Its strawberry season in Ohio. The plump, red fruit is the star of late spring and early summer and can be found at farmers markets, roadside produce stands, pick-your-own farms and even some local grocery stores.
Technically not a berry, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and is the cousin of the apple and the pear. Rich in vitamin C and filled with phytochemicals, the strawberry should be included in a healthy diet.
Americans love strawberries and this has led to a year-round demand. California produces most of the strawberries we buy 11 months out of the year when local varieties are not available. When their season ends, youll find strawberries from Chile available.
Strawberries typically found in grocery stores are bred to be able to endure long periods in the back of a refrigerated truck and rough handling. According to the EPA, California Strawberry Commission and the USDA Agricultural Research Facility in Fresno, Calif., most California and Chilean strawberries are grown in soil treated with methyl bromide, a toxic pesticide that also depletes ozone in Earths atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency is slowly phasing out the use of methyl bromide, but these things take time.
You can avoid this toxic pesticide by purchasing locally produced, certified organic berries or by growing your own. Strawberries are easy to grow and can be preserved through freezing, canning, drying or made into tasty jams and jellies that can be enjoyed year-round.
The best time to plant strawberries in your home garden is early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. It is too late to do so this season, but in the fall you can at least prepare a bed for them. Next spring you will simply have to wait until the ground has thawed and dried out a bit before you put your plants in the prepared bed.
Home gardeners generally choose June-bearing or day-neutral strawberries. June-bearing varieties obviously come ripe in June and will continue to produce fruit for several weeks. Day-neutral varieties will produce fruit all summer long until the first frost.
When planting June-bearing varieties, it will take a season before any fruit can be harvested. Like most things worth having, patience is necessary when cultivating the goodness of homegrown strawberries. Day-neutral varieties will produce fruit the first season they are planted but are not as sweet or as large as the June-bearing varieties.
All strawberries like well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. Strawberries can be grown in raised beds, a traditional garden and even in containers. Day-neutral varieties are best for containers because they dont produce as many runners as the June-bearing varieties.
Strawberries prefer full sun, which means at least six full hours of direct sun each day. In shadier conditions they will not thrive. Strawberries need about an inch of water each week to produce fruit worth harvesting.
Strawberry plants are sold as bare-root plants, which is the most cost effective way to purchase them. They are also sold potted. Local garden centers and nurseries sell several varieties of strawberry plants in early spring and they are available through mail order companies that ship them when planting time begins in your region.
Although strawberry planting time has passed, the home gardener is always thinking ahead to the next season. If you would like to grow strawberries next year now is an excellent time to talk to farmers or gardeners that can share their successes and failures with you regarding their strawberry growing experiences.
You can support local farmers and producers by purchasing their strawberries. You will find the local strawberries to be more expensive than those grown far away, but keep in mind you are benefiting the local economy rather than that of a state 3,000 miles away.
