Who isn't waiting impatiently for the strawberry harvest season to begin? Fruits picked too early cause bitter disappointment as they do not ripen. Follow our tips and harvest your strawberries accurately at the right time.
When is the harvest time for strawberries?
The harvest time for strawberries usually begins in May and lasts until the end of July for classic varieties. However, monthly strawberries, wild strawberries and ever-bearing varieties can be harvested until October. Strawberries that are ripe to pick are bright red, without a white or yellowish edge and exude an intense strawberry scent.
Starts in the wonderful month of May
Under normal weather conditions, the window for the strawberry harvest opens in May. The classic varieties are picked until the end of July. Small-fruited monthly strawberries, wild strawberries and ever-bearing strawberry varieties extend the harvest season into October. Experienced strawberry gardeners therefore plant different varieties according to a sophisticated plan and harvest the refreshing fruits until winter knocks on the door.
Reliably identify strawberries that are ready for harvest
Since strawberries do not ripen, the calendar alone does not determine the start of the harvest season. You can recognize a ripe fruit by these attributes:
- the strawberry is bright red in color
- there is no white or yellowish edge to be seen
- Fruit stem and sepals shine in fresh green
- ripe fruits exude an intense, appetizing strawberry scent
Ideally, you harvest the strawberries in the morning because the aroma content is at its highest level at this time of day. Snap the fruit stem in the middle, leaving the green sepals on the fruit.
Tips & Tricks
Skilled hobby gardeners can achieve an extra long strawberry season by growing a twice-bearing variety, such as Ostara. Half of the flowers are broken out in spring. The result is a long harvest period from the end of July until the first frost. If all flowers are removed in spring, the main harvest is postponed until autumn.
