subject: Things To Remember In Caring Of Strawberries [print this page] The secret of success with strawberries comes in planting and getting the crown (the solid center portion from which the leaves arise) even with the surface of the soil, and the soil packed firmly about the roots. This is done by pushing a spade or large flat trowel vertically into the soil and inserting the roots in the bole behind the tool with a downward flip so that they are spread out in a fan shape. The tool is then withdrawn carefully and the soil pressed firmly against the roots with the foot. If the soil is dry at planting time, each plant should be watered with a half pint of water.
The rows in a strawberry bed are usually set about 3 feet apart and the plants set 18 inches apart in each row. The runners soon fill in the space between the plants to make a matted row. Home gardeners sometimes grow strawberries in hills by eliminating all the runners. Spacing within the row fot the hill system is about 15 inches. Some times beds of three or four rows 15 inches apart are grown in the hill systen with an alley between each bed.
Summer care consists mainly of con. trolling weeds. Cultivation and frequent use of the hoe are essential; however care must he taken not to injure the runners after they have started to grow The flower stems should be removed am they appear to prevent fruiting the first year, for if they are allowed to bear, fewer runners will be produced and the crop the following year will be lighter.
Spacing Runners
Vigorous varieties in fertile soil produce far more runners than can be utilized efficiently on the allotted space. Overcrowding of the fruiting row can reduce yields substantially. so it is desirable to arrange the runners about the mother plant to use the available space efficiently without overcrowding the fruiting row. To do this, place the runners as they develop around the mother plant about 6 inches apart until the row is filled out to a width of about 18 inches. All runners developing after this should be removed.
