Strawberries

[Pat Quigley]

I'm no where near this point yet so this is purely out of curiosity.

 

I have seen quite a few pictures and heard of folks being very successful growing strawberries in towers. My question is based on "conventional" soil growing. Generally, the first year you plants crowns the yield is small out of the new plants (some even recommend pinching the flowers off completely to induce stronger growth) . Leave them in a year and you will almost definitely get a better yield in year 2 and 3. After that they tend to become less productive again and most growers replace the crowns. In an aquaponic system using towers, is that not the case? I couldn't see wasting the space all year waiting for a heavier yield the following year. I know not all varieties are created equally and then you have June and Ever-bearing but even Ever-bearing provide only a slightly longer growing season.

 

Inquiring minds want to know...

[TCLynx]

Well I haven't been very successful yet with strawberries but I believe most growers in FL get new plants each year and they usually have been cold treated already so when they get planted out in FL they grow and start producing like it's spring up North.  Now FL might not be a good example since so much chemicals need to be sprayed on ground grown berries here even if they are not actually growing in soil but just growing down on the ground in Hydroponic tubes.  I think many growers of strawberries here in FL have switched to growing in vertigrow stacks but still probably re-plant each year.

[Rob Torcellini]

I'm in the north and do new plants each year.  Had terrible results with the everbearing.....just spaces the production out too much.  I usually pinch any early runners so the berries get the energy.  Then when I'm done with the berries, let the runners grow and root them.  These will grow over the summer, over-winter, then produce new fruit.  So I guess these plants are 1.5 years old.  ;-)