Culture
Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers organically rich, sandy loams. Strawberries are a high maintenance fruit crop which can be grown all over the United States. Growing recommendations can vary considerably depending upon the climate, however, and varieties are often regionally adapted. Grow only certified disease-resistant cultivars. University Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia publishes a pamphlet called "Home Fruit Production: Strawberries and Their Culture" (G 6135) which provides some basic information on growing strawberries in Missouri and is available for inspection or purchase at the Center for Home Gardening.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Fragaria is a genus containing about 12 species of low-growing stoloniferous herbaceous perennials commonly known as strawberries. Strawberries are a mainstay of the home fruit garden and are grouped into Junebearing, everbearing, and day-neutral types. Junebearers produce one crop per year early in the season (typically June). The berries of Junebearers are normally larger than the berries produced by everbearing or day-neutral plants. They are sensitive to the length of day, and send out runners in spring as day length increases. Everbearing types produce two main crops when the days are short: one main crop in spring and another, typically smaller, crop in fall. Day-neutral varieties are not sensitive to day length and will initiate flower buds throughout the growing season when temperatures are below 85°F. All strawberries have five-petaled, white flowers with yellow centers. Flowers appear on stems clad with tri-foliate green leaves. Flowers give way to large, glossy, red berries which mature in late spring to early summer. Berries are plump, fragrant, sweet and exceedingly tasty.
Genus name comes from the Latin word fraga meaning strawberry presumably from fragrans meaning fragrant in reference to the perfume of the fruit.
'Ozark Beauty' is an everbearing strawberry. It has been somewhat variable in its performance in Missouri, but is generally considered a good choice for this area.
Problems
Strawberries are susceptible to a large number of potential diseases, including but not limited to: foliage diseases (leaf spot, scorch), root rots (red stele, black root rot), fruit rots (anthracnose, leather rot), gray mold and viruses. Tarnished plant bugs, mites, aphids, leafrollers, slugs, nematodes and strawberry weevils are occasional insect problems.
'Ozark Beauty' generally has good disease resistance.
Uses
Strawberries have little special ornamental value and are usually grown as a fruit crop in a specific area set aside for the same.