I’m digging an irrigation pond this summer and am planning on doing strawberries and rotating them with garlic.

If your patch is happy and they haven't got any of the wilts (fusarium, rhizoctonia, etc etc) troubling them you can get as much the second year as the first. The fruit will tend to be smaller though. On the plus side you will get production starting early (usually late May where I am) until frost. Those runners will root into anything they can even on top of plastic sometimes...hard to stop them.

Here is what that same patch from last year looks like as of 5 minutes ago: You will notice a little bit of root trouble on the bottom right of the pic but mostly the field is pretty happy. First ripe fruit this year will be much later than normal...about first of June.

So how do you guys keep the birds off your strawberries? They pretty much devoured my entire small crop three years ago before they were ripe enough to pick.

Last year I built a 12" high box around the patch and covered it with hardware cloth panels. 12" wasn't quite tall enough.

This is a very interesting thread, especially for a first time strawberry grower who hasn't had stellar success as of yet.

Got two rows planted last Sunday. Pic was taken right after planting the crowns. Today is exactly one week later, I will post an updated picture when I go out after rain ends. They are finally showing new growth. Planted each with a pinch of epsom salt and a little 10-0-30 fertilizer ( left over from planting corn, not necessarily first choice ). Will say I am pleased so far. Got 100 in the ground, two rows in plastic and one row without ( not pictured ). Thanks Carl and all of you for your suggestions and advice!

Those plants that John got from me had already broke dormancy (dug a little late) so some transplant shock is to be expected but they should pull through nicely if cared for as John is showing. I gave them a rinse with some mycorhizzal innoculant to help them resist pathogens and get a good start. Those that are not certified organic would be advised that a 5-10-10 fertilizer might fit the bill. Day neutrals need a moderate dose of N and goodly amount of phosphorus for best production. All fertilizers (organic or not) banded to the side of the root zone or the roots will take a big hit being quite sensitive.

As far small plots and birds go I would suggest netting. Same for deer if you got them around.

They're not that sensitive. Mine fruit nearly all summer and I'm in 6b zone which is basically the zone most of Kentucky is in. I'm probably two weeks out from ripe berries.

I believe the fruiting has much more to do with day-length than heat. Too much heat and the fruit will be smaller and can get sun burnt.

As Warrior stated, June bearers are aptly named. One spring crop and depending on the variety a small fall crop sometimes if you stop the watering in July, mow them and then start up watering again in mid-late august. This will stimulate them to flower one more time to some small degree if day lengths are correct for them.

Showing new growth. Favorable growing conditions, hopefully they’ll continue and produce fruit this July

Might be a little later than July but you should get a good spring crop next year as well.

Here's what my overwintered plants are doing right now. Not big sized fruit for the first flush but the later ones are a bit fewer and bigger. Still, these are mighty fine eating right now. We sold 28 flats yesterday at the farmers' market from the patch.

Awesome 👍
I should use straw

I haven't had good luck with straw as when it gets wet it produces gray mold spores. Also tends to harbor slugs and earwigs.

Bevaerpeeler your strawberries are so vibrant!! Nice work!

Do you ever have issues with tarnished plant bugs or other insects?

Nature, most of my problems insect-wise are related to spotted wing drosophila. This last picking I had another issue though....

But problem taken care of:


Rotten little bugger had chewed through netting and made a big mess in the field often chomping on berries but not finishing them before going to the next.

Planted my patch last weekend. 100 plants of 4 varieties 400 total. Allstar, Earliglow, Honeyoe, and Seascape as BeaverPeel recommended.

My own test plots all overhead watered in bare soil and once they start will mulch around them.

BeaverPeeler - what kind of sawdust do you utilize? We have several Amish sawmills I think I could get sawdust at but probably dont want walnut on it - dont think.

We use doug fir sawdust. If possible I would stick with softwoods like pine. But since I put it down on the ground cloth it isn't in contact with soil...so maybe it doesn't matter that much. The idea of the sawdust is it holds down the ground cloth and keeps the plastic mulch from overheating the plants during the summer.

If your mulch is in contact with the ground or leaches will go into the ground avoid walnut. It has some plant inhibiting chemicals. One other note; "Seascape" variety does tend to get leaf spot if overhead irrigated.

Does seascape overwinter? You cover it over winter? Around here most deep straw mulch them. I grew some Chandlers in a hightunnel few years ago and they only lasted the year.

Yes, they overwinter fine. No need to cover unless you get below -10 or less. One thing to keep in mind, all strawberries start to go downhill after a year or two.

We haven't removed the mulch yet. Maybe sometime this week or next week.

Hopefully JoMiBru and Warrior can share how Seascapes did for them last season good-bad-or indifferent.

I uncovered my rows Sunday the 14th. Earliest I have done that. Two varieties, one looks strong and the other a bit thinner and smaller.

Bryce

ADDITIONAL FACTS
We space our rows 40 inches apart center to center, but only allow a 10-inch plant Row width. The 30-inch no-plant space between rows provides walking aisle space for pickers and good air movement, which reduces disease issues. It also reduces competition for sunlight, water and nutrients, which results in larger and better quality fruit. During fruiting, the net aisle space between rows is much less because the leaves and fruit clusters from adjacent rows occupy much of the space.

Strawberries may be the most widely adapted fruit species on earth. They have evolved and adapted in the wild from equatorial to arctic regions, from saline beaches to Alpine environments. Characteristics vary widely, but there are two basic types, day neutral land seasonal bearing.

The basic difference is day neutral types can set fruit buds independent of day length and therefore exhibit “ever-bearing characteristics”. This is the type shipped in from Florida, California and Mexico. Seasonal bearing types only set fruit buds during short day conditions, generally 12 hours of daylight or less. Consequently they set buds in the fall and produce one concentrated crop of fruit in later spring, early summer. These are the “June-bearing” types that we grow for local consumption in our temperate climate.

Crop potential is determined the previous fall, so it is very important to have healthy plants in the fall and protect them over-winter. During most winters with normal snowfall for insulation against the cold, plants would not be damaged. If damage does occur the plants usually recover, but dormant fruit buds in the plant crown can be damaged or destroyed, even if the plant survives.

We have used straw for 40 years or so to cover In the winter and It's removed and
used In the isles between the rows for weed control. And we don't have any of those issues. Must be a climate difference.

Can strawberries come back from being eaten down by goats?

Very good piece written by Beav. Exactly right.

Turkey, it depends to some degree whether you're growing day-neutrals or June bearers and when the grazing happened. June bearers are less forgiving at getting mowed down at the wrong time of year.

With day-neutrals you have set them back a few weeks but they will mostly be OK eventually.

If the crowns were grazed off you have a problem.
After 2 years and that second year picking we do a renovation to our plants. The edges of the rows are cut back and the tops are cut down to about 1 inch above the crowns. This enhances growth and a stronger root system. It also helps with diseases issues by letting In more sunlight and air movement through the plants. We have a machine that cuts back the edges and cultivates at the same time. If your interested In strawberry renovation just do a google search and it will tell all you need to know.

Earliglows. Looks like I'm screwed. Plants still seem to be alive. Maybe I can get something next year.

Does anyone use cloth fabric or row covers to overwinter their strawberries?

Is it possible to get 1lb a plant off of the June bearing strawberries on plastic mulch ?

I know of guys that put row fabric over their strawberries in late January and taking it off once they start to bloom. They end up at our farmers' market with ripe strawberries about 3 weeks before I do.

As far as 1 lb per plant? Yep. Typical stocking rates of strawberries per acre are about 9-10,000 plants. These days June bearers should be in the 4-6 T to the acre. Day neutrals more than that.

From observing my plants for a week or 2 now - my seascape and earliglow seem to be doing better than my allstar and honeyoye varieties. All from bare root

Is this a new planting? And are they June bearing.

Lots of water, they like nitrogen, straw for mulch

Day neutrals do use a little more nitrogen, but like Beav outlined in an above post June bearers need to get fertilized in the late summer to build up their crowns for the following season's crop. Spring fertilization is not necessary nor desired. Phosphorus is an important nutrient in strawberry production. Your P level should be about double that of N.

A rookie question here. I just put a couple of dozen bare root honeyoyes in the ground yesterday here in northern MN. We are zone 3. The next week of nights are predicted to be between 24-30 degrees. Should I be covering or throw straw over these newly planted bareroot plants or will they be ok? Thanks

The only concern I would have is if it's cold enough for frost heave. Bareroot strawberry plants are held at 28F at the nursery so they're used to it.

I think you will be ok.
I just don't like honeyoyes for their taste but they are a hardy plant. We plant them but I still don't like the taste.

We plant.

Annaplls

Wendy

Cabot

Cavendish

Darselect

Glooscap

and Jewel

Jewel are my favorite. They have a great shape and are great tasting and they ripen a little later then the other brands I mentioned. This gives us a longer season.

Interesting the regional differences in varieties. Back in the day when I was still growing June bearers I grew Hoods, Shuksans, Raineers, and Bentons; and my dad before me grew Marshalls and Northwests. My favorites were a toss up between Hoods and Shuksans.

I've never heard of any of Beav's cultivars.... and he likely hasn't heard of mine either.

Beaverpeeler what made you switch from growing junebearers to day neutrals?

Better market? Better yields?

Longer season for market??

Good question.

In my father's time he grew strawberries for cannery, stores and U pick. I started out growing just U pick strawberries. Back in those days people bought strawberries for freezing and jam making and a concentrated one month season was a good fit. Since the mid 80's I started doing farmers' markets where having berries on your tables all season long is what you want. My first experiments with day-neutrals and ever bearers weren't too encouraging, but eventually I got turned on to both 'Tri Star' and 'Seascape' varieties. Especially 'Seascape' was a game changer. Beautiful glossy berry and tastes great. Bears in my area from late May until frost (end of October). Overall tonnage per acre is superior to June bearers but spread out over the season. And our customers rave about how good they are.

Now, are they as good as 'Hood' and 'Shuksans'? During the month of June I would still give the nod to those two June bearers. But 'Seascape' isn't far back. And as soon as warm "corn" weather get going in late June /July Seascape gets really good, right up until frost they are definitely as good as the best of the June bearers.

So, the short answer is: day-neutrals fit my marketing better and I make a lot more money per acre with them over June bearers.

Where can you source Glooscap ??