Late Strawberry Variety

[Jono]

Hi all,

I want to get some late cropping strawberry plants this year, and wondered if anyone had any recommendations, or anything I should watch out for.

I don't think you can't beat a strawberry straight from the plot, would be great if I could extend the season.

Thanks,

Jono.

[FB.]

Alpine strawberries start around the time that most strawberries stop.
Alpines then continue to give repeat batches of light crops through until the first frosts.
They also have the advantage of no runners; the plants gradually spread, so to multiply your stock, you divide the plants in autumn.

You could also consider the day-neutral/everbearer/perpetual/autumn-fruiting types of strawberries, but they are inferior to regular strawberries and the plants exhaust themselves more quickly than regular strawberries.

[digon]

Last year I tried ten plants of each...Symphony, Sophie, Pegasus, Florence and Red Gauntlet. Of these the only two I would recommend are Pegasus and Florence, based on flavour, fruit texture, size and yield. Florence is classed as late season ie. mid July, but my Pegasus also fruited about the same time.

Like FB said Alpine/ or perpetual fruiting varieties are really late ie Aug to 1st frost.
This year I'm growing Christine as an early, Pegasus and Florence mid/Late
and then Mara des Bois as very late.

The Mara des Bois keeps getting mentioned on tv and in the press for its exceptional flavour. Its an Alpine/ perpetual variety and I will pinch out the flowers early in the season and then let them fruit when the others have finished fruiting.
I got the Mara des Bois plants from DT Browns.

Dave

[FB.]

Yes, my Pegasus were quite late fruiting and good yields from fairly vigorous plants.
I found Florence to be a weak grower, with low yields and very few runners - the plants seemed to prefer to divide into two at the crown.

Christine is excellent - nice fruit, good yields, vigorous plants, plenty of runners. The trouble is that they are so early that they're ready before the cherries (cherries divert the birds away from most of our strawberries), so Christine must be netted to protect from birds, until the cherries draw the birds attention.

[Jono]

Thanks all.

[chris]

Just to add, Jono - as FB says.. my alpines were still fruiting in December. They're up off the ground in baskets, but survied the harsh frosts - still growing by the looks of things too. If you want any seeds, I've a pretty much full packet (I think).