Harvest and Post-Harvest Management

The red coloration is due to production of anthocyanins which start to develop in the white fruit.

Fresh strawberries harvested for local – home country – consumption, are harvested when completely red. Those for export are harvested when they are three quarters colored and then placed in cold storage. Rapid cooling helps to maintain the quality of the fruit for up to ten days in storage.

High carbon dioxide concentrations within the cold store, which help reduce fungal growth and fruit decay, can also help maintain quality in store.

After harvest, matted-row production field crops need to be thinned – selectively removing older plants – as soon as possible. Growers will commonly mow-off the strawberry leaves around 2-3cm above the crown.

Weed control utilizing residual herbicides can help where annual and perennial broadleaved weeds are a problem, but these need to be applied before the start of blossom development or the following year’s fruit could be malformed.

Inter-row cultivation can also help to trim excessive runners and provide the space needed for the development of a high yielding following crop. Fertilizer use – notably potassium, boron and zinc - helps to strengthen the crop prior to winter and ensure good flower set and fruiting in the following spring. Covering the complete crop with a straw mulch or protective sheeting will also protect the flower buds from frost damage.

Strawberries are also particularly susceptible to late frosts in the spring. Open blossoms are injured at temperatures of below 2oC. The first sign of this is a discoloration of the flower parts. Partially injured blossoms may produce deformed fruit, whereas severely injured flowers will abort. Frost protection limits this damage.