Evening star., 1953-03-01
Growing Strawberries Can Be Fascinating Hobby
By D. n. Scott

Strawberries can provide a home
gardener with fascinating hob
, by plus one of the most delicious
fruits known. Strawberries are
rated nearly the world over as q
delicious fruit. In addition, they
? are probably the best fruits to
grow in the home garden in this
r locality. They are at their best
when fresh, but some frozen va
rietieS are nearly equal to the
fresh product. The modern freez-
ing locker furnishes a way of
preserving this delectable fruit
so that the home gardener can
enjoy it the year around.
Although the skill of an expert
is required to produce top yields,
strawberries can be grown very
successfully in this area by any
one who will spend a little time
and patience. Like any other en-
terprise, the more time devoted
to it, the greater the reward.
The reward in this instance will
be high yields and fancy fruit.
There are hazards to be avoided
sufficient to challenge an eager
gardener to exert his best efforts.
Much of the satisfaction and
success in growing Strawberries
is obtained from the proper
choice of varieties. Study of the
performance of different straw
berry varieties and of the quality
of fruit might be a hobby in
itself. Extensive testing in many
different places has shown that
certain varieties perform well
in one region or locality, but not
in another, where the soil or
the climate is different. This is
known as regional adaptation
and is an important character
istic.
They Have to Be Tried.
Thus, the Missionary variety
produces abundantly in Florida
but very sparingly in New York.
Similarly, Premier (Howard I'D
is a dependable, productive vari-
ETY. in New York but the plants
nearly perish when grown in
Florida. Gardeners who have
moved to this area from the
Midwest, where Dunlap is popu-
lar, have been sadly disappointed
when they tried to grow it here.
Adaptation cannot always be
predicted, but must be deter
mined by trying.
Some of the finest varieties are
at their best in this locality. so
choose wisely and avoid diSap-
pointment from unadapted vari-
etieS.
There is an extensive range
in characters in modern straw
berries and so the gardeners
choice will depend upon his per-
sonal taste. They may be very
tart like Blakemore, for ex-
ample; or so sweet that they can
be eaten without sugar: Fairfax,
for example. Each has it's place
the former in preserves and the
latter for eating out-of hand.
There is no equal to the flavor of
an aromatic strawberry fresh
from one of your own plants and
eaten while eying more of the
same.
These Grow Well Here.
Strawberries differ in flavor,
color of fruit, season of ripening,
f1rmnesS and color of flesh, vigor
of plants and productivity. The
following varities grow and pro-
duce well here:
Early ripening Midland
and BlakemOre.
MidseasOn ripening - Fair
fax and Suwannee.
Late ripening-Armore and
Tennessee Beauty.
Very late ripening Red
star.
Red-stele-resistant Fair
land, Temple and Sparkle.
None of these is everbearing,
as everbearers do not grow we'll
in this region, even with saw
dust mulch Midland and Ten
nessee Beauty are superior to all
others for frozen pack. SuWan-
nee rates highest in flavor, and
Midland and Fairfax are close
competitors. The red-stele-re-
sistant varieties are included for
use in gardens where the soil is
infested with the red stele root
rot fungus.
Strawberry plants should be
set as early in the spring as the
ground can be worked safely,
preferably in March but not
later than the middle of April. |
Any fertile garden soil is salts
factory and no special treatment |
is necessary, although it may be
desirable to work in 5-10-5 fer
tilizer at the rate of 2 pounds
per 100 square feet.
Is Plants Make a Start.
When space is at a premium,
the highest yields are obtained
by setting the plants according
to the hill system in double rows
about one foot apart each way
and two feet between the double
rows. Twenty-Five plants of each
variety are sufficient for the first
test. Thus a bed Is by 10 feet
will accommodate 8 varieties.
When blossom clusters appear
on the newly set plants CASUALLY
a month to six weeks after set
ting) they should be cut off. If
they are not removed, they will
retard growth.
Runners will begin to appear