Strawberry Popular Fruit
Strawberries are a popular fruit among home gardeners including numerous cultivators that have been selected for consumption and for exhibition purposes. In 2020 the United States had utilized the production of 23,280 hundredweight valued at more than 2,2 billion. Utilized production for fresh market strawberries was estimated at 4,510 tones resulting in the average grower price for fresh strawberries being 106 hundredweight (NASS 2021). Strawberries can be consumed fresh, frozen, or made into preserves, smoothies, desserts, salads, toppings, and fragrant success. According to the USDA report, the average cost of one pound of fresh strawberries is 3 dollars and one pound of frozen strawberries is 3.20 per pound in 2022. The garden strawberry Fragaria is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria collectively known as the cultivated strawberries consumed as delicious fruit. There are three types of strawberries everbearing, June bearing, and day-neutral, each having many varieties in flowering habitats.
One plant producing fruit throughout one growing season may produce 50-60 times or roughly once every three days. All strawberry plants produce runners, the vegetative part of the plant that is capable of producing a new identical plant. The U.S. strawberry industry is primarily located in southern and coastal areas including California Geissler and Horwath. The average strawberry yield was 50,500 pounds per acre in 2017 and ranged from 68,000pounds per acre in California to a low 3,200 in New York NASS 2021 says AgMrc. Due to the relatively fragile nature of the strawberry, approximately 35 percent of the 2,2 billion United States crop was spoiled in 2020. This led to an Idaho company planning to launch gene-edited strawberries in the near future in an effort to make them a more hardy durable variety. In the U.S. it costs growers 35,000 dollars per acre to plant and 35,000 dollars per acre to harvest strawberries now and more durable berries might reduce the rate of spoilage. Strawberries are popular for the home gardener as ground covers strawberries keep a low profile spreading through runners also known as stolons that extend from the original plant base to establish roots in the surrounding soil.
Choose from three strawberry types Juneberining, Everberining, and Alpine to grow your own variety home garden. The Juneberry strawberry produces most of its fruit in June. Individual plants last several seasons but their new runners keep the strawberry patch growing year after year, They are ideal for preserving jams, jellies, or sugar free versions using sugar free pectins like Sure-Jell to give your jams and preserves more body. Everbearing Strawberries such as Seascape and Evie-2 can produce a heavy crop in June followed by summer and fall. Everbearing plants last several seasons but have few runners so be prepared to purchase new strawberry plants when needed. Some varieties grow well in containers Mara Des Bois and Ruby Ann are considered top picks for potted berries. Alpine Strawberries produce small fruit with no runners also referred to as Woodland Strawberries. These are reliable berries that tend to grow well in colder temperatures and need less direct sunlight compared to other types. People enjoy planting a collection of Alpine varieties or opt for a fun pick like the Alpine Yellow Wonder strawberry.
Once you identified the right strawberry plant for your garden select a sunny site full of sun with well-drained loosely sandy soil and easy access to fresh water. Many gardeners take an unconventional route incorporating strawberries right into their landscape as ground cover. Strawberry plants typically are sold in three different forms available at Burpee online or at your local garden center. Bare root plants arrive dormant and look brown and spindly in appearance. All you have to do is give them a little sun, soil, and water and they’re good to go. Starter plants have actively growing foliage and perhaps have a boom or two great for starting a garden. Strawberry seeds can be purchased at Burpee and started indoors then transplant outside when the weather gets warmer. Harvest the strawberries from your garden as soon as you see red juicy berries simply pick them right off the vine. Pull off the berries with a bit of stalk attacked which will help encourage new growth. Strawberries are packed with nutrition that helps protect your heart, increase HDL and good cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and guard against cancer, packed with vitamins, and fiber high in antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free fruit option that can be eaten right off the vine or consumed fresh or frozen.
One fresh cup of fresh strawberries contains 12.75 grams of carbs, 0.5 grams of fat, 1.11 grams of protein, 53 calories per serving. People across the U.S. enjoy picking their own strawberries at a local farm that specializes in producing delicate fruit. Strawberry season is upon us to find a pick your own farm near you at pickyourown.org or find a strawberry festival in 2022 in your area.
Cheers!
Patricia Lynn
Images Courtesy of Silviarita at Pixbay
