One of the worst pests is the bird. Particularly such so-called `friends’ as thrushes, starlings and blackbirds. In small gardens it is inevitably necessary to cover the rows with fish-netting held up over the plants on wires stretched from posts 18 inches out of the ground. Some people put upturned jam jars over the top of each stake and then the fish-netting slides over much more easily.
Aphides is the main pest to control is undoubtedly the strawberry aphid for this is the carrier of the various virus diseases. It of course helps greatly if the soil is properly mulched with sedge peat and sufficiently well fed with a balanced fish manure.
Spraying the plants with 95 per cent pure nicotine in water when the weather gets warm, in May, is useful if a thorough soaking is given, so as to wet the under surface of the leaves and the leaf stalks. Formula : 1 oz. nicotine in 10 gallons of water pro rata. It is quite a useful thing also when buying young plants to dip them in a solution of nicotine before planting out. Wear rubber gloves while the dipping process is taking place and be careful not to inhale the fumes.
The use of cloches or ganwicks is another method of protecting the blossoms and many is the strawberry that has been protected from frost damage by being planted behind a north wall.
If the leaves seem to be covered with a white powder, then mildew may be suspected and a very fine sulphur dust can be used, about the second week of April, once every ten days, until the blossoms begin to open, and further dustings may be given after the fruit has been picked. Fine sulphur dust will not harm the plants in any way-furthermore, it will also control the Leaf Spot disease.
Because strawberries are so subject to virus diseases it is tremendously important to buy strains of varieties which have been certified under the Ministry of Agriculture’s Scheme. It is possible today to buy varieties like Cambridge Prizewinner, Cambridge Rearguard, Cambridge Vigour, Royal Sovereign and Talisman, with Special Stock Certificates. Numerous other varieties can be bought with Ministry of Agriculture A. Certificates. Buy hand-laid runners from reliable nurserymen.