Detailed Explanation of Open-Field Strawberry Planting Methods and Technical Points

SummaryOpen-field strawberries are suitable for planting in neutral or slightly acidic soil, and should not be rotated with crops such as green peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes. Seedlings are generally transplanted in August-September. Before transplanting, the soil needs to be plowed and weeds removed. Choose a cloudy day or the afternoon to plant at a reasonable density to avoid direct sun exposure. Strong seedlings with plump terminal buds should be selected. The planting depth is key to determining seedling survival, and it is best to achieve shallow planting without exposing roots and deep planting without burying the crown. After transplanting, firm the soil and water thoroughly in time.

1. Choosing a Plot

Strawberries have strong adaptability to soil, and can generally be planted in most plots. However, strawberries are characterized by liking water, liking fertilizer, liking light, and fearing waterlogging, so they can be planted in loam or sandy loam with good light, higher terrain, level ground, loose soil, convenient drainage and irrigation, and rich organic matter.

Strawberries prefer to be planted in neutral or slightly acidic soil, with a suitable pH of 5.5-7.0. They can be planted in plots where the previous crop was beans, melons, or wheat, and should not be rotated with solanaceous crops such as eggplants, green peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes.

2. Plowing and Land Preparation

1. In July-August, thoroughly remove weeds, plow the soil, and then apply sufficient base fertilizer to supplement the nutrient requirements during growth. Per mu, apply more than 5 cubic meters of decomposed chicken manure, 100 jin of superphosphate, and 60 jin of compound fertilizer. After spreading the base fertilizer evenly, deeply plow the soil to 20-25 cm, level it, and press it firm. Before plowing, 4 jin of phoxim per mu can be used for soil disinfection.

2. After disinfection, prepare the land and make beds. The soil for making beds must be fine, otherwise it will affect the survival rate of seedlings after transplanting and is also not conducive to growth after seedling recovery. Make the bed surface and bed ridges flat and straight. 2-3 days before planting seedlings, the soil needs to be watered thoroughly.

3. Open-field strawberry planting methods are divided into high beds and flat beds. High beds are 0.8-1.0 m wide, flat beds are 1.3-1.5 m wide, the bed surface width is 0.40-0.50 m, the bed ditch width is 0.40-0.50 m, and the bed height is 0.15-0.20 m. Beds should not be too long, generally 30-50 m is suitable, to facilitate later drainage and irrigation.

3. Seedling Transplanting Time

Generally, transplanting is suitable from early August to early-to-mid September,  but due to differences in climate and region, the transplanting time for strawberries will also vary. Northern regions can transplant as early as possible, and the Baoding area can transplant from mid-August to early-to-mid September.

4. Seedling Transplanting Density

The number of seedlings to transplant is 7000-10000 plants.

5. Seedling Transplanting Row Spacing and Plant Spacing

For flat beds, 4 rows can be transplanted per bed, with a row spacing of 0.30-0.35 m and a plant spacing of 0.20-0.30 m. For high beds, 2 rows can be transplanted per bed, with a row spacing of 0.25-0.30 m and a plant spacing of 0.15--0.25 m.

6. Seedling Transplanting Methods

(1) Transplanting can be carried out on a cloudy day or around 4 p.m., which can avoid sun exposure during the process. For seedlings, choose strong seedlings that retain 3-5 leaves, have more than 10 new roots, and have plump terminal buds and no disease for transplanting.

(2) The planting depth is key to determining seedling survival. Planting too deep or too shallow will both cause seedling death. During this process, the root neck of the seedling needs to be flush with the ground, with the arched back facing outward, so that it is best to achieve shallow planting without exposing roots and deep planting without burying the crown, and allow the rhizome to fully extend. After transplanting, gently firm the soil, then water thoroughly in time, and water continuously for 3-4 days.

(3) After watering, check carefully. If there are seedlings with exposed roots, fallen seedlings, or seedlings with buried crowns, they need to be replanted according to the requirements. After transplanting is completed, if there is bright sunshine on a sunny day, reed curtains or leafy branches can be used for appropriate shading.