May 1, 2008

Virginia strawberries are ripe for the pickin’

VIRGINIA BEACH—Strawberry season is here, and the berries are looking good.

Virginia Beach producer Mike Cullipher said he’s pleased. “It looks really good so far,” Cullipher said. “I think it’ll be a good crop. There’s always weather-depending, but it looks really good.” Cullipher grows nearly 3 acres of strawberries. He picks 10 to 15 percent to sell to local restaurants, and the rest is a pick-your-own operation.

Ideal conditions for strawberry growing are 75-80 F daytime temperatures, 50-60 F nighttime temperatures and not much rain, Cullipher said.

“We use trickle-drip irrigation on the strawberries so we can water as needed. Ideally, for strawberry crops, it would never rain. That’s why California has such a successful strawberry industry.”

Cooler, rainy weather also has an impact on a pick-your-own operation, he noted. “People aren’t as enthusiastic about picking in the cool rain.”

A problem this winter for Cullipher and some other strawberry growers was anthracnose crown rot, one of the most destructive diseases of strawberries in the southeastern United States. While crown rot is common in southern states because it thrives in warm, moist weather conditions, it usually isn’t a problem in Virginia.

Cullipher said he lost about 5 percent of his crop to crown rot. He has been working with North Carolina State University’s and Virginia Tech’s Extension programs to combat the disease.

“They’ve given us a really good program to eliminate and minimize any further damage,” he said. “I think we have it under control … no new outbreaks so far.”

Contact Cullipher at 757-636-7620.