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: lilylanefarms@gmail.com

Facebook: Lily Lane Farms