by Esther Kibbe, WNY Berry Specialist with Harvest NY

Bruce Carson of Bergen NY has been experimenting with growing strawberries in a greenhouse in substrate. While this is a common production system in Europe, it has not been widely adapted in North America yet, though there is increasing interest in Quebec and Ontario. Bruce’s system is particularly interesting for how he has used affordable and available materials, rather than making a huge investment in an off-the-shelf system.

Bruce lined re-claimed galvanized gutters with heavy-duty black plastic, with space for drainage at the bottom of the gutter. The gutters are supported on concrete blocks, which were cheap, easy to set up and will be easy to move as he moves things around. The growing mix is a readily available greenhouse blend, and he is using drip tape and an affordable, mobile-connected irrigation management system to control fertigation. This initial project uses commonly available ever-bearing varieties, which have been fruiting for several weeks. This was his first foray into growing berries out of soil, and was intended to be a learning experience, on a small scale, before trying anything bigger.

In the future, Bruce plans to grow in coir substrate bags, for improved drainage, better control of fertility, and less contact between ripening fruit and the substrate surface. He’s working on how to get plugs for planting, rather than bare root plants, and choosing varieties that are better adapted for this growing system.