It doesn’t seem like it but we will begin our fertilizer programs on strawberries very soon, especially south Georgia growers. There are many nutrients that are important in strawberry production, like nitrogen, potassium and boron. Nitrogen and potassium are added prior to planting and throughout the growing season. Boron is needed in small amounts and is important for proper flower formation and several other processes that occur in flower and fruit development.
Everyone has seen ugly, misshapen berries early in the season. This could be due to cool temperatures and poor pollination, but it could also be caused by low boron levels. If boron is low in the plants it needs to be corrected early. Applying foliar boron once the plants are flowering does little to no good. Products like Solubor can be added through the drip this time of year to ensure adequate tissue levels as we move closer to flowering. If boron levels in the tissue sample are lower than 30 ppm we would recommend an application.
This initial sample gives a good baseline and then specialists recommend using petiole nitrate sampling to monitor in season nitrogen application. if you have questions about this get in touch with your county agent for more information.