Organic growing of strawberries, with control of insects and mulching/fertilisation

The blossom weevil, Anthonomus rubi, is a very common pest all over Sweden. This pest can reduce the yield of strawberry more than 60 per cent. Covering with fleece (Agryl P17) during flowering resulted in less damage on flower buds and the highest yield in 'Kent' and 'Bounty' in the first year. Spraying with pyrethrum twice before flowering resulted in less damage on flower buds. Pyrethrum spray was more efficient in 'Kent' due to the shorter flowering time compared to 'Bounty'. Mulching with degradable plastic and irrigation with urine before flowering in May and in August gave the highest yield in the first crop of both cultivars. This treatment also gave the highest yield in the second crop of 'Bounty'. A green mulch consisting of fresh red clover/timothy grass, applied in June did not improve the yield of the first crop but gave the same yield as plastic mulch with urine in the second and third crop. Composted cattle manure applied upon the soil in the plant rows in the last week of April in the first year increased growth at the expense of yield in the first two years.