Several years ago my cousin, Frank H. Schmidt, who lives near Branson, Missouri purchased a Sony Mavica digital camera. He began sending me all sorts of photos which showed the beautiful strawberries he grew at his home. I asked him how he managed to obtain such superb looking berries and he wrote me the following letter.
Dear Hart,
I use a growing method that's ideal for the home gardener. As a matter of fact, it could undoubtedly even be expanded into a commercial fruit operation.
These pictured strawberries taste every bit as good as they look. This is because I use varieties that have been bred for high sugar content and for a rosy fragrance/flavor NOT for "shipability" from some distant state or country!
If set in the ground in the central part of the country during the month of October, one plant will produce more than a quart of very large, very sweet berries during the following April and May.
The way I produce these berries, in a 10 foot by 40 foot space has many advantages over field grown plants. For example, no weeding or herbicides are required. The fruit is very visible since there is no straw mulch to hide the berries. Furthermore, you don't have to bend way down to pick them. The berries are totally clean when harvested since they do not lie on the ground while ripening.
No insecticides are required because the pests are easily kept out of the growing area. This allows bees to do their pollinating without being harmed. Minimal watering is required thanks to the use of a sheet plastic 'mulch' which conserves moisture in the soil beds. No predators, such as birds or ground animals, eat the fruit! I obtain very early harvests of exceptionally flavored berries two months ahead of most other growers.
Berry Patch Photos © 1998 by Frank H. Schmidt
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