Plug plant technique for early fruit production of strawberry in Turkey

The results of several experiments with fresh runner plants rooted in pots or small containers (FRRP) with depth of 9 cm and the diameter 8 cm had shown that early production of strawberry fruits is possible by this technique. The critical point is that, one has to let the runners to root early in April or May and transfer them to the field or walk in tunnels in July or early August. Nowadays the farmers in the Mediterranean coastal areas of Turkey prefer summer plantings with frigo plants (FP). Since the weather in summer months is very hot, percentage of survival rates of these plants are rather low whereas those of the FRRP plants are very high (if not 100%). In addition, from these plants one can get fruits from November to May continuously. However, the peak season is April. Total yield/plant is almost equal to that of frigo plant.