In his latest article Soft Fruit Agronomist, Neil Holmes, discusses kick starting post dormancy growth in soft fruit.
Strawberries and raspberries will shortly be removed from cold storage and planted in their final growing positions. To encourage both new growth and root recovery consider root dipping Kelpak (Kelp extract) at a rate of 10ml/L water.
The polyamines and phlorotannins encourage fresh root development which replaces the blackened and damaged roots, particularly seen in raspberries, caused by excessive chilling in the cold store. Kelpak will also alleviate the abiotic stress caused by high electrical conductivity which has potentially carried over from the propagation phase of growth.
Once the top growth begins to develop and provides a big enough target, switch to a foliar application of Kelpak every 10-14 days at 3L/ha. A foliar treatment provides a better concentration for the plant.
For further information on post dormancy growth in soft fruit, please contact your local OMEX technical manager, here.