Choose local for the sweetest strawberries, according to U of G researchers

It's the season for June-bearing strawberries, but "day-neutral" varieties produce fruit all year.

Several decades ago, researchers found a trait in wild strawberries that allowed them to flower and produce fruit all season. They bred this trait into commercial varieties, according to John Zandstra, professor in fruit and vegetable cropping systems at U of G's Ridgetown campus.

As a result, strawberries can now be grown in Canada year-round and there is no 'best" time to eat them.

Read more about finding the best local berries in the Toronto Star article: Follow these rules to pick the sweetest strawberries at the market

U of G researchers tested U.S.-bred day-neutral strawberry varieties to select berries that would thrive in Ontario’s soils and climate and be “fruitful” for the province’s growers. Some of this work was done at the Ontario Crops Research Centre - New Liskeard and Simcoe sites. Thanks to their dedication, day-neutral strawberries now account for 20% of strawberry production in Ontario.

Together, the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) invest in plant breeding research to support Ontario’s agri-food sector.