The Day article includes tips from Handley on growing strawberries

The Day of New London, Connecticut included recommendations from David Handley, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension specialist of vegetables and small fruits, in the article, “Growing strawberries offers a tasty addition to perennial gardens.” Strawberries are a versatile crop, allowing them to be easily incorporated into just about any garden, according to the article. For soil, it is best to avoid areas that get too soggy during the spring. According to Handley, who wrote a UMaine Extension bulletin on growing strawberries, a deep sandy loam is ideal. Handley also recommends gardeners avoid planting strawberries in plots that recently grew potatoes, peppers, tomatoes or eggplant. Handley said these plants can transfer the fungal disease Verticillium wilt to the soil, where it will rot strawberry roots.