Wanted! Sweet strawberries

Our strawberries produced an abundance of fruit this year, but they had a tart, not sweet taste so many of them were wasted.

Can anyone recommend a variety that has a very, very sweet taste?

I'm going to pull-up the crop we have and replace them - or - not bother with strawberries at all.

Well, if you can find Fairfax strawberries, you'll never grow any other.


Ogallalla are about as good, and repeat bearing.

Honeybee what type did you grow? I've heard that the Junebearing ones are sweeter than the everbearing ones, I planted some sequoia this year but unfortunately my chickens ate the plants, I still have 1 very small plant that survived but I have not tried any fruit on it yet. My quinault strawberies that I planted in a winebarrell are a little tart but my DD loves them and so between her and her dad they are eating them all.

Once production kicks hopefully next year, I will use the everbearing ones for jams and jellies and the sweeter type junebearing for eating fresh.

carminator I looked back into my pile of receipts and found the strawberry plants I purchased are Tristar and Eversweet both everbearers. They both produce abundant fruit and have had no disease problems. They even have given me lots of daughter plants, but hubby and I don't like the taste.

Molamola I did a search for Fairfax, but did not find any :( Will try a search for Ogallalla.

Honeybee, I would try a junebearer one they are suppose to be a lot sweeter than the everbearer but the only drawback is that they only produce in june unlike the everbearer, I was told that sequoia were very sweet that is the reason I wanted to try them.

Thanks, carminator.

My hubby just came in from picking some strawberries, and said they were not worth the effort.

Tristar, which I already have is listed as very sweet, and we don't think it is!

They would probably ship across country pretty well....

Not a big fan of strawberries, I guess because I've been surrounded by them most of my life. I recently stopped growing them since they are cheap and plentiful. However, I have grown quite a few different varieties in the past. My 2 favorite June Bearing are Sequoia and Chandler. Both are large, productive and sweet. For everbearing, Seascape is a real good one for flavor. If looking for a constant producer, this is definitely one to try. Pretty in Pink was very productive and had a decent flavor but not as sweet as the aforementioned ones. Camarosa isn't a bad tasting one either but I would rank it with Pretty and Pink(Good but not outstanding). Ones that I really disliked(tart)....Quinault, Selva and Hecker.

Haven't tried it but Fairfax has me intrigued.

Thanks Ray you really know your strawberries, I will definetely look at planting some of the ones you recomend.

Well, Strawberries and Avocados are a part of our culture here. Whether you like them or not, you know about them. There's strawberry patches everywhere. Along with stands selling them at every residential corner. Even people who don't garden have strawberries growing wild in their yard. The varieties are endless here.



This message was edited Jun 5, 2010 5:42 PM

Hi! I gotta jump in this conversation and ask a question -- for Ray in California, zone 10. I am intrigued. I am in North Texas, zone 7. Chandler are grown here on the "pick your selves" farms, which me and my clan did last year. I was not impressed with the flavor. Around here they grow them as annuals. I found a Sweet Charlie variety that was suppose to be great for southern areas and also sweet. I'm still trying to find the sweet.

Now my question -- are strawberries grown as annuals in CA? Could you please be so kind to give details how they are grown?

I've grown strawberries in Montana -- They were wonderful and plentiful. . . and not annuals. They wintered over without any special care. I was spoiled.

Thanks for any help you care to give this Texan so I can grow a decent tasting strawberry.

See, there is the exact reason why it's hard to back a certain variety. Just like Tomatoes, Berries vary greatly depending on location. Reason why I always say "here" or "in my area".

Chandler are grown on a few small farms(not many) here which is why I tried them. They grew well and sweet for me. We have tons of "U-Pick'em" places but they are so plumped up with phosphorus and water it's not a good way to judge. Chandler's tasted great when I grew them without the excess fertilizer and water. They still got decent sized too.

I almost added Sweet Charlie to my "Dislike" list. For me it was anything but sweet. But then again I only grew about 6 plants. Tough to say either way. So they were left out.

Strawberries here(coastal, cool weather) are grown as annuals and perennials(whatever you prefer). It's best to plant them in the fall and grow them for 2 or 3 years before planting new. In my setting, I grew them from fall to fall. So I guess that would be considered annual. I did leave the healthy ones keep going until they got diseased(hard to grow strawberries for more than 2 years for me). They do really like our winters though. It's the spring you have to watch out for(disease).

If you want giant strawberries, feed them with what our farmers do, it's something like 18-50-18. IMO, that's toxic! For me, I used to give them an organic 4-5-3. Tasted better and grew a few giant strawberries as well.

Odd me, I want flavor as well as sweet.

We have Rainier and Seascape strawberries which were planted several years ago and have about exhausted themselves. Rainier has been more productive and was rather sweet; what we got of Seascape was good, too. I did a search for Fairfax after reading this thread but couldn't find anyone selling it. On Plantfiles it's described as being not very vigorous or productive and a bit hard to grow, though. We are looking for some more strawberries for next year, so I was interested.

Rosa Linda’s, Sweet Charlie’s are the Sweetest I know of and they are from Dover, Fl. Berry Best Farms. ;>)

Sgt. Yates - when I lived in Tennessee a local farmer grew and sold Tennessee Beauty strawberries, and I seem to remember they were sweet. How would you compare them to Sweet Charlie?

The Sweet Charlie is the Master Berry In the Strawberry Association for Sweetness there is none any sweeter I promise you . hard to believe I know but very true.

I think sweetness and flavor has a lot to do with growing conditions also.. in wet springs, I've noticed the flavor almost washes out of some berries, even those that have been delicious in other years. Sometimes, cutting them up and adding just a little sugar, maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, can make all the difference in flavor.

My very, very favorite variety (other than the tiny alpines) for sweet flavor is definitely the 'Mara de Bois' strawberry that a friend shared with me a couple of years ago. They're hard to find, but worth the effort... not a huge berry, but the flavor and sweetness are intense! I have a basket of them that provides occasional delicious snacks all summer long.

Not pushen The Sweet Charlie it has sweetness and flavor and taste . its very unique and not hard to grow it will Survive in most conditions and in most areas .

Jill, I was looking for Mara de Bois strawberries but it's hard to find them. Of course, no strawberries seem available right around this time, anyway.

Sarg, I'll be on the lookout for Sweet Charlie plants next spring!

Where did you get your Mara des Bois strawberries, though? I've found some sources for Sweet Charlie but the only one that has them for fall planting got a poor review in Garden Watchdog.

Sweet Charlie are based out of Dover FL and Berry Best Farms Inc. Dont Know Why they Got a bad rep by the Watch dogs ? Marven Brown Is the Creator of the Plant And world Known for the Rain Bird System and Hydro groth system that the Berry Farmers use in Florida today

I got some runners from a friend, and I think her plants were $$ ones from White Flower Farms.

here is a few sites that will help you make yp your own mind about the Sweet Charlie & Rosa Linda’s it's what the Co. was buils on .

http://local.yahoo.com/info-14434643-favorite-farms-incorporated-dover

http://www.nasga.org/members/usa/favorite_farms.htm

http://www.favoritefarms.net/

hope this will help .

The Sarg

critterrologist, I purchased some alpine seeds to grow here in my home garden but for some reason they prefer cooler weather and wont grow very well where I live so I decided to give the seeds to my mother in law in Michigan, she started them a few months ago and is now transplanting them in her garden, I guess I'll have to wait for her to let me know what she thinks about them. Mara des Bois look promising, do they produce a good amount of berries for you? Will they grow well in the hot humid south?

My Mara de Bois would probably produce better in the ground than in their crowded basket, but they give me an occasional treat. They survive our MD heat/humidity, but I have not grown them anywhere but here... my experience is limited other than recommending them for flavor. The folks at White Flower Farm might be able to give you advice..

I finnd that strawberries vary some from plant to plant in the same patch. Most varieties will produce some really good tasters, but some varieties will "average" out better than others.

I have tried many varieties even the above mentioned Sequoia and Seascape plus Sparkle which is an offspring of the vaunted Fairfax. I reckon that there is a reason that Fairfax is no longer available!! Anyway, there are some pretty good varieties for here in the Midwest....Earlyglow, Jewel, Winona, and Mesabi. I have almost given up on the perfect strawberry as I think it is kind of an illusion.

Now the perfect watermelon and cantaloupe is something else.

I'm a bit confused -- Sarge, your post to my question agreed with my disappointment about Sweet Charlie being sweet. Did I read that wrong? Later you claim they are the sweetest. Please clarify or tell me I'm reading things a bit off.

I searched the net thinking maybe there is a trick to getting berries sweeter. This is what I found:


Why are some strawberry fruit sweet and what makes strawberries taste sour? While some varieties are simply sweeter-tasting than others, most causes of sour strawberries can be attributed to less than ideal growing conditions.

Growing Sweet Strawberries
If your strawberries aren’t sweet, look at your current soil conditions. Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil.

Planting strawberries in raised beds is also a good idea, as this (along with adequate soil) ensures for better drainage. Raised beds are also easier to maintain.

Another important factor when growing this fruit is location. Beds should be located where they receive at least eight hours of sunlight, which is essential for producing sweet strawberries.


In addition, be sure your strawberry plants have adequate space to grow. There should be at least 12 inches between plants. Overcrowded plants are more prone to produce smaller yields of sour strawberries.

Additional Care for Sweet Strawberries
Plant your strawberry beds in fall rather than spring to ensure plants have enough time to establish good root systems. Mulch plants with straw to help insulate your growing strawberries. In cold regions prone to harsh winters, additional protection may be needed.

If you want to ensure a strawberry crop each year, you may want to consider maintaining two separate beds – one bed for fruit bearing, the other for the following season’s plants. Beds should also be rotated to prevent vulnerability to diseases, another cause for sour strawberries.

Generally, you shouldn’t allow strawberry plants to set fruit within the first year. Pick off blooms as they appear to force more energy into producing stronger daughter plants. These are the ones that will yield sweet-tasting strawberries. You’ll also want to keep about 4-5 daughter plants (runners) to each mother plant, so clip away the rest.


As for myself. . . I planted in the fall, in raised beds, filled with sand and miracle grow compost in full sun and set plants 12" apart. Wopndering where I went wrong or how I can improve things. I do not know the ph, will check that next. So, so many variables.

Thanks gretagreenthumb for posting this, I will have to check my PH as well and make sure it is good. I also did not know that you are suppose to pinch the flowers the first year, I did that with my blueberries but not my strawberries.

gretagreenthumb,


I am by no means a berry grower eater yes! lover yes! have Knowledge of this grower and producer that made a billion dollar company out of these two berry plants and the type of growing conditions you are speaking of yes MR Brown built his Company from the ground up with a patch no bigger than the garden that i till today as my very garden for veggies for his berry patch and moved on to a berry farm. his concept was simple found money was made money! earned money was saved money . the company grew as he could do so .i think our post crossed while we posted them . sorry

i did post a few links to their site to help with any questions about them and was not going to stir up a fight over a berry it's not that meaningful to me just trying to be helpful im too old and my brain misfires enough with out givenit more reasons to get in a missfire mode .. sorry for the mix up folks .

The Sarg is Bowing out of this one

Oh, Sarge, I was not offended -- just confused! Please don't take it wrong. I really appreciate all the information you provided. You are a gold mine of information concerning this yumnny berry and I just wanted to make sure I understood. . . so I could grow the best and the sweetest berry possible. Thanks for your input.

To Gretagreenthumb & the Rest of you no offence taken ;>) i'm still Happy on here and still swimming throught the sea of threads . Dreams and Hopes are not crushed or Accomplished Overnight or Are They? ~;{0)

Exchanges of ideas and opinions are what sites like this are all about! I love the respect and courtesy DGers give one another. When you start talking "favorites" everybody will have a different opinion whether it's strawberries or tomatoes... taste is subjective, but also growing conditions can make a big difference. For me, with strawberries, sweet is fine but I'd rather have a tart berry with big flavor than a sweet one that doesn't taste much of strawberry... I figure I can always add sugar!

:-)

your right critter

I bought seveal of these Mara des bois plants as bare roots which I have put into the ground this past week (in Rockville, MD). Does anyone know whether I can expect any fruit this year?

It might depend on the age of the plants, but when I buy strawberry plants we generally get fruit the first year (as opposed to starting from seed, which usually means fruit the second year). You're going to love them!

I was intrigued by the discussion about Mara des bois strawberries but didn't know where I could find them to taste them myself. We were in France this fall, and what should I see at the market but this! So I bought some and they were just wonderful. I found plants and ordered them for this spring, and I'm waiting for them to arrive. I got Cabot as well; they looked pretty good too.

I remember the strawberries at the markets in France made me understand why strawberry candy has that flavor - that's what strawberries are supposed to taste like! I've been trying to get maras des bois and gariguettes ever since! I can't find any source for gariguettes in the US, but I guess maras are superior overall anyway.

I've never had gariguettes but those Mara des bois were super. Where did you taste them? When we lived in Washington State I used to find the tiny wild strawberries, and I have some growing by the house now - just enough for an occasional treat if my granddaughter doesn't get to them first! I bought my Mara des bois from Nourse Farms, if you're interested.