Soil Mulches Influence Reproductive and Vegetative Growth of ‘Fern’ and ‘Tristar’ Day-neutral Strawberries

Abstract

Soil mulches (clear, white, or white-on-black polyethylene or straw) were evaluated for their effects on growth and development of day-neutral ‘Fern’ and ‘Tristar’ strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ). Plants mulched with straw or white-on-black polyethylene flowered and yielded more than plants mulched with clear or white polyethylene. Conversely, more crowns per plant, runners per plot, and greater leaf, crown, and root dry weights were associated with plants mulched with clear polyethylene than with those mulched with straw or white-on-black polyethylene. In midsummer, late-afternoon soil temperatures were highest under clear followed by white, white-on-black, and straw mulches. The results suggest that flowering is most profuse and vegetative growth least when day-neutral cultivars are grown on mulches that moderate soil temperatures.