By Clint Thompson
Alabama strawberry growers are on the cusp of another planting season. For some, it is more than a month away. For others, it’s about a month away.
David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama, explained the difference for producers who plant plug plants compared to bare roots.
“We’d love to have everything in the ground by about, traditionally on plug plants, it’s about mid-October. But last year with the Neo disease, a lot of guys had to transition over to bare roots just because that’s the only source they could find out of the western United States,” Lawrence said.
“A lot of guys liked the way they grew up, so several of our growers are going back to bare roots this year even though plugs are an option. I’d like to see those get in the ground a little bit earlier to give them another week or two of development before cold weather sets in. I’d like to see those get in the ground closer to the first of October as long as everybody has their irrigation set up like it needs to be.”
When Will the First Frost Be?
Much of Alabama strawberry growers’ success this planting season will hinge on weather conditions; mostly when the first frost sets in.
“We had a really warm November last year, and that helped them grow off and had some pretty good plants going into dormancy. It wasn’t all that long ago that we had a pretty early cold snap. We saw some pretty significant damage on our bare root plants. They were just smaller and didn’t handle it as well,” Lawrence said. “That’s a concern, but we’ll just hope for a good fall.
“A lot of guys don’t want to plant too early because you don’t want too much crown development early in the fall and then you get smaller berries in the springtime. Just playing that balance game of getting enough growth but not too much growth. Every year is not the same. We might have a frost during Halloween or it might not frost until Christmas; we just don’t know.”