Renew Strawberry Planting

Renovation of the planting includes mowing, thinning, fertilizing and weeding. Before beginning the process of renewing an old bed, decide if it is really worthwhile. If plants are growing poorly, are diseased or have a heavy infestation of perennial weeds, it may be necessary to dig out the entire planting and start with new, clean plants in the fall or early spring next season. Occasionally an old bed will contain vigorous plants that do not fruit. This happens when some seeds from berries left in the plot germinate. Many of these seedlings grow rapidly and run freely. As a result, they often crowd out the desire varieties. If so, the bed should be dug up and replaced.

If the bed condition is good and the above problems are not apparent, the bed may be renewed. The first step in renewal may be mowing. Cutting off leaves is not always necessary, but if the planting has a severe infestation of insects or disease, mow the patch to remove diseased leaves. Destroy the infected leaves. When leaf diseases are a problem, it may be beneficial to give the patch a spray of captan after renovation and again in two weeks. If leaf problems are not apparent, it is not necessary to mow off the leaves.

The most important part of renewal is thinning. Young plants produce the most and largest berries. At this time narrow down the rows. A healthy band of plants 6 to 10 inches wide will provide abundant number plants that will develop-in a well prepared area next to them. These new vigorous runner plants produce the main portion of the crop next year. About 30 inches should be allowed to remain open between these bands of old plants.

If the planting is still fairly new, it may only be necessary to clean out some runners to keep the planting from becoming too dense. This means going through the bed now, and again in early August, to thin the planting to five or seven plants per square feet. Fertilizers are also beneficial if applied during the renewal process. If soils are of good fertility, only nitrogen may be necessary at this time. Use about one pound of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row.

A complete fertilizer such as a 5-10-5 might be used, especially if the soil is known to be low in overall fertility. Apply about 5 lbs. per 100 feet of row. Apply fertilizer before the rows are thinned or worked over. The fertilizer will then be worked into the soil when thinning and tillage operations are done. Another fertilization may be given in early August just as flower buds for next year's crop are developing. Always water well after fertilizer applications. Weeds may become a serious problem in strawberries.

All established weeds should be removed during cultivation and thinning. After this is complete, the herbicide dacthal may be used in the bed to prevent the establishment of new seedling weeds. It will be effective for 8 to 10 weeks, after which the treatment should be repeated.

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