UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee , FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu  

September 22, 2010

Feature Article - for immediate release

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Strawberry fields – forever

 Are you looking for a fruitful fall and winter?  The Okeechobee Extension office is coordinating with the local Garden Club to place an order for strawberry plants for local gardening enthusiasts.  

Strawberry plants need to be planted in our area during the fall and become established by winter so that they will produce these luscious fruits in our cooler winter climate. The challenge is to locate sources of plants at this time of year, when most garden centers have already cleared their stores of vegetable seeds and plants to make room for holiday decorations.

 This Monday night, at the meeting of the Okeechobee Garden Club, local grower Mr. M.T. Alden will either have plants available at 50c per plant or will be able to take orders for those that want to include strawberries in their home garden.  A final ordering deadline of October 1, 2010 has been established.

Last year the office coordinated the sale of nearly 500 plants to home gardeners.

This year, the varieties of strawberry plants offered will include Treasure, Festival, and possibly Early Dawn.   Plants typically arrive locally during the last week of September or a few weeks after that. They are coming from either North Carolina or the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

At the Garden Club meeting on Monday September 27, Extension Horticulture agent Dan Culbert will make a short presentation on how to grow strawberries.  The Club meets at the Extension office starting at 6 PM.  (The Orchid club will meet at 7 PM.)   Additional information on how to grow strawberries in the home garden can be seen in this news article: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Strawberry%20Gardening.htm

For more information, please contact the Okeechobee Extension office at 863-763-6469, or go to the Okeechobee Extension web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee.  Go Gators!

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Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean. Last update: 09/22/2010.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert  

REFERENCES:

C.K. Chandler, T.E. Crocker, J.F. Price, and E.E. Albregts.  Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden.  Balm: UF/IFAS GFREC, undated. http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/growing_strawberries_in_the_flor.htm

Chandler, Craig K., Price, James F., Peres, Natalia A.  and  Santos, Bielinski M.  Growing Strawberries in the Florida Home Garden. [HS1154] Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service, December 2008.    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_hs403\ 

Gulf Coast REC - Strawberry Research [webpage].  Balm: UF/IFAS GFREC, September 9, 2010. http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/