Effect of planting time on yield and fruit size of open-planted strawberries in the Transvaal

The effect of three planting times (fortnightly intervals) on strawberry cultivars Selekta, Tioga, Parfaite and Rolinda was studied for two seasons. There was no cultivar × planting time interaction, and the yield of all cultivars was significantly reduced from earlier to later plantings. The reduction in yield from the first to the second planting was not significant. Mean fruit size was not affected by planting time in the 1988 season, but decreased in the following season with every delay in planting time. The data showed that the two early plantings gave higher yields and larger mean fruit size, indicating that all the cultivars should be planted early for maximum yield and large berries.