Planting an Everbearing Strawberry Field at Heeman's

The most exciting thing to come to our strawberry farm in the last 20 years is everbearing strawberries. See how Heeman's plant these berries that fruit all through the summer and into fall.
Note: Heeman's is a family run farm in London, Ontario, Canada. We're so amazed at how much of a global interest this video has and thank everyone for watch and reaching out. Heeman's does not sell plants, we'd recommend finding a local propagator in your area. We don't sell the bed shaper or other equipment shown but are happy to connect you should you be in the market for one!

[@Thrymheim1]

Got to say thank you so much for this video, we have 12000 strawberries to plant and we figured it was going to take 150 manhours.. so I looked on youtube for some ideas. it's where you push the plants through slits with that little tool that we needed, we were cutting square holes and then dibbing a hole and planting the plant that way, it was taking forever, cutting slits and pushing the plant through is 4x quicker. Unfortunatly our beds are not as wide as yours so we can't use the tractor to poke holes for fear of hitting the water hose.

[@HeemansLondon]

It's just called plastic mulch. It comes in many colours, ours is white on top, black on bottom to keep roots warm (to grow early) and white to reflect light when it gets hot in the summer.

[@bigjim5723]

thanks for showing how my great tasting berries are started. good info.

[@jorgehz127]

Plant City Florida Home of the Best Strawberrys in the World. Nothing else comes close.

[@Dav3523]

Thanks - looking forward to ordering some from you for next year's growing. Not to be critical, but the current research shows undisturbed soil is has larger microbe populations, resulting in healthier plants, and less erosion and nutrient run-off. And that's a lot of single-use plastic. I know it makes it easier than say straw, or cover-crops flattened with a crimper, but it creates a lot of waste. Thanks again.

[@jeffaruni79]

This is commercial production, not a garden. Also, day neutrals will not produce well if they can fill in the bed, and have to be grown in plastic like this.

[@VancouverIsland1]

Thanks for the info on ever bearing strawberries ,I think I have been over watering, And I am going to have them higher up in the soil like your crop. Thanks from Vancouver Island My plants started growing in January this year.

[@akoanani]

thanks for sharing your style.

[@prettyparadoxicalwoman1747]

wow awesome leaves so fast

[@mmangla5575]

great video, thanks

[@HeemansLondon]

I would say it's a great idea to consult with your local strawberry extension agent for your state/province/region. They are a wealth of knowledge and eager to help new growers. Picking the right varieties is most important because a poor growing or bad tasting variety can be tough to grow and sell. Good luck Randi!

[@belleofthebarnyard]

Very cool.

[@HeemansLondon]

Farming is very labour intensive, especially horticulture but all our works who plant these berries are local residents from our community.

[@goodingwashington6099]

Loved your video

[@so_cal_mom]

Very interesting - thanks!

[@HeemansLondon]

@chest002 We actually cut the runners off every other week for increased berry yield, like you said. You can propagate the runners and get several plants off a single runner though we don't do that with ours. It's one more generation from the true plant so not usually as strong as the Mother you cut it from. For home purposes though it can work. You sure know your berries... :)

[@HeemansLondon]

@chest002 Sweet Charlie is a great variety! Here in Ontario, Canada it's not an everbearing variety like these in the video. It's a short day variety so different system. It's not as winter hardy as we need it to be to avoid winter kill but definitely very sweet. :) These berries are fertilized with 20-5-30 twice a week.

[@achyutmenonsaha2205]

Good idea

[@HeemansLondon]

@nick1tse The crop is planted and fruited in the same year. Typicall you get one year (one season) out of them but you can push it and try for two. Normally if you're doing that Iyou fruit them heavy in the sprig of year two, then plow them down when your new planting produces heavier in the summer.

[@dabigisland1]

Made me hungry, I want your berries but you are a long way from Hawaii

[@souljah6061]

We have 3 farms here in California. My favorite are the Abions!

[@shirleybawengan7769]

Halu do u sale Albion seeds?

[@HeemansLondon]

Thanks Tina :)

[@shirleybawengan7769]

Halu,do u sale Albion seeds?

[@gemmanazareno9710]

wow..high tect...no more hustle

[@chest002]

Great video! Thanks for sharing that. You should try some Sweet Charlies. They are justly named. Super sweet berry. What nutrients do you use to make your strawberries perfection?

[@HeemansLondon]

Best crop is in the first year of planting. Some farms rip them out at the end of the same year, other's keep them for a second season. We keep them over because they give fruit early in the spring then plow them down once the newest planting beings fruiting.

[@mrLumen2]

Клёвый канал. Давай еще :)

[@HeemansLondon]

It doesn't have a fancy or technical name to it. It's known in the industry as a 'bed shaper'. Ours is modelled after the Floridian system but there are different shapes and sizes to make a bed that is taller, wider or squarer.

[@kammiharris4830]

nice!

[@chandlerbennett4287]

I would add a tad bit more moisture before you shape, less passes to smooth out.

[@xhnhpenna9752]

Nice video. Could you tell me please, what is the name of these machines and where I can find them? Thank you so much for this video!

[@HeemansLondon]

We use a cultivator to work the soil before we bring in the bed shaper, then the plastic layer. No technical name for it.

[@chest002]

Oh one more question. How do you manage the runners? Do you remove the runners to make the berries produce? And to propagate you can plant the runners correct?

[@trevorcostello1353]

i was wondering what variety of strawberry you are growing here. thank you.. also in ontario, canada. :)

[@tuckmark2003]

Woodbine strawberries are good to

[@Casetttoto]

Is there anything pushing the soil in (like rotary) or just the shaper. Nice job

[@nitinbitakeblog3141]

it's to good

[@AndreLeandro139]

Whats the model of that small John Deere Tractor? It seems very compact and with a high clearance. I need something like that to spray chemicals in my field

[@Wedow12]

If I buy Albion plants from you, and you say that the runners will not produce as well as the 'mother' - how do I propogate a new 'mother' plant, so I can plant it next year, instead of using a runner?

[@TheRblaser]

What is the name of the piece of equipment that is used to make the mounds?

[@hapillay]

super I want to know more

[@jksatte]

Would the mounds keep their shape if you didn't cover them in plastic? Also, did the drip tape go on before or after the plastic? Nice set up. Janice

[@dannyd8662]

*****

[@dannyd8662]

*****

[@uoclam8828]

wow

[@danielmercuri2038]

Where do you purchase the bed shapers to put the rows into a box format? I am new to this and would like to do something like this in my back yard. Thanks in advance !

[@HeemansLondon]

The bed shapers are purchased out of Florida but I don't know that they make a model for backyard use. Even a single row machine needs a good sized tractor to push that much soil into place... The best thing we recommend for home growers is to take a shovel and scoop out walkways and take the soil you scoop and mound it (don't go bast the topsoil).

[@emerson2youfucoff]

I love a sweet strawberry so where could I purchase these from only thing in our stores in Eastern Kentucky bitter sweet not my choice

[@zino-consultadoriaeprestac4836]

Also, do you only place one length of trickle per two lines of strawbery plants ?

[@HeemansLondon]

Yes, we only use 1 drip tape per bed with 2 rows of berries to support.

[@1998967]

how many years or seasons will one crop last?

[@SonOfTheSeaKing]

Что вам мешает все операции по формированию, укладке пленки и перфорации делать за один проход?

[@HeemansLondon]

In order to get the soil beds mounded just right, we need several passes here. The biggest challenge to doing it all in one pass would be the weight of the equipment on the tractor and getting it all in-line behind the tractor. The shaper is very heavy and adding the film layer, drip tape and hole made all in the same pass would be too heavy to lift at the headland.

[@virgiliuilascu]

what's the name of the tool to dig? THANK YOU

[@martinramirez2574]

What size tractor is being used with the bed shaper and plastic layer?

[@HeemansLondon]

It's a John Deere 6430. www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/003/4/1/3414-john-deere-6430.html

[@Z71Ranger]

How, When, and How Often and What With do you Fertilize...

[@HeemansLondon]

+Z71Ranger We fertilize directly to the roots through the trickle irrigation that is under the roots, it get fertilized when needed (based on results of leave samples) but usually 2x a week in fruiting season, less outside fruiting period.

[@alk315]

who do yo buy your strawberry plants from? what state do you have your farm in?

[@OutDoorFun3]

How long does the plastic last? How do you replace it? Great video.

[@HeemansLondon]

+OutDoorFun3 The plastic lasts as long as we need it to. Lay in the spring, remove the summer of the follow year, when the plants are removed from the field. We don't replace it, just remove and recycle it. The field only fruits for 1-2 years before we plow down and wait 7 years before replanting on that field.

[@ARealTexican]

Why do you wait 7 years before you replant?

[@HeemansLondon]

It's how we maintain good soil health. Strawberries are heavy feeders and growing any crop on the same soil can deplete the soil and cause a buildup of root diseases. We don't fumigate here so it's a natural way to keep of plants and soil healthy.

[@paulgeorgiou8124]

Hi my question is: with the drip tape the whole row getting wet,or you must place each plant exactly in the drip tape hole? thanks.

[@HeemansLondon]

The drip tape runs a couple inches from each row of the plants and yes, the water gets to them very nicely. If you were to plant 4 rows of plants (like some farms do) then you'd need an extra line of drip tape.

[@paulgeorgiou8124]

thanks for your answer,i would like to know how much water per hour runs in each drip hole?,i mean for the spesicific video in gallons or liters and i guess you have to water before you plant the bare root plants? thanks for your time

[@HeemansLondon]

+Paul Georgiou There's different rates for different tapes. You can find the calculators on the tape suppliers website. Ours runs 0.22 gallons per 100 feet per hour.

[@paulgeorgiou8124]

ok thank you very much for the info.!!

[@RafaelRodriguez-en8lx]

Heeman's

[@Dollapfin]

Red plastic increased production like 15%

[@zino-consultadoriaeprestac4836]

Hi, can you share the supplier of the row builder, plastic and tape layer? Many thanks Andrew

[@HeemansLondon]

Check out Kennco. www.kenncomfg.com/products/bed-shapers.aspx

[@Chad-fh5zh]

What brand is your bed ridger and plastic layer?

[@HeemansLondon]

This was ordered from Kennco Manufacturing in Florida.

[@Chad-fh5zh]

@@HeemansLondon do you have yellow nutsedge? Where do you get your barefoot strawberry plants?

[@unitedstatesdale]

How is it watered

[@HeemansLondon]

We lay drip tape (trickle irrigation) under the plastic for each row and connect them all to a header at one end of the field. The water goes directly to the roots, cutting water needs by 75%!

[@stoneroses13]

how do you water it?

[@eljuniormorales5758]

Can you let me know the brand names of the machines

[@HeemansLondon]

We sourced them from KennCo Manufacturing in Florida.

[@jonsydor642]

Where do you get your transplants?

[@HeemansLondon]

Jon Sydor We get our plants from several nurseries across North America but these Albion plants come from Lassen Canyon in California.

[@mihaeladobie5604]

I m intrested 4 tha plante masine

[@mystiquerose620]

Will everbearing strawberries give fruit the first year?thx

[@HeemansLondon]

You betcha, most people will only grow everbearing strawberries (on a farm level) for a single year before plowing down and replanting in another field. Everbearing will start growing immediately and will send first flowers out within a month (usually) of planting. Best to remove first flower truss, the plant is too small to support it, and let plant grow. Second truss will come later and by then you're getting a nice sized plant. From planting to eating regular supply of berries on our farm is 3 months. Good luck! ~ Will

[@mystiquerose620]

Thank you for the reply..actually i grew them from seeds..they are big now and sending out runners..but no flowers..do you think they will flower in the fall?

[@HeemansLondon]

Should before then. Cut all runners off to keep them 'fruiting' and not 'vegetative'. When they grow runners they split their attention/energy and don't grow good/big fruit. All bets are off when grown from seed though as for field production there are zero seed varieties used, all grow from runner stock. So that could be an interesting experiment for ya!

[@mystiquerose620]

Thanks again

[@vannaknorng5575]

May I able to order your strawberries plant?

[@HeemansLondon]

Sorry, we're not a plant producer, we buy the plants from other growers to produce strawberries for our community.

[@jamessornchai2622]

มีขายที่ไหน

[@7camscdan249]

Let me take you down, cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about Strawberry Fields forever!!

[@loadi2865]

Canada you say?????? well excuse me....

[@HeemansLondon]

The simple answer is you don't. Our plants are technically great-great-great-granddaughters and yours would be one generation further away from the clean true plant. We ourselves buy new plants rather than root our own runners because it's just not worth the money you save. More disease and virus issues plus loss in performance.