I visited Kube-Pak (Allentown, NJ) during the North American Strawberry Growers Summer Tour. Kube-Pak wholesales bedding plants, plugs, potted plants and more. Our visit at Kube-Pak’s was at peak time of strawberry business. Mr. Rob Swanekamp showed us the steps of growing strawberry plugs, from tip production to shipping. The strawberry plugs’ shipping date starts…Read more about Strawberry Plug Production at Kube-Pak[Read More]
Strawberry
Strawberries are traditionally grown with a matted-row system in Indiana. Plasticulture is relatively new. It brings market opportunities and potentially high profit. However, growing strawberries in plasticulture is much more expensive than the matted-row system. Farmers need a good understanding of the system to avoid significant economic loss. In the Strawberry Chat Podcast episodes, you…Read more about Farmers Shared Experiences in Plasticulture Strawberry Production[Read More]
The harvest season may not have ended yet; it is time to plan for the new planting. This article summarizes options for planting materials and considerations for plasticulture-grown strawberries in the region. Purchasing plug plants Plug plants are like vegetable transplants with actively growing root systems. Plug plants are much easier to establish than bare-root…Read more about Plug? Bare-root? What Other Options for Plasticulture Strawberry Planting? [Read More]
Plasticulture strawberry harvest has kicked off in southern Indiana. These plants went through a winter of temperature ups and downs and survived the unexpected frosts in April. Finally, it is harvest time! This article’s title is a question from a grower. The straightforward explanation is that plants received more sunlight and warmed up faster on…Read more about Why do the East Side of My Strawberry Rows Have Way More Ripe Ones than the West Side?[Read More]
Frost/freeze damage is one of the major risks of growing strawberries in Indiana. During the morning of April 24, a widespread freeze event caused damage to several crops, including strawberries. Strawberries in southern Indiana, particularly on plasticulture, have entered full bloom. Without protection, freeze damage was extensive in some fields. A case study was described…Read more about Strawberry Crop Update[Read More]
We are happy to announce that Purdue Extension is presenting its annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on July 20, 2023, at the Throckmorton/Meigs Horticulture Farm, Lafayette, IN. Registration is now open. To register your spot, visit https://cvent.me/5zevYD The field day schedule is very exciting, something for everyone to look forward to. Sweet corn pest…Read more about Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – Registration Now Open[Read More]
We are excited to announce that the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day is scheduled for June 28, 2023, at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC), 4669 N. Purdue Rd. Vincennes, IN. Purdue researchers and NRCS representatives will present their current research and demonstration projects in fruit and vegetable production conducted at SWPAC. The topics…Read more about Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day _Registration Now Open![Read More]
The most recent two podcast episodes of the Strawberry Chat focus on spring weed and disease management. Spring Weed Management Podcast Kevin Schooley and Stephen Meyers joined the discussion to talk about weeds and weed management in matted-row and plasticulture strawberry production. Steve spoke about weeds commonly seen in strawberry fields and gave us a…Read more about Strawberry Podcasts on Spring Weed and Disease Management[Read More]
Dr. Janna Beckerman, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist in the Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology joined our discussion to talk about Spring Diseases and Management. Our discussion focused on Anthracnose fruit rot and Botrytis fruit rot. Janna described the biology of the pathogens and provided cultural and fungicide recommendations for managing these diseases. You…Read more about Strawberry Chat Podcast — Strawberry Spring Diseases and Management[Read More]
We are concerned about frost/freeze damage to the crops at this time of year. As I am writing this article, we had forecasted low temperatures in the lower 20sºF on March 14 and 18 in southern Indiana. How does this affect plasticulture strawberries? I want to share my thoughts in this article. Before discussing whether…Read more about Strawberry Spring Frost Protection—Considerations in March[Read More]