OBSERVATIONS FROM A NEW
GROWER USING PLASTICULTURE
IN STRAWBERRY AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
Mike and Dianna Wilson
Lily Lane Farms
OUR STORY
 Lily Lane Farms – started in 2012
 21 acres located in Enfield, IL
 We grow strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, greens,
cucumbers, and squash
 Sell mainly at farmers markets locally and in St. Louis, also in local
restaurants and from the farm
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES
ON PLASTICULTURE
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 LAYING PLASTIC
 19 rows, 275 feet long
 28 inch wide, 3-4 inch tall ridges
 4 foot black plastic
 Observations:

Make sure closing wheels are set correctly to get adequate dirt back over the plastic so
that plastic does not come loose

Work soil finely before starting, the beds will form a lot better

Lay ridges first, then lay plastic

Borrowed a mulch-layer, took a while to set up
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 PLANTING STRAWBERRIES
 Planted 8,000 Chandler plants
 Staggered 14 inch spacings
 Took 8 hours to plant them
 Observations:
 Good to have a holding tank to quickly fill setter water
 The spike we used was too big
 Pressed in plants behind setter
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 ROW COVERS
 1.5 oz per yard
 36 foot wide
 Used concrete blocks every 15 feet to hold down
 Covered low of 38 degrees
 Observations:
 Make sure you use the correct oz/yard, it does make a different
 Can be re-used if stored properly
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 PRODUCTION
 5762 total quarts picked
 Picking season May 1st to June 26th
 Seven days picked more than 300 quarts per day
 Highest production day May 17th
 726 quarts picked
 Observations:
 Picked from 6 am to 10-11 am each day
 Plastic kept berries out of mud
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 LAYING PLASTIC AND PLANTING
 Bought our own mulch-layer and setter
 4 foot plastic
 Tomatoes
 Cherry tomatoes
 Peppers
 Yellow squash
 Cucumbers
 Zucchini
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES
ON PLASTICULTURE IN HIGH TUNNEL
 LAYING PLASTIC AND PLANTING
 Plastic was laid by hand
 Time consuming
 Hard to keep tension
 Mid-June high tunnel came down
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES
ON PLASTICULTURE
 PRODUCTION
 210 yellow squash
 649 cucumbers
 1727 peppers
 1685.5 pounds tomatoes
 102 pints cherry tomatoes
 218 zucchini
 Observations:
 Not as much cracking in tomatoes
 Easier to pick
CONTACT INFORMATION
Michael mobile: (618) 926-5302
Email: lilylanefarms@gmail.com
Facebook: Lily Lane Farms