Performance of Junebearing Strawberry Cultivars in Minnesota in 2018-2019

The University of Minnesota has been conducting annual strawberry variety trials for the last 30 years in Grand Rapids, MN and Morris, MN. The results are presented every January at the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Conference (now called the Northern Growers and Marketers Conference).

The results of the 2018 and 2019 trials are summarized below. Scroll to the data tables to compare yields, berry weights, stand vigor, and relative winter survival of 15-18 varieties.

Photo: Steve Poppe harvests strawberries at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN.
Photo: University of Minnesota.

Performance of Junebearing Strawberry Cultivars in Minnesota in 2018-2019:

Jim Luby 

University of Minnesota, Department of Horticultural Science, St. Paul, MN

Steve Poppe 

University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN

Keith Mann, Crystal Sucher, Nita Learmont

University of Minnesota North Central Research and Outreach Center, Grand Rapids, MN

We gratefully acknowledge

The Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Assn for partial financial support

AgResource Inc. (www.agresourceincmn.com) for providing plants

Results of Junebearing strawberry trials planted at two locations in 2018 and harvested in 2019 are summarized here to accompany the presentation on January 16, 2020. Additional results are included from the 2018 harvest at Morris from planting established in 2016.

Plantings were established in May 2018.  Rows were 4 ft apart on center and plants were allowed to form a matted row up to about 18 inches wide.  The plantings were mulched with about 4-6 inches of straw in early November and uncovered in late April (Morris) or early May (Grand Rapids). 

Plots were harvested every 2 or 3 days.  The total weight of fruit from each plot was weighed to estimate yield, and the weight of 20 berries was used to estimate berry size at each harvest date.  Insecticide sprays were applied for tarnished plant bug or cyclamen mites as needed.

Morris, MN - 2019

Grand Rapids, MN - 2019

Morris, MN - 2018

Trials conducted & data presented by Jim Luby, Steve Poppe, Keith Mann, Crystal Sucher, Nita Learmont. Article edited by Annie Klodd, University of Minnesota Extension Educator-Fruit and Vegetable Production.