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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Design dilemma
  • Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2007 02:34:17 -0500



Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

Bev, this has probably been covered adequately but there are three schemes of strawberries: June bearing, everbearing, and day neutral.
What has passed for years as "everbearing" really aren't. They bear
a big crop, usually in June, and then one or two (usually one) smaller crops later on.

In my experience, this has been true. I think I planted 2 everbearing
and 1 June bearing...


This trait is missing in day neutral plants. As soon as it's warm enough to grow, the set on a flower cluster and mature the berries. About six weeks later they do the same thing with pretty much the same size crop, and again, and again, until frost nips the last blossoms and then they go dormant.

Okay....


I've found the plants live a long time and produce a longs time, five
years or more. They set a lot of runners but sometimes as many as three out of four will be puny and make small plants of weak growth. As soon as the runner roots, feel it's girth and if it's stem thin, get rid of it.

Sounds like good advice.

Same as they set berries periodically all summer,
they set runners periodically all summer too (between crops usually) and you do a lot of elimination of runners.

The two varieties I've grown are Tristar and Tribute. Both are excellent berries, modest sized as berries go but unlike some which are hollow or white inside, both these varieties are dark red to the center and solid. The Tristar plants petered out after the second year and so I've not replaced them but rather have all Tribute plants
now. Too bad, too, those were really good strawberries.

That's good to know. I am ordering 50 Tristar plants this year. I
*think* I grew them before...I recall Sparkle, which I think was the
June bearer, and Tristar and one other variety that I can't recall
without checking my records. I recall talking with Tvo about
strawberries, and I tried what he recommended.


I have some
fourth generation plants in the bed and I can't tell much difference between those and the originals (provided I grub out the little ones).

I am ordering from Shumway and here is what they say about Tristar:

This delicious everbearing variety produces berries all season. You can
look forward to a heavy early crop, a lighter summer crop, and good
yields again in the fall. Firm medium size fruits have excellent sweet
flavor, inviting bright red color. Hardy plants are resistant to
several diseases. Good variety for hanging baskets. We recommend
denser planting due to the light runner production of this unusual
variety. Zones 4-8 25/$8.95, 50/15.97....


Now for my questions:
1. Do you agree with Shumway's assessment?
2. Why do you think they "petered out" in the second year?
3. Do you pinch or cut off the unwanted runners? (I pinch, but I have
heard some say you should cut them)
4. Where did you get your Tristars?

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond...

Bev


--
Bevanron of EarthNSky Farm Sleep well tonight, for somewhere in the
ocean's depths, MY son is protecting YOUR freedom.








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