Rotating Extension Column

By:  Daniel E. Mullins

       Commercial Horticulture Agent

       Santa Rosa County

It’s Strawberry Time!

The long wait for locally grown strawberries is over!  Harvest begins in March and continues into May, but April is the month of heaviest production.  Several growers in the area are now picking and are a source of the freshest berries possible.

            Strawberries are classified as a specialty crop in our area.  As the name implies, they are commercially produced by growers who are willing to concentrate their efforts on a crop that demands special treatment.  The commercial production of strawberries requires knowledge of production techniques and high dollar input.  They are also labor intensive as growers must control insects and diseases, while picking three to four times per week during periods of high production.

            Strawberry production is challenging in Florida because different cultural practices are required.  Further north, they are grown in what is called the “matted bed system.”  There, once plants are established, beds are left undisturbed to produce for three or more years from a single planting.  In Florida, strawberries are grown as an annual due to chronic disease problems that can build up on old plants.

            Growers purchase plants each year for fall planting.  Most are ordered from California and Canada, where they are grown under environmental conditions that are less conducive to disease.  Some strawberry plant nurseries even screen the young plants for viruses during propagation.

            High quality northern or western grown strawberry plants are normally ordered during the summer for delivery and planting from mid-October to mid-November.  Local producers grow their strawberries using black plastic mulch and trickle irrigation.  This is a relatively high – tech system that allows for more precise control of soil moisture and nutrient levels.

            Strawberry varieties are carefully selected for Florida production.  Here day neutral varieties must be used.  Some of the highly advertised and better known varieties would not perform well this far south.  Some of the varieties used in Florida include Camarosa, Sweet Charlie, Oso Grande and Chandler.

            The strawberry is an interesting plant.  The vegetative parts – stems, leaves and growth buds are very cold tolerant.  In fact, fall established plants grow well, even during our coldest winters.  During that time, the grower concentrates on producing a sizeable healthy plant that has the ability to sustain a heavy crop.

            Flowering begins in February and the blossoms are very sensitive to frosts or freezes.  The producer must then decide if the protection of these early flowers can be justified economically.  Though early fruit might bring a higher price, the cost of covering each row or the use of overhead sprinklers is expensive.  Most local growers choose to wait and begin harvest later.

            Once berries begin to ripen and picking begins, work occurs non-stop for a two month period.  Harvesting is done every two or three days, during early morning hours before “field heat” builds up in the fruit.  They are then best sold immediately or held under refrigeration.

            Strawberry lovers should not balk at the price of locally grown fruit.  They are competitively priced and the freshest that you can find.  Also consider the investment that our local growers have made.  Each acre consists of 8,000  to 10,000 plants and the annual cost of production is 10,000 to 12,000 dollars.