Planting Strawberries – It is important to plant as early as possible in the spring. Snow or light frosts will not hurt the plants. Plants should be planted in rows 12-18 inches wide. Plants should be planted 12-18 inches apart. Set plants with roots straight down.
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Does strawberries grow in Seattle?
Growing Strawberries in the Pacific Northwest — Seattle’s Favorite Garden Store Since 1924 Strawberries are always a popular plant for the home garden because they are delicious and easy to grow in our Pacific Northwest climate. Plus, they can be grown easily in small spaces and in containers. This information sheet provides you with basic advice on planting, care and pruning.
Do strawberries grow in Washington?
These luscious ruby-colored gems embody the gentle, fleeting sweetness of summer. Their season is short, just two to four weeks for most June-bearing varieties. You don’t want to miss it. Pacific Northwest strawberries—delicate, succulent, flavorful, highly perishable—are mostly grown for processing.
The fresh fruit is too fragile to travel far. “Most Pacific Northwest strawberries are not going to stand up to shipping and handling,” says Wendy Hoashi-Erhardt, who directs the small fruit breeding program at Washington State University’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center, “But, as a frozen export, our strawberries are enjoyed all over the world.” Washington state is known, she says, for its “really deeply colored and richly flavored fruit.” But only a small portion of its strawberry crop is sold for fresh use.
So when you find locally grown strawberries at a farm stand or farmers market, snatch them up. They’re best enjoyed the day they are picked—paired with whipped cream, dipped in chocolate, tossed with baby spinach leaves and balsamic vinegar, arranged atop a tart or Pavlova, or puréed into sauces for pancakes, desserts, or a rich and savory entrée.
Strawberry sauce goes great with tangy goat cheese and tender beef steak, the signature dish at Amsterdam’s cozy and popular Van Kerkwijk restaurant. Why not attempt to recreate it at home with WSU Premium Beef and WSU-developed strawberries? Several of the most popular varieties grown today in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia were developed by WSU or are derived from WSU cultivars.
The newest WSU strawberry release, Puget Crimson, debuted 12 years ago. The extra-plump and juicy variety was first cultivated by now-retired WSU strawberry breeder Patrick P. Moore and Hoashi-Erhardt. Moore also developed the Puget Reliance and Puget Summer varieties, respectively released in 1994 and 1998.
- WSU breeds strawberries ( Fragaria x ananassa ) for hardiness, high yields, disease resistance, and characteristics such as firmness and size—along with that aforementioned intense color and flavor.
- These qualities are coveted for use in high-value products such as ice cream, yogurt, jam, and frozen whole-berry mixes.
Most Washington state strawberries are produced in Skagit and Whatcom Counties. But strawberries grow well throughout Western Washington, which offers an “an ideal environment” for growing strawberries, Hoashi-Erhardt says. “Strawberries tend to grow well where temperatures are mild in both winter and summer.” Washington state has a long history of cultivation, dating to the 1830s.
But, during the last 50 years, Hoashi-Erhardt says, “The market has changed a lot. Washington and Oregon used to be major strawberry producers in the US. Starting in the 1970s, California became the dominant player.” Its strawberry yield more than tripled between 1974 and 1994. Today, California grows more than 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries.
Washington grows about 1 percent. Still, strawberries remain a high-value specialty crop in Washington and the Pacific Northwest. In 2018, Washington harvested 8.6 million pounds of fruit valued at nearly $9.2 million. Hoashi-Erhardt is part of a team of regional researchers proposing to study the state of the Pacific Northwest strawberry in an attempt to strengthen the industry following the dissolution of the Washington Strawberry Commission in 2018.
The project includes an economic analysis as well as establishing a grower task force to determine the feasibility of organizing a new association to oversee marketing and set priorities. Strawberries—not true berries, but aggregate accessory fruits—have been part of the breeding program at WSU Puyallup since the early 1940s.
Chester Schwartze (’24, ’35 PhD Hort.), Washington State’s first official strawberry breeder, developed nine varieties before retiring in 1970. In all, WSU has released 13 varieties. Plus, “Lots of important varieties are derived from WSU material,” Hoashi-Erhardt notes, such as Sweet Sunrise, released in 2014 by the USDA in Corvallis, Oregon.
The offspring of WSU’s Puget Reliance, Sweet Sunrise is one of the earliest varieties to ripen. It has high yields, large fruit, and sweet flavor, and is suited for both processing and fresh use. WSU’s focus has historically been on June-bearing perennials. In the 2010s, the program was also developing day-neutral and ever-bearing strawberries, productive from May to October in Washington and well-suited for the fresh market.
US consumption of fresh strawberries has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, up from 4.86 pounds per capita in 2000 to 8.5 in 2020. The demand is there, says Hoashi-Erhardt, the fifth person and first woman to direct WSU’s small fruit breeding program.
She took the helm in 2020. “I personally think strawberries have a special place in Washington as a specialty crop,” she says. “Everyone loves strawberries. And we produce some of the best strawberries in the world.” One of her favorite ways to enjoy them is to simply buy a flat of Puget Crimson and take it to a party.
HOW to PLANT and GROW STRAWBERRIES, plus TIPS for growing strawberries in HOT CLIMATES
Says Hoashi-Erhardt, “They are gone in 15 minutes.”
How do you grow strawberries in Portland?
Culture: Strawberries need full sun and soil that drains well. Use raised mounds when planting in heavy soil. Keep well watered throughout the season (about one inch of water per week); mulch to conserve moisture. Hand weed your berries because they are shallow rooted and do not compete well.
When should I plant strawberries in Washington state?
Planting Strawberries – It is important to plant as early as possible in the spring. Snow or light frosts will not hurt the plants. Plants should be planted in rows 12-18 inches wide. Plants should be planted 12-18 inches apart. Set plants with roots straight down.
What is strawberry season in Washington state?
Berries are synonymous with summer. Ripe, juicy, and delicious, who doesn’t dream of berry shortcake, berry ice cream, fresh berry pie, berry scones, and more. Popular berries in Western Washington include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries,
- June-July is the primary strawberry season around Puget Sound.
- The other types of berries come later, from July into September.
- And don’t forget cranberries, which come later in fall.
- If you don’t get a chance to attend a summer berry festival, you can also find berries for sale throughout summer at a Puget Sound farmers market or go berry picking at a u-pick farm,
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Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries photo by Carole Cancler
Are strawberries in season in Washington?
When is strawberry picking season in Washington? – The strawberry season in Washington is relatively short, lasting only from June to July, However, certain varieties of strawberries are everbearing and last longer, from June to September. To make sure you don’t miss out on Washington’s u-pick strawberries this year, be sure to call the farms you’re considering visiting ahead to ask about expected availability.
What strawberry is native to Washington state?
Fragaria virginiana : Wild Strawberry It is found in drier meadows and open woodlands east of the Cascades, and so can take somewhat harsher conditions than its west-of-the-mountains cousins.
Do strawberries need co2?
Abstract – In protected strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivation, CO 2 enrichment is essential to enhance both fruit quality and yield. Fuel burning generators are commonly used to supply CO 2 to entire commercial greenhouse space. However, methods that are less fuel-based are desired for contemporary agricultural practices.
A new crop-local CO 2 enrichment system using a modified fuel-burning generator has been developed to increase yields and decrease the fuel required for CO 2 enrichment in greenhouse strawberry production. This crop-local CO 2 enrichment (CLC) method directly supplies CO 2 from perforated tubes set in the interrow space of the plant canopy.
The effects of this technique on fruit quality, fruit yield, and fuel use efficiency have been examined in comparison with conventional CO 2 enrichment (CC) practices. The CLC method increased CO 2 concentration inside the plant canopy by 100–200 μmol mol –1 when compared with CC under the ventilating conditions by a roof window.