Strawberries are fruits containing substantial levels of antioxidants which our bodies for protection against diseases and inflammation. They also contain good levels of folate, potassium and Vitamin C as well as being a good source of fiber.

Not many farmers in Uganda are engaged in growing the fruit but of late many are adopting growing it in their backyard.

One such a farmer is Joyce Obitiru who is growing it on a fairly small scale on her home backyard located in Mbuya, a Kampala suburb

She says the fruit has a number of health benefits, the reason she is growing it for home consumption.

According to her, little did she know about the best agronomy practices of growing strawberries but after reading the planting guide from Crop guide Hiafa Publications, she was good to go and below are the excerpts

Choosing and preparing the planting site

The plant is tolerant to different soil types but preferable, loom soil is the best with soil pH between 5.5 and 7.

If soils in your area are naturally alkaline, it is best to grow strawberries in half-barrels or other large containers filled with compost enriched potting soil.

The plants require 6-10 hours a day of direct sunlight, so choose your planting site accordingly.

The planting site must be well-drained and raised beds are a particularly good option for planting.

Recommended varieties

It is advisable for farmers to plant more than one variety. Each will respond differently to conditions and you will have a range of different fruits to enjoy.

The most common varieties are Northeaster which considered best suited for a range of land types and the fruit has strong flavor and aroma.

Others are sable, primetime’ with a mild-flavore, disease-resistant variety, best adapted to the Mid-Atlantic, cardinal, Camarosa and Tristar’ is a day-neutral variety that’s very well-suited for hanging baskets

 

How to plant strawberries

It is important to practice spaced row system because it limits the number of plants that grow from a mother plant.

 

The mother plants are set 46 cm by 76 cm apart in rows and all other runners are pulled or cut from the mother plants. Even though more care is needed under this system, advantages include higher yields, larger berries and fewer diseases.

Water plants well at the time of planting and keep the beds mulched to reduce water needs and weed invasion.

In the first year, pick off blossoms to discourage strawberry plants from fruiting. If not allowed to bear fruit, they will spend their food reserves on developing healthy roots. The yields will be much greater in the second year.

Eliminate daughter plants as needed. First and second generations produce higher yields. Try to keep daughter plants spaced about 10 inches apart

Plasticulture

 

Most commercial farmers use the plasticulture system where raised beds are formed each year, fumigated and are covered with large plastic sheets under which the irrigation tubing is installed.

 

The main advantage is that it has a considerable increase in soil temperature of the active root zone of the plants. This enhances plant physiology and enables much earlier flowering and fruit bearing.

 

It prevents against weed growth, thereby saving on herbicides use and protection of the beds from erosion by strong rainfall.

 

At the end of the harvest season, the plastic is removed and the plants are plowed into the ground.

 

However, because this method requires a longer growing season to allow for establishment of the plants each year, and because of the increased costs in terms of forming and covering the mounds and purchasing plants each year, it is not always practical in all areas.

Weeding

The farmer must be diligent about weeding which must be done by hand, especially in the first months after planting.

If the farmer can afford, fertilize with all-purpose granules for strong growth. In warm weather, berries ripen about 30 days after blossoms are fertilized.

In these cases the plants are not destroyed after harvest, but are kept from year to year, growing in rows or on raised beds. This system is most common in colder climates and where growers have less capital. It carries lower investment costs, and lower overall maintenance requirements. Yields are typically lower than in annual plasticulture.

 

Irrigation

 

On the one hand, strawberries are sensitive to periods of severe drought; dry soil can literally kill them or stop fruit production.

 

On the other hand, they are sensitive to waterlogging that causes the roots to suffer oxygen deficiency and is an optimal condition for soil-borne microbial and fungal- diseases. 

 

Continuous optimal water status helps to get the highest yields of large berries. Strawberries should have a minimum of 25 mm of water per week and up to 50 mm of water should be given weekly while the fruit is forming from early bloom until the end of harvest.

 

Pollination

 

The plant is mostly self-pollinated and under field conditions self-pollination is satisfactorily supplemented with natural agents like wind, honeybees and other insects.

 

Pollination of all the pistils of a flower is necessary for maximum berry size. If few are fertilized, an irregularly shaped berry or “nubbin” of only one fifth the size of well-fertilized berries will develop.

 

If a grower has a very large acreage of berries, few active beekeepers in the area and little or no natural shelter-belt areas, then it may be very good insurance to have honeybees brought into strawberry fields as the first flower opens.

 

 

Harvesting 

Generally, berries ripen within 28 to 30 days under optimum conditions after first bloom.

 

The time between first bloom and full bloom can be 11 to 12 days. A great increase in the number of ripe fruit occurs over the first 4 to 6 days of harvest.

 

Berries are harvested every other day under normal temperatures for about 6 to 7 pickings. Avoid picking the fruit when plants are wet. Keep harvested berries out of the sun and place them under refrigeration as soon as possible. Pick berries when they are fully colored for optimal size and flavor. Berries do not improve in quality after picking.

 

For hand harvest, it is wise to employ enough pickers to harvest the berries by noon, during the cool part of the day when pickers are most efficient. Harvested berries should be delivered and sold within 24 hours of harvest to reduce spoilage.

 

The farm can be kept for more than five years depending on how the farmer takes care of it the fruiting and harvesting will continue.

 

Challenges

Strawberries are highly perishable. It is best to consume them within a few days of picking them. They are also susceptible to mold and mildew. Never store them crammed together, or they will get easily bruised and be more vulnerable to mold.

Unlike some fruit, they will not continue to ripen once harvested. They will only begin to rot. So, be sure to pick only those that are rich red in color, not with greenish or yellow places on them.

If you wish to freeze them, gently wash the strawberries, then pat dry. Some schools of thought recommend leaving the green stem leaves on them. They will retain higher levels of Vitamin C if frozen whole.