Hey everyone, I recently purchased a bunch of new alpine strawberries from strawberry seed store and unfortunately I came upon the message below. I assume this means that Mike will no longer be selling any of his seeds within a years time. If you’re going to buy alpine seeds, now is the time.
In case anyone is interested, I contacted Mike about his favorite varieties and got the following response.
White alpines:
For taste and productivity his two favorites are pineapple crush and white solemacher (clumping types)
For runnering, Hawaii 4
Red alpines:
For productivity he likes Deesse des Vallees and Reine des Vallees (clumping type)
For taste Mignonette (clumping type)
For red runnering, Atilla
Edit: For those that want to know a little more about alpine strawberries, I wrote a review on my alpines.
Keeping all those little seeds sorted and in order has got to be like sorting all the greeting cards at a hallmark. Sounds like a real challenge. Mucho respect to be so organized.
I hope so, it would be a shame if the varieties he’s been cultivating just ends. I personally picked up a packet of each of his favorites to at least keep those lines going.
I got all the everbearing vescas (and some moschata seed) that he currently has available. I don’t intend to keep the lines pure over time (though I’d like to maintain the original clones as long as possible). I’d actually like to try my hand at a few Alpine Strawberry Landraces.
My idea is to let all of them cross-pollinate freely, while favoring the best of them as seed parents. Then segregate (but not isolate) the next generations based on fruit color and runnering, while selecting for vigor, production and quality.
I am going to try and establish and maintain 4 lines. Pineapple crush, Hawaii 4, Reine de Vallees and Atilla. Two of each color, and one clumping and non clumping from each color.
I could not cross the vesca and moschata. maybe you have more luck. but it is much easier to cross the vescana hybrid with vesca and moschata.
I have hybrids vescana x moschata that do not produce runners
I missed this announcement, but stumbled upon it when I went over there to pick up some more Musk seeds a few weeks ago. Hopefully someone will pick up the mantle.
I ended up ordering a double pack of Musk, Hawaii 4, Pineapple Crush and Ivory.
my moschata are female except for 2 who are both. I used the F. vesca pollen for the female moschata but without success jet. will try the 10 ploid vescanna hybrids.
I have a Florika × moschata that I received from GRIN, but it hasn’t flowered for me yet.
I’m a little wary of using fertilizer on my strawberries… I recently used Potassium Sulfate (Solupotasse) on my biferas, and added some liquid seaweed a few days later… I almost lost them. A change of soil, some further drainage (no water dishes) and a sunnier spot, and they’re getting better. I almost lost my moschata too, but with the same treatment, it also seems to be bouncing back.
as i said, if it doesn’t directly cross vesca with moschata,
based on experience, the chances are greater cross moschata with the ananassa x vesca hybrids.
What did you do? Was it to much nutrients? Or the ph chances to much with your treatment?
Or was the liquid seaweed to salty and let „dry“ your plants out
Could be too much nutrients. I added a lot, and while I expect that the seaweed was washed prior to being turned into fertilizer, I think the solupotasse still counts as a salt… anything that raises the electrical conductivity of the soil seems to hurt strawberries if used in great quantity without a chance to leach out.
