Rotating plantings
A number of pest problems carry over from one season to the next and gradually worsen over a period
of years. It is a good idea to replace plantings with new plants at least every 3 years or whenever
plants begin to decline from pest attack. Switch to new planting beds or treat the planting bed between
strawberry plantings to reduce pest populations before replanting.
It is best to start with new plants from certified nurseries if you can get them. You can start
your own new plants by allowing runners to set plants during the second or third season of the old
planting.
Set the runners into clean soil. Remove the old plants when the new ones are established.
If rotating with other planting locations in your garden, it is best to avoid following crop plants
that are susceptible to Verticillium wilt, such as tomato, potato, eggplant, and cucurbit. Sweet
corn is a good garden rotation for strawberries. If you allow a planting bed to lie dormant between
strawberry plantings, plant ryegrass to reduce levels of Verticillium and to keep other
disease organisms from building up. |
Possible rotation sequences
- Remove old strawberry plants in late
summer.
- Plant a winter crop of cauliflower, cabbage,
or another crucifer.
- In spring, spread all crop residue from
the crucifer over the planting area, allow
it to dry and rototill it in.
- Solarize the soil in summer.
- After removing plastic film at end of
summer, water the treated area regularly
for two months.
- Plant new strawberries in late fall or
late winter.
Variations
As an alternative to steps
2 and 3, plant a winter crop of ryegrass
and rototill it in with dried crucifer residue
collected from another aread of the garden.
As an alternative to steps
5 and 6, follow solarization with ryegrass,
rototill in spring, and plant in August. |
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