Nov 16, 2011

Wish Farms announces first strawberries of the Florida season

Wish Farms, the largest grower and shipper of strawberries in Florida, announces the kick-off of its Florida strawberry season, projected to be the biggest to date. With a larger supply of both conventional and organic berries, the first fruit is harvested from 150 acres and will be available at most major local grocery store chains.

“This year, our strawberry acreage increased from 1,500 to over 2,000.” says Gary Wishnatzki, President and CEO of Wish Farms. “In past years, our season begins in December, so we are excited for our customers to enjoy our berries just in time for Thanksgiving.”

In addition to the more traditional bare root plant, Wish Farms is harvesting plug plants- young plants grown in individual cells. Bare root plants require 9 to 14 days of overhead water, whereas plug plants require almost solely drip irrigation, minimizing water usage. When transferred to the fields with established growth, they begin to produce fruit more quickly with a greater potential for early yields.

“A traditional plug plant is harvested 14 to 20 days earlier than a bare root plant,” says Wayne Moss, grower and nurseryman for Wish Farms. “When the plug plant begins to cycle down, bare root plants begin harvest, providing a wider variation of fruit production throughout the season.”

The majority of the early berries will be picked from the Radiance variety, bred by University of Florida researchers and predominately grown in Florida. A full supply of berries is expected to be available by mid-December, in time for the holiday push.