Sunday, October 16, 2022

Nuclear strawberries

Last spring, I ordered a variety of ever-bearing strawberries called Fort Laramie.

I had no previous experience with this variety, but it seemed like a good overall match for our area. The website's description was as follows: "Super-sturdy strain thrives in all parts of the country; withstands the worst winters without mulch. Produces a fair amount of runners and huge crops of bright red berries bursting with juice. Honey-sweet flavor is excellent fresh and for processing. Self-pollinating. Zones 3-7."

I potted these berries in April, and planted them in June. They've done extremely well, and I've been able to harvest strawberries all summer.

Well I tell ya, here it is mid-October, and they're still producing flowers, green fruit, and mature berries. Nuclear strawberries, baby!

These aren't wimpy leathery late-season yucky berries, either; but full-bodied sweets. Granted, it helps that we haven't had the first freeze of the year yet; but wow, I'm impressed.

And more are coming! They've slowed down a bit in their production, but they're still producing flowers.

Every few days, I pick a bowl-full.

On October 10, I went out to do a bit of maintenance. Lots of flowers still.

The plants had sent out tons of runners, something I'll take advantage of next spring, since I want to plant two more beds.


But for now, it was time to clean them up. Using scissors, I went around and snipped all the runners off.

Of course, some runners had started rooting themselves into the gravel. Those with the best root systems, I planted back in the beds.

At the end of my snipping, I had quite a pile of leaves.

The beds looked much tidier.

I deliberately piled the discarded runners outside the fence to give the deer a treat. Sure enough, early the next morning a mama and older fawn found them.

Here's the fawn, who didn't quite know what to make of them.


Mama, however, had no such hesitation, and munched out.

By later in the day, all that was left were the stems.

My nuclear strawberries are still producing, but I know they won't go on forever. We'll enjoy their fruit while we can.

5 comments:

  1. I used to harvest enough strawberries from my community garden to almost pay for the entire year's membership fee.

    Did I miss a post showing you guys building the strawberry beds? I recognize the supports but wanted to know what material you used to 'build' the boxes. I'm eagerly starting to plan my garden space in my new place.
    thx

    SJ now from California

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  2. Have grown these the past two years. Can not believe the amount and size of the berries. Have one thirty foot row and a row of Ozark Beauty, which are no match. Will be taking them out and putting all Fort Laramie. I do keep the runners trimmed all season long. Last year they were still producing when it froze hard.

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  3. Those look wonderful. I would love to plant, but I know our squirrels would polish them off in no time. Maybe I can squirrel proof a pot somehow.

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  4. How many plants did you order?

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    Replies
    1. I ordered three bunches of 25 each, 75 in total.

      - Patrice

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