Strawberries
Ontario Berries says innovations on local farms have resulted in a much longer season for strawberries in the province.
The association of Ontario berry growers says that in the past, field strawberries hit their peak in mid to late June, with a very short season of only two to three weeks.
New innovations are now extending that season. One is growing ‘day-neutral’ strawberries, which are very common in warmer climes like California. Day-neutral berries essentially have a different light sensitivity, and will blossom and set fruit regardless of how long or short the days are.
Growing berries that bear fruit from May to October can be very difficult outside of a maritime climate, so the association says most berry growers plant along one of the Great Lakes to catch the moderating winds and temperatures.
As a result, it’s now possible to buy local field strawberries in Ontario for four to five months of the year.
“Growers have fine-tuned their management practices with varieties that can withstand hot and humid nights of peak summer, and yet continue bearing fruit,” Ontario Berries says. “This practice produces berries in late summer that are just as juicy and flavourful as the ones you might have picked yourself in June.”
The other innovation involves greenhouse-grown strawberries, as Ontario growers tried to match what their counterparts in Europe were doing, growing a strawberry in time for Valentine’s Day.
Today, there are 50 acres of greenhouse-grown strawberries in the Leamington area, which is a major centre for greenhouse production.
“It’s innovative technology at its best, with a controlled environment that is adjusted for every variable: temperature, humidity and water,” Ontario Berries explains. “In the depths of winter, growers have had to learn how densely to plant, how to calibrate fertilizer levels to seasonal sunlight variations, and how to establish artificial lighting that properly initiates bud development.”
