High Tunnel Strawberry Production Systems for High Elevations

A short growing season combined with depressed in-season prices often makes strawberry production in the Intermountain West only marginally profitable.  Using high tunnels for early-season extension may allow producers to attract new customers, maintain current customers, and take advantage of higher out-of-season prices.   While high tunnels effectively manipulate temperatures, photoperiod also affects flowering and fruiting of fall planted June-bearing strawberry plants.   Photoperiod responses can be manipulated by optimizing planting date.  Four-week-old ‘Chandler’ plug plants were transplanted into high tunnels in North Logan, Utah (1405 m elevation, 41°46’ N latitude) on each of six different planting dates from 1-Aug. (approximately 15.4 hr photoperiod) through 16-Oct. (approximately 10.6 hr. photoperiod) in a raised bed annual hill system.  Planting dates were evaluated based on early and total yields the following spring.  Planting dates were also evaluated on runner and crown production.  The in-ground system was also compared to vertical growing systems with east/west and south orientation.  Results from two consecutive years indicate that high tunnels can be used to advance strawberry production by approximately 4 weeks.  Vertical growing systems had only marginally higher yields, but were much more expensive to establish and maintain.  A fall planting date of 1-Sept was found to maximize crown numbers at the beginning of the season, minimize runner production, and optimize both early and total yields obtained from high tunnel grown ‘Chandler’ strawberry plants.