Selecting an correct strawberry variety for your growing conditions will ensure that you produces high-quality fruit from your strawberry plants. If you choose a strawberry variety that is not suitable for your climate or garden setup, you may end up with small or even sourly strawberries from your plants. Additionally, if you choose the wrong variety, your strawberry plants may dies after just one growing season.
A variety chart will allow you to select the best varieties for your conditions so that you can produce successful harvest from your strawberry plants. Strawberry plants comes in three main varieties: June-bearing, everbearing, and day-neutral. June-bearing varieties produce a large amount of fruit each year, usually between late spring and summer.
How to Choose the Right Strawberry Varieties
Due to the high volume of produce from June-bearing varieties, people often use these varieties to make jams or to freeze for later use. Everbearing varieties produce two harvests each year: one in the spring, and one in the fall. Everbearing varieties are often used in smaller gardens, as they dont require as much commitment from the gardener than the June-bearing varieties.
Finally, day-neutral varieties produces fruit throughout the growing season. Therefore, if you wish to have a steady harvest from your strawberry plants, instead of waiting until the summer to harvest the fruit, day-neutral varieties are the bester choice. Within each variety of strawberry plants, there are different type of strawberries with different characteristics.
For example, Earliglow strawberries are an early variety of June-bearing strawberries that contain firm, sweetly berries. Additionally, Earliglow berries is resistant to many of the common diseases of strawberry plants. Chandler berries are also large and elongated, but best grown in milder climates.
Each of these varieties can be planted within different zones, though some varieties are better suited to certain zones than others. For example, Fort Laramie is a variety that is cold-hardy and grows best in zone 3. Camarosa, however, grows best in warmer climates.
Additionally, each variety contains different flavor profiles; some berries are more tart than other. Your planting system must match the type of strawberry plants that you choose to grow. For instance, matted row systems allow the runners from the strawberry plants to spread freely, and are best used for June-bearing varieties, as they will maximize the yield from your strawberry plants.
Hill systems can be used for day-neutral varieties, but you should pinch the runners to direct the plants towards fruit production. Finally, raised beds are useful for all varieties, as they will allow the roots of the strawberry plants to have proper drainage. If the soil in your garden is not properly drained, your strawberry plants could easily drown or develop root problem.
In order to grow healthy strawberry plants, it is also important to provide proper care for the plants. Strawberry plants require full sun; at least eight hours of sunlight each day to produce the sugars in the berries. Additionally, the plants should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart from one another in the garden, and the crowns of the plants should be placed at the soil level.
Straw mulch should be added to the ground around the strawberry plants in the fall to help insulate their crowns during the winter freezes, while also keeping the berries cleanly from dirt. Water the plants steadily to provide about one inch of water per week, using drip lines to avoid wet leaves that could lead to disease in the plants. Finally, fertilize the strawberry plants very sparingly after the harvest of berries.
Strawberry plants are susceptible to several different diseases and pests. Gray mold often develops in damp and shady growing areas. Therefore, ensure the plants has space and airflow to avoid this issue.
Red stele affects the roots of the plants if the soil is too soggy. Therefore, ensure the plants have good drainage, or select varieties that are genetically resistant to the disease. Additionally, spider mites can eat the leaves of the plants in dry climates.
Bbirds or slugs may eat the harvested berries. Use row covers to protect the plants from these pests, or use netting and bait to protect the berries. A variety chart for berry plants allows for an overview of the different types of strawberries.
Each chart contains information about the flavor, size, and hardiness zone for each type of strawberry. Additionally, a reference grid for strawberry plants can assist you in planning a succession of harvests from your strawberry plants. For instance, you can choose to plant Earliglow in spring, Jewel varieties in midsummer, and everbearing varieties for fall harvests.
Finally, be sure not to plant all of your varieties at once in your garden.