We love strawberry season! Strawberries are our first crop to harvest and such an exciting fruit to behold and to taste for the first time each year. However, a few years ago, we considered not growing strawberries any more. Sevral consecutive crop failures had left us discouraged. We were losing money each year. In the end, we couldn't stand the thought of a spring without strawerries and we decided to continue. The following year was a good crop and we were encouraged to keep at it. Strawberries are a ficle crop, susciptible to many hazards such as deer feeding, voles, phytophthora, frost damage to blossoms, mites and aphids. Even if we manage to avoid all of these pitfalls, if it rains constantly during harvest, we end up with gray mold and soft, ruined berries. It's impossible to get a reliable crop. One thing we can do to make our strawberries more resilient is to diversify the varieties that we grow. This year, we have three varieties and we've prepared a quick comparison for you.
Ruby June
- new variety for us
- strong plant
- berries large, excellent shape and exterior color
- slightly more firm than others
- white internal color
- flavor and sweetness good
Chandler
- our main variety for 20 years
- plant not as strong
- not much disease resistance
- berry size medium
- shape - some “hand” shape
- color - bright red outside and inside
- firmness - soft - does not hold well
- flavor and sweetness very good
Jewel
- second time growing this variety
- plant weaker than most
- berry size medium
- some with long, white neck, weak calyx.
- firmness - soft, does not hold well
- flavor and sweetness very good
Each variety has its strengths and weaknesses in terms of production and fruit qualities. We like to have more than one variety each year because having only one variety makes our crop more susceptible to a total loss. Also, it’s good to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each new variety and gradually make changes to the mix over time.
Spring Open House : we will be doing an open house on Sautrday, June 1. Come enjoy an evening on the farm and some pick-your own berries. More information to come.
