You have reached your limit of 5 free stories. A story preview is shown instead.
To view more stories
(If your subscription is current,
click here to Login or Register.)
"No Bend" Berries Require Innovative Equipment
Tired of bending to pick strawberries? Try raising them the "table top" way.
British farmer Sam Osborne plants his berries in elevated rows 45 1/2 in. off the ground at his pick-your-own berry operation.
"Our fields had been planted to strawberries for 15 years and we were beginning to have decreased
..........
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the page.
You must sign in, subscribe or renew to see the flip-book
"No Bend" Berries Require Innovative Equipment BUILDINGS Miscellaneous 32-3-9 Tired of bending to pick strawberries? Try raising them the "table top" way.
British farmer Sam Osborne plants his berries in elevated rows 45 1/2 in. off the ground at his pick-your-own berry operation.
"Our fields had been planted to strawberries for 15 years and we were beginning to have decreased yields and more pest and disease problems," he says. "It was time for change."
Osborne set up a network of narrow beds that sit on horizontal pipes. The layout consists of 24 690-ft. rows with a 13-ft. break at 345 ft. for a cross row. Every four rows are covered by a removable tunnel to extend the growing season. And he built an ATV-towed sprayer that covers four rows.
The basic layout is a twin row of pipes supported on 39-in. stand pipes. Plastic 9 1/2-in. deep by 19-in. wide trays filled with peat moss rest on top of the pipes and are fed by a hydroponic solution through trickle pipes.
Osborne says the tabletop system makes fruit more accessible to pickers, reduces soil borne problems, and increases yield. At the same time, plants require much closer supervision. Rain will wash out nutrients, while sun and wind can rapidly dry out the planting medium. Runoff has to be constantly monitored for top production. Seasonal tasks also increase, such as frost protection, thinning and removal of runners and weeds during the growing season, and removing leaves in the fall and winter. Of course as in any hydroponic system, maintenance is constant.
"The irrigation system needs to be maintained at 100 percent, as even small problems such as leaks or a blockage can lead to loss of crop or plants," says Osborne.
Osborne has plans available for his tabletop system. He also indicates he would be willing to provide plans for his ATV trailer sprayer.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sam Osborne, Cammas Hall Farm, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex CM22 7JT United Kingdom (ph 011 44 7986467959; sam osbor
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
