Becky Hughes

New Liskeard Agricultural Research Station

Strawberry Plant Types

Junebearing Strawberries

Dayneutral Strawberries

Strawberry Plant Types

June-bearing Varieties Dayneutral Varieties

Set flower buds in the short days of fall

Set flower buds at any daylength in the growing season as long as the temperatures are not too high

Fruit in June or July for 3 weeks Fruit over the whole season

Produce runners after harvest Produce few runners

Traditionally grown on matted beds Grown on raised beds with plastic

Adapted varieties Californian varieties

June-bearing Strawberry Production

• Matted row system – 10-15,000 plants/ha

• Year 1 – establishment

• Harvest 2-3 years• 2-4 week harvest

Recommended June-bearing Cultivars

Pick-your-own and retail

• Annapolis – early

• Jewel – mid-season

PYO

• Cavendish – mid-season

• Honeoye – early mid-season

• Kent – mid-season

New June-bearing Cultivars

• Wendy – early, large fruit, PYO and local markets

• Summer Dawn (V151) – early, productive, retail markets

New June-bearing Cultivars

• Valley Sunset – very late, very large, PYO and local markets

• Summer Rose (R14) – very late, very large, low yields

New June-bearing Cultivars

• Summer Ruby (2V55) – firm, large-fruited, early-mid-season

Information• OMAFRA - website www.omafra.gov.on.ca

• OBGA

• Raised beds

• Polyethylene mulch

• Drip irrigation and fertigation

• 30,000-50,000 plants/ha

Dayneutral Production Systems

Dayneutral Production Systems Research

Ontario• Cedar Springs • New Liskeard • Simcoe

Quebec

Production Systems Research

Growing systems

- high tunnels vs outside

- planting dates, plant types

- plant (crown) size

- planting density

- mulch types

- length of blossom removal

- winter cover systems

Cultivars

New LiskeardNew LiskeardGrowing season - average 110-120

frost-free daysHardiness zone 2-3bAverage daily

temperatures Jun-Aug – 15-18 °CWinter lows < -35°C

Dayneutral Production

• Year 1 – plant in spring, pick Aug-Oct, overwinter

• Year 2 – pick spring harvest and in NL through to Oct

Plant EarlyPlant Early• Plant as early as

possible• Therefore make beds

the year before• Buy a good bed

maker/mulch layer• Larger plants may be

beneficial in cold climates

Rain-Flo Model 2600 bedder/mulch layer

MulchMulch• Affects soil temperature

(depending on color, soil-mulch contact, bed orientation, time of year, light quality)

• Reduces weeds• Keeps fruit clean

MulchMulchMulch Trial 2008-091. Standard black embossed plastic

(0.9 mil thickness) 2. Black-on-white (1.0 mil thickness) 3. Brown (0.85 mil thickness)4. Green (1.0 mil thickness)

5. Silver-on-black (1.0 mil thickness)6. White-on-black (1.0 mil thickness)

MulchMulchConclusions:Use black or black on white

mulches in a cool climate.Do not use white or silver.Put straw between the rows.

In a warmer climate white and silver may be beneficial especially in a high tunnel.

CultivarsCultivarsAlbion Monterey Portola Seascape

Dayneutral Cultivars• Seascape – adapted across the province, high

yields• Albion – later, lower yields but larger berries and

great fruit quality

Have tested a number of others – Portola may have potential in the north

Locations

• SW Ontario harvests more berries the 1st year after planting (they can plant earlier)

• The cool summer weather in New Liskeard results in fruiting over the whole second season

• Higher temperatures in SW Ontario result in earlier spring harvest but no berries mid-summer (too hot)