Strawberries are an economically important crop in the United States worth more than $2 billion annually. Many studies have correlated strawberry growth and yield with various aspects of the soil. Mostly these studies involve the effects of individual soil nutrients, and to a lesser extent soil physical properties. Studies examining the impact of the biological components of soils mostly focus on pathogens and not beneficial organisms. Agronomists recently introduced the concept of "soil health" in which chemical, physical, and biological components of the soil are considered simultaneously. Selected indicators are used to predict the performance of a crop and identify which components should be modified to positively impact crop growth and yield. A healthy soil is highly functional in both the short term and long term and is able to support human needs and ecosystem sustainability. This study tests the hypothesis that in a perennial strawberry field the C:N ratio of soil amendments and tilling deep or shallow would affect soil biological health indicator tests and that these would be correlated with yield. Soil biological health indicator tests were not correlated with yield although treatments did affect both indicator tests and yield. The strawberries grown in straw-amended soil had the lowest plant growth and yield but not lower biological soil health indicator test results. Sawdust-amended soil had higher soil biological health indicator test results from increased microbial activity, but had the same yield as unamended soil. Alternative soil biological health indicator tests that are correlated with strawberry yield might be more appropriate for perennial crops. We hypothesized that decreased strawberry growth in straw-amended soil was due to either a chemical leachate, an antagonistic microbial community, or a physical barrier to root growth. These hypotheses were tested in the greenhouse. The reduced strawberry growth in the field was not replicated in the greenhouse as no treatment had an effect on plant growth. The reason for reduced plant growth in straw- amended plots in the field is still unclear, but there are benefits to using straw such as insulating berries over the winter, suppressing weeds, preventing soil from getting on the fruit, and reducing plant diseases. Growers should continue to use straw until an appropriate alternative solution is found. iii