Strawberry season has ‘berry’ good outlook in 2024
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – “This is the earliest we’ve ever had strawberries,” Marshal Wiggins, co-owner of Tyler Berry Farm, said.
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Marshal and Addie Wiggins, owners of Tyler Berry Farm, said they are already seeing red strawberries pop up.
Their fields are filling up thanks to the warmer weather.
“Strawberry season, is looking so much better than it has in the past several years,” Russell Wallace, professor and horticulture specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, said.
Wallace said the lack of hard freezes this winter has allowed the fruit to take their deep color.
With the strawberries already blooming and turning a bright red, the Wiggins said they may get an extra three weeks on the crop.
“It should be an even longer season, strawberries just continue to produce when the temperatures under 85 or 90 degrees, they will continue blooming until it gets to hot,” Wiggins said.
For now, they are at the mercy of Texas weather. Even the fear of another freeze is on several farmer’s minds, but they are extremely blessed that this week’s drop in temperatures didn’t harm the crop.
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“But I went out there and prayed over the whole field for like an hour, I’m telling you, there’s like no dead blooms out there, the lord really protected the blooms,” Wiggins said.
Experts said a good strawberry season is needed, and so far, it’s thankfully turning out to be a “berry” good one.
Supplies will be limited for now, but by the end of April or the beginning of May, peak picking season will arrive. This year, Tyler Berry Farms opened up for picking about nine days earlier than in years past.
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