Strawberry farming for beginners

Before we begin there are a few things that you need to know about strawberry farming in Kenya.

Strawberry varieties in Kenya include:

• Chandler
• Douglas
• Tioga selva
• Tristar
• Domanil
• Rabunda
• Pajaro
• Tribute

Facts about strawberries

• They are easy to grow
• When planting strawberries you use seedlings called splits
• They dont require a large piece of land
• They thrive between mild and hot temperature (They do not tolerate cold weather)
• The crop lasts for 3 years

Diseases that you need to keep a look out for are:

• Fusarium Oxysponium
• Botrytis
• Fusarium Wilt

NB: Due to susceptibility to Verticillium wilt a viral disease you should avoid planting strawberries where the following crops were recently planted; Capsicum, Okra, Tomatoes, Eggplant or brinjals

Before planting you have to be equipped with the following:

• Capital
• Garden spades
• Garden Trowels
• Source of water
• Garden Shears
• Fungicides and Pesticides
• Packaging materials for end product

STEP BY STEP PLANTING PROCESS

1. You must prepare your land very well in order for you to have a healthy crop.
2. Prepare a bed that is raised 20cm and width of 1 metre (the length depends with the number of crops you want to plant)
3. Mix one bucket of manure per square metre into the soil.
4. The planting holes should be 30 cm from row to row and 30 cm from plant to plant.
5. Before planting the bed should be watered thoroughly
6. The roots should be covered well but not to deep to prevent rotting of the stem
7. Mulching is recommended after planting. This will help in moisture retainment and weed control.
8. During the first month of planting the strawberries should be irrigated daily in the afternoons. After the first month is over you should irrigate 2-3 times a week.
9. You should remove the flowers of the strawberries during the first two months to avoid premature fruit development. This will lead to stunting and poor growth of the crop.

Harvesting

1. This is done after 21/2 months- 3 months of planting.
2. Thinning the strawberries to 2-3 splits per crown is done every 7 months to enable it to rejuvenate and increase crop yields.
3. Old leaves and runners are removed from the strawberries
4. Foliar feeds can be added during the growing period to increase crop yield

Seek knowledge and training before planting strawberries is a necessary step during the planning period because any mistake made cannot be corrected until the 3 years is up.

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