After another short picking season, we are pulling the plug on our strawberry research plots at the Central Crops Research Station near Clayton, NC this week. The spring of 2010 was also a quick, short growing season, and I am curious how many other strawberry farms are wrapping up harvest in the next few weeks. I am also curious if this pattern is related to our cold winters, and if short seasons are the norm under these conditions. We will maintain our planting for the next few week to monitor for spotted wing drosophila, but our two mite trials have ended because the plants are growing more foliage than fruit at this point.
SWD trap in strawberry plots at the Central Crops Research Station, 2011. Photo: HJB
It's always a little bittersweet to end a field project, so I read the latest
post from
Berry Girl, a relatively new strawberry grower near Goldsboro, NC with interest. They, too, are ending their field season for the year and looking towards next year. I've enjoyed reading their blog this spring and hope they keep it up!
More information
Bowing out - The True Adventures of Berry Girl
No comments:
Post a Comment