Researchers are working together to develop a day-neutral plant tailored to the climate that can produce berries from late May to early October, raising the possibility of edging out California’s dominance
by MARY BAXTER
It takes 60 days and plenty of water to get strawberries from new stock or plants that have toughed out the winter. And when harvest arrives here in Ontario, it’s breathtakingly brief – just four to six weeks.
To expand their season, some growers turn to day-neutral strawberries. Developed in California, this type can produce berries, in Ontario, from late May to early October in a good year. Response to temperature rather than light is the key to lengthened production.