Strawberry cultivation confronted by adverse weather conditions
Strawberry Season Kicks Off Under Ideal Circumstances: Perfect Sun, Cool Nights, and Scant Rain According to the South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers' Association in Their Mid-Season Update
The strawberry season has been off to a good start, despite a slight hiccup in week 21. The ideal variance between warm, sunny days and cool nights prevented an oversupply, ensuring price stability.
Insights:- The optimal combination of sun, cool nights, and minimal rain has contributed to the ideal strawberry growing conditions, allowing for slow ripening and flavor preservation in the fruits.
The tunnel harvest ran smoothly followed by a decent open-field harvest, until the second week. The weather before this, however, was perfect for strawberry growth, leading to robust sales of delectable strawberries, comments Simon Schumacher, the spokesperson for the South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers' Association (VSSE).
Christof Steegmüller, strawberry farming advisor for South Germany, echoes Schumacher's sentiments, acknowledging that the consistent weather has been exceptional compared to the turbulent conditions of previous years. He adds that the medium and southern Baden operations still have around a quarter of the strawberry harvest left.
Challenges in the Harvest
Heavy rain after a prolonged dry spell has made the ripe fruits softer and less durable. This has led the association to offer these strawberries at discounted prices, making them ideal for jam-making and freezing.
Despite these challenges, Katrin Hetebrügge, another strawberry farming advisor, sees a positive mid-season balance. According to her, the tunnel season was problem-free while direct marketing saw good demand and prices.
Hettebrügge adds that there were no oversupplies, striking a chord with the association's observation. Prices for domestic strawberries have been marginally higher than in 2024, but have already started to drop. This week, the prices have dipped below last year's level due to supermarket promotions.
Trend for Pick-Your-Own Strawberries Continues
The trend for pick-your-own strawberries persists, with many operations giving strawberry enthusiasts the opportunity to pick their own fruits directly from the fields. Some producers are now offering ergonomic pick-your-own options for strawberries cultivated in elevated beds in tunnels.
The more favorable pricing and high demand, particularly for cooking strawberry jam, has resulted in fields having to close early multiple times due to being picked clean.
Sources:1. Strawberry Cultivation in South Germany2. The Role of Sunlight and Temperature in Strawberry Quality3. Strawberry Growth and Environmental Factors4. Impact of Rainfall on Strawberry Durability5. European Weather Patterns and Strawberry Quality
In contrast to the issues in week 21, the majority of the strawberry season has been positively influenced by the ideal weather conditions, offering a perfect mix of sun, cool nights, and minimal rain. This environmental-science factor has contributed to slow ripening and flavor preservation in the fruits, enhancing their quality (food-and-drink).
The promising weather patterns have even extended to direct marketing, as Katrin Hetebrügge, another strawberry farming advisor, notes, resulting in good demand and prices, though they have started to drop due to supermarket promotions (lifestyle).
This rain-induced softness in ripe strawberries has led the South German Asparagus and Strawberry Growers' Association to offer discounted prices for these fruits, making them ideal for home-made jam or freezing (food-and-drink), while the persistent trend for pick-your-own strawberries continues unabated (lifestyle).
