Strawberries

[jackb]

I've tried to grow them hydroponically a few times. It was too much work for too little return.

 

[bobm]

I picked strawberries at a farm last summer. They had a bitter flavor as the ones in the grocery store always do. Clearly herbicides were in full use as well as likely pesticides and herbicides. Rather not eat them.

Commerial strawberry fields are first tilled, then covered in plastic film while the soil is fumigated with methy bromide, weeks before the strawberry plants are planted in slits in the plastic. The fumigant is long gone before the crop is ready for picking and the plastic sheets keep the weeds out.Without the fumigant and plastic, one would be out of business within 2- 3 years from the soil nematodes and weeds. The lack of flavor is when the berries are picked when they are not fully ripe by migrant workers every day to every other day depending on the heat and sunshine of the past day... not like one would do in one's back yard. We had 2 of our grandkids over and had fresh frozen strawberries from our back yard plants ( thawed ) strawberry shortcake for desert. Still have over 30 pounds in our freezer.