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Strawberry Plasticulture – Tuesday, September
16, 2003
Vol 4, No. 49 Hurricane Advisory
In this advisory:
-1. Hold up on planting until Isabel passes!
-2. Having the correct spacing wheel for fresh dugs
a) photos of more expensive wheel
b) photos of homemade spacing wheel
-3. Cooling plants
-4. Spanish translation for fresh dug planters
-5. We're still on for Wed. 4pm Demonstration in Alamance
Update - ENC plug nurseries are asking growers to take early delivery on plug
trays today and tomorrow in anticipation of heavy flooding down east. Growers
will be responsible for "finishing up" the plug trays as many are in
their third week (a minor concern). In my checking with local plant suppliers
I am finding that they do have back-up generators to keep plants cool. Large
shipments of fresh dug plants are arriving into the Carolinas and Virginia at
the end of this week.
-1. Hold off on cutting holes and planting until Isabel passes! Forecasters said
Isabel could hit anywhere from North Carolina to New Jersey late Thursday or
early Friday with sustained winds up to 130 mph. That is enough force to blow
newly set fresh dugs "fresh out of the ground " and into the woods!
Take it from us, its no fun picking up your plants in the woods --we've seen
this very thing happen before in the Carolinas. Your plants are much better off
sitting in a cooler (see section 3). It is also a very bad idea to punch
your
holes ahead of all the rain we'll be getting. They will have to be re-punched
after the storm, so don't punch them at all. This brings up another dilemma though,
especially for you growers in New Jersey - you cannot afford to delay planting
of fresh dugs too much longer! There have been enough delays related to replacing
plugs with fresh dugs. If you wish to get started as early as possible after
the storm, we strongly recommend having a spacing wheel built out of a bicycle
rim that can mark the rows every 14-15 inches (I am going to get a photo of one
of these this morning in Apex, NC, for posting on Berry Agent). Obviously, the
fields are likely to be very wet this weekend and getting a tractor on the field
is going to be unlikely for several days. But you can mark off a field quickly
with the bicycle wheel as soon as the storm passes. ). Again, don't mark off
the beds until after the storm.
-2. Having the correct spacing wheel for fresh dugs: A water wheel
for plug planting is not well designed for fresh dug planting
- it cuts too wide a planting hole
and the depth is not correct (too shallow). The larger tear in the plastic
allows weeds to easily move in and also the branch crowns get
caught beneath the plastic
in the spring. Please look at the photos in http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/sept3_03/index.htm
to better see what the problem is with water wheels.
Fig. 1. This is an ideal spacing wheel for fresh dugs
Fig. 2. Spacing wheel for fresh dugs
Fig. 3. A homemade double-row spacing wheel using an old wheelbarrow
frame – the grower will be re-doing this wheel (today) with
a larger bicycle wheel rim (left) measuring 21 inch diameter (4
evenly spaced planting holes at 16 inches).
Fig. 4. The distance of this spacing wheel will also be modified to
have 14 inches across (not 12 inches).
Fig. 5. Close-up of bolt being used to puncture plastic (to help workers
locate planting holes). Actually, this grower uses this system for
plug planting by hand.
-3. Cooling plants: Freshly dug plants can be stored in a cold room
at 40 F for one to two days before setting. If you need to store plants
for up to one week, then the temperature should be around 35- 36 F.
Do not let them freeze - if it gets too cold the leaves of fresh dugs
will turn black and slimmy! If the plants are in open crates you may
need to run a garden hose through them as they will dry out in the
cooler. If they are packed in a cardboard box with plastic liner, they
should be OK without additional wetting. Air stack the boxes for best
air circulation.
4. Spanish translation for fresh dug planters: This
is a work in progress, but since a number of things are up in the air
(and out over the Atlantic),
I thought that I'd share the text for the step-by-step guide for planting
fresh dug plants -the art is being worked up right now. You can go
to the web right now to see two recent advisories with numerous photos
of fresh dug planting and irrigation pointers:
Sept 13 (no. 1) http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/sept13_03/index.htm,
Sept 13 (no. 2) http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/sept13_03_2/index.htm
PLANTING
FRESH DUG, BARE-ROOT STRAWBERRIES BY HAND
E. B. Poling1, S. Navey-Davis2, and G.E. Miller3
1. Root trimming trim roots to 5-6 inches in length before planting
fresh dugs.
2. Work in teams of three 1 person dropping, 2 planting. Drop plants
from one bundle at a time to keep the roots from drying out in the
sun and wind. Drop the plants so that the bottom of the roots are closest
to the plant hole.
3. Setting plants by hand:
a) First, open up the planting hole with your hand or trowel to a depth
of about 5-6 inches.
b) Next, take the plant in one hand and position the roots just above
the plant hole. With your other hand, press your fingers against the
bottom of the roots.
c) Now, push the roots “straight down” into the planting
hole with your hand.
d) If your fingers (on your planting hand) were placed too high on
the roots, you may cause “J-rooting” these plants will
grow poorly or die.
e) After planting, all of the roots must be below the soil surface.
But, do not set the so deeply that you have covered up the “growing
point” (new leaves will not “grow out” from the plant
if this area is covered over by soil).
f) As the final step, use the palm of your hand to help pack the soil
against the roots to close any air pockets.
4. Important precautions:
a) Fresh dug plants are very tender plants and you must be VERY CAREFUL
to not snap or break the leaf stalks. If all of the leaf stalks are
injured or broken discard the plant and throw it in the middle of the
row.
b) Notify your supervisor immediately if you find a bundle of plants
with leaves that are not green and healthy (blackened or brown leafy
parts). Also, if there is a sunken, dark patch of tissue on the leaf
stalk, bring this to someone’s attention.
1 - E. B. Poling. Professor, Dept. Hort. Sci., NCSU
2 - Susan Nave-Davis, Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literature, NCSU
3 - Gregory Miller, Graphics Coordinator, CALS-Communication Services,
NCSU
METODO PARA PLANTAR A MANO LAS PLANTAS RECIEN CAVADAS CON RAICES EXPUESTAS
1. El corte de las raíces Corte las raíces hasta 5-6
pulgadas antes de plantar las plantas recién cavadas.
2. Trabajen en grupos de 3 1 persona deja caer la planta, 2 la plantan.
Déjenlas caer de los bultos de uno en uno para mantener mojadas
las raíces. Déjenlas caer para que la parte más
baja de las raíces esté más cerca del hoyo para
la planta.
3. Para poner las plantas por mano:
a) Primero, abre el hoyo para la planta con la mano o con el desplantador
hasta unos 5-6 pulgadas.
b) Entonces, agarre la planta con la mano y ponga las raíces
un poco arriba del hoyo para la planta. Con la otra mano, presione
los dedos contra la parte más baja de las raíces.
c) Entonces, empuje las raíces todo abajo dentro del hoyo para
la planta.
d) Si los dedos no están en la posición correcta en las
raíces, es posible causar un daño llamado “J-rooting” y
las plantas pueden crecer mal or morir.
e) Después de plantar, todas las raíces tienen que estar
bajo la superficie de la tierra. No ponga la planta recién cavada
tan honda que esté cubierto “el punto de crecer” las
hojas nuevas no crecerán como deben si esta parte está cubierta
por la tierra, y la planta crecerá mal o morirá.
f) Use la palma de la mano para abarrotar la tierra contra las raíces
como el paso final de plantar.
4. Precauciones importantes:
a) Las plantas recién cavadas son blandas y hay que tener MUCHO
CUIDADO para no romper los tallos. Si todos los tallos ya están
dañados o rotos deseche la planta y póngala en el medio
de la fila.
b) Notifique al supervisor inmediatamente si encuentra un bulto de
plantas con hojas que NO están verdes o sanas (enegrecidas o
con hojas de color café). También, si hay una parte concava
y obscura en el tallo, infórmele a alguien.
-5. We're still on for Wed. 4pm Demonstration in Alamance!
ON-FARM DEMONSTRATION FOR PLANTING FRESH DUGS
Date: Sept. 17 (Wed)
Time: 4 pm
LOCATION: ALAMANCE COUNTY, ISLEY FARMS (Jane Isley's , Isley Farms,
2980 Burch Bridge Rd, Burlington, NC 27217, phone 336-584-6473,
336-584-3323)
for directions CONTACT: Rett Davis, Director, Alamance 336-570-6740
rett_davis@ncsu.edu
Hope to see many of you at the Demo!
E. Barclay Poling, Small Fruit Specialist
Campus Box 7609
Kilgore Hall - Office 252
NC State University
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7609
919.515.1195
919.515.2505 (fax)
919.418.9687 (mobile)
web site:
http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/
click HERE
to return to strawberry advisories page
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