Strawberry Varieties for Michigan

Horticultural Extension Bulletin

Revision of E-839

STRAWBERRY VARIETIES FOR MICHIGAN

by
strwicon.gif (1455 bytes) Eric Hanson and Jim Hancock
Michigan State University
Department of Horticulture

Selecting adapted strawberry varieties is one of the most important production decisions. Yields and berry quality are influenced by how plants are grown, but are limited by the inherent characteristics of the variety and how well it is adapted to local conditions.

New strawberry varieties released regularly from breeding programs throughout the United States and Canada give growers many possible choices. Nearly all strawberry varieties that have been successful in Michigan have originated from breeding programs in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, where the climate is similar to that in Michigan. Varieties developed in southern states or on the west coast have generally performed poorly in Michigan.

New varieties and selections should be placed in trials for several years before they are grown widely in Michigan. Trials conducted at various locations in Michigan and surrounding states provide an opportunity to observe and compare new varieties with standard commercial varieties. Varieties that perform well in these trials are first recommended for commercial use on a limited basis. If they perform well for producers for several years, they are recommended for commercial use.

Types of Strawberries

There are three major classes of strawberries: 1) June-bearer or short-day; 2) Everbearer; and 3) Day-neutral. The principle difference between these types is the daylength conditions that stimulate flower bud formation. June-bearers initiate their flowers buds in the fall when days are relatively short and bear the following spring. Everbearers initiate flowers and fruits under the long days of summer. Day-neutrals can initiate flower buds under any daylength. In Michigan, everbearers and day-neutral plants appear to have similar fruiting habits in the field, although the day-neutrals are usually more reliable producers.

Choosing Varieties

Recommended varieties are grouped by these harvest seasons: early season; midseason; late season; everbearing and day-neutral. Early varieties are harvested one to two weeks earlier than late varieties. Growing varieties that ripen at different times can provide a longer picking season. Some characteristics of most varieties currently available through nurseries are summarized in Table 1. The susceptibility of varieties to various diseases are summarized in Table 2.

Early Season

Annapolis is more productive than Earliglow, but not as high yielding as Honeoye. Berries are large and light red but somewhat soft with a mild flavor. Annapolis is suitable for freezing and fresh uses.

Earliglow is an older standard early variety. Berries are attractive with color throughout but small and their size decreases rapidly as the season advances. The primary strength of Earliglow is the exceptional flavor. It makes excellant jam and freezes well. Plants are vigorous and resistant to red stele and Verticillium wilt.

Honeoye is the most productive early season variety. Berries are large with an attractive, bright red, glossy finish, moderate firmness and a good, but slightly acid flavor. Harvest is usually 1-2 days later than Earliglow. Fruit ship and freeze well. Plants are very hardy but susceptible to red stele and Verticillium wilt. An off flavor can develop under high temperatures.

One early variety recommended for trial is Chambly. Chambly was a productive variety that produces attractive, medium sized berries in preliminary tests. The berry has a darker red exterior. The cap pulls off easily, so Chambly may be suited for processing.

Two other varieties worth trial are Mohawk and Northeaster. Both varieties have high quality, large, firm fruit with good to excellant flavor. They have yielded well in preliminary trials in Michigan, but their fruit quality probably warrants further examination.

Midseason

Redchief is an important all-purpose variety in Michigan. Advantages include very attractive medium to large fruit that are firm, uniformly shaped and bright red. Berries are very attractive and flavorful as a fresh or frozen product. However, plants are only moderately vigorous and do not product many runners. Berries are also difficult to cap and some berries occasionally split.

Kent originated in Nova Scotia, and is a popular, late midseason variety. Kent produces very high yields of large fruit with a mild flavor. Berries are somewhat soft and do not cap easily. Exterior color is deep red and berries can become too dark if picking is delayed. Kent has some resistance to leaf scorch, but is susceptible to root disease.

Glooscap is recommended because it is extremely productive and hardy. Berries are a darker red, and may appear over-ripe if picking is delayed. They have moderate firmness and a mild flavor. Caps are relatively easy to remove.

Two new varieties that show enough promise to recommend for trial are Cavandish and Delmarvel. Cavandish appears very productive and hardy, with very large, firm, and flavorful fruit. Cavandish fruit may bruise easily and ripen or color irregularly. Delmarvel appears moderately productive, with moderate sized, very firm fruit that have excellant flavor. Both varieties are resistant to red stele root rot.

Late Season

Allstar is popular in Michigan because of it produces high yields and very large fruit. Berries are an elongated cone- or wedge-shape and firm. Some growers complain about the light red exterior and light pink to white interior color. Plants are vigorous and resistant to red stele, but are only partly resistant to leaf diseases and Verticillium wilt.

Jewel is a productive late variety that has outstanding fruit quality. Berries are large, firm, attractive, and flavorful. Jewel berries freeze well and also have a relatively long shelf-life. Plants are vigorous but susceptible to red stele and verticillium root diseases.

Bounty has some potential as a late-season variety and is relatively high yielding in Michigan. Berries are medium to large, relatively firm and dark red. Flavor is mild. Plants are vigorous and hardy, but are susceptible to red stele and Verticillium wilt.

Two additional late varieties worthy of trial are Seneca and Latestar. Latestar appears productive, with very large, attractive berries. Latestar plants are hardy, vigorous, and red stele resistant. Seneca produced high yields of medium to large berries in an East Lansing trial. Fruit were attractive and flavorful. Seneca is susceptible to red stele.

Another new release, Winona, may also be worthy of trial based on extreme cold hardiness and good fruit quality, but data in Michigan is limited.

Everbearers

A number of day-neutrals have been released in the last few years, mostly out of California. Information on their performance in Michigan is sparse but research in Minnesota, New York and Ontario, Canada, has provided some indication of how they might perform in Michigan. Overall, the USDA-Beltsville varieties Tribute and Tristar have been the most popular among growers, but many of the California cultivars including Hecker, Fern and Selva have performed well in research trials. A newly released variety, Evita from Scotland, is also worthy of trial, although very little information exists on it's performance in the Midwest. In general, Tribute and Tristar are the most flavorful of the available day-neutrals, but they produce only modest yields of medium-to-large fruit. In fact, all of the day-neutral cultivars are sensitive to high temperatures, with limited numbers of small, soft fruit being produced in the hot months of summer.

Obtaining Strawberry Plants

Always purchase plants from a reliable nursery that is licensed with the state. Most states regularly inspect the nursery stock from licensed nurseries for visible evidence of diseases. Some nurseries offer virus-test plants that are tested for specific virus diseases. Virus-tested plants are more desirable, but may be more expensive that non-tested plants.

Nurseries may offer conventionally propagated plants or plants derived from tissue culture. Tissue-cultured plants are sometimes more vigorous when placed in the field and may be preferred if prices are comparable.

Order plants early--popular varieties are often sold out. When ordering, specify when plants should be shipped so you have them in hand for early planting.

If plants arrive too early to plant, you may store them for several days in a refrigerated area at 30 to 40?F. Wrap the roots loosely in plastic to prevent them from drying out while in storage. Do not store plants with apples or other potential sources of ethylene gas.

If a refrigerated area is not available for storage, plants my be heeled into the ground in a well drained area protected from direct sum and wind. Dig a V-shaped trench deep enough to accommodate the roots dn space the bundles of plants in the trench. Spread the roots and pack soil firmly around roots up to the level of the crown (do not cover the crown).

Determining Plants per Acre

Strawberries are commonly planted 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. The number of plants required per acre at these common spacing is given in Table 3.

Table 1. Fruit characteristics of strawberry varieties observed in Michigan
Variety	Season	Yield	Size	Firmness	Dessert Quality	Processing Quality
Allstar	Midseason	Medium to High	Large	Medium	Good	Fair
Annapolis	Early	Medium to High	Medium to Large	Very Firm	Good	Very Good
Bounty	Late	High	Large	Medium	Good	Good
Cardinal	Midseason	Low	Large	Firm	Fair	Good
Cavendish	Midseason	High	Large	Firm	Good	Fair
Chambly	Early	Medium to High	Medium	Medium	Good	Good
Chandler	Everbearer	Medium	Very Large	Firm	Very Good	Good
Delmarvel	Early-mid	Medium	Medium	Very Firm	Very Good	Good
Earliglow	Early	Low	Medium to Large	Firm	Very Good	Very Good
Fern	Everbearer	Medium to High	Medium	Very Firm	Good	Good
Glooscap	Midseason	High	Large	Firm	Very Good	Good
Governor Simcoe	Midseason	Medium	Large	Very Firm	Very Good	Very Good
Guardian	Midseason	Medium to High	Large	Firm	Good	Fair
Hecker	Everbearer	High	Medium	Firm	Fair	Fair
Honeoye	Midseason	High	Medium	Medium	Good	Good
Jewel	Midseason	Medium to High	Large	Firm	Good	Unknown
Kent	Late	High	Large	Medium	Good	Unknown
Lateglow	Late	Medium	Medium to Large	Very Firm	Very Good	Very Good
Latestar	Late	Medium to High	Large	Firm	Good	Fair
Lester	Midseason	Medium	Medium	Firm	Very Good	Good
Midway	Midseason	Medium to High	Medium	Firm	Fair	Very Good
Micmac	Midseason	Medium	Large	Firm	Good	Good
Mohawk	Early	Medium	Small to Medium	Firm	Good	Fair
Northeaster	Early	Low to Medium	Large	Firm	Fair	Fair
Ozark Beauty	Everbearer	Low to Medium	Medium	Medium	Very Good	Good
Primetime	Midseason	Medium to High	Large	Medium	Good	Fair
Raritan	Midseason	Medium	Medium	Firm	Fair	Fair
Redchief	Midseason	Medium	Medium	Firm	Good	Very Good
Scott	Midseason	Medium	Medium to Large	Medium	Fair	Unknown
Selva	Everbearer	Low to Medium	Very Large	Very Firm	Fair	Fair
Seneca	Late	High	Medium	Very Firm	Good	Good
Startyme	Late	Medium	Medium	Medium	Fair	Good
Surecrop	Midseason	Low	Medium	Firm	Good	Good
Tribute	Everbearer	High	Medium to Large	Firm	Good	Good
Tristar	Everbearer	Medium	Small to Medium	Firm	Very Good	Good
Winona	Late	Medium	Large	Firm	Good

Table 2. Relative disease tolerances of strawberry varieties.
Variety	Red Stele	Vert. Wilt	Gray Mold	Leaf blight	Leaf Scorch	Leaf Spot	Powdery Mildew	Other
Allstar	R	T-R	T		S-T	R	S-T	Black root rot: S
Annapolis	T-R	S-T	S		S-R	S - R	S
Bounty	S	VS			T	T
Cavandish	R	T-R	S		R	R	S-T
Chambly			T	T	S-R	S-R	T
Delmarvel	R			T	T	T		Anthracnose: R Fruit rots: T
Earliglow	R	T-R	R	R	T-R	S-R	T	Black root rot: R
Glooscap	S	S		S-T	S-T	S-T	S-T
Gov. Simcoe	S	T			T		VS
Guardian	R	T-R			R	S
Honeoye	S	S	T		R	S-R	S-R	Black root rot: S
Idea	T							Anthracnose: T
Jewel	S	S	T		T-R	T-R	T
Kent	S	S	S		S-T	S-T	T
Lateglow	R	R	T	S	S-T	S-T	T	Anthracnose: S
Latestar	R	R		S	S-R	S-R	T	Fruit rots: T
Lester	R	S-R		T	S-R	S-R	T-R	Anthranose: S Fruit rots: T
Midway	R	S-T	T		S	VS	T	Black root rot: R
Mohawk	R	R		T	T	T	T
Nor'Easter	R	R			S-R	S-R	S
Oka					T	S	T
Primetime	R	R			T	T	T	Fruit rots: T
Redchief	R	T-R	S		R	S-R	S-R
Scotland		T			R	T	S
Scott	R	T-R			R	S-R	R
Selkirk		S			S	T	VS
Seneca	S	S			R	R		Black root rot: VS
Settler	S	T			T		T
St. Williams		T			R	R	T-R
Startyme	S	S		T	T	T
Winona	R			T	T	T		Black root rot: T

Codes: VR= very resistant, R=resistant, T=tolerant, S=susceptible, VS=very susceptible.
Information Sources: Fruit Berry and Nut Inventory, (K. Whealy. ed.) 1989;
Compendium of Strawberry Diseases, (J. Maas, ed.) 1984;
IPM for Strawberries in the Northeastern U.S. (D. Cooley and S. Schloemann, eds.) U. Mass Extension Bull. C211.;
Field Resistance of 20 Strawberry Cultivars to Black Root Rot, Fruit Varieties Journal 49:94-98.;
Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook. 1997. (R. C. Funt, M.A. Ellis and C. Welty, eds.). Ohio State Univ. Extension Bull. 861. Cultivar release notices.

Table 3. Number of plants needed to plant an acre at various spacings
Plant spacing (feet)
In row	Between rows	Plants per acre*
1 ½	3	9,680
1 ½	3 ½	8,296
1 ½	4	7,260
2	3	7,260
2	3 ½	6,223
2	4	5,445
2 ½	3	5,810
2 ½	3 ½	4,980
2 ½	4	4,356
*Can be calculated by multiplying plant spacing in the row by spacing between the row and dividing into 43,560 (square feet per acre).

MSU is an Affirmative-Action/Equal-Opportunity Institution. Extension programs and materials are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or religion.
Issued in furtherance of Extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Arlen Leholm, Director, Michigan State University Extension, E. Lansing, MI 48824.
This information is for educational purposes only.
References to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. This information becomes public property upon publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise a commercial product or company.
Major revision, destroy previous editions-3:98-2.5M-KMF/FP. Price 75 cents, FILE 26.34 (Fruit Commercial)

Many MSU Extension data bases are available on CD-ROM or in other formats. For more information about this data base please contact cook@msue.msu.edu

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Created: May 1, 1998 Modified: April 19, 2000

Created: May 1, 1998
Modified: April 19, 2000