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kaye_gw

Best strawberries??

kaye
18 years ago

Ron bought a bunch of plants last year and they are looking great..and bearing great..but they are not sweet! Even when ripe, we have to add a lot of sugar and the flavor is blahh. Don't recall the name but he mailordered from Gurney's so it's one they offer.

Please recommend a good replacement since these are going to the compost pile!

Comments (14)

  • gldno1
    18 years ago

    The only ones producing for me right now are Cardinal, they are very good, exceptionally sweet. I eat a few in the garden while picking. My others are more shaded and much later. The cardinals seem a little tough if that is the way to describe them. I am please though, huge berries.

  • Millie_36
    18 years ago

    Kaye, the very best were the old time varities that were red all the way to center and so soft they wouldn't ship at all. Flavor was sacrificed to get a harder shipping berry. I can only remember three...Ardmore, Armore, and Aroma, but I have no idea where to find them these days. I believe the Armore was a cross between Ardmore and Aroma. Have to admit I never cared for the Ozark Beauty berry because I prefer the so-called June bearing berries. I don't care to look for a few berries dribblin' in all season. I want them all at once and get it over with.

  • mogardener
    18 years ago

    Kaye, I vote for Cardinal too. I don't find them hard at all and if you wait until the tip of each berry is completely red, it will be red throughout and very sweet with good flavor. They are great fresh, frozen and processed, even in low sugar jams.

    Even though I'm in central Missouri, my current planting of Cardinal strawberries came from a gentleman who lives out in the Grand Prairie section of Arkansas and raises lots of varieties. He doesn't ship less than 100 plants but some of my neighbors went in on the order with me to qualify. The plants were all good size, healthy and vigorous growers. I'll see if I can find his name for you if you want it--email me as I don't get on the boards regularly. I don't know how late into the season he will ship.

  • mogardener
    18 years ago

    Hi, Kaye. I got your email--thanks for the reminder. I found the information in the first stack of magazines I checked. This is at least 3 years old so good luck. It's Cooley's Strawberry Nursery, P. O. Box 472, Augusta AR 72006. 870-347-2026. I called and left a message on his machine. When he called me back, I asked about the Cardinals, he quoted prices, etc., and I sent him a check. The plants arrived in very good condition and I wouldn't hesitate to do business with him again.

  • flowergirls1
    18 years ago

    Kaye, before you buy, I have the cardinal strawberry plants and you can have all of the starts you want. They are bearing now. as soon as they get done, they will start making runners, and you can have them. Shirley

  • kaye
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Yeah, Shirley..and you forgot to take that L D Braithwaite!

  • flowergirls1
    18 years ago

    I would forget my head if it wasn't attached. It's time for me to redo my strawberry bed anyway. will be glad to give you all the starts you need. My bed has been in about 5 years and they are so thick the inside ones don't get enough light and they don't do much anyway. Just glad to give you something you don't have. Shirley

  • JamesY40
    18 years ago

    My strawberries have been producing small berries and small quantities this year as well. I don't know the name. Does the Cardinal produce larger berries? Good quantities?

    James

  • mogardener
    18 years ago

    James, my Cardinals produce absolutely huge berries at first then smaller as the season progresses. By smaller I mean about 1/2-3/4" across. Some of the ones I picked today were 2" across and so sweet! I always flip the tip of the berry towards me to be sure it's completely red before I pick them to get the best flavor and sweetness.

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    I'm bringing up an old thread.
    I want to order/buy some strawberries and don't know what kind to get so I was searching though the old posts. There are several new members since this one was started and maybe some others have tried new varieties.

  • Violet_Z6
    15 years ago

    For those wanting to grow strawberries in and around the Springfield area, I recommend the following sources for strawberries. They'll sell varieties that do well in this area. They are also within 5 minutes of each other.

    Hummert International
    1851 East Florida Street
    Springfield, Missouri 65803
    800-288-3131
    Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
    February-June & Sept-Oct.: Saturdays 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
    Landscape Design & Turfgrass Management
    Tuesday, July 8th to Wednesday, July 10th, 2008
    Phone No: 417-866-0230

    Hummert International (formerly Springfield Seed)
    1851 East Florida Street
    Springfield, Missouri 65803
    417-866-0230

    Interstate 44 to Glenstone exit. South to E. Florida, turn left. Go half a block on the left.

    Schaffitzel's Flowers & Greenhouse
    1771 E Atlantic St
    Springfield, MO 65803
    417-866-6222 1771

  • jwallen
    11 years ago

    found armoe strawberries through farmers market at bATTLefield mall 42112 big berries on small plants tasted good.. going to try them.. above sounded good but everbearring or june bearing??

  • milehighgirl
    10 years ago

    Reviving a thread. Does anyone have a source for the 3 A's
    (Ardmore, Armore, and Aroma)?

  • clickercricket
    9 years ago

    i found that no matter the type of strawberry you grow, the sweetness wholly depends on your soil prep. after i added my home grown worm castings to the soil, the sweetness improved markedly. i have used tri-star for three years now, since i love having strawberries for fresh eating from spring to fall...the sweetness is just fine (i live in spokane...short growing season, but long hours of daylight). i've transplanted them to another raised bed, adding my worm castings, granulated sulphur (to lower soil pH), and organic bone meal to each planting hole (there is already enough nitrogen from last year's organic blood meal). i also add my own compost, and finally mulch with crushed pine needles. i decided i wanted a june-bearing type too for preserves, so i opted for cavendish...developed in nova scotia. it will be interesting to have 2 types of berries as a taste comparison. just a note..if your strawberries seem bland, try pumping up the soil health first and provide optimum growing conditions before you give up on them (avoid any chemical fertilizers, they negate soil health). overwatering will also make for a bland strawberry.

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