Strawberry Cultivation in Semi-arid Climates – A Manual
Lauren Taneyhill
Community Environment and Development, Environmental Economics and Policy
The Pennsylvania State University
December 2010
Introduction
The Children and Youth Empowerment Center has expressed interest in
producing strawberries on their land. The first goal of strawberry production at the CYEC
would be to supplement the diet of the children and youth living in the Center. A
secondary endeavor would be to produce enough of the crop to be able to sell
strawberries as an added income for the CYEC. Jams, preserves, juices, or dried
strawberries would all potential products to sell under a CYEC brand for CYEC profit.
The content of this report is a guide to strawberry production, including ideal conditions
and suggestions to improve cultivation and harvesting.
Temperature and Sun Requirements
Temperature
Warm, full sun for 6 hours each day
Frost
Damage can occur at -2 degrees C – should not be a concern in Kenya
(Hussain)
Soil Management and Fertilization
Drainage
Prefer well-drained
pH
Slightly acidic
Between 5.7 and 6.5
Things to avoid in the soil
Planting on the same land for many years
High pH
Nematodes
High salt content
1
High calcium content
Soil Preparation
Begin 1 month before planning
Plow deep even though the roots will be shallow
Create the beds
Raised beds preferred
Ensure good drainage
Make installation of an irrigation system easier
Parameters
25cm high
105 cm wide
Convenient length for grower – about 50cm
Beds 50cm apart from each other
Green manure
Use cover crops to put nutrients into the soil
High organic matter preferred
Helps with poor soil drainage
Use compost or highly decomposed cattle manure
Apply a few days before planting
Apply again after the first harvest to prepare for the second season
Water fertilizer to get it into the root zone
Do not over fertilize
Could cause excessive vegetative growth, reduced yields, and
increased loss from disease
50 tons of organic matter per hectare estimated
But this is difficult to determine without information about nutrient
analysis and moisture content of the manure or compost.
Can be supplemented with chemical fertilizers
Nitrogen – apply 3 weeks after planting and at time of flowering
Phosphorus – incorporate before planting
(Hussain)
Propagation and Seedlings
Propagation
With runners
Runners formed after blooming season
Runners can be hard to get in semi-arid regions
Other methods
Cultured planting material
Imported from western countries
Seed and stem cuttings
Buy new plants
Important to find disease-free plants from a reliable nursery
(Hussain)
2
Information on where to purchase seedlings near Nairobi is not easily available. Less than
5% of roadside nurseries sell strawberry seeds or seedlings. They only stock a few
seedlings at one time and have incorrect information about plant management. The price
of a seedling at a roadside nursery is about $0.45 to $0.65, or 36Ksh to 52Ksh per plant.
In Limuru there is a small-scale agro enterprise that specialized in strawberry seedling
production and sells them at a lower price of about $0.35, or 28Ksh per plant. They sell
the seedlings unrooted, which makes them harder to establish especially if the planter is
inexperienced. They also provide free basic training in Limuru on planting and crop
management. For more detailed training it is about $7.00, or 564Ksh per person (Mwangi
2009).
Method and Timing of Planting
Strawberries should be planted in areas of full sun, but avoid completely exposed
open areas, and do not plant where there have been peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or
potatoes because verticillium wilt could be transferred, which is a serious strawberry
disease. Also avoid land the recently had grass growing on it because there may be
wireworms there. Plant on ridges to facilitate irrigation. When planting seedlings, ensure
that they are rooted already for a higher establishment rate. Also ensure that potting is
sterilized to avoid transmitting pests. Transplanting should take place during the rainy
season when supplementary water is not required (Mwangi, 2009). When planting
runners they should be planted 25 cm by 25 cm with 4 rows in each bed (Hussain).
The timing of planting is just as important as the method. Plant early enough that
the strawberries can be established before the hottest weather, but do not plant when the
soil is wet. It is suggested that planting should ideally take place on a cloudy day in the
later afternoon. For more fruit, plant earlier so that runners will establish earlier and there
will be an earlier and higher yield of fruit. Stagger planting for longer fruit availability.
When fruiting begins, not all plants will fruit at once (Hussain).
Row Spacing
When planting in the beds there are a variety of row systems that can be used. In
planting for all row systems, the soil should just cover the tops of the roots, and the
crown should not be covered. Runners and daughter plants should produce after about 4
or 5 weeks (Hussain).
Matted Row System
Daughter plants root freely
Set plants 46 – 76cm apart
Set rows of plants about 1 meter apart
Spaced Row System
Limits the number of daughter plants
Provides higher yields, larger berries, fewer diseases
More care needed
Some daughter plants should be pulled our or cut from the mother plant
Create a space of 10cm between each plant.
3
Set plants 46 – 76cm apart
Set rows about 1 meter apart
Hill Row System
Gives the best yields
All runners or daughter plants must be removes
Causes mother plant to develop more crowns & flower stalks
Should be several rows in groups of 2, 3, or 4 plants
Important to weed and mulch in the first 2 – 3 weeks of growing
Set plants 30cm apart in multiple rows
(Hussain)
Water Requirements and Irrigation
For watering strawberry plants, the suggested practice is to use micro-irrigation system
with a micro sprinkler during planting and early growth for 2 to 3 hours each day, and a
drip irrigation system during flowering and fruiting, but it is more than likely that a drip
irrigation system would be just as sufficient for all phases of cultivation and the two
different systems would not be necessary. A micro-irrigation system is suggested within a
plasticulture system (more plasticulure techniques discussed later).
Micro-irrigation is best for strawberries because water management for this plant
is crucial because it is a low surface creeping plant and it has shallow roots. However, the
two-part system is an ideal scenario and is likely to be costly, and unnecessary for
adequate strawberry production at the CYEC. Micro-irrigation involves a drip system and
a micro sprinkler system, which help supply more precise amounts of water to the crop
according to the stage of growth. It should be installed after the beds are prepared. The
micro sprinklers should be spaced 3 meters apart for uniform application and should
water the strawberries for 2 to 3 hours each day during planting and early vegetative
growth. The drip system should be set up as 2 lateral lines on each bed with the drippers
spaced at about 50 cm apart and it should water the crop 2 or 3 times each week
(Hussain).
There are various suggestions for irrigating depending on the stage of growing.
Irrigation should be frequent after planting new runners. In the first two months after
planting the strawberries should be irrigated twice a week if there is no rain. In the third
month they should be irrigated every 2 weeks. When fruiting starts irrigation should
increase because more frequent irrigation results in larger fruits. It is estimated that 46 cm
of water would be used in a 200-day growing season, including natural precipitation,
which is approximately 83 liters per plant per season, although this is dependent on plant
density. This requirement would be greater during extended warm and dry conditions (ElFarhan).
Strawberries are susceptible to water stress, which interferes with photosynthetic
activity and reduces growth. Deficiencies in the plant from water stress can accumulate
over a season. Without enough water ripening is accelerated and the size of the fruits
4
would be smaller. Also the number of fruits per plant will decrease significantly if water
stress is consistent. It is important to maintain moist soil. It is best if soil moisture does
not fall below 50% of field capacity. This can be measured with a tensiometer. Placing a
bucket over the plant at night can also test soil moisture. If there are beads of water on the
younger leaves in the morning then the soil is moist enough (El-Farhan).
Plasticulture
Plasticulture techniques can increase strawberry yields in semi-arid regions.
Plasticulture often uses plastic in various ways, and for that reason strawberries have
sometimes been named “plasticberries.”
Raised bed cultivation
Helps with drainage and makes installing the irrigation system easier
Micro irrigation system
(Discussed above)
Plastic mulching
Proven to produce a higher yield
Conserves soil moisture
Controls weeds
Keeps fruit clean
Protects against rotting
Use black polyethylene
Construct after runners established, before flowering begins
30 – 45 days after planting
Replace micro sprinkler with drip system before mulching
Place holes in mulch
Allows plants to come above the film
Drip irrigation system remains below the plastic
Plastic tunnels
Give a higher yield
Not needed when temperatures are high
Should be 50cm high, made of transparent polyethylene
Keep open during the day, close at night for higher soil temperatures
Helps with earlier flowering and higher yields
(Hussain)
Harvesting
Fruiting occurs after 3 or 4 months. Harvesting should begin when half to threefourths of the fruits are a natural crimson color. Higher altitudes can lead to later
ripening. When preparing to harvest look for a uniform bright red color, slightly soft
fruits with darkening seeds. Harvest daily in the morning in dry conditions. Pinch each
fruit between the thumb and forefinger and pull with a twisting motion. Leave the stem
on the fruit. Strawberries are highly perishable so it is important to collect them in
shallow containers to prevent bruising, and do not wash them because water contributes
5
to spoiling. If sending strawberries to the market, try to pick them early in the morning
and send them to the market the same day in the afternoon. In ideal conditions, yields are
expected to be about 15 tons per hectare (Hussain).
Post-Harvest – Storage and Market Information
Strawberries should be stored in flat, shallow containers, preferably of plastic, but
could also be of cardboard, bamboo, or paper. They should be washed only right before
eating or used within a day after washing. They should be used within a week of
harvesting. Strawberries should not be left at room temperature for many hours because
warm temperatures cause browning and loss of vitamin C. Also post harvest solar drying
would be a feasible technique to preserving strawberries if a solar dryer can be obtained
(Hussain).
There is a market for strawberries that readily exists in Kenya for those interested
in cultivating strawberries as a way to generate income. There is a high demand in urban
areas, and in foreign markets like the European Union. Strawberries are scarce in Kenyan
markets, and therefore are very costly. The scarcity is due to limited production with
farmers unable to engage in enough production to be able to sell the fruit, and production
constraints, such as expensive planting materials, lack of knowledge for planting and crop
management, and low awareness of the potential for strawberries in the available markets
and for income generation (Hussain).
Additional information needs to be gathered on location about the details of the
market structure for the buying and selling of strawberries and strawberry products, as
well as transportation options and transportation costs.
6
Works Cited
Hussain, Abid. "Strawberry Cultivation in India." Scribd. Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University. Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/2297087/Strawberry-Cultivation
Mwangi, M., and Sarah Mwaura. 2009. "Challenges in Strawberry Seedling Production
in Kenya." Journal of Applied Biosciences. Available at: www.biosciences.elewa.org
El-Farhan, A.H., and Marvin Pritts. "Water Requirements and Water Stress in
Strawberries." The New York Berry News. Cornell University. Available at:
http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/Berries/strawpdf/strwaterreqstress.pdf
7
Diagrams & Pictures
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Hoover, Emily. 2008. “Commercial Strawberry Production in Minnesota.” University of
Minnesota Extension. Available at:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/m1238.html
8
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Warmund, Michele. “Fruit Production.” University of Missouri Extension. Available at:
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=mg6
Row Systems:
Matted Row
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Warmund, Michele. “Fruit Production.” University of Missouri Extension. Available at:
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=mg6
9
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
“For the Love of Organic Strawberries – Part 2.” 2009. Ask Farmer Phoebe. Available at:
http://askfarmerphoebe.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/for-the-love-of-organic-strawberriespart-2/
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Handley, David T. “Growing Strawberries.” 2003. University of Maine Cooperative
Extension. Available at: http://umaine.edu/publications/2067e/
10
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
“Growing Strawberries – Introduction to the Growing Strawberries Page.” Monthly
Growing Strawberries Guide. Available at: http://strawberryplants.org/2010/05/growingstrawberries/
Spaced Row
No Available diagram
Hill Row
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
“Growing Strawberries – Introduction to the Growing Strawberries Page.” Monthly
Growing Strawberries Guide. Available at: http://strawberryplants.org/2010/05/growingstrawberries/
11