Rejuvenating June-Bearing Strawberry Beds
by Don Janssen, Extension Educator
June-bearing strawberries are most productive when grown in 2-foot-wide matted rows. If the strawberry bed is a solid mat of plants, renovate the planting by creating 8 inch-wide plant strips with a rototiller or hoe. These 8-inch-wide strips should be about 3 to 4 feet apart. Runners will form and the new plants will create a 2-foot-wide matted row by the end of the summer.
June-bearing strawberries grown in rows should also be renovated. Simply narrow the rows to 8-inch wide strips by removing the older plants and keeping the younger ones. Some strawberry cultivars are extremely vigorous and produce runners beyond the 2-foot matted rows. These runners should be placed back within the allotted row or removed to prevent the plant from becoming a solid mat of plants.
Fertilize with approximately 5 pounds of 10-10-10 or similar analysis fertilizer per 100 feet of row to encourage plant growth and development. Since strawberry plants have a shallow root system, water regularly during hot, dry periods. Regular watering helps assure good berry numbers and size next spring.
Control weeds throughout the summer by cultivating or hand weeding. Dacthal, a pre-emergence herbicide, may be applied at renovation to help control annual grasses and some broadleaf weeds. Well-maintained strawberry plantings that are renovated annually may remain productive for 4 or 5 years. Poorly managed beds may be productive for only 1 or 2 years.
Everbearing and day-neutral strawberries should not be renovated like June-bearers. Their growth and fruiting characteristics dictate different cultural practices.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County is your on-line yard and garden educational resource. The information on this Web site is valid for residents of southeastern Nebraska. It may or may not apply in your area. If you live outside southeastern Nebraska, visit your local Extension office