Pest management in the home strawberry patch : Fruit : Yard and Garden : University of Minnesota Extension. Extension > Garden > Yard and Garden > Fruit > Pest management in the home strawberry patch. Karl Foord, Jeff Hahn and Michelle Grabowski. Funded by NCIPM USDAIntroduction. Minnesotans who grow strawberries at home may have to combat insect pests or diseases to produce a good crop. Previous pest control strategies seeking to eliminate all pests from a garden have been shown to be unsuccessful. The philosophy of IPM is to seek a balance maximizing yield while reducing human and environmental risk. Gardeners can find additional help identifying common pest problems by using the online diagnostic tools What insect is this? A hand lens can be helpful in identifying insects and pathogen signs as many are less than 1/4 of an inch. Once a pest has been identified, gardeners should learn about their biology. However, pest damage can reach levels that are unacceptable. For some pests an action threshold has been established. The threshold is typically a number of insects or percent of damage on the plant that when reached, indicates that a grower should take action to prevent unacceptable damage. Thresholds are most commonly used in managing insect pest problems and information about thresholds for specific pests are included where appropriate. Management. The foundation of a good IPM program begins with cultural practices that reduce pest populations and minimize diseases. Site selection. By choosing the right site to grow strawberries, you can lower disease and insect pest pressure. Strawberries should be planted in well- drained soil that does not accumulate standing water following a heavy rainstorm. Planting on higher ground minimizes frost damage, while increasing air circulation around the strawberry plants. Good air circulation allows the berries to dry out faster, reducing the incidence of some diseases. Resistant cultivars. Whenever possible select strawberry cultivars that have demonstrated resistance to common diseases like Verticillium wilt. Consult the University of Minnesota Extension publication Strawberries for the Home Garden for horticultural information. Good cultural practices—including site selection, cultivar selection, proper planting, irrigation, renovation, and frequent harvest—all contribute to a satisfying harvest each year. These practices seek to produce the healthiest plants by avoiding situations that favor the development of diseases or contribute to insect infestations. Land that has been in strawberries for four years or more can build up a population of root- rotting pathogens. Straw mulch is equally important in the spring and summer as it reduces fruit and flower diseases by covering the soil and reducing spore movement carried by raindrop splash. This helps to control diseases by removing older leaves that are infected by leaf spot or fruit rot pathogens.
Pest management for the home strawberry patch. Karl Foord, Jeff Hahn and Michelle Grabowski. Funded by NCIPM USDA. 2 A Plan for Organizing the Strawberry Patch Activities Check with local farms and farmers’ markets to find out when strawberries are in peak season. This helps to control insects by removing their food source and potential breeding sites. This will improve airflow through the patch and reduce the time that the leaf surfaces are wet, which can reduce disease severity. A new canopy will develop by mid- August. Before using a pesticide, be certain that you have correctly identified the pest organism and that the product you wish to apply is effective against that organism. Do not use products that are advertised as 'multi- use' or '3- in- 1' to manage a single pest problem, as this would result in application of unnecessary pesticides. If a pesticide is necessary choose one that is effective with the least ecological impact and environmental risk. Further information about pesticide application and safety can be found at http: //pesticidestewardship. Strawberry Blossom Home & Garden Center Address: 1364 State R. 23, North Wayne, NJ 07470 Phone: (973) 694-7500 Fax: (973) 694-3922 Ploch’s Home & Garden Center. National Pesticide Information Center (NIPC). Growing Strawberries Keys to a Successful Strawberry Patch. Growing strawberries in your garden gives you delicious fruit that everybody loves. Ft.) of each of the following: Perlite - This is used improve the drainage of the soil. Vermiculite – This is used to aid in the water holding capacity of the soil. Peat Moss – This is organic matter that helps to aerate the soil. The strawberries are confined and don’t spread to other parts of the garden. Most strawberries come bare root. Place your bare root strawberry plants in the hole so that the crown (this is where the root stops and the stem starts) is at soil level. This way you can reach the plants from both sides of the patch. See. Garden Weeds. Back to Top. As the growing strawberry plants begin to take root, they will produce large leaves and beautiful white flowers. You can buy strawberry food or make your own soluble phosphate. This needs to be done every week or two. Transplant the new growing strawberries to the new location. They usually peck a hole in them about a day or two before you want to pick them. You can use wooden stakes in the soil every 4- 5 feet to hold the netting up off the plants. Holding the netting up off the plants makes it more difficult for the birds to get to the strawberries. Using the wooded stakes also holds the netting high enough to prevent the new growing strawberry plants from getting intertwined in the netting. Just reach up under the netting to pick your growing strawberries. Back to Top. At the end of the year before the first hard freeze, you should cover the strawberry plants with 4- 6 inches of straw. The straw will help protect the established strawberry plants during the winter.
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