In his latest article Soft Fruit Agronomist, Neil Holmes, discusses kick starting post dormancy growth in soft fruit.<\/p>\n
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<\/a> (Kelp extract) at a rate of 10ml\/L water. <\/span><\/p>\n 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<\/a> will also alleviate the abiotic stress caused by high electrical conductivity which has potentially carried over from the propagation phase of growth.<\/span><\/p>\n Once the top growth begins to develop and provides a big enough target, switch to a foliar application of Kelpak<\/a> every 10-14 days at 3L\/ha. A foliar treatment provides a better concentration for the plant. <\/span><\/p>\n