When to plant strawberries in South Florida?

[gunnar429]

Hi, I want to plant some strawberries this year.  Last year, I got them too late, and may have been wrong variety.

Anyone have experience with growing them in zone 10b?

If so:

1.  When do you plant the plugs?

2.  What variety(ies) do you recommend?

[simon_grow]

do you experience freezes? If no, you can plant anytime to let the starts establish roots. If you do experience frost or temps close to freezing, plant in early Spring. The trick is to remove all flowers and small fruit until around May. For June bearing varieties, most sources will recommend removing all fruit the first year to promote strong runners for a great crop the following year but I don't follow this.

It is absolutely true for June bearing varieties that the fruit produced from the strongest runners will produce the best, largest and tastiest fruit the following year.

I highly recommend Mara Des Boise, it is a smoker berry but one of the tastiest. The alpine and musk strawberries are great but they are tiny tiny but pack a super strong strawberry aroma and flavor although they are not juicy. Be prepared to fight aphids and fungal diseases. Albion, Sequoia and Quinalt are all very tasty, because you are in Florida and I assume you have high humidity, I would recommend a disease resistant variety from Florida but try Mara Des Boise, it's amazing! Absolutely my favorite strawberry!
Simon

[cmichael258]

Hi, I want to plant some strawberries this year.  Last year, I got them too late, and may have been wrong variety.

Anyone have experience with growing them in zone 10b?

If so:

1.  When do you plant the plugs?

2.  What variety(ies) do you recommend?

I have never planted strawberries, but love the Camarosa. In the Tampa, Plant City area, they are usually available
earlier than other varieties (January and early February). For some reference:
http://www.smartgardener.com/plants/669-strawberry-camarosa/overview.

Michael

[strkpr00]

http://polkhort.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/publications/Strawberry%20in%20the%20Florida%20Garden.pdf

My dad used to grow   Florida 90   in Davie with great success.

[Rob1977]

Sweet Charlie is another warm zone strawberry that's very productive and large at least in zone 9a/b. I plant here in Oct. If a freeze comes just throw a blanket, sheet, plastic what ever is handy over them and it's all good. I doubt you will get a freeze in 10b. Good luck!!!

[davidgarcia899]

do you experience freezes? If no, you can plant anytime to let the starts establish roots. If you do experience frost or temps close to freezing, plant in early Spring. The trick is to remove all flowers and small fruit until around May. For June bearing varieties, most sources will recommend removing all fruit the first year to promote strong runners for a great crop the following year but I don't follow this.

It is absolutely true for June bearing varieties that the fruit produced from the strongest runners will produce the best, largest and tastiest fruit the following year.

I highly recommend Mara Des Boise, it is a smoker berry but one of the tastiest. The alpine and musk strawberries are great but they are tiny tiny but pack a super strong strawberry aroma and flavor although they are not juicy. Be prepared to fight aphids and fungal diseases. Albion, Sequoia and Quinalt are all very tasty, because you are in Florida and I assume you have high humidity, I would recommend a disease resistant variety from Florida but try Mara Des Boise, it's amazing! Absolutely my favorite strawberry!
Simon

This doesn't apply to our area. Jeff plant like you would all your vegetables, that is at the first chill. So you can plant already.

[Doglips]

What is a smoker berry?
Not familiar with this term.

[gunnar429]

do you experience freezes? If no, you can plant anytime to let the starts establish roots. If you do experience frost or temps close to freezing, plant in early Spring. The trick is to remove all flowers and small fruit until around May. For June bearing varieties, most sources will recommend removing all fruit the first year to promote strong runners for a great crop the following year but I don't follow this.

It is absolutely true for June bearing varieties that the fruit produced from the strongest runners will produce the best, largest and tastiest fruit the following year.

I highly recommend Mara Des Boise, it is a smoker berry but one of the tastiest. The alpine and musk strawberries are great but they are tiny tiny but pack a super strong strawberry aroma and flavor although they are not juicy. Be prepared to fight aphids and fungal diseases. Albion, Sequoia and Quinalt are all very tasty, because you are in Florida and I assume you have high humidity, I would recommend a disease resistant variety from Florida but try Mara Des Boise, it's amazing! Absolutely my favorite strawberry!
Simon

This doesn't apply to our area. Jeff plant like you would all your vegetables, that is at the first chill. So you can plant already.

David, What varieties have you grown?

[davidgarcia899]

I've only grow the ones they sell at home depot. I have never had good luck with them. Birds or bugs always get them before I do.


Anyway, the rule of thumb in SFL is any summer crop up north (by north I mean anywhere north of SFL) is a winter crop in Miami.

I recommend getting a copy of Guide to Florida Fruit and Vegetable gardening. The fruit section isnt very useful, but its the only useful guide to vegetable growing in SFL ive ever found, it recommends planting strawberry crowns in fall, recommends Camerosa, and says the soil needs to be quite acidic, blueberry kinda of soil

[gunnar429]

I've only grow the ones they sell at home depot. I have never had good luck with them. Birds or bugs always get them before I do.


Anyway, the rule of thumb in SFL is any summer crop up north (by north I mean anywhere north of SFL) is a winter crop in Miami.

I recommend getting a copy of Guide to Florida Fruit and Vegetable gardening. The fruit section isnt very useful, but its the only useful guide to vegetable growing in SFL ive ever found, it recommends planting strawberry crowns in fall, recommends Camerosa, and says the soil needs to be quite acidic, blueberry kinda of soil

Thanks, David

[gunnar429]

I am trying my hand at growing some berries this year.  Growing camarosa, sweet charlie, and festival.  Got some from Just Fruits, some from a couple online nurseries, and some from a local coop nursery here in S FL.  One thing I can say is that the starts/plugs from Just Fruits and Exotics were the most expensive, but FAR AND AWAY the largest and already flowering--Leaves are huge on these plugs. 

Will try to report back when all is said and done, and give reviews of the 3 varieties.  I also had about half plugs and half bare-root crowns so will be interesting to see if I got the bare-roots in the ground in time to root/leaf out and fruit before Spring.