No-Till Even Works With Strawberries

Canadian and American strawberry growers find success with no-till methods for managing strawberry beds.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 8:58am

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A bold, abstract painting in earthy tones of green, brown, and ochre, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circular patterns, and precise botanical spirals, conveying the complex natural systems that enable sustainable strawberry production without tilling the soil.No-till farming techniques are enabling strawberry growers to cultivate their crops in harmony with the natural ecosystem, reducing labor and environmental impact.White Bear Lake Today

Strawberry growers in Canada and the U.S. have been successfully adopting no-till practices to manage their strawberry beds, replacing traditional annual tillage with roto-tillers. The results include improved soil tilth, better weed control, reduced labor and machinery use, and lower equipment maintenance costs. Some growers are even using no-till to establish new strawberry beds.

Why it matters

Strawberries are a perennial crop that has traditionally required annual tillage to renovate the plant beds. Breaking out of this conventional practice with no-till methods represents a significant shift in strawberry farming that can bring environmental and economic benefits to growers.

The details

Bill Jacobson, who grows 150 acres of apples and 16 acres of strawberries near White Bear Lake, Minnesota, has transitioned to no-till for managing his strawberry beds. Instead of using a roto-tiller to narrow the 2-foot-wide beds down to 10 inches after harvest, Jacobson now relies on no-till methods. This allows the remaining plants to send out runners that grow into new strawberry plants for the next season's 2-foot-wide berry bed. Jacobson found that the traditional roto-tilling was stirring up weed seeds, leading to a new flush of weeds that required additional spraying.

  • Strawberry beds can be renovated with no-till for 3-4 seasons before diseases and insects take their toll and the beds have to be tilled.

The players

Bill Jacobson

A strawberry and apple grower near White Bear Lake, Minnesota who has successfully adopted no-till practices for managing his 16 acres of strawberries.

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The takeaway

The adoption of no-till methods by strawberry growers represents an innovative shift away from traditional tillage practices, bringing environmental and economic benefits through improved soil health, reduced labor and machinery use, and better weed control.