These Berries
are not big or shippable; their boast is bountiful flavor.
"Bigger is
better" is hogwash !! Forget it. It's an "Old Wives Tale".
You may never
have tasted the delicious sweetness of a Strawberry, if
your only reference is those giant hard things, developed by mad
men with nothing more than size and international shipping on their
minds, and put in pretty plastic promotional
packaging.
If you patronize a Farmers' Market, you may have sampled something
better than those giant replicas. Many Gardeners still grow
varieties which are not large and don't keep well, but are so much
better tasting than those big varieties meant to be shipped across the
world unscathed.
A small roadside Produce stand may be your best source. The berries
will probably be in square open berry boxes instead of those
plastic
packages. And the contents may make you glad you ventured outside the
crowded aisles of shopping carts, into the fresh air of the
countryside..
But if you
want to savor the real thing, head for the hills where Strawberries
grow wild in the hot summer sunshine. If you beat the Birds and Beasts
to the wild Berry patches, you are in for a real treat. Don't expect to
see
rows of carefully cultivated lush vegetation.
What you are looking for are haphazard patches of lonesome
plants
trying to eke out a living where even most weeds have given up. Look on
the South sides of slopes which have sparse vegetation.
Strawberries love hot sunshine and good drainage. You may discover a
patch by its powerful aroma.
Once you discover a berry patch, it may be productive for many years.
Or you may have discovered it near its demise and be left with only
fond
memories. But if you love the outdoors and welcome the exercise, then
you may be able to improve and prolong the life of your patch.
Strawberries propagate by several Runners. These are stems which grow
horizontally above the ground. Usually within a foot of the Mother
plant, they develop a Bud which sends down Roots, and sends up Shoots.
This is intended to become a new Strawberry Plant which may send out
Runners of its own.
These Buds may not develop if their location is not favorable to
rooting, like a Rock or a hard place. So if you manage this natural
garden by pushing the Runners off the rock, or removing the rock, or
adding soil to the location, then you may be able to increase the
number of plants which produce.
You also have the option of moving crowded plants to the edges of the
patch where there is less competition for available nutrients. To avoid
failure, always plant them with the crown above soil level, just the
way they were where you removed them.
You also have the option of adding nutrients to your patch by spreading
granular fertilizer by the plants according to the package
instructions. A better "solution" may be Manure Tea or Rabbit Grow which are Natures' Organic answer to plant health and growth.
These
oversized replicas of the Wild Strawberry may as well be made of
crushed cardboard and artificial flavorings and sweeteners.
If
that's what pleases your palate, then don't venture out into Natures'
Gardens where the fare is much more flavorful and aromatic.
|
Wild Strawberries
