Strawberry varieties..

I have the Mara de Bois strawberries and the flavors good but a med-small size.. I want to get some other variety too. I've heard a lot about the musk strawberries (profumata di tortona and capron) and apline strawberries (rugen, mignonette, yellow, and white alpines). Does anyone have experience with these other varieties. I'd like one that's got good flavor but a med to med-large size. Or even large would be nice. Do any of these come in larger sizes??

Feeling a bit lonely here.. Does that mean no one is familiar with these other alpine varieties... Come on... There's got to be some strawberry gurus here...

Hi,

I know very little about alpine strawberries as they don't grow well in the southern heat. However, it does appear that all the varieties have smaller berries than the modern hybrids. Some readily reseed themselves, too. They are apparently much more popular in England and France than in this country.

Here are some links that will maybe help you:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1aff9dd8-0550-11dc-b151-000b5df10621.html

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegetable_gardening/71372

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=STRA

http://gardening-guides.com/fruits/alpine-strawberry-one.php

http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00000632.html

http://www.valleyhomestyle.com/index.php?page=story&id=163

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030100574.html

I've checked a lot of sites too.. They all say that the flavor of the modern hybrids are not as good as the alpine ones.. I want flavor and size.. Flavor first though... I would like a little bit bigger than my little pinky though.. Was just hoping that there was some one out there that new about it...

Hi Icosden, I grow mignonette alpine strawberries. Alpine strawberries are very, very small, much smaller than a regular strawberry. I've read in gardening books that apline strawberries are supposed to be more flavorful than regular strawberries, but for me, that has not been the case. They're cute, but I prefer the regular strawberries. I don't have any strawberries that are particularly large, so I can't really speak to that. Sorry I'm not of more help. I like nourse farms berry descriptions, but they are of course trying to sell them.

http://www.noursefarms.com/Catalog/Category/STRAWBERRIES/ALL_STRAWBERRIE.aspx

Jen, try the Mara de Bois ones.. It's not as big as the commercial ones but it's got better flavor. It's suppose to be a mix of 4 hierloom strawberries.. It's sweet and it's got really good strawberry flavor compared grocery store ones..

Ico---I just found this thread and I will tell you that I have alpine strawberries all over in by flower beds. They reseed like crazy, but they make a good ground cover. They do not have runners. I do not like the taste of the red ones, but the white ones are quite good. Mine are a combo taste of strawberry and pineapple. They are ALL tiny. Way too tiny to use in recipes or canning unless you just love to stoop over for a long time. LOL
I too am looking for a new all around strawberry. I want one that doesn't make tons and tons of runners. I get so tired of cutting those things off. I plan to pull up the present bed and replant next spring. Any suggestions for a really tasty strawberry that does not run so much?
Has anyone tried Rainier?

Ico, Go w/jenhillphoto's suggestion & try www.noursefarms.com - their site has tons of strawberry varitities & they have an excellent site to help you w/ your decision. I live in N Texas & I thought we only got 2 types down here until I went to Nourse's site & got 25 of their "Jewel" variety & didn't have enough room in my garden so I only kept 10 bare roots for myself & now I have close to 100 plants out there now & this is their 1st year(I even let 1 produce a few berries & they were great! Can't wait for next June!). Each plant set off multiple runners (at least 5 per plant) & those set at least 2 rooted plants each & are still setting off more plants. Nourse farms is what I consider to be 1 of the top nursey sites on the web,their prices are great,excellent plants (roots were over 3"long on every plant)great packing & shipping & excellent instructions on how to start & maintain your plants that a 6 yr old could follow & they even thrown in some of their rooting slurry to start the plants. I'm buying blackberries,more strawberries & whatever else I can get to grow down here from them next year. Just wish they did annuals too..LOL then all my DH's money would go to 1 place! Hope that helps w/your desicion.

Guess I should update this thread. I've recieved other varieties from other generous DG member since my posting. Thank everybody for their response and advice.

Jen, since you're in Danbury, would you mind if I join you and Janice (if you're the Jen that Sequee meets up with every so often..)

I'm wondering if you made a specifically-for- strawberries row, maybe raised, using quality sawdust and sand, and were very careful to keep out nitrogen. Would that control the runners? Maybe stake two boards eight inches apart for a raised row, and fill that with rocks and fill dirt(just kidding!)

Some of the delicious wild strawberries in Virginia have sizeble fruit, better than the alpines. One year I found a neglected pasture that was so loaded with wild strawberries that I'd take a five gallon bucket to harvest them. Every step squashed a foot print of berries.I picked the whole stem, with several berries. I ran them through my juicer and made amazing jam. My tongue, lips and fingers were stained red for a couple of weeks there!

OK, good thread, few berries or fruits better than good strawberries!

Hi Icosden, I do live in Danbury and do know sequee on DG, but we've never met in real life. :( Maybe it's another Jen she meets up with. Now i feel left out.

I'd be up for meeting some time though.

Jen