Fragaria ‘Ozark Beauty’ (Everbearing Strawberry)

Considered by many to be the best everbearing variety, Fragaria ‘Ozark Beauty’ (Everbearing Strawberry) produces a first crop in spring and another one in late summer or fall. Under ideal conditions, it is possible to produce three berry harvests. Five-petaled white flowers adorned with yellow centers appear in early spring and give way to large, luscious, red berries which ripen in late spring to early summer. They are very sweet with excellent strawberry flavor. This strawberry enjoys good disease resistance. May remain evergreen in frost-free areas.

A strawberry patch is ravishing with its small mounds of fresh, green, pleated leaves which hide dangling, ruby-red fruits begging to be picked and enjoyed. This Everbearing Strawberry can be successfully grown in a container too. Excellent for pie, fresh eating and jams.

• Grows up to 6-9 in. tall (15-22 cm) and 12-18 in. wide (30-45 cm). Mother plants produce runners and fruit well, but runner plants usually will not produce any strawberries during their first year, unlike most others.
• A full sun lover, this plant is best grown in fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Prefers organically rich, sandy loams. Plant in single or double rows 18-24 in. between plants (45-60cm) and 36-48 in. between rows (90-120cm).
• Strawberries are susceptible to quite a few issues such as foliage diseases, root rots (red stele, black root rot), fruit rots (anthracnose, leather rot), verticillium wilt, gray mold, viruses and scorch. Tarnished plant bug, mites, aphids, leafrollers, slugs, nematodes and strawberry weevils are occasional insect pests.
• Propagation: Remove and transplant runners.