Strawberry / Fragaria

Fragaria x ananassa 'Seascape'

Planted 6 in two troughs by the kitchen door in spring 2021. From Payne's.

Photos

Expectations:

'Seascape' is a day neutral everbearing strawberry. It is supposed to be highly productive, with good taste and it bears all summer long.

Experiences:

They got pretty badly battered by hail in April, very cold nights and a lot of wind. But by mid May I had a crop, even though the foliage looked tattered and skimpy. They did not taste like much

July 5, 2021 - browning in direct sun all day

As the season progressed, these strawberries suffered. Hail tattered them, cold nights didn't help, birds ate the berries, and then they stopped producing. 

They dried out in the hot direct sun and needed water every day, despite being in plastic troughs.

So when we went to California in late June I brought them inside and put them on a soaker mat in the bathtub. When we got back they looked fantastic. Leaves were once again dark green and full.

I put them back out on the plant stands by the kitchen door, and they immediately started to fail again. By fourth of July it was clear they were in too much sun there.

July 23, 2021

So I moved them to the front portal. At first to the bench in the deep recess at the front door, but that was too shady and I never saw them. Then, when we painted the sliding glass door step red, I put them there. 

I can see them, monitor things, and they get a bit of filtered sunshine. And they soften that red step nicely. I'll have to net them when the fruits come in -- the birds will find them even on the portal.