How Many Times a Year Does a Strawberry Plant Bloom? A Breakdown of the Most Popular Varieties on the Market
If you love strawberries, do you know which strawberry varieties are the most popular on the market right now? What characteristics do strawberries have? Let's take a look together!
Every year when November arrives, strawberries begin to appear on the market one after another, and their bright red, richly fragrant fruit has become almost the most representative fruit of winter. It is not hard to see boxes upon boxes of fresh strawberries piled up in large quantities along the streets or at fruit stalls, rushing to be sold fresh; whether online or in dessert and bakery shops in every street and alley, all kinds of products using strawberries as the main element are certain to be launched, which is enough to show how popular strawberries are in consumers' hearts. And every year during strawberry season, we also make a point of visiting the strawberry-growing area of Shitan in Miaoli to personally select organic fresh strawberries, seizing the best season to turn strawberries into jam. It must be said that the delicate nature and unique aroma of strawberries are truly irresistible, worthy of being held in the palm of one's hand and carefully protected, and even more worthy of being savored bit by bit for the changes in their flavor. I also take this opportunity to share what I have learned and observed about strawberries over these past few years.
Strawberry varieties in Taiwan, China
Looking back at the history of strawberry introduction and cultivation, it can be traced back to the period of Japanese rule, when they were first planted in areas such as Yangmingshan and Jinshan. However, due to problems adapting to the environment and climate, as well as the strawberry's own poor disease resistance, yield and quality remained less than ideal until they were later introduced for planting around Dahu. Because of the suitable climate, together with the local soil's good drainage and organic matter content, cultivation and production finally succeeded and reached a scale of mass production.
The most popular and most widespread strawberry on the market today, Toyonoka strawberry, is a variety introduced from Japan in 1985, also known as Taoyuan No. 1. Because it performs extremely well in fruit shape, color, aroma and flavor, it quickly replaced the original varieties such as Fukuba, Aikou or Harunoka, and even the later-bred Taoyuan No. 2 or No. 3 fell far short of Toyonoka strawberry in popularity.
Characteristics of strawberries
Strawberries are famously delicate; they need moisture but are also afraid of rainy weather. Generally speaking, when growing strawberries in Taiwan, China, they fear heat but not cold (except for the severe cold spells of the past two years). The more sufficient the sunlight, the more vivid the color of the strawberries produced, and the later they are harvested within the suitable picking period, the better their coloration and the higher their sweetness. If you prefer a flavor that is sweet with a touch of tartness, you can choose fruit that is red with a hint of pink, at about 70 percent ripeness. Each year, roughly from November to April of the following year is the peak season for strawberries, and a strawberry plant can produce four rounds of fruit² per year. The first round begins with fruit gradually ripening from the end of November. The fruit of the first round is usually firmer in texture and more tolerant of storage, while the second and third rounds produce the greatest quantity of fruit and the largest fruit sizes. The quality of the fourth round of fruit begins to decline.
Usually the first round of flowers blooms in November, and strawberries are harvested about 30-40 days later. In December, the second round of flowers blooms and the number of strawberries is greater. From January to February, the third round of flowers blooms, and the number of strawberries is the greatest. From March to April, the fourth round of flowers blooms, and because the climate warms up, the number gradually decreases.
