Strawberries prefer areas with cool, sunny days and moist nights.
There are several effective techniques that farmers use to plant and cultivate strawberries including soil preparation, irrigation, and field upkeep. Strawberries are grown in many temperate weather coastal areas, but California has more acres of strawberry farms than any other location in the world. California farmers utilize time-honored techniques to grow fresh, delicious strawberries.
Soil Selection
Strawberries thrive in unplowed fields.
Plowing a strawberry field can actually hinder the growth of the berries and so, many strawberry fields are never plowed because strawberries thrive in undisturbed soil. The best soil for strawberry growing is loamy sand-soil that is well drained. Though coastal areas are excellent for growing strawberries, it is important that the water used to water the berries is low in dissolved salts. Thus, many strawberry fields are located about 10 to 20 miles off of the shoreline.
Fertilizer and Compost
Before the strawberries are planted, planted beds are dug out and fertilizer and compost is added to the soil.
Many strawberry farmers add composted organic material to the strawberry fields about once a year. This organic matter, gypsum, and fertilizer, help the plants to grow. After being added to a field, the strawberries will continue to receive nutrients from the organic matter for up to seven months. Fertilizer and organic material is added through the use of farm tools, such as furrow shovels, which raise the strawberry planting beds before the fertilizer and organic matter is placed beneath the soil. Then, the rows are sealed with a plastic bed mulch to ensure absorption.
Irrigation and Planting
Many large-scale strawberry farmers use irrigation drip technology to keep the strawberries watered.
Before the strawberries are planed in their rows, the empty planting beds are watered to ensure moist soil. This helps the young strawberries to begin growing quickly. Farming equipment is then used to punch holes in the ground which are evenly distributed. This is usually performed with a special spade-shaped wheel attached to the back of a standard tractor. Workers then place one strawberry plant in each of the holes and pack the moist soil tightly around the plants.
Upkeep
The strawberry planting rows are monitered for insect infestation during growing season.
After the strawberry plants have been placed in the ground, caretakers water the rows (this is often done with irrigation equipment rather than by hand) and remove weeds from the fields. Depending on the climate, fertilizers can be added to the irrigation system to give the plants an extra dose of nutrients if needed. Strawberry fields are regularly inspected to prevent insect infestation.
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