Locally grown strawberries bearing fruits

As the leaves fall and the winter chill sets in, strawberry plants have already begun to bloom, with some even bearing fruit. The berries are expected to hit the market by mid-December in Qingpu.

At the Baihe Town Honghe Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative, rows of strawberries grow inside greenhouses with many small white flowers blooming among the lush green leaves. Bees and butterflies shuttle between the flowers, occasionally landing on the strawberry stamens to pollinate and collect nectar. Inside the greenhouses, farmers are busy weeding and preparing film as “winter clothes” for the seedlings to ensure they survive winter.

“This year, the temperature has been relatively warm, and the differentiation of strawberry flower buds requires two conditions — a low temperature and short daylight hours. So, the high temperature delayed the differentiation, and the planting time was postponed,” explained Shen Linhua, who is in charge of the cooperative.

“This year, the strawberry ripening and blooming period will be about 20 days later than previous years. Large quantities of strawberries are expected to be available after mid December.”

The cooperative cultivates 40 mu (2.67 hectares) of strawberries, featuring over 10 new varieties, using biological control for green and safe produce.