I want one large sized June bearing strawberry for my area. Would love some recommendations. I have Honeoye, Jewel, and Flavorfest in mind so far. I want large size. but of course good flavor along with it!
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Honeoye has tendency to taste like Strawberry kool-aid. 
Grew it for many years and it’s very productive. It’s a bullet proof Strawberry for Kansas but the taste is not great.
Jewel - is a good Strawberry all the way around
Flavorfest- have no experience with this one
Think in terms of quantity versus quality. Earliglow is small and you won’t get as much production but you will get true Strawberry flavor similar to what wild strawberries have. Everything I taste I compare with wild Strawberry as their taste is the best.
This thread will be helpful
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Of all of the varieties I’ve tried, ‘Supreme’ has been the single best I’ve ever grown:
- Sweet all the way through
- Very strong natural strawberry flavour
- Grows easily in a wide band of temps (never had an issue with either my 1000 chill units winters, or my 36C+ summers)
- Throws healthy runners (A positive for me, as I wanted the bed filled)
- Flowers often
- High yielding
- Commercial sized fruit (medium-large to large)
They have this tendency to ripen at night, so even when they look fully ripe, I’ve found them tastier when picked that evening, after sundown.
The only issue for me was that they were only sold in Australia for a single spring, and the seeds don’t seem available for purchase here (and we have strong restrictions on biological imports).
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I don’t think I have seen that sold anywhere in the states.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
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Mara de Bois has the best flavor of any I’ve grown. But berries will be a bit smaller (some wild strawberries in the breading I think) and after a spring flush I get some summer and fall, but the other flushes are two small to make enough beyond what the critters eat. But a bed of Jewel and Earliglow produces more all at once so they are able to outproduce the stomachs of chipmunks so we get some. I like Earliglow a little bit more than Jewel for flavor, but after a few years they are all mixed up.
This spring I’m adding Archer (june bearing like Jewel and Earliglow) and Albion (day-neutral like Mara). I have high hopes for both.
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Sounds like solid picks! I am getting a seascape for everbearing. Jewel is sounding really good!
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Like Albion but the flavor is not there. It’s good at times but mostly mediocre. There are many factors that can impact its flavor. In the heat of summer they are good. Only Mara de Bois or earliglow or wild strawberries taste like what we are after. Most strawberries are OK or mediocre at best. The strawberries from the store are not good at all. My small yellow pear is a real pain to pick right but once you have had it at its best you will chase that flavor until the end of time. There is no going back once you had your first Mara de Bois.
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Man everyone is talking about the Mara, I gotta have it now. I think Nourse still has them in stock.
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You asked for a solid producing June bearer with good flavor and heavy production. Chandler will fill the bill. Others are larger, others have a bit better flavor, but for the overall combination of heavy production of good flavored strawberries that can take the heat, Chandler is hard to beat.
I tried Honeoye years ago and gave up on it for poor production in summer heat.
Years ago, I tried a variety named Tangi. It was arguably the best flavored medium to large strawberry available in 1988. Unfortunately, it fell out of favor because production and shipping ability were mediocre.
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If your looking for the rare and unusual novelty strawberries to try in addition to your main patch Strawberry, Purple Wonder - Burpee
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I always like to add unique fruit!
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The description of Keepsake is interesting-
A new release from USDA Beltsville, is a midseason June Bearing strawberry. Berries have outstanding flavor with high soluble solids (sweetness) and moderate acidity (tartness). They also have a pleasing texture and are juicy when eaten. Keepsake is very closely related to Flavorfest and has a superior shelf life, the berries are firm and hold up well during harvest and packaging.
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ive grown Archer, Galletta, Earliglow is a parent, and AC Wendy. all are very good berries. Archer has huge berries. got to control the runners on all of them. they are very vigorous. im putting a little of each in a reclaimed 4’ x 12’ bed. killed all 3 beds with cardboard last summer. many runners survived around the 3 beds. going to plant them in holes in black plastic. i think it will be the only way to control them. AC Wendy is a very early berry and should give the earliest crop of the 3.
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I went with Mara and Jewel from Nourse. They were sold out of Earliglow but Indiana Berry still has them.
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Here in California the Albion and Chandler are the best we have had and the choice of many strawberry farms. Both are large and firm, and their shelf life is longer than most.
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I hear chandler performs well here, but I haven’t heard about Albion. I am sure you have more ideal growing conditions.
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I bought MDB, Jewel, and Seascape last year from Nourse. I’m excited to hopefully try some this year.
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I ordered seascape from groworganic and MDB/Jewel from Nourse!
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I grew a bed of 25 gurneys whopper and 25 ozark bueaty… many years ago… and I have planted many others since then but cant say I have had better results.
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