In 2017, we began a new exploration of white wild Alpine strawberries varieties in KRATKY (passive hydroponic) method.
These varieties are not common commercially and too fragile to ship, thus we had to grow them from seeds.
We were keen to grow them out of curiosity because their taste profiles were described as intensely aromatic.
Most are sweet with different variants of interesting flavors, such as pineapple, cotton candy, rose syrup, or caramel.
As we explored more widely and tasted the fruits of our labor, we discovered not every white (or yellow) strawberry carried this special taste.
Now we understood why some growers classified the special ones as “gourmet” and others as “common”.
Seeds prices were higher and sources to buy were more limited with the gourmet range.
True white strawberries belonged to 2 main groups –
Alpine (Fragaria Vesca, originated in Europe)
Beach (Fragaria Chiloensis, originated in Chile, also known as South American or coastal strawberries)
Both the alpine and beach strawberries are wild species.
White strawberries are white because they lacked the protein FRA a1 which made red strawberries red.
People who are allergic to red strawberries have no problems eating white strawberries because of the absence of this protein.
An example of white strawberries sold in ISETAN (Japanese shopping store) on January 8, 2016.
It is not far fetched to sell fifteen pieces of gourmet white strawberries for Singapore $200, about USD $150.
After growing our own wild white strawberries since 2016, we now know that these supermarkets’ strawberries are likely hybrid.
Heirloom wild strawberries are typically small and soft flesh.
Once harvested, they are unlikely to last a day.
What they lacked in size, these varieties more than compensate with their aromatic intense flavor and unique taste.
A sought after and commercial popular white hybrid variety is Pineberry (white flesh, red seeds), a cross between Fragaria and Ananassa varieties.
This cannot be grown from seeds, as Pineberry is a cultivated hybrid, thus please do not buy pineberry seeds online.
List of some Wild Alpine White varieties –
Krem
Pineapple Crush
White Delight
White Giant
White Soul
We started our exploration in 2015 with WHITE SOUL variety in soil and then late 2017 liquid base.
2018
With the experience gained from Pineapple Strawberries (yellow varieties) in 2016 and 2017, we had more confidence to try more white strawberry varieties.
On January 20, we sowed four new types and they germinated on January 26 after 6 days, using a new germination method.
One of these new varieties belonged to the gourmet category with a taste profile of caramel and pineapple.
These seeds are no longer on sale.
Hands-On Learning to pin down the proper system to grow strawberries without stress!
White strawberries varieties are considerably smaller and slower to grow than the common red varieties.
And like children, they grew up too.
During months where there is insufficient sun, we began to use these full spectrum grow lights for our indoor gardens.
White strawberries have the characteristics of red stems of normal red garden varieties.
From germinating through growth stages here, we are breeding them in a natural SG environment.
Our hope is to grow more varieties of white strawberries and built a portfolio of gourmet hydro plug-ins for household gardeners and high tech systems.
Some of our seeds collected over the years are no longer available for sale internationally.
A Comparative journal from USA, with Regina Fok
To collect growth data on white strawberries from our seeds.
Her seeds germinated in 9 days in an indoor environment of 23C.
This is similar to SG white strawberries’ observation.
Her seedlings started small and fragile too.
The size of first harvest fruits is the same as ones grown in tropical Singapore.
As there is not much information available on white strawberries in our tropical zone, we are hoping to record more data as we grow them in our blog.
THE UNEXPECTED CURVE BALLS (CHALLENGES)
White strawberries are by far, one of the most difficult to start from seeds.
However, the more challenges they present, the deeper we learned how to grow them.
Whether in high tech systems, Kratky (liquid base), or soil, this knowledge is invaluable.
We collect this data to establish a recovery SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) for gourmet white strawberries varieties because seeds and plants are now scarce to our region.
With this variety, we experienced how every part of the plant can “break away” and how to save them when it happened.
The following is a list of challenges for growing white strawberries plants out of their natural zone.
Leaves Wilt
White strawberries are extremely delicate and fragile.
Transplanting them need extra care.
The leaves suffer rot easily, thus its a good idea not to get the leaves wet and stay wet.
Surviving seedlings are slower to grow.
They become hardy after the fourth month.
Roots Separation
The roots sometimes dropped off for no reason.
With limited roots, a strawberry plant can still stand upright.
They also recovered fast with the right remedy.
Sign of successful recovery is first more roots mass and then new leaf growth from the crown (the midsection of the plant).
It is possible to regenerate new roots when this happened for hydroponic plants.
Crown Separation
The strawberry top can break away from its crown. like this.
In the past, when this happened, it would ring a death knell for this plant.
Crown can root with proper care.
With recovery SOP, now we could recover these plants as long as they were healthy before the separation.
It took 7 days for new roots to show.
Once on the mend, roots gained mass quickly.
This was the progress between March 5 to the 14th.
A clear signal from recovered plants is when new leaf showed at the crown and color returned to the stem.
This plant showed flowers in May 2019.
Fruits of our labor
Uphill battles won!
Finally, we harvested fruits from February 2018 plants!
We are always grateful for these small fruits after so many trials at every stage.
Do check in to our SHOP for seeds or net-cups!
Seedlings had to be pre-ordered due to limited space.
With the compilation of 2 years of strawberries growth data in our tropical zone, we discovered new ways to grow them better.
Future strawberries will be breed this way, with zero carbon footprint, yet tough enough to fruit in a natural environment.
In addition, our hydro seedlings can be easily plugged in high tech systems or standalone in Kratky.
White Strawberries Notes –
- Perennial plant
- Heavy feeder, need Phosphorous and Potassium like most strawberries
- Minimum 6 hours light, prefers shade over full sun
- Well-drained loamy soil
- Moderate watering preferred drip irrigation
- Temperature not above 29 degree Celsius
- More delicate seedlings than red varieties
- Fruits were slower to develop in a natural environment
- Suffered heat stress more often, not recommended outdoor
- Pineapple scent permeates the whole plant during the fruiting stage
- Mature plants are 6 – 8 inches tall, Width 10 – 12 inches across
- Suitable for USA zone 4 – 8 (For reference, Singapore is beyond Zone 13 )
Nice! I like how you did it. Where can i get these seeds white soul strawberry seeds from?
My seeds were from Seed Bank Canada.
WHOAA!! white strawberry from japan available in SG? that’s rare. you should (oh no, you must) take the seeds. have you ever try to grow garden strawberry (fragaria x ananassa) from seeds before?
HI,
Update – White Soul was successfully grown (to fruit on time) in 2018.
2017 – White Soul was not successful. This variety was from the States. We succeeded with the Heirloom Pineapple strawberries, yellow color. And yes, seeds from them are viable. Their seedlings are acclimatized to SG weather. We are hopeful that this new generation will begin Singapore’s alpine strawberries gardening. Yes, last year we grown and harvested red strawberries variety.