What variety of strawberries to plant?

[TacticalSpeed]

The ones we've had for a couple years or so barely give us any strawberries each summer.
What varieties are easiest to get decent yields from? I'm in PA.

 

[Meadowlark]

Howdy and welcome. I'm not a big strawberry grower myself but I did some research on Pennsylvania for you.

The varieties below were named by both Penn State and AI in answer to a search question. Others were mentioned but these were the ones named by both.

Sweet Kiss Strawberry: This variety is a fast grower and produces a large yield. It's perfect for beginners and can be grown in containers1.

 Earliglow Strawberry: Widely planted in Pennsylvania, this strawberry produces large, sweet berries that are great for eating raw or making jams.

 Jewel Strawberry: Known for its cold-hardiness and large berries, this variety also stores well and can be frozen.

 

[pepper2.0]

I have "everbearing" strawberries. I don't know if that is an actual kind of strawberry or just a name but they seem to produce a lot, birds get most of them lol. But I don't do anything to them other then weed around them and they keep spreading and growing new plants so low maintenance, perfect for me.

 

[redback]

I grow the old-fashion varieties like 'Tioga', 'red gauntlet', 'Hoko Wasi' and 'Cambridge vigor'. They are planted in winter and have three settings of fruit in September, Christmas time and in autumn (Nth Hemi - plant winter and 3 crops in spring and summer). They need heavily composted soil, are salt intolerant and require irrigation if drying out, and a lot of seaweed foliar spray at fruiting times. Normally planted on mounded soil about 8" high (200mm) and a flattened top to take two rows of alternating plants 300mm (1'0") apart.
The newer varieties are only harvested once but provide massive sprawling crops. I have never planted the newer type but will sometime soon.

 

[redback]

Back in March 2024 there is a topic called 'Strawberry expert needed ' by @sugarspa. The newer varieties are discussed there.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have always grown old fashioned strawberries that bear in summer and that I found growing in gardens I have moved into, but last year I saw an offer for 'perpetual strawberries' which fruit continuously and bought some. The variety is called 'Malling Champion', the fruit is good, they produce runners well, and they were still flowering in December whenicultural there was no chance of them actually setting fruit, maybe in a heated greenhouse. The only problem is that "Malling Horticultural Research centre is based in Malling village not far from here, so I am not sure they would be available in the US, but based on that experience I would say it is well worth looking for a 'perpetual' variety.
The old fashioned wisdom is that one takes all the flowers off new strawberry plants for the first year and the increase in crop the second year will more than make up for it. It is true of the old fashioned varieties, when we moved I took enough runners that I could crop half and de-flower the other half, but I am not at all sure it will apply to the perpetual ones, they produced so many flowers in the first year I didn't bother.

 

[TacticalSpeed]

Howdy and welcome. I'm not a big strawberry grower myself but I did some research on Pennsylvania for you.

The varieties below were named by both Penn State and AI in answer to a search question. Others were mentioned but these were the ones named by both.

Sweet Kiss Strawberry: This variety is a fast grower and produces a large yield. It's perfect for beginners and can be grown in containers1.

 Earliglow Strawberry: Widely planted in Pennsylvania, this strawberry produces large, sweet berries that are great for eating raw or making jams.

 Jewel Strawberry: Known for its cold-hardiness and large berries, this variety also stores well and can be frozen.

Our Earliglow berries barley produce anything

 

[Meadowlark]

Our Earliglow berries barley produce anything

Have you considered that something more than variety might be involved?

 

[gary350]

I have grown strawberries a few times. I bought 25 Allstar strawberry plants. First summer 25 plants grew only about 6 ripe strawberries. My 25 plants grew about 100 new plants from runners before winter and the next summer 100 plants grew only about 2 gallons of ripe strawberries. I tilled this plants under 2 gallons of berries was a waste of time, never grow Allstar again.

I talked to my garden friend 1 mile up the road he has been growing strawberries 45 years. He said, his 3 ft by 30 ft strawberry patch produces about 8 to 10 gallons of berries every summer. He fertilizes plants with 6-12-12. My neighbor gave me 12 plants. He does not remember the name of these variety of strawberry plants.

I planted my 12 plants about 20" apart in a 25 ft long row. The 12 plants grew about 120 more plants from runners in about 2 months time. The following summer I picked 7 gallons of ripe strawberries from the 120 runner plants. I use 6-12-12 fertilizer also.

The next year runners grew about 150 plants and we picked 12 gallons of ripe strawberries.

Every year you need to grow new plants. New plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

My neighbor tills 95% of his old plants away the other 5% plants grows new runners and new plants. My 1st and 2nd year I did what my neighbor does and it worked good. This winter we had 2 days of -4° and a week of below 0 it killed all my strawberry plants.

40 years ago I grew strawberry plants for the first time, plants threw no berries so I tilled them under. I did not know 2nd year plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

 

[TacticalSpeed]

I have grown strawberries a few times. I bought 25 Allstar strawberry plants. First summer 25 plants grew only about 6 ripe strawberries. My 25 plants grew about 100 new plants from runners before winter and the next summer 100 plants grew only about 2 gallons of ripe strawberries. I tilled this plants under 2 gallons of berries was a waste of time, never grow Allstar again.

I talked to my garden friend 1 mile up the road he has been growing strawberries 45 years. He said, his 3 ft by 30 ft strawberry patch produces about 8 to 10 gallons of berries every summer. He fertilizes plants with 6-12-12. My neighbor gave me 12 plants. He does not remember the name of these variety of strawberry plants.

I planted my 12 plants about 20" apart in a 25 ft long row. The 12 plants grew about 120 more plants from runners in about 2 months time. The following summer I picked 7 gallons of ripe strawberries from the 120 runner plants. I use 6-12-12 fertilizer also.

The next year runners grew about 150 plants and we picked 12 gallons of ripe strawberries.

Every year you need to grow new plants. New plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

My neighbor tills 95% of his old plants under every summer then lets them re grow new plants from runners. My 1st and 2nd year I did what my neighbor does and it worked good. This winter we had 2 days of -4° and a week of below 0 it killed all my strawberry plants.

40 years ago I grew strawberry plants for the first time, plants threw no berries so I tilled them under. I did not know 2nd year plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

If you till them under how do they grow new plants from runners?

I have a hard enough time keeping the runners I cut alive.

Wish I had the kind of real estate you have

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have grown strawberries a few times. I bought 25 Allstar strawberry plants. First summer 25 plants grew only about 6 ripe strawberries. My 25 plants grew about 100 new plants from runners before winter and the next summer 100 plants grew only about 2 gallons of ripe strawberries. I tilled this plants under 2 gallons of berries was a waste of time, never grow Allstar again.

I talked to my garden friend 1 mile up the road he has been growing strawberries 45 years. He said, his 3 ft by 30 ft strawberry patch produces about 8 to 10 gallons of berries every summer. He fertilizes plants with 6-12-12. My neighbor gave me 12 plants. He does not remember the name of these variety of strawberry plants.

I planted my 12 plants about 20" apart in a 25 ft long row. The 12 plants grew about 120 more plants from runners in about 2 months time. The following summer I picked 7 gallons of ripe strawberries from the 120 runner plants. I use 6-12-12 fertilizer also.

The next year runners grew about 150 plants and we picked 12 gallons of ripe strawberries.

Every year you need to grow new plants. New plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

My neighbor tills 95% of his old plants under every summer then lets them re grow new plants from runners. My 1st and 2nd year I did what my neighbor does and it worked good. This winter we had 2 days of -4° and a week of below 0 it killed all my strawberry plants.

40 years ago I grew strawberry plants for the first time, plants threw no berries so I tilled them under. I did not know 2nd year plants grow all the ripe strawberries.

The received wisdom is that if one picks all the flowers off first year plants the increase in yield the second year will more than make up for the loss of the first years crop. When I moved house I took more runners than I needed and deflowered half of them so we would still have some first year, and on the whole I think the received wisdom was right. I find yield drops off drastically after the third year.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

If you till them under how do they grow new plants from runners?

I have a hard enough time keeping the runners I cut alive.

Wish I had the kind of real estate you have

Don't know if it is a help, but I stand a pot next to the plant and hold the runner down in it with a u of wire, a stone, or a twig cut to a tick, then leave it until the root is well established and the connecting stalk starting to wither. I also cut the runner after the first plant, if it goes on the second plant is always inferior. A shallow pot is sometimes good if the runner is a bit short, I'll use stuff like an old plastic tray fruit and veg come in with holes punched in the bottom.

 

[gary350]

If you till them under how do they grow new plants from runners?

I have a hard enough time keeping the runners I cut alive.

Wish I had the kind of real estate you have

You till 95% if the old plants away and leave 5% of the plants in a 25 ft row to grow runners.