Question:
What are the differences between the different types of strawberries?Answer:
There are basically 3 types of strawberries grown in home gardens. They differ in growth, flowering, and fruiting characteristics.
June-bearing
June-bearers are the most widely planted type of strawberry. June-bearing strawberries develop flower buds in late summer and fall as the day length shortens (nights become longer) and the temperatures cool. The following spring, flowering occurs and the fruit typically ripen in the month of June. The plants are strictly vegetative during the summer months. June-bearing strawberries produce runners during the long days (short nights) and high temperatures of summer.
Excellent June-bearing strawberry varieties for Iowa include:
- ‘Allstar’
- ‘Earliglow’
- ‘Honeoye’
- ‘Jewel’
- ‘Lateglow’
- ‘Surecrop’
Ever-bearing
The second type of strawberry is the everbearing strawberry. Everbearing strawberries produce late spring and late summer/early fall crops with little or no flowering and fruiting during the remainder of the year. Everbearers produce few runners and tend to form several crowns.
Everbearing strawberry varieties that perform well in Iowa include:
- 'Ft. Laramie’
- ‘Ogallala’
- ‘Ozark Beauty’
Day-neutral
Day-neutral strawberries are the third type of strawberry. They are regarded as improved, more productive everbearing-type strawberries. Day-neutral refers to the response of the plants to day length. Day-neutral strawberries are not strongly influenced by day length and may flower and set fruit throughout the summer months. Day-neutral varieties perform best during the cooler periods of the growing season and are not very productive during hot weather.
The best day-neutral strawberry varieties for Iowa are:
- ‘Tribute’
- ‘Tristar’