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My Thoughts on ‘Mara des Bois’ Strawberries

August 31st, 2017

If you remember, this spring I decided to try ‘Mara des Bois’ strawberries as my overbearing variety. I’ve tried a few other everbearing or day neutral berries, but have never been super enthusiastic about the flavor. I kept hearing about this variety and how delicious it was, so I ordered 25 plants from Nourse Farms. They were carefully planted this spring, watered regularly, and started producing about 10-12 weeks later.

They’ve been producing ever since. If I remember to give them a watering with liquid kelp every 2 weeks they product big, beautiful berries. If I forget the berries are much smaller. It makes sense that they need extra feed to produce fruit continuously. Out of my 25 plants, 24 survived and they’re producing all kinds of runners now (which I should cut off to keep them producing berries). As far as the flavor is concerned, they are OK. To me, they don’t taste quite like the strawberries I like, they taste similar to the small yellow berries I grow. I think they have a slight taste of pineapple. Currently, we are debating whether dedicating garden space to them is worth it or if we’d rather dedicate that space to a different fruit (like raspberries).

Have you ever grow day neutral strawberries? Do you have a favorite variety?

5 Comments to “My Thoughts on ‘Mara des Bois’ Strawberries”
  1. Bettina Hall on August 31, 2017 at 7:23 am

    As someone who likes strawberries a couple of times a year, not more, and thus does not have any in her garden, I am curious to find out – what is a day neutral strawberry?

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  2. Ghislaine on September 2, 2017 at 10:30 am

    I find Mara des Bois strawberries too musky/winey for my taste and ended up getting rid if my plants. The PNW varieties I have now are working well for us, but my very favorite are Gariguettes, which I have not been able to locate in the US so far.

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  3. Lindsey on September 3, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    We have had great luck with Honeoye strawberries – but they are not everbearing. I love how big the fruit is – great big and the size of the palm of my hand. Of course the Tri-Star has been a great addition to the patch as an everbearing, but they have been so small, I was starting to get annoyed with them. Now that I read about the kelp meal, I’m going to do that next year – I must admit that I kind of got into other projects and the strawberries got mulched and fed once in the early summer and have since been on their own as the season draws down. Too many things and only one ME!

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  4. Nebraska Dave on September 4, 2017 at 8:25 am

    Susy, one of the reasons I enjoy reading your posts is that you are always finding new things to try. I had no idea that there were strawberries that would produce all season long. Mine were given to me and I have no idea what kind they are. They produce one time in the Spring and that’s it. Apparently they are very old school. I’ve heard of the Everbearing that produce a couple times during the year but not the day neutral bearing. I had to look that up and was amazed to find out they produce all year long. My strawberries are on the small side but I did know to feed them so often. They were super flavorful as through the bigger strawberry was packed into the smaller one.

    My strawberry bed is about four years old now. How often do you have to move strawberry beds. I’m thinking now that I’ll plant a new one with the day neutral berries even if they are a bit less flavorful.

    Have a Labor Day weekend in the strawberry patch.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  5. Blue on September 12, 2017 at 2:42 am

    I’ve been growing strawberries in my wee gardens for 16 yrs now, started with Ozark Beauty, Albion, Earliglow, Honeoye, Quineault, and added Seacape, TriStar,

    I have no idea, which one is which because while in hospital my plants were dug up and moved about to make it easier for “someone” , who will remain nameless, to water. So far, the squirrel and birds enjoy more than I do. This, you would guess rightly so, irks the begeebers outta me.

    I hope next year to find a solution.

    meanwhile I have red Heritage raspberries, Royal Purple raspberries, Fall Gold raspberries, ShortCake Red Rasperries, Navaho Blackberries, Baby cakes Blackberries, and about 20 varietals of blueberries with an average of 52 bushes, all in root bags in 300 Sq feet yard.. I’m not “someones” favorite yard person tho. Plants equal no lawn. Fine for me, irksome to Mr TruGreen.

    I’ve no advise on flavor as I’m just glad to be able to steal a couple out of my critters paws now and then. !! But I’m following your posts, and maybe you’ll find that perfect one! And I’ll have something to wish for –Win/Win eh?

    Reply to Blue's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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