Most strawberries are planted in the matted row system. May. These crowns produce runners, but no fruit in the first summer. Plants are mulched with straw in mid-November to provide winter protection. This mulch is removed in early April the following spring and flowering and fruiting follows. They will generally fruit at least 2 additional years before weed pressure forces replanting.
Most strawberry growers employ overhead irrigation as a key tool.
Irrigation is used to control spring frosts, activate pre-emergence herbicides, promote growth, enhance runner rooting, and control heat stress. Most strawberry growers practice either IPM or simply follow an ultra-low pesticide program. There are, however, several key pest problems of strawberry in NH that must be controlled if profitable production of quality fruit is to occur. Especially tough perennial grasses including quackgrass can be effectively eliminated pre-plant through the use of glyphosate. With the exception of napropamide which carries a risk of delayed runner rooting, there are currently no registered pre-emergence herbicides for use to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in the planting year .