Talk:Garden Strawberry

2005

I can not see that there is any info anywhere if this image really depictures a strawberry of the ananassa species/variety, so I removed the pic. / Habj 08:43, 15 August 2005 (UTC)

This article is really in need of some major updates, as the bulk of the information about cultivation and pests was incredibly out of date. I've made a quick attempt to fix the cultivation part, but this could be done much more artfully if some one had the time. Also, because the regions in which strawberries are cultivated have changed in the last several decades, the diseases and pests of commerical importance have as well, and this information should probably be updated if some one gets the chance (I may later if I have time.) I've left the previous information on seed propagation, but it's not really terribly relevant, as it is done rather rarely (some one may be interested, however).

I also fixed a few other things: Fragaria chiloensis did NOT come from the island of Chiloe. Frezier, who does not mention collecting it on Chiloe, refers to it as Fragaria chiliensis, and it is only Linnaeus who changes this to chiloensis (Darrow suggests that Linnaeus may have been confused as to its origin). Similarly, the statement that ananassa resulted from a cross with F. virginiana from Virginia is again reading too much into the name. No one knows for sure where and how virginiana made its way to Europe, and it likely did so at several times, from several places, before the accidental hybridization or hybridizations between chiloensis and virginiana occurred. The species has a range covering most of North America east of the Rockies, so it's impossible to say for sure that the plants involved came from Virginia. Also, no one knows for sure if this hybridization occurred in France or elsewhere in Europe, and there is some thought that it might have been in the Netherlands. Some at the time believed ananassa to be from Suriname, although that's rather unlikely. It's quite possible that it occurred multiple times in different places in Europe.

Also: 'Chandler' is not everbearing, 'Gariguette' is not Fragaria vesca. Elakazal 05:38, 26 November 2005 (UTC)

As Food

This article is missing info about Strawberries as Food, from the point of view of the user/eater. Why are big agribusiness strawberries so tasteless? Why are small wild ones so flavorful?

What are the best storage conditions for ripe fruit, to keep as long as possible? In the refrigerator? 69.87.201.12 00:55, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Are commercial strawberries much larger than 20 years ago? 216.75.170.81 19:39, 2 July 2006 (UTC)