Don't Make This Mistake: How to Choose the Right Strawberry Type

Garden Betty

The first couple years after I moved to Central Oregon (which felt like a frozen tundra after 15 years of living in Southern California), I experimented with growing strawberries.

I knew there were hardy varieties but I didn’t know exactly which varieties would do best in my new garden, and so… I grew them all.

What I realized after several disappointments was that all strawberries were not equal—and I was often growing the wrong type of strawberry altogether! Here’s what I learned so you can avoid the same mistakes that I made.

Junebearing strawberries

Junebearers (sometimes also called spring-bearers) produce one large crop per year in spring to early summer. This is typically in June (hence the name) but can be as late as July in some areas.

Everbearing strawberries

With everbearing strawberries, you’ll get two crops per year: one in June (give or take a couple weeks), and another in late summer. You can plant everbearers in spring and they’ll produce a late summer harvest the same year they’re planted.

Day-neutral strawberries

Day-neutrals are so-called because they produce flowers and fruits throughout the growing season as long as temperatures stay above 40°F and below 90°F.

Why does the type matter?

It matters most for people who have late spring frosts or very hot summers. If you tend to get late freezes or unpredictable spring weather, you’ll want to avoid Junebearing and everbearing types because you could lose all your flowers to frost.

Remember that with these particular strawberry types, you only get one or two crops per year—so it’s just not worth taking the chance with weather.

Swipe up to read the full post!

Garden Betty