Edibles - Berries and Vines

Strawberries

Plant strawberries in the sunniest area of your garden. They require full sun for most of the day, although some late afternoon shade is tolerable in midsummer. Good water drainage through the soil is essential. Soils with high clay content are typically poorly drained, while sandy soils drain very well. If the soil is heavy and tends to stay wet, it is best to plant on raised beds to improve drainage.

Planting Instructions:
Plant your strawberries early in the spring. Frost will not hurt the plants. Position the roots so that they are straight down into the ground. Do not allow them to curl up. Pack the soil around each plant taking care not to disturb the proper depth. Water in well and continue to irrigate, as needed. Plant spacing should be 18" to 24" apart with the rows being 42" to 48" apart.

Fertilizing:
Wait for growth to start to avoid burning the roots. Without a soil test we recommend a good balanced blend of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Sulfur. The same fertilizer that works in your vegetable garden will give excellent results on strawberries. Use a 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per 100 square feet. This should be applied and incorporated before you plant and again in early August when the plants are developing fruit buds. Weed control is essential for strawberries. Cultivate your crop on a regular basis to eliminate weed pressure. Contact your local extension office for herbicides that are labeled for strawberries.

Mulching:
In areas that have cold winters, mulching is necessary to protect your strawberry plants. Cover your plants with straw in late fall. Approximately 3" to 5" will be sufficient. Remove the straw in early spring when you notice new growth on the plant.

Care of The Planting

Everbearing Varieties:
After planting keep all flowers picked off until June 1 - 15. This establishes a strong plant. Plants will flower and fruit the rest of the Summer and Fall until a frost occurs. The original mother plants should be rouged out after the 1st or 2nd year. Treat them like an annual.

Spring Crop Varieties:
Fertilize and water well the first year to promote good flower bud formation that Fall. The first crop is picked the following spring.

After harvest the plants go dormant prior to Summer and Fall growth and fruit set. After the last berry is picked mow the plants off with a lawn mower set just above the crowns at the soil surface. The old leaves left after harvest are going to die anyway and mowing is good sanitation and helps keep fruit rot at a minimum as the planting ages.

In the fall thin runners so they are 3" - 5" apart. If possible mow tops off in January or February prior to the spring flush of growth. This helps prevent fruit rot. In our area winter rains often make mowing difficult. We do it when the ground is frozen.

Disease Control:
When your receive plants from us they are Virus Free. Aphids spread virus. Rigid insect control avoids this problem. Control aphids with Diazinon. Organic gardeners may plant Rainier or Totem - these two varieties are Virus Tolerant. Strawberries are susceptible to Red Stele root rot. To avoid this problem plant strawberries in a well drained area of the garden.

SPRING CROP VARIETIES

Benton:
Oregon State University release. Named after Benton County where O.S.U. is located in Corvallis, Oregon. June bearing variety, fruit is very bright, excellent keeping quality, conic in shape, and the flavor is very good. The fruit is medium to large in size and is recommended for all parts of the Pacific Northwest. Benton appears to have excellent winter hardiness. Benton also has excellent fruit quality and vigorous growth. Upright habit makes Benton a good bet for home gardeners as well as the commercial grower. More drought resistant than Rainier. Virus tolerant. Also tolerant to Red Stele. Ripens late.

Rainier:
Washington State Release. A very tough virus tolerant plant. Best home garden variety from standpoint of fruit quality and disease resistance. Extremely vigorous grower with large floppy leaves that are ornamentally attractive. The berry is medium to large in size and conic in shape. A fairly soft berry, Rainier is excellent for fresh eating as well as processing.

Hood:
Released in 1965 from Oregon State University. The large round (Globose) berry is considered to have the best table quality, now that the old Marshall (Vintage 1912) is no longer being propagated. Hood is known best as a fine preserve and jam berry, and is good for all other uses. Resistant to Root Rot, Mildew, and Red Stele but is quite susceptible to virus and should not be planted near strawberries known to be virused. Bears entire crop over a short period. Popular home garden variety. Not particularly winter hardy.

Shuksan:
A Washington Release. Large and glossy bright red fruit with slightly indented yellowish red seeds. Medium firm meaty flesh with good flavor. Good for fresh eating and excellent for freezing. The plant is large and very vigorous. Also produces runners freely. Shuksan is winter hardy and tolerates Alkaline soils better than any other variety. We recommend this variety for colder areas of the Pacific Northwest above all other varieties. Shuksan is good news for Idaho, Colorado, Utah, etc.. Totem is winter hardy also, but Shuksan blooms a little later, thus protecting the fruit from late frosts. Virus tolerant and Red Stele resistant. Does not demand perfect drainage.

EVERBEARING VARIETIES

Eversweet:
Very popular. Great for park strips, near walks and in other high sun areas in an edible landscape. Also great in beds. This new cultivar is unique in its ability to produce prolific crops of large, intensely delicious berries in high temperature, high sun locations. Day neutral, producing a large initial crop and then continually producing fruit until the fall.

Quinault:
Washington State Release. Recommended for Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. Does poorly in the South and not suitable for California. Large berry, firm and deep red with good flavor. Good for fresh eating, desserts, and preserves. Not recommended for freezing. High yielding, vigorous plants produce many runners. Resistant to Leaf Scorch, Leaf Spot, and Root Rot but is susceptible to mildew. Fruit too soft for fruit stands sales but excellent for pick your own and home gardens.

Benton:
Oregon State University release. Named after Benton County where O.S.U. is located in Corvallis, Oregon. June bearing variety, fruit is very bright, excellent keeping quality, conic in shape, and the flavor is very good. The fruit is medium to large in size and is recommended for all parts of the Pacific Northwest. Benton appears to have excellent winter hardiness. Benton also has excellent fruit quality and vigorous growth. Upright habit makes Benton a good bet for home gardeners as well as the commercial grower. More drought resistant than Rainier. Virus tolerant. Also tolerant to Red Stele. Ripens late.

Fern:
Patented Day - Neutral variety has shown high yields. Always has fruit in different stages of development. Large, very firm, Sweet berries. Good for fresh eating, preserves, and freezing. Should do very well all over the Midwest and Northwest.
Selva:
Patented variety with large fruit, firm flesh, and excellent flavor. Plants are vigorous and produce many runners. Consistent heavy producer. Berries hold up well even under wet conditions. Will flower and fruit (Independent of day length) through summer and early fall.

Tri Star:
Developed at the University of Maryland and released in 1982. Similar to tribute but much sweeter and more aromatic. Produces a heavy, very early spring crop of small to medium short conic fruit. Cool fall weather will bring larger, more elongated fruit. Fall crop is the heaviest. Berries have firm, glossy, deep red skin with solid, medium red flesh. Fresh fruit flavor is excellent. Also recommended for freezing. Medium size plants with moderate number of runners which will bloom and bear fruit before rooted. This is a good variety for hanging baskets. Resistant to Red Stele and Verticillium Wilt. Tolerant of Leaf Scorch and Leaf Blight. Well adapted to upland areas in the south and mild areas in the East and the Pacific Northwest. Hardy in zones 5 - 8.