Robinson Station Field Day

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Robinson Station Field Day

• September 28, 2006

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Strawberries and Blueberries

• Amanda Sears
• Extension Associate for Horticulture

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General Fruit Information

• Soil Test
• Air Drainage
• East or North facing slopes
• Higher elevations
• Movement of air away from the plant on cold
  spring nights
• Internal Soil Drainage
• No soil compaction
• Mulch, high in organic matter
• Irrigation
• 1 to 2 inches per week
• Plan in Advance

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Planting Times
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Expected Fruit Yields for Mature Plants

• Strawberries
• 1 ½ lb/ft of row
• Blueberries
• 6 qt./bush 5th year

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Strawberries
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Site Preparation

• pH 6.0 to 6.5
• Get rid of weeds early
• rotation broad spectrum post emergent
  herbicides
• summer before planting
• Plow in Fall
• Plant cover crops
• Fertilize in Spring
• In Spring disk and harrow ground

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Site Preparation

• Avoid sites that grew Solanaceous or bramble
  crops during prior three years.
• Plasticulture is not recommended in Kentucky
• not economically sound

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Varieties

• June Bearers
• One large crop for 2-4 weeks in Spring
• Produce full crop second year
• Last 3 to 7 years
• Ever Bearers
• Heat reduces size and quantity
• Produce berries all summer and fall
• Total volume of berries less than that of a June
  Bearer

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Choosing the Right Cultivar

• Fruit
• good size, attractive appearance, and good
  quality
• Reputable nursery
• Grows plants themselves
• Dormant, virus free plants
• Northern plants tend to be healthier
• Disease resistance
• red stele (a root fungus), verticillium wilt,
  leaf spot, and leaf scorch
• Cheap plants are not necessarily cheap

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Recommended Varieties

• Earliglow - early, good flavor and quality, shows
  good resistance
• Cavendish - testing in KY, early to midseason,
  large firm fruit, may suffer from white shoulders
• Delmarvel - early to midseason, flavorful,
  aromatic, dark red

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Recommended Varieties

• Jewel - mid season, large, firm texture, good
  color, excellent flavor
• Red Chief -mid season, fruit glossy and medium
  sized, and moderate flavor
• Ovation -late season, large berry, excellent
  resistance

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When Plants Arrive

• If frozen, allow to soak for a couple of hours
• Heel in plants
• Cold storage, just above 35F

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Planting

• Prune plants roots
• Keep plant roots moist while planting
• Plant by hand or with setter
• Do not double up roots.
• Soil depth needs to be even to the crown
• Plant spacing of 3½ to 4 feet between rows, and 1
  to 2 feet in row

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Planting Care

• Follow ID-93, Kentucky Commercial Small Fruit
  and Grape Spray Guide
• Cultivate frequently
• Bloom removal the first season
• Trim back late forming runners

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Fertilization

• 5 lbs of 10-10-10 per 100 feet of row after
  fruiting in June or July
• 5 lbs of 10-10-10 in August at time of flower bud
  set

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Mulching

• Apply when temperatures approach 20F, or when
  leaf color turns from green to gray
• Apply 1.5 to 2 T/Acre (69-92 lb/100 sqft) by
  hand, manure spreader, or with a mulching machine
• You need to be able to see a few leaves through
  the mulch, or plant may be smothered

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Strawberry Harvest

• No harvest the first year after planting with the
  matted row system.
• Harvest begins in May.
• and lasts two or three weeks
• heaviest in the first four to six days
• Berries ripen 28 to 30 days after first bloom.
• Must be picked every other day.

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Storage

• Store at 33 to 35F, humidity of 90-95.
• Can be stored for two to four days.
• At 30F, can be stored up to 7 days.

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Strawberry RenovationTo Begin Right After Harvest

• Determine if planting is worth renovating.
• Apply 2,4D (amine) for broadleaf control by July
  15.

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Strawberry Renovation

• 3. Mow 4 to 5 days after 2,4D application.
• 4. Fertilize with 50-60lbs/acre N plus P and K
  if needed in soil test.
• 5. Do you need to subsoil?

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Strawberry Renovation

• Cut row width. Cut half the row (left side or
  right).
• -Throw a fine layer of soil over the crowns to
  rejuvenate the mother plants.
• Thin plants to 5 to 6 inches in row.
• Cultivate

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Strawberry Renovation

• 9. Apply herbicide (ID-93)
• Dacthal
• Devrinol- inhibits runners
• Sinbar-can kill strawberries
• 10. Irrigate
• especially after application of herbicides if
  conditions are dry.

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Strawberry Spray Schedule
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Slugs
Grubs
Sap Beetles
Leaf Spot
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Blueberry Production
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Blueberry History

• One of the few crops native to America.
• Increasing in popularity.
• Different Varieties
• Highbush Blueberry
• Rabbiteye Blueberry
• Lowbush Blueberry
• Huckleberry

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Youth Berries

• Flavanoids and antioxidants decrease the bodies
  oxidative stress
• Pterostilbene lowers cholesterol
• Good source of fiber
• Proanthocyanidins prevent urinary tract
  infections and stave off eye fatigue
• Resveratol reduces the risk of heart disease and
  cancer
• Found to have anti bacterial properties

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Amending pH

• pH of 4.5 to 5.2
• Available soil calcium is below 2500 pounds per
  acre the site can usually be effectively
  acidified
• Most soils can be amended with finely ground
  sulfur or aluminum sulfate to adjust the pH level

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Cultivar Selection

• Ripening difference
• Frost protection
• Longer harvest period
• Nursery selection
• Fruit characteristics

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Desirable Qualities

• Large size
• Light blue
• Firm fruit
• Resistance to cracking
• Long shelf Life
• Nice aroma and flavor

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Mulch

• 4-6 inches deep, to be reapplied when decomposed
  to 3 inches.
• One to two years
• Post-harvest

• Pine Needles
• Straw
• Woodchips
• Sawdust

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Planting

• North-south orientation
• Use 2-3 year old plants
• Planting distances 10-14 feet between rows and
  4-6 feet between plants
• Make holes several inches deeper than root
• Raised beds, improve drainage
• Mix one gallon wet peat moss with soil in the
  bottom
• Water thoroughly
• Do not fertilize at planting

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Fertilization

• Sidedress with 0.1lbs of ammonium sulfate per
  plant at bloom and six weeks later. Increase 0.1
  lbs per year until you reach 0.3 lbs
• Sulfur coated urea (if pH lt 5.0)
• Osmocote Plus
• Check soil test
• Apply completely around the bush

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Pollination

• Flower shape
• Bumblebees vs. honeybees
• Hive number
• Good pollination larger berry
• 65 seeds
• 80 blossoms
• Cross pollination

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Pruning

• Leads to more vigorous plants and larger, earlier
  berries
• Decrease number, increase size of berry
• February to bud break

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Pruning

• Remove diseased or injured wood
• Less vigorous canes at ground level or cut back
  to young shoots
• Do not want canes over 5-6 years old
• Weak, brushy, or twiggy wood should be removed
• Up to 20 of wood can be removed without
  decreasing yields

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Harvesting

• June 1st to July 25th
• Requires one to two days to develop full
• flavor
• Commercial growers pick once a week

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• Japanese beetles
• Birds

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Questions?
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Sources

• Indiana Berry and Plant Co.
• www.inberry.com
• 1-800-295-2226
• Lewis Nursery and Farms, Inc.
• www.lewisnursery.com
• 1-910-675-2394

• Nourse Farms, Inc.
• www.noursefarms.com
• 1-413-665-2658