Which Strawberries Should I Grow?

June-Bearing Strawberries
Large spring (May–July) crops

The primary type of strawberry is the June-bearing strawberry. These cultivars are sometimes referred to as short-day strawberries because they initiate flower buds the previous summer/fall as the days become shorter. Commonly grown in perennial matted rows, where runners are encouraged to root within the row each year to establish productive crowns for the following year.

Benton
Mid-season to late – mid June – July

Very vigorous, excellent durability. Fruit is medium size, bright red external color with pale internal color. Caps well, medium to firm, tender skin, poor frozen color and texture, excellent flavor. Medium to high yield. Best fresh.

Hood
Early – Late May -June

Vigorous, poor durability. Sensitive to viruses, but can be used fresh or processed. Medium to large size fruit- bright red internal and external color, easy capping, medium firmness, uneven shape, good processed quality, excellent flavor. Medium yield.

Rainier
Midseason to late – mid June – July

Vigorous, good durability. Medium to large size fruit, bright red internal and external color, poor capping, fair firmness, excellent quality, excellent flavor. Yield – Medium.

Shuksan

Vigorous, good durability. Medium to large size berries. Fruit has a bright red external color, pale red internal color, poor capping, tough skin, variable shape, fair processed quality, very good flavor. Medium yield.

Everbearing Strawberries
Fruit late spring and late summer/early fall

Everbearing strawberries produce late spring and late summer/early fall crops with little or no flowering and fruiting during the remainder of the year.

Fort Laramie
Late spring and early fall fruit

Produce large to very large fruits that are scarlet on the outside and dark pink to scarlet on the inside. Produce blooms, berries, and runners simultaneously and is very cold hardy. Berries have an exceptional aroma and a firm, honey-sweet flesh. Good for fresh eating or processing. Very good choice for growing hydroponic strawberries.

Quinault
Moderate vigor, to fair durability

Medium size fruit, bright red external and internal color, very soft, fair capping, fair flavor. Low to medium yield. Great as a fresh berry.

Day-neutral Strawberries
Fruit throughout the summer months

Day-neutral refers to the response of the plants to day length. These strawberries are not strongly influenced by day length and may flower and set fruit throughout the summer months. Varieties perform best during the cooler periods of the growing season and are not very productive during hot weather.

Eversweet

Very sweet berries with long large cone shaped fruit and delicious flavor. Produces all summer through the heat (100 degrees F) and into the fall. Ripens each summer and continues to fruit into fall.

Seascape (U.S. Plant Patent 7,614)

Moderate vigor, good durability. Susceptible to verticillium wilt. Large berries with bright red external color, pale internal color, poor capping, firm, good flavor. Yield low to medium unless managed intensively, but best fruit quality of the day-neutral cultivars.