The Difference Between Everbearing and Day-Neutral Strawberries

Basics

• Everbearing strawberries are usually grown as perennials with two distinct crops, one in the spring and another in the fall with a few berries in between. These crops are smaller than June-bearing strawberries. Day-neutral strawberries are often grown as annuals that produce a smaller amount of strawberries steadily from late spring through early autumn. Retail nurseries often sell day-neutral cultivars as everbearing strawberries. You can choose from many cultivars of both types. The garden centers in your area should stock appropriate varieties for your region. If you are unsure which cultivar to plant, contact your local agricultural extension office.

Climate

• Day-neutral strawberries were developed in Northern California and are best suited to areas that have cool summers. They grow well in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia -- areas with summers moderated by Pacific maritime winds. They also grow well in New England. They cease blooming when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Everbearing strawberries also prefer cool summers, but some varieties survive heat better than day-neutral varieties. Hot weather can cause day-neutral cultivars to produce much like everbearing varieties, yielding strawberries in the spring and fall but none in the summer.

Cultivation

• Plant both everbearing and day-neutral strawberries in hills 12 inches apart and remove runners as they appear. When you plant day-neutral strawberries as annuals, remove all flowers until about July 1, and then allow the plants to flower and fruit. Everbearing strawberries usually produce fewer strawberries each year. Plan to replace them every one to three years.

Production

• Everbearing strawberries produce about the same amount of strawberries in two crops as June-bearing cultivars do in a single crop, but strawberries from June-bearing varieties are larger and sweeter. Since day-neutral strawberries produce when June-bearing and everbearing varieties are finished, they are useful for restaurants, farm markets and roadside stands. They are often grown commercially on raised beds with plastic mulch. The extra care and labor usually make them more expensive than everbearing varieties.