White Alpine Strawberry

Hermitian · July 5, 2014

White Alpine Strawberry. Listed in USDA GRIN as: Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca forma alba.

Drew has mentioned them several times in his posts, I have been also been growing (and previously selling) them for a decade, and the CRFG gives them a mention in the Fruit Gardener July-Aug 2014 issue, vol. 46, no. 4.

In my climate, they are prolific producers of strawberries spring through fall, and also produce a handful of strawberries per week in the winter. The ripe berries are thimble size and white. The flavor is slightly tart in comparison to grocery-store strawberries but also sweet or sweeter. Sweetness is mainly a function of potassium: the plants should be getting 1.5 as much potassium in comparison to nitrogen (by weight). One approach to achieving this is to use a fertilizer that has a 2:1:3 N-P-K ratio year-round (for example: 4-2-6 or 16-8-24), another approach is to give them foliar feedings of 20% potassium citrate during bloom phase (typical commercial approach).

I have two colonies of plants, each in 12" pots on my back patio. The patio is west facing, so they receive direct sunlight from 6am to 2pm most of the year, and 7am to 12 noon during the late fall and winter months. The relief from continued sunlight during our summer heat is beneficial for the plants. I water them MWF during the summer months with about 1 gallon per watering.

peebee · July 10, 2014

How would you compare them to the red Alpine ones, not the regular grocery store ones? I have seeds of the reds but have never successfully grown them; I will study more about them and try again. I'd always thought Alpine meant they require cooler temps than what we have. But you can grow any fruit, I know

. Very interesting to read about the white ones.

Hermitian · July 10, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

How would you compare them to the red Alpine ones, ...

The red alpine variety I have grown is smaller fruited and less productive. Both are typically propagated by runners. Pearsons Gardens in Vista CA sells both. I no longer grow the red alpine.

BigVanVader · October 30, 2014

Do you know where I could get seeds? I would like to try to container grow some.

heirloomtomaguy · October 30, 2014

The white alpine strawberries i have taste like cotton candy. My kids eat them before they ever make it to the house. That is a good thing because shelf life on them is non existent.

corabell · February 27, 2015

I bought 50 bare roots of white pine berry strawberry from Hirt's on e-bay and they are just waking up.

I will post pictures when my acct. here gets approve.

birdermom · March 18, 2015

I saw those from hirts....are they worth the money....how do they look?

rags57078 · March 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

How would you compare them to the red Alpine ones, not the regular grocery store ones? I have seeds of the reds but have never successfully grown them; I will study more about them and try again. I'd always thought Alpine meant they require cooler temps than what we have. But you can grow any fruit, I know

. Very interesting to read about the white ones.

Place them seeds in the freezer for atleast 3 weeks . The red alpine I have do not send out runners, you either divide the crown or grow from seed .
I also have the white pine-berry and they run like crazy , I started with 40 plants last spring and have way over 200 now .

rags57078 · March 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Do you know where I could get seeds? I would like to try to container grow some.

I will check how many I have in the freezer , I should be able to send you a few

peebee · March 19, 2015

Rags, when is the best time of year to sow the seeds? I forgot all about this posting and now I will have to hunt down the seeds I had, if I have any left. So I have to freeze them for 3 weeks before planting--does that mean to keep them there UP TO 3 weeks, or AT LEAST 3 weeks? Please advise so I can time my freezing/planting.
BTW, which do you prefer, the red or the white? Heirloomtomatoguy if you see this, where did you get your white plants? We both live in the same zone but I have never seen the whites in any nursery here.
Thanks.

drew51 · March 19, 2015

Too bad the OP is gone, nice guy, many white and red alpines exist. The strawberry seed store used to carry seeds, not sure if it still exists? Plants are sold at various online nurseries.
On pineberries the best are the "White D" cultivar. I have been growing them a few years now. I have tried a few different cultivars. White D is superior. Btw don't ever buy pineberry seeds, they are a hybrid and do not come true to seed. It's like f2 Sungold.

rags57078 · March 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

Rags, when is the best time of year to sow the seeds? I forgot all about this posting and now I will have to hunt down the seeds I had, if I have any left. So I have to freeze them for 3 weeks before planting--does that mean to keep them there UP TO 3 weeks, or AT LEAST 3 weeks? Please advise so I can time my freezing/planting.
BTW, which do you prefer, the red or the white? Heirloomtomatoguy if you see this, where did you get your white plants? We both live in the same zone but I have never seen the whites in any nursery here.
Thanks.

peebee , at least 3 weeks , after I plant my seeds if I have any left I put them back into the freezer and store them there . They can be slow to germinate , some seeds could take a month some take a week . You have plenty of time to plant them. I start mine in cell packs then move to bigger pots or where ever their home will be

birdermom · March 19, 2015

I got my seeds from Baker....in the freezer for 3 weeks...just planted a few and they came up within a week. I planted another flat after reading that you don't cover them and can place them under lights, too early to report on them. It appears that if you can get them to germinate, they are easy from there.

drew51 · March 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdermom

I got my seeds from Baker....in the freezer for 3 weeks...just planted a few and they came up within a week. I planted another flat after reading that you don't cover them and can place them under lights, too early to report on them. It appears that if you can get them to germinate, they are easy from there.

I didn't have problems germinating, I had problems getting them to grow from there, good luck!

birdermom · March 19, 2015

Ugh....I may have to just break down and buy plants. I saw some last year at the local Lowes and have a gardener nearby that says she is having the plants at her garden center later this year.

July 5, 2014	#1
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	White Alpine Strawberry White Alpine Strawberry. Listed in USDA GRIN as: Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca forma alba. Drew has mentioned them several times in his posts, I have been also been growing (and previously selling) them for a decade, and the CRFG gives them a mention in the Fruit Gardener July-Aug 2014 issue, vol. 46, no. 4. In my climate, they are prolific producers of strawberries spring through fall, and also produce a handful of strawberries per week in the winter. The ripe berries are thimble size and white. The flavor is slightly tart in comparison to grocery-store strawberries but also sweet or sweeter. Sweetness is mainly a function of potassium: the plants should be getting 1.5 as much potassium in comparison to nitrogen (by weight). One approach to achieving this is to use a fertilizer that has a 2:1:3 N-P-K ratio year-round (for example: 4-2-6 or 16-8-24), another approach is to give them foliar feedings of 20% potassium citrate during bloom phase (typical commercial approach). I have two colonies of plants, each in 12" pots on my back patio. The patio is west facing, so they receive direct sunlight from 6am to 2pm most of the year, and 7am to 12 noon during the late fall and winter months. The relief from continued sunlight during our summer heat is beneficial for the plants. I water them MWF during the summer months with about 1 gallon per watering. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

October 30, 2014	#5
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	The white alpine strawberries i have taste like cotton candy. My kids eat them before they ever make it to the house. That is a good thing because shelf life on them is non existent. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

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July 10, 2014	#2
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	How would you compare them to the red Alpine ones, not the regular grocery store ones? I have seeds of the reds but have never successfully grown them; I will study more about them and try again. I'd always thought Alpine meant they require cooler temps than what we have. But you can grow any fruit, I know . Very interesting to read about the white ones.

October 30, 2014	#4
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Do you know where I could get seeds? I would like to try to container grow some.

February 27, 2015	#6
corabell Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Hollywood, Florida Posts: 12	I bought 50 bare roots of white pine berry strawberry from Hirt's on e-bay and they are just waking up. I will post pictures when my acct. here gets approve.

March 18, 2015	#7
birdermom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 116	I saw those from hirts....are they worth the money....how do they look?

March 19, 2015	#10
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Rags, when is the best time of year to sow the seeds? I forgot all about this posting and now I will have to hunt down the seeds I had, if I have any left. So I have to freeze them for 3 weeks before planting--does that mean to keep them there UP TO 3 weeks, or AT LEAST 3 weeks? Please advise so I can time my freezing/planting. BTW, which do you prefer, the red or the white? Heirloomtomatoguy if you see this, where did you get your white plants? We both live in the same zone but I have never seen the whites in any nursery here. Thanks.

March 19, 2015	#11
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Too bad the OP is gone, nice guy, many white and red alpines exist. The strawberry seed store used to carry seeds, not sure if it still exists? Plants are sold at various online nurseries. On pineberries the best are the "White D" cultivar. I have been growing them a few years now. I have tried a few different cultivars. White D is superior. Btw don't ever buy pineberry seeds, they are a hybrid and do not come true to seed. It's like f2 Sungold.