| My husband and I are looking for a good hybrid strawberry that will grow, spread and produce well in Houston, Texas. Can you make a recommendation, please? |
| The top producing strawberry for your area is the variety 'Chandler'. Other top choices include 'Camerosa' and 'Sweet Charlie'. These will begin fruiting in late February or early March in Houston (providing you give them some frost protection) and will continue through May. Everbearing varieties generally perform poorly in the Gulf Coast area. However, if you want to try to beat the odds, the "day-neutral" varieties 'Tribute' and 'Selva' are two fairly recent releases which will give some berries throughout the season, though never outperforming the spring bearing types in total yield. For successful strawberries in Houston, build a well-drained bed of mixed sand and compost, with some added fertilizer mixed in. Plant in October and begin giving additional boosts of fertilizer starting around on Valentines Day through the remainder of the season. Planting through black plastic mulch helps protect the soil, hold moisture, prevent weeds and reduce berry rots and pill bugs. |
