Growing Everbearing Strawberries as Annuals in Alaska

Abstract

A technique for growing high-yielding, everbearing strawberries with clear polyethylene (plastic) mulch and row covers has been developed at the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at Fairbanks. This technique eliminates the long delay from planting to fruiting that occurs with other culture systems and it has created an interest in commercial production and an increased home-garden effort in Alaska. The production system involves planting nursery plants each season as early as possible through clear polyethylene mulch, using row covers for the early part o f the season. Using this technique, harvest begins about July 15 and extends until freeze-up, com pared to a production season from about July 10 to July 28 for hardy types o f strawberries such as Toklat or Pioneer. This system produces clean fruit, easy to pick and relatively free from fruit rot. The harvest season can be extended in the fall by again using the row covers for frost protection.