As fast fruit manufacturers requiring minimum room, strawberries are excellent for home gardens. This berry favorite has many culinary uses and a high vitamin C content. Studies by John Reganold of Washington State University have discovered that organically grown strawberries offer you several advantages, such as fewer pesticides used, much healthier land, 10 percent more vitamin C and greater antioxidant levels and, in some instances, better taste compared to chemically grown strawberries. Variety selection is vital to successful organic strawberry production.
Disease-Free Certification
When selecting strawberry varieties to grow organically, the first step is to be certain you plant certified disease-free stock. This certification helps to ensure that young strawberry crops are free of any potentially threatening insect or disease pests and confirms their cultivar. By planting certified disease-free strawberries, threat of future pest problems is reduced. When purchasing disease-free varieties, gardeners should request that sellers offer certification tags for evidence of authenticity.
Disease Resistant
Like many fruit and vegetable crops, strawberries can suffer from plant diseases and other pest infestations, which in traditional non-organic agriculture have been prevented and treated using manufactured chemical solutions. Growing disease-resistant strawberries lessens the risk of the difficulties in your natural strawberry patch. As an instance, that the “Sequioa” strawberry, known for its large fruit and excellent flavor, is immune to the typical Verticillium wilt, as are “Earliglow,” “Guardian,” “Surecrop” and “Tribute.” Red stele is just another serious fungal problem that afflicts strawberries and immune varieties include “Midway,” “Redchief,” “Delite” and “Lateglow.” A few leaf spot and leaf scorch resistant varieties are “Albritten,” “Allstar,” “Atlas,” “Hood” and “Jewel.”
Flavor
Organic growers shouldn’t miss strawberry varieties also renowned for their great flavor. The “Douglas” cultivar produces large tasty fruit, as does the “Pajaro” variety. The medium-sized “Irvine” and bigger “Camarosa” varieties both have received excellent ratings due to their taste. “Chandler” is the conventional amount grown in California — America’s largest strawberry producer — and produces incredibly well-flavored fruit. The “Honeoye” variety has a distinctive flavor, which a few strawberry enthusiasts love but others find less enjoyable. Other cultivars receiving high marks for taste include “Earliglow” and “Jewel.”
Neighborhood
Selecting local strawberry varieties that are either native or adapted for cultivation in your area is important for growing your own organic produce. These varieties will already have a level of resistance to diseases common in your area, which decreases the need for pesticide use and typically makes strawberry crops easier to take care of. To ascertain the strawberry varieties best adapted for your individual area, consult experts in the local nursery or extension workplace to get their recommendations.