Fall 2023: Strawberry Varieties and Their Performance

Strawberry Varieties and Their Performance

Varieties will perform differently from grower to grower. Different growing regions, soil types, varying crop and soil management, and the results desired by each grower and their customers can influence variety performance from farm to farm. 

Early-Season

AC Wendy

  • Earliest ripening and earliest flowering of June-bearing varieties. Requires the ability to frost/freeze protect, if necessary.
  • Moderately resistant to red stele; susceptible to Verticillium wilt and leaf spot/scorch.
  • Performs best on lighter soils and in a matted row system.

Annapolis

  • Tough variety that performs in heavier soils and under very cold conditions in the upper Midwest, New England, Ontario and Quebec.
  • Introduced in the 1980s; still a consistent performer.

Galletta

  • In our conditions in Western Mass., we prefer Galletta for an early variety due to its great flavor and ability to hold its size. This season, over seven pickings, yields for Galletta averaged 13,000 pounds per acre for us.
  • Key early plasticulture variety. Easy picking, thanks to the open nature of the plant.
  • Good tolerance to leaf disease and red stele.

Earliglow

  • Considered one of the best-tasting heirloom quality strawberry varieties.
  • Vigorous, easy to grow.
  • The size drops dramatically after initial picking, but has a strong following among PYO customers that maintains its popularity with matted row growers.

Early Mid-Season

Yambu

  • Our top early midseason variety in the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada.
  • Has gained rapid popularity because of its high plant vigor and improved flavor over Honeoye.
  • High yield potential, as our 2023 season average was 22,000+ pounds per acre over 12 pickings.
  • Flavor varies from site to site.

Honeoye

  • Continues to be relevant as it will grow under a wide range of conditions, very winter hardy, and very productive.
  • Despite its varied flavor farm to farm, it processes well, making it attractive for PYO customers.

Brunswick

  • Has a better flavor than Honeoye and fits into many growers’ programs because of its disease package and performance.

Cavendish

  • Best adapted to northern conditions, Cavendish is very productive with good flavor.
  • Cavendish would be a top-selling variety if not for the uneven ripening syndrome under high temperatures.

Mid-Season

Jewel

  • Remains the mid-season variety leader and the top-selling matted row variety due to its consistent performance.
  • Needs extra care at renovation: no Sinbar, cut row width to 12 inches maximum, timely irrigation during renovation re-establishment.

Flavorfest

  • Demand continues to increase because of its disease resistance and its ability to hold berry size.
  • Key mid-season plasticulture variety with an important tolerance to anthracnose.

Allstar

  • A work-horse variety performing under a wide range of conditions, especially heavier soils.
  • Has disease resistance.
  • Customers have grown to accept light color of the fruit.

Sonata

  • A very flavorful variety that requires extra nutrition requirements with magnesium and nitrogen management.
  • Grown under conditions the variety favors, Sonata is highly productive.

Darselect

  • Key mid-season plasticulture variety; one of the most productive here at Nourse Farms.
  • Requires careful management but is highly productive and holds berry size well, reducing harvest loss per flat.
  • Tolerates anthracnose fruit rot better than many varieties.

Late Mid-Season

Cabot

  • The leading variety in the late mid-season category.
  • Large fruit and good flavor.
  • Requires a high level of boron at pollination to reduce the amount of misshaped fruit early in its ripening season.
  • Challenging to grow and does not runner well. Excellent choice on plastic, where runners must be removed throughout the growing season.
  • As it has a soft berry skin, it is not resistant to driving rain events, and berries can split.

Sparkle

  • Like Earliglow, Sparkle is popular with PYO customers as the best berry for jam and freezing.
  • Winter hardy to zone 3, making it a later season option for far north matted row growers.

Dickens

  • This variety has developed interest thanks to its firmness and easy picking habit.
  • Growers have experienced fewer insect issues, possibly due to very pubescent stems.
  • The flavor is good and the productivity is historically excellent. We averaged 13,000 pounds per acre in our own fruit production, but some growers experienced disappointment in their yields this season. 

Late-Season

AC Valley Sunset

  • As the only late variety, AC Valley Sunset is popular for its excellent flavor, size, and plant vigor.
  • Fills the late-season production gap. Maintaining good harvest intervals will help mitigate its soft fruit characteristic.

Malwina

  • We categorize Malwina as a very late variety, typically starting harvest 7–10 days after AC Valley Sunset.
  • It’s one of our most demanded varieties because of its late season and high-quality fruit.

Day-Neutral/Everbearing

Albion

  • One of the top day-neutral varieties with the potential for high yields of large berries.
  • For maximum fruit size, a good watering program, specifically nitrogen, and increased spacing are necessary.
  • Resistant to Verticillium wilt, Phytophthora Crown rot and some resistance to anthracnose crown rot.

Seascape

  • The standard for flavor in commercial day-neutrals, Seascape is a top performer.
  • Berries may start small but quickly increase to a large size while maintaining firmness.

Evie-2

  • Easier to grow, higher yielding, and less sensitive to hot temperatures than other day-neutrals.
  • In our fruiting trial, Evie-2 produced the largest spring crop of any day-neutral variety we have tested to date.

San Andreas

  • One of the largest berries of any day-neutral variety.
  • Consistent yields make it the second variety for many growers.
  • Less flavorful than Albion but easier to produce a crop.

Mara des Bois

  • Once considered only a home garden variety because of its small berry size and yields, the restaurant industry is a captive specialty market for commercial growers due to fruit aroma and flavor.

This article is from the 2023 Fall Commercial Newsletter. 

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