Strawberries - do you wait or do you buy?

[Millymollymandy]

I am just wondering how many of you who grow strawberries, can resist them when you see them in the shops? I don't mean the early imported ones cos we all know they taste like **** but when local ones start appearing - if before your own are ripe?

I found it very hard when local Breton strawberries started appearing in the supermarkets - they smelt amazing and they are the same variety that I grow (Gariguette, a very early one), but I know these had to have been grown in a polytunnel.

So I have been waiting very patiently for my own to ripen, which is a lot later than last year. Yesterday in amongst the green strawbs I spotted something red - yes my first strawb, which could have done with another day ripening (but I wasn't risking the slugs having it!) and it was yummy! Now I've just got to wait for the rest of them!

[Clara]

I buy if they´re local and organic....we only have a few plants and the strawbs tend to get snaffled by DD when I´m weeding!

[ina]

No organic strawberries around here anyway - but I do buy local ones... Have resisted so far, as they still looked a bit pale - but don't think I will be able to resist much longer! I only have very few strawbs in my garden, anyway; somehow they always seem to be devastated by either goats, or birds, or slugs...

[eccentric_emma]

I'm drinking a strawberries smoothie for breakfast right now...........my OH came home with a punnet for me as a surprise so I didn't have to wait for our plant to fruit!

[Helsbells]

I have grown my own this year, but couldnt resist some british ones on special offer in Sainsburys. Wish I had though because they were all soft when I opened the box so will have to take them back for a refund.

I tried to grow some from seed but out of 24 seeds sown I have only got 3 very small plants. I bought one from a garden centre, and the rest of the plats are from my friendly neighbouring allotmanter.

[red]

we have our own in hanging baskets.. but this is the first year. there is a local organic 'pick your own' we go to..

[Annpan]

I tried to grow some from seed but out of 24 seeds sown I have only got 3 very small plants. ...

I also planted seeds (probably around 20), I have one 5mm tall seedling.

I have some plants too though, from last year. A friend has offered me any runners she gets this year too, she has a 2x1m bed full of strawberries

haven't bought any from the shops yet

[Cheezy]

So I have been waiting very patiently for my own to ripen, which is a lot later than last year. Yesterday in amongst the green strawbs I spotted something red - yes my first strawb, which could have done with another day ripening (but I wasn't risking the slugs having it!) and it was yummy! Now I've just got to wait for the rest of them!

We'll buy British Strawberries so long as they are NOT Elsanta, which are wattery rubbish.

Hey 3 M I was watering my stawberries yesterday and I notice the first FLOWER , let a lone the first red friut.

But this is they're first year, I bought them bare rooted in Febuary (30 plants for £15, 3 varieties)

[ina]

I think I'll have to pick up a punnet when I go for my milk later today...

I always prefer anything else but Elsanta, too - but it's often difficult to get! They seem to go on through most of the season, too, unlike any of the other varieties. The local growers always have them - probably mainly for the supermarkets - but they also grow a lot of others.

[Millymollymandy]

Cheezy my strawbs were flowering months ago - which wasn't a good thing because the first flush didn't get pollinated - just like my plums and peaches, which started blossoming in late February. I blame the mild winter.