Preparatory work in setting up the strawberry orchard

22.06.2026

In addition to soil and climatic factors, as well as the possibility of market placement in intensive strawberry production, the following tasks need to be carried out:

• Choosing the location
• Deciding on the size of the strawberry plot
• Selection of suitable cultivars
• Familiarity with pre-culture Surface organization Soil preparation

Choosing the location for strawberry cultivation

Considering the specifics of the fruits, sensitivity to transportation, high water requirements, and sensitivity to late frosts and air humidity, it is necessary to choose the appropriate position and place where the surface with strawberries will be raised. Strawberries should be planted mainly on flat soil, but it is allowed to plant them on slopes as long as not more than 8%. Usually, southern exposure is preferred. The soil should have good physical properties, usually light soils and especially alluvial soils where the groundwater level should be at least 1.5 meters deep. On the southern side, there should be no nearby objects that would overshadow the strawberry crop, and it should be about 100 meters away from main roads to avoid dust caused by frequent vehicle movements. The position of the strawberry plot should ideally face north-south, as this direction will also have crop rows, better utilization of sunlight, and improved air circulation. Also, flat surfaces allow for better circulation of air masses.

 
Decision on the size of the strawberry plot

Regarding the size of the plot, this depends on the form of production. In amateur manufacturing, the area of a plot must not exceed 500 m2, while in commercial manufacturing, the area of a plot must not exceed 2 hectares, taking into account the number of workers that need to be engaged during the harvest period.

Selection of cultivars

There are a large number of strawberry cultivars worldwide (over 1000 of them), so it is quite difficult to determine which cultivars to cultivate. Choosing cultivars is one of the most important tasks in cultivating strawberries. It is preferable to plant 3-4 cultivars with different maturation periods, p.sh. One to two cultivars should be early, while the other cultivars should be moderately late or completely late. The percentage with which these cultivars should be included depends on the grower's preference and the purpose for which they are cultivated. In broad production, we encounter strawberry cultivars that bear fruit once during the growing season, remontant cultivars that bear fruit twice during the growing season, as well as cultivars that bear fruit throughout the entire growing season. From an economic perspective, cultivars that bear fruit once a year are more important. In the international market, priority for fruit size is given to strawberries with medium-sized and uniform fruits (Polka, Elsanta, Pegasus), shiny, aromatic, and pleasant taste. It is important to select cultivars that are most in demand and current to the market, that have high and quality production, and that are more resistant to diseases and pests.

Getting to know culture first

Since strawberries are intensive crops, they are also at risk from certain diseases that may result from climatic conditions, lack or excess of certain soil elements, or due to residues of certain pathogens from the pre-crop. For this reason, special care must be taken before cultivating because the future yield and productivity of strawberries may depend on them.

To eliminate weeds, total herbicides (Roundup, Glyphosate, etc.) can be applied; this measure is taken when there is a large presence of weeds. Spraying should be applied at least 1 month before planting strawberry seedlings.

Preparation of lehe (mates)

After the described fertilizers have been applied and after completing the agrotechnical measures (fertilizing, tilling, and leveling the soil), the preparation of the mulch begins. It is very important that the surface part of the soil is well compacted and has moderate moisture. Thinning is done using a drill, and then a thorough leveling of the soil surface must also be done. If the soil is dry, the surface should be irrigated 1-2 days before the soil is set. Also, a necessary measure is rolling the previously prepared soil with a roller weighing an average of about 200 kg, aiming to eliminate air gaps that remain after surface tilling and after preparing the leaves. Otherwise, we will not have the correct placement of the foil and irrigation system, large amounts of water are consumed, and we will have difficulties in taking root and growing the plant, which will be reflected in the following years. The direction of the leaves is done using a rope (spage), taking into account the direction of the shears.


The width of the two rows of sheets can be 80-90 cm depending on the width of the foil, so that the edges of the foil remain at least 20 cm in order to cover and reinforce them as well as possible to the ground. It is best to raise the bark as high as possible and to shape it into an arch. This way, we will have better ventilation, work during cultivation and harvesting will be easier, and deficiencies will be avoided in case of possible shallow primary plowing. Also, the root system will have the opportunity to develop better. Meanwhile, the best distance between plants would be 60 cm to allow space for placing crates during harvesting, worker movement, and also for plant ventilation.

Installation of the irrigation and foil system

Along with marking the plant orders, drip irrigation pipes must also be installed. The number of pipes to be placed for irrigation depends on the number of plant rows. Usually, in current Kosovar practice, two rows and one pipe in the middle are placed, but it would also be recommended to install two pipes, especially in areas with a pronounced slope and on light soils where the rows should be placed horizontally. The pipes are connected to the water source by water breakers that connect to the main pipe with diameters of 1'-5/4', and have open holes every 10 or 20 cm, and from each hole water flows in droplets, and the amount of water released from these holes (4L/1h per 1m length of the pipe) will depend on the pressure on the main pipe and the position of the surface where the plot is located. It is important that the pipes are completely filled with water during irrigation, otherwise there will be no uniform water flow and they will be close to the rows of plants so that the plants absorb the water more easily.


The installation of the irrigation hose should be done before placing the black foil. Strawberries can also be planted on a heifer. The black foil dedicated to strawberries should be of high quality with appropriate additives that protect it from low or high temperatures. Its width is recommended to be around 1.2-1.5 m. It is recommended that before placing the foil, it be lightly watered superficially so that the foil is not damaged by any poorly compacted soil particles. The foil is placed as shown in the photo above, but it should be kept in mind that this is done during high temperatures because under these conditions the foil will stretch better and maintain the desired shape during temperature changes. It is necessary that the foil is as stretched as possible and free of deformation.

In open fields, it is also recommended to use an additional cover with agrifolia, which is permeable to precipitation and sunlight. This film is applied at the beginning of the growing season and kept until the beginning of May, but care must be taken to monitor the external temperature during this time, which, if the foil is removed, can seriously damage the flowers and cause stagnation in the vegetation. Otherwise, agrifolia helps ripen at least ten days earlier and has proven quite effective in protecting strawberry fruits during the ripening stage from high temperatures, but its placement requires extra care.

Setting distances and drilling holes

Strawberry seedlings are usually transplanted into two rows with widths of 80-90cm and set distances of 30cm in rows, between rows 35cm and between rows 60-80 cm, but this distance may vary depending on the cultivar type, soil properties, and microclimate. For example, alluvial soils as well as positions with weak air mass movement have the potential to have greater crop yield, and consequently, there is a need to have greater distances between plants here. In cases where two irrigation pipes are placed in the rows and there is the possibility of placing straw or another mill between the rows, it is recommended to leave 50cm between rows. The foil can be special with holes opened at the factory or can be opened with a probe or other suitable tool after placing the foil.


Depending on the distances that are determined, it is important to create a type of template that can be made from thick paper or plastic material, in which 8-10 holes or more will be opened in an "O" shape with a diameter of 10 cm. Then, by passing the template over the previously placed foil, the holes in the foil are opened. This will enable a correct opening of the holes for planting strawberries.

            Preparation of seedling material for planting

So far, in practice, the frigo A+ nursery material or green seedlings have been used, which unfortunately are not produced in Kosovo but are imported from abroad. These seedlings are of very high quality because they are free from viruses. This frigo nursery material, after being taken from the refrigerator, must remain for at least 24 hours in a dark and cool place to gradually acclimate to the high temperatures. Melted seedlings must not remain unplanted for more than three days, because at high temperatures the entire seedling activates and uses up stored energy reserves, which will then cause problems with learning. The seedlings in question come packaged without leaves while their roots are well developed. After the time described above has passed, preparation of the seedling begins. The roots of the seedlings are cut and cut to a length of 8-9 cm, placed in a solution of the root system disinfectant preparation (Valete or Previcur 15%), and left for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the leaves that may have emerged are also cut off to prevent transpiration. Once these are done, planting begins.

Green seedlings usually come with their own soil (sterile substrate) and generally do not require intervention (cutting roots or leaves), while other measures are the same as for frigo seedlings.

 Planting strawberries

Strawberries as a crop can be planted throughout the entire growing season; however, the main planting dates are: spring planting in March, summer planting in July, August, and autumn planting in September.

The best time for frigo seedlings is to plant in July because the plant physiologically has the potential to prepare better for the following year and offer a satisfactory yield; however, planting in August is not excluded either. September is recommended for green seedlings as they come packaged with their own soil; other seasons are not recommended.


The planting of frigo seedling material is carried out according to the instructions in the photo. However, before planting, it must be ensured that the soil surface has sufficient moisture; this is achieved if the drip irrigation system is activated before planting and the soil surface is saturated with water. The seedling is planted deep until the entire root system is covered, and in cases where the soil under the bark has not been compacted and watered sufficiently, the seedling should be planted deeper because the strawberry roots may be stripped after watering. For green seedlings, since they are planted in sterile substrate, care must be taken not to damage the shape of this substrate, which at the same time could harm the newly formed roots, and it should be ensured not to leave an aerial space at the planting site. This can best be avoided with immediate watering.