Kent Strawberry

Important! Upon Arrival:

Keep moist and cool. Fruits and berries are shipped in dormant form so they can be transplanted out once the soil can be worked in the spring. Light frosts will not damage the plants as they are in the resting stage. If you are unable to plant immediately, the plants can be stored for a short period of time. This should be a dark, cool (but not freezing) location such as an unheated garage, fridge or a cold cellar. Ideally they would be stored as close to 2°C or 35°F as possible. They should also be kept moist, but not wet, until they are planted. We DO NOT Recommend planting them in pots until the weather is warmer. A tree that breaks dormancy and begins growing in a pot will suffer from terrible transplant shock when replanted in the permanent site.

Site Selection and Preparation:

Strawberries require full sun for optimum fruit production. Plants which receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day should grow well and produce a harvestable crop, but berries will be fewer and fruit quality reduced compared to plants receiving more sun. Ten or more hours of sunlight each day is ideal.
Choose a site located away from trees and buildings which will cast shade for more than a few hours each day. Because trees will compete for water and nutrients as well as cast shade, the strawberry bed should lay beyond the root zone of large trees. The root zone roughly corresponds to the canopy of a tree.
Soil should be both water-retentive and well-drained as strawberry plants will tolerate neither drought, nor standing water. Excessively drained soils should be amended with peat or compost to improve water retention, while heavy clay soils will benefit from the addition of a mixture of peat and a coarsely textured organic material, such as chopped leaves or straw, to improve drainage and aeration.
Strawberry plants perform best in slightly acid soil, a pH of 5.3 to 6.5 is optimum, but readings from 5.0 to 7.0 are acceptable. Conduct a soil test to determine any necessary pH adjustment, as well as fertilizer needs. For professional soil testing, please contact your local Agricultural Office.
The site selected should be free from weeds, grubs and soil-borne diseases. For this reason, a site composed of newly-dug sod may present problems, since such a site is prone to attack by grubs and perennial weeds. Because solanaceous plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes) can carry a soil borne disease known as Verticillium Wilt, to which strawberries may be susceptible, avoid planting where these plants have been recently grown. If avoidance is not possible, choose resistant cultivars.

Planting:

Plant in spring as soon as the soil can be worked. When you purchase your planting stock from our nursery, plant as soon as possible after receiving them. Dormant plants may be stored in a cool place for several days, if immediate planting is not possible. Do not store plants close to ripening fruits as they could be damaged by gases given off during the ripening process. Do not allow the packing material surrounding the roots to dry out or become soggy. A cool, cloudy planting day will place the least stress on new transplants.
At planting time, damaged roots should be trimmed and excessively long roots cut to 4 – 5 inches (10 – 12 cm) in length. In addition, all flowers, runners and old leaves should be removed. Keep the plants protected from direct sunlight and drying winds during planting.
Strawberry plants should always be set with the roots pointed downward and forming a moderate fan. Planting depth is critical. If the plants are set too shallow, the crown may dry out, while a too-deep position may result in crown damage or rot. Set the plants deep enough so the midpoint of the crown is even with the soil surface. After setting in, firm the soil around the plant and thoroughly water. Set plants deep enough so all of the roots are covered but the crown is above the soil line. (see below) The plant on the left is too deep and the one in the center is set too shallow. The roots should extend straight downward.
In the matted row system, the original (‘mother’) plants are spaced 18 – 24 inches (45 – 60 cm) apart in rows 3 – 4 feet (90 - 120 cm) apart and allowed to produce and set runner (‘daughter’) plants freely.
If the spaced matted row system is employed, initial spacing is the same, but daughter plant populations are kept low by allowing only a few runners to remain. Those daughter plants which are selected are pinned into place so that rooting occurs at a set distance, usually 6 – 12 inches (15 – 30 cm) from other plants.
The careful spacing used in the spaced matted row, results in increased yield and decreased incidence of disease. In both the matted row and spaced matted row systems, rows are allowed to become 12 – 18 inches (30 – 45 cm) wide. The hill system is often used for day neutral, or everbearing cultivars and frequently is used in conjunction with raised beds. Mother plants are planted only 12 inches (30 cm) apart in a row, or a 6 inches (15 cm) staggered double rows are often used.
Because these plants become less productive over time, they are normally replaced every 1 – 3 years.

Care of June Bearing Cultivars:

During the 1st year spring of planting, remove all flowers as they appear. This will allow the plants to put energy into development of healthy root systems and vigorous runners. Flower removal is often a painful task for the home gardener, but is essential for future productivity.
Strawberries perform best when adequate water is provided. In a week without at least 1 inch of rainfall, irrigate using a sprinkler, or soaker hose. One good soaking each week should suffice in most soil types. Always water early in the day so that foliage has a chance to dry before nightfall. This practice will help to prevent leaf diseases. Because optimum fruit, root, and plant development occurs at relatively cool soil temperatures, an organic, or inorganic mulch, may be useful in keeping soil temperatures suppressed throughout the growing season.
Additionally, a mulch will help to preserve soil moisture, control weeds and keep fruit clean. A clear, or black plastic mulch is not recommended, as these types elevate soil temperature.
A strawberry bed will require yearly renovation to keep it healthy and productive. After harvest is completed each year, mow off the foliage of the plants using a standard lawnmower taking care not to damage the crowns of the plants. This practice helps control leaf disease and stimulates runner production. After 1 – 2 weeks, the leaves will have dried out, then rotor till, or hoe to narrow the rows to half the original width to 18in (45cm).
You can dress with some fertilizer at this time. Please see below for more information. This will help give them a boost to start producing runners again. It will also help make the plant strong to survive the winter. The production of new runners should again result in rows 12 – 18 inches (30 – 45 cm) wide.
Because fruit yield and quality decline over time, a strawberry planting should be replaced every 3 – 5 years. Because the crown of a strawberry plant may be killed at 14 deg F (-10C), winter protection is essential. After 2 or 3 frosts have hardened off the plants, cover them with 4 inches (10cm) of good quality straw. Snow is an excellent insulator and will be sufficient where snow cover is reliable. Mulch should be removed in spring when growth begins, but may be left between rows to act as the summer mulch. This will help keep the berries clean and make picking better.
Due to strawberries being a poor competitor, keep all weeds out of the strawberry bed. Hand-weeding is recommended for home gardeners. Do not cultivate too deeply, as the strawberry shallow root system may be damaged.

Care of Overbearing and Day-Neutral Types:

In the year of planting, all flowers should be removed until July 1, after which time the plants are allowed to flower and set fruit. Runners are normally removed as they appear, especially if the ‘hill’ system is used. Renovation is not practiced with everbearing and day-neutral types. For maximum productivity, replace the planting every 2 years.
Day-neutral strawberries may also be treated as annuals. Irrigation, mulching and weed control are the same as for the June-bearing types.