I planted quinalt strawberries (an everbearer). Are they supposed to be very tart, like a sour candy?

Answer 1

In midsummer berries tend to become more tart as they are a cold-weather crop. Some tricks to sweeten them are:

Keep moist. Cover area around them with straw.

Side dress with manure in midseason--add more straw on top of manure.

Let berries remain on the vine until fully ripened--a good thing to do with late-summer berries is to let them stay on vines a little too long, then use berries in ice cream or pie.

Use fish emulsion weekly to give them an organic boost. Compost tea works too. Add coffee grounds and citrus peels.

Shade plants with an open cloth or tarp so air can still flow around them. This keeps plants slightly cooler.

Good luck!
gg

Answer 2

Ussually the first and sometimes even the second year untill the plant matures and developes a good root system.