Strawberries!!!

jbh29 5/25/2011, 10:43 am

I am so excited - we are going to put in a strawberry bed! I'm hoping it's not too late.

I'm wondering what you northern gardeners prefer - Junebearing or everbearing? Also, your favorite varieties.

I've heard from a friend whose grandfather farmed berries decades ago in northern MN and she swears by a junebearing called "Sparkle". The seed catalog says it is one of the hardiest available.

Does it make sense to do half junebearing and half everbearing so you have the best of both worlds? Or would cross pollenation be a problem?

Sorry so many questions... I'm just so excited to be starting the project. I didn't think I'd be able to get a strawberry bed in until next year! strawberries - Strawberries!!! 53366

kjenkins82 5/25/2011, 9:41 pm

Hi Jenny, we grew Sparkles for years and years when I was growing up in Maine. They are not the biggest, but are some of the sweetest and most delicious berries I have ever had. We made jam with them and froze them and both came out wonderfully. Good luck!

CindiLou 5/25/2011, 10:35 pm

Would junebearing cross pollenate with the everbearing? I have junebearing and love them. I now remember to cover with tulle so the birds don't get them! I leave the ends open for bees.

jbh29 5/25/2011, 10:51 pm

I'm glad to hear you thought they were so sweet, kjenkins82. I've been looking at several varieties this evening on line. I'm thinking about getting 4 different types: Ozark (everbearing), Allstar, surecrop, & sparkle (all junebearing).

CindiLou,I'm also wondering about cross-pollenation. Is it wise to try 4 varieties in one bed or will they cross pollinate and not give me a good sample of each anyway?

kjenkins82 5/25/2011, 11:24 pm

I could be wrong, but I think its okay to mix. I have a 4 x 4 bed with 8 squares everbearing and 8 squares Junebearing. I have Ozark Beauties too but I have been pinching blossoms this year so I haven't tried any yet. We always had several varieties growing up and got beautiful crops.

NHGardener 5/25/2011, 11:26 pm

Note to self: Next year: a strawberry box.

CindiLou 5/25/2011, 11:28 pm

I have been looking on line and from what I am gathering, if you don't grow the seeds and only used the runners for propagation, the strawberries will be true. This being said, if a strawberry ripens and the seed grows to a plant it may be a cross and the personality could be either cross plant

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/feeling-fruity/do-strawberry-cross-pollinate_13046.html

jbh29 5/26/2011, 10:17 am

Thanks all! I'm ordering my berries this morning. I'm going with the combo I mentoined earlier. I can't believe all the varieties out there! :drunken:

years ago I had a large patch of junebearing (don't know the variety) and I'm excited to try the everbearing ozarks.

jbh29 5/26/2011, 10:53 am

I did it! I ordered my strawberries AND I got suckered into ordering a few raspberry plants too! Those I'll just have to put in the ground this year though. I just couldn't resist! cyclops

I just want to grow everything!!! NOW!!! Deep breath... Ok, I've got control again. Shocked

On with the day. I'm going to make a chocolate truffle cake for my daughter's b-day. She's 8 tomorrow. It's very exciting around here.

NHGardener 5/26/2011, 10:55 am

Congrats! I know nothing about thinking too big - having just built & started 5 beds at once... boogie woogie

boog1 5/26/2011, 1:21 pm

heres a pic of the strawberry raised bed i made for the other half she bought everbearing plants and we never thought bout cutting back or anything til this year
i went out and cleaned out all the pine needles and leaves then went thru it and started pulling anything and everything that looked doa or about ta go belly up and now it looks 100% better than it did a year ago. more flower blossems than the past couple of years so hopfully we'll get more this year than last. i hope Wink

kjenkins82 5/26/2011, 7:12 pm

That's a gorgeous bed Boog. Well done!

I have the same problem with wanting to plant everything. I've already added a peach tree, meyer lemon, limequat, strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry plants this spring! I'd have raspberries too but they don't do well in my climate unfortunately. The hard part is that I am running out of space a lot faster than I am running out of things I want to grow. Very Happy

**Furbalsmom** 5/26/2011, 7:37 pm

Nice looking bed boog.

jbh and kjenkins, I am on restriction, because I lost it when I went to Territorial Seed Co in Cottage Grove, OR this spring. I will never disclose the amount of money I spent, (I sent DH outside when they were ringing up my purchases Embarassed

) but now I cannot go there again, without adult supervision. To give you an idea of how nuts I went, I bought more packages of seeds than I even have squares to plant. That includes my 3 4X4 Table Tops and a 4 X 12 community garden bed.

sherryeo 5/26/2011, 7:58 pm

Furbalsmom said:

I bought more packages of seeds than I even have squares to plant.

Doesn't everybody? I have bought more seeds than needed to fill the next 4 beds I build!!! Seriously, I just can't pass them up. It's like I think they'll never be available again if I don't snatch them up when I see them! I think there are quite a few of us who will admit to having a problem when it comes to resisting buying seeds!

Love the strawberry bed, Boog!

NHGardener 5/26/2011, 10:43 pm

Hey. The seeds should last from one to several years. This means you are saving money for the next few years! Smart shopper! Smile

Besides, if there is ever a shortage of seeds, you will seem wise beyond your years. Ha.

CindiLou 5/26/2011, 11:24 pm

You mean we're NOT supposed to have a drawer full of seeds after planting time? OOPPs lol

**Furbalsmom** 5/26/2011, 11:26 pm

Thanks Sherryeo, NHGardener and CindiLou. If I could just convince DH this was a wise move Very Happy

Actually he is pretty tolerant, thank goodness,

kjenkins82 5/26/2011, 11:26 pm

Oh yes, we all have it. I have to smuggle them into the house three or four packets at a time by this point. Any more than that might be noticed and I'll have to admit that my addiction got the better of me. Embarassed

**walshevak** 5/26/2011, 11:39 pm

Our problem is we want to try all kinds of varieties, but we only use such a small portion of the seeds we wind up with a refrigerator drawer full. Laughing

And of course, I buy for two houses, but then forget to take the seeds with me or forget which one's I bought in the OTHER house. Embarassed

Kay

jbh29 5/27/2011, 7:13 pm

CindiLou wrote:You mean we're NOT supposed to have a drawer full of seeds after planting time? OOPPs lol

No, it's supposed to be an overflowing shoebox. Shocked

shannon1 5/28/2011, 4:28 am

In my fridge I have a seed crisper drawer. To my way of thinking seeds are an investment in the future. Cool

NHGardener 5/28/2011, 8:29 am

jbh29 - Where did you end up ordering your strawberries from?

**WardinWake** 5/28/2011, 10:13 am

NHGardener wrote:jbh29 - Where did you end up ordering your strawberries from?

Howdy Folks:

I ordered my strawberry plants from Stark Brothers. I searched all over and they had the best prices that I found and a very good selection.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.

boffer 5/28/2011, 10:24 am

Hey Ward, do you you have your roadside strawberry stand set up yet?!

NHGardener 5/28/2011, 2:00 pm

WardinWake wrote:I ordered my strawberry plants from Stark Brothers. I searched all over and they had the best prices that I found and a very good selection.

Wow. The blackberries alone on that site are amazing.

I don't see the Sparkle strawberry there tho. Sad

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