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June
27, 2001
You have
selected a site, decided that you can keep up with the maintenance,
and now you are ready to plan the varieties you might want to purchase.
What questions should you be asking, and where should you go to find
your answers?
The first question to ask is, "Is this cultivar disease resistant?"
I will be spending quite a bit of time caring for the strawberries
and do not want them to get sick. Diseases and pests can destroy a
strawberry bed quite easily.
Some of the diseases that love strawberries as much as most people
are verticillium wilt, red stele and gray mold. Verticillium wilt
is caused by a soil-borne fungus. Symptoms of this disease are wilting
of older, outer leaves with a browning around the edges and between
the veins that will eventually die. Few new leaves develop and roots
that grow from the crown are short and have blackened tips. Choose
disease resistant varieties and plant the strawberry in a "clean"
place, avoiding sites previously planted with wilt-susceptible crops
like potatoes and tomatoes.
Red stele is a root rot caused by a soil borne fungus and occurs mostly
on poorly drained soils that have high clay content. Symptoms of this
disease are the rat-tail appearance of small feeder roots that have
been killed. Main roots have a rusty-red color in the core (or stele
- hence the name of red stele.) Plants may wilt and die during hot
conditions. To avoid this disease plant only red-stele resistant varieties
in a well drained loamy soil.
Gray mold is caused by a fungus which over-winters on plant debris
on the ground. During bloom the fungus may be spread to blossoms in
rainy weather. The infection then spreads to the developing fruit.
This disease appears as a gray, fuzzy mass of fungal spores on the
berries. To avoid this disease, thin plants to improve air circulation
within the bed, and use straw mulch. Fungicides may be applied, but
be sure to read and follow all label directions.
There are other diseases that affect strawberries, and also critters
that love them too. Slugs and snails are common pests that will eat
holes in the fruit. During wet weather, these pests can be found and
removed.
Tarnished plant bugs cause deformed or "nubbin" berries.
These bugs are often found in alfalfa and may appear when strawberry
plants are in bloom. Watch for them when nearby farmers are mowing
or using alfalfa hay.
Nematodes are found in the soil and are too small to be seen with
the naked eye. They feed on the roots, and cause galls or stubby stunted
roots. It is important to avoid a buildup of nematodes. Crop rotation
to a new site every few years is a must.
You can obtain more information about strawberry care from the Master
Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension. There are many other resources
available including books, brochures, seed catalogs, and nursery publications.
You can even use the Internet to gather information. Use all of your
resources to help make a decision.
Disease resistance is an important characteristic to look for, as
well as the other characteristics desired from your strawberries.
Researching these articles has been a great exercise for me to learn
about strawberries. I may be a Master Gardener, but I am also learning
details that make gardening easier. What I have found is that not
all varieties are disease resistant, and if it does not say that in
the catalog, do not assume it! Also, watch for the way the company
advertises the flavor. Is the berry tart? Sweet? Perfect for jams?
Those descriptions will be a guide.
When your sources cite the same virtues, as do the ones I found about
the June-bearing variety Surecrop or ever-bearing varieties Ozark
Beauty and Ogallala, then you can probably believe the claims made.
Note that every variety of berry plant is not offered by every source.
Look carefully at the catalogs, see what kinds are offered, and do
some background research. Having the berries you want is important
if you are planning to care for them and, most importantly, eat!
How do you like your berries? Besides shortcake, jams, pies, adding
them to shakes, putting them on breakfast cereals, and including them
with many rhubarb recipes, what is your favorite way to prepare strawberries?
My family and I have found a strawberry bread recipe that produces
a pretty pink loaf. This recipe comes from a recipe booklet titled
"Bread" by Anne Van Roden, from Wellspring Publishers in
York, PA. We have found that the bread is best when eaten warm with
butter and fresh jam!
Strawberry Nut Bread
1 ½
cup mashed strawberries
1 egg
3 Tbsp. melted shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1
tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped nuts (your choice!)
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg with mashed strawberries and melted
shortening. Add dry ingredients to the strawberry mixture. Stir until
just moistened. Add chopped nuts. Put into a greased loaf pan. Bake
for 50-60 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then
turn onto a wire rack to complete the cooling. (Remember, we like
ours warm, so the butter melts and the jam jiggles!)
Enjoy your strawberries, and remember if you have any questions about
strawberries or any other gardening questions, please call the Cooperative
Extension Office at (315)-536-5123 and leave a message for the Master
Gardeners. Be sure to leave your name, phone number and a time to
return your call. Happy gardening!
Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association
Last updated: 6/27/01
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