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OBSERVATIONS FROM A NEW GROWER USING PLASTICULTURE IN STRAWBERRY AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
Mike and Dianna WilsonLily Lane Farms
OUR STORY
Lily Lane Farms – started in 2012 21 acres located in Enfield, IL We grow strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn,
greens, cucumbers, and squash Sell mainly at farmers markets locally and in St. Louis,
also in local restaurants and from the farm
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIESON PLASTICULTURE
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES ON PLASTICULTURE
LAYING PLASTIC 19 rows, 275 feet long 28 inch wide, 3-4 inch tall ridges 4 foot black plastic Observations:
Make sure closing wheels are set correctly to get adequate dirt back over the plastic so that plastic does not come loose
Work soil finely before starting, the beds will form a lot better
Lay ridges first, then lay plastic
Borrowed a mulch-layer, took a while to set up
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES ON PLASTICULTURE
PLANTING STRAWBERRIES Planted 8,000 Chandler plants Staggered 14 inch spacings Took 8 hours to plant them Observations:
Good to have a holding tank to quickly fill setter water
The spike we used was too big
Pressed in plants behind setter
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES ON PLASTICULTURE
ROW COVERS 1.5 oz per yard 36 foot wide Used concrete blocks every 15 feet to hold down Covered low of 38 degrees Observations:
Make sure you use the correct oz/yard, it does make a different
Can be re-used if stored properly
FIRST YEAR WITH STRAWBERRIES ON PLASTICULTURE
PRODUCTION 5762 total quarts picked Picking season May 1st to June 26th Seven days picked more than 300 quarts per day Highest production day May 17th
726 quarts picked
Observations: Picked from 6 am to 10-11 am each day
Plastic kept berries out of mud
LAYING PLASTIC AND PLANTING Bought our own mulch-layer and setter 4 foot plastic Tomatoes Cherry tomatoes Peppers Yellow squash Cucumbers Zucchini
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES ON PLASTICULTURE
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES ON PLASTICULTURE IN HIGH TUNNEL
LAYING PLASTIC AND PLANTING Plastic was laid by hand Time consuming Hard to keep tension Mid-June high tunnel came down
FIRST YEAR WITH VEGETABLES ON PLASTICULTURE
PRODUCTION 210 yellow squash 649 cucumbers 1727 peppers 1685.5 pounds tomatoes 102 pints cherry tomatoes 218 zucchini Observations:
Not as much cracking in tomatoes
Easier to pick
CONTACT INFORMATION
Michael mobile: (618) 926-5302Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Lily Lane Farms