Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi i got 2 different types of strawerry plants everest and pegasus i have them in a poly tunnel. there on there first year and cropping very well with large fruit. only thing is im not that impressed with the taste of these 2 varieties they dont taste all that sweet. put it this way the ones in the supermarket taste better. perhaps there is something im doing wrong? Im feeding them about once a week.

where can i purchase other different varieties of seed and if anyone knows of better varieties i should be using instead?


thanks in advance!!

I once read an article quoting tests done by commercial growers, on plants given the appropriate nutrients. If I remember correctly (and don't rely on it ! ) supposedly it is the combination of water and sunlight and temperature that makes all the difference to the levels of juiciness and sugars in the fruit. The wrong ratio of too much moisture and heat and not enough sun gives tasteless fruit. Not enough of either heat/moisture gives an acid taste until there has been enough sunlight; in effect, the amount of hours at a certain temperature tells the fruit it is ready and it stops developing, but the sunlight "ripens" the sugars and makes it sweet.
So I suppose it is very much down to having a good summer, but keeping them warm must help or else why would they grow them in polytunnels.

there deff warm enough. and i think we have had more sun this last month during the last couple years. everything looks perfect on them. growing well lots of large fruits but a bit tastless.

Maybe it's the climate, or just a bad season. Some varieties of fruit can perform much better in some parts of the country.
I have some Pegasus and they're probably the sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted - and that's compared to several other varieties that I also grow.
My area is generally hot, dry, sunny.

I don't grow those 2 varieties so can't comment on their taste qualities. But in general strawberries need plenty of sun and should not be picked before they're fully coloured. You shouldn't need to feed once a week. Too much nitrogen in the soil will produce large foliage and bland tasting fruit. The best feed is sulphate of potash forked in during March, and a more balanced general NPK feed once fruiting has finished, and that's it. Also some varieties naturally have more flavour than others anyway.

last week my strawbs tasted of nothing, this week (in the hot sun) they are delicious.
PS. I don't water or feed them... they are on lotty fending for themselves

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