Join Us for Our In-Depth Strawberry Substrate Workshop, 2/11-2/13/20

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Growing strawberries in substrate (soil-less media) has a variety of benefits. It can:

  • Help prevent soil-borne diseases

  • Increase yields

  • Improve quality

  • Reduce the costs associated with pesticides, fertilizer, and water

From February 11–13, Dennis Wilson of Delphy, a worldwide leader in food and flower production based in the Netherlands, will lead an 3-day workshop on growing strawberries in substrate. We’ll combine classroom and hands-on sessions in Cornell’s greenhouses to learn about the most effective methods for strawberry substrate production, troubleshooting, and more.

Here’s the preiminary agenda:

Day 1: Tuesday February 11

Morning (8 AM–12 PM): Introduction to substrate growing (Moakley House)

  • Brief history of substrate strawberry production in Northern Europe

  • Why convert from soil to substrate?

  • Examples of successful transition

  • Choice of container: bags vs. pots vs. troughs

  • Substrate systems at ground level in the field

  • Raised (tabletop) substrate systems for field and glasshouse

  • Vertical (multilevel) growing systems

  • Irrigation systems for substrate: drippers vs. in-line hose

  • Leaf and truss support on raised crops

  • Tunnel protection for tabletops

  • Overwintering substrate crops

Lunch (12 PM–1 PM)

Afternoon (1 PM–5 PM): Cornell berry & greenhouse research (Moakley House & Greenhouses)

  • Variety options in North America, plant types, nursery sources

  • How to nursery your own plants

  • Q&A: substrate basics

  • Day-neutral varieties

  • Tour of greenhouses

Day 2: Wednesday, February 12

Morning (8 AM – 12 PM): Plant water use and irrigation in substrate strawberries (Moakley House)

  • The role of water

  • What is evapo-transpiration (ET), and what factors influence ET/plant water use?

  • Root zone moisture (air/water relations)

  • How does substrate physical makeup affect air/water relations?

  • Run-off

  • Guidelines for moisture and run-off levels for substrate-grown crops

  • Adjustment of root zone moisture and run-off

  • Irrigation scheduling in substrate using solar radiation (Radsum) and static methods

  • Water use & irrigation frequency calculations for substrate strawberries

Lunch: 12 PM1 PM

Afternoon (1 PM – 5 PM): Substrate options and planting up (Greenhouse)

  • Substrate options

  • Initial substrate wet-up guidelines

  • Testing moisture levels

  • Planting up: bare root vs. potted

  • Setting up run-off stations

  • Measuring run-off

  • Measuring dripper uniformity

  • Assessing variation in moisture levels with WET Sensor

Day 3: Thursday, February 13

Morning (8 AM – 1PM): Strawberry substrate nutrition (Moakley House)

  • What are the essential elements, and their role in plants?

  • The main deficiencies and toxicities in substrate-grown strawberries

  • The effect of pH in plant nutrition, and how to measure it

  • Chelation of trace element sources

  • What do we mean by EC and how do we measure it?

  • What influence does EC have on substrate-grown strawberries?

Lunch (12 PM– 1 PM)

Afternoon (1 PM–5 PM): Strawberry substrate nutrition (Greenhouse)

  • Fertilizer sources used in substrate nutrition: blends vs. straight fertilizers

  • Equipment for Measuring EC + pH + Calibration of EC/pH Meters

  • Measuring raw water EC + pH

  • Measuring drip EC and pH, calculation of EC sum (drip + drain EC)

  • Daily monitoring procedures

  • Nutrition sampling in substrate

The workshop is limited to 35 participants, all of whom will walk away with the skills and knowledge they need to grow strawberries on substrate. We’ll begin at Moakley House in Ithaca, and travel by shuttle to our teaching locations. The cost is $195 NYSBGA members and $245 nonmembers.

Don’t miss out! Register for the In-Depth Strawerry Substrate Workshop today!

Breakfast, lunch, and printed handouts included. Midmorning and midafternoon breaks will also be provided. Accommodations are available at the Best Western University Inn in Ithaca; ask for a room for the New York State Berry Growers Association event. The Best Western provides a free hot breakfast and shuttle to the workshop. Plenty of parking is available at Moakley House, but carpooling will be required to visit the Cornell campus.