Strawberry plants, what type is best?

[OkChickens]

I am in the works to grow strawberries this spring. I am planning on using old guttering about 5-6' off of the ground to plant them in and I just need to figure put what type of strawberry will grow well in my zone. I'm an in 6b. I have done some research and the cardinal variety seems pretty good for this area. What do you guys think?
Nate

 

[Ridgerunner]

Cardinal is the one I grow. I'm sure not going to argue with your choice. Nice big red sweet berries.

 

[journey11]

Any of the everbearing varieties would be good for a container planting. The june-bearers make runners and bear on those for the next years crop. They make many more vigorous runners than the everbearers do. An everbearer will be easier for you to keep up with. Ozark Beauties are a good dependable variety around here (I'm in the same zone as you). You'll have to consider what to do with them over the winter though...all that freeze and thaw will likely kill them and they'll freeze easier up out of the ground like that too. I'm not really sure what the answer for that is, since I put mine in the ground or raised bed. You might have to pull them up, trim them back, put them in plastic baggies maybe with a little ventilation and store them in a cold, dark place. Maybe someone else will have some ideas on that. You could also repurchase them every year. That would be another option.

ETA: You typically pinch all the spring blooms off of both kinds when getting them established. Since june-bearers only bloom in the spring (May/June crop) you wouldn't get a harvest off of them that year. Everbearers will bloom again late summer and yield all the way up to frost...another reason why I'd personally go with the everbearers.

Your big berry farms and u-picks plant june-bearers usually in the fall to get established for a spring harvest, btw.

 

[897tgigvib]

That's good to know Journey!