Agricultural Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Abstract
Revised April 1991 by Grant E.M. Matheke, Patricia J. Wagner, and Patricia S. Holloway;
Reprinted by Cooperative Extension Service, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and U.S.D.A. Cooperating. Publication 300C-00235A 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