Mushy strawberries

[newbieveggie]

Hi all
This is the second year for my newly planted strawberry beds and they are doing really well. Lovely huge strawberries, and lots of them but....some of them are mushy Any idea why ??

[flighty1]

hi there, sorry to hear about your mushy strawberries. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice as to why the fruits are like they are. However, in future a dose of something like sulphate of potash might help improve the fruit quality / structure. No doubt other more experienced grapes will be along soon to advise. Hope you get it sorted,

[FB.]

Some strawberries - such as Pegasus - have a soft "butter-like" texture, which is normal.

If it's not a normal thing for the variety to have a mushy texture, then it's probably moulds rotting them, due to the fruits getting damp. Some varieties are much more prone to moulds than others.

[Two_Sheds]

Could they have been over-watered?

[newbieveggie]

I got them off a friend of mine and she said they are a very old victorian variety but we don't know the name. I have been treating them very mean and only watering when they really need it. I will also try the sulphate later on in the year. Maybe they are meant to be like it. They still taste delicious but not firm like supermarket ones. Ive not put straw/hay underneath them yet, perhaps I should, maybe that would help ?

[FB.]

If they taste good, the softness is unlikely to be moulds - moulds stink and taste nasty.

It may be that the softness is a feature of the variety. As mentioned earlier, some varieties are quite soft - and alpine strawberries are also soft textured.

Just because they're not the same as in the shops, doesn't mean they aren't good.
Imagine your local supermarket trying to get soft strawberries into the shops without squashing them. Shops like fruit that is large, shiny, unblemished and able to tolerate rough handling without getting squashed or bruised. Those criteria instantly exclude your strawberries and many other excellent varieties of fruit.