Strawberry Sweet Charlie

Planting and care

Sweet Charlie strawberry plants have an atypical ripening profile that can be quite variable. Generally the variety has two weeks of early production that produces very good, high-quality strawberries. However, after the initial two weeks, size tends to drop off drastically in the early midseason.

Caring for Strawberry Sweet Charlie

• Sweet Charlie is a vigorous produce and a great choice for the home garden.
  They are firm, can tolerate gentle shipping over short distances, and have deep red mature strawberries.
• The plants have leaves that are medium to dark green, slightly cupped, and semi-glossy.
• In the first year, discourage plants from fruiting. If not allowed to bear fruit, they will spend their food reserves on developing healthy roots.
• The yields will be much greater in the second year.First and second generations produce higher yields. Try to space each plant about 10 inches apart.
  Moisture is very important due to shallow roots. Water adequately, about one inch per week.
• They need a lot of water when the runners and flowers are developing and again in the fall when the plants are mature.
  When the growing season is over, mow or cut the foliage down to one inch and mulch plants about 4 inches deep with straw, pine needles or other organic material.
• Remove mulch in early spring, after danger of frost has passed.Row covers are a good option for protecting blossoms and fruit from birds.

Typical uses of Strawberry Sweet Charlie

Special features: And, even more interestingly, a second crop of very large Sweet Charlie berries are produced in the last week of strawberry season in some years even though they are June-bearing plants. Generally, however, a Sweet Charlie strawberry plant will produce between 1 and 2 pints of strawberries per season.

Culinary use: Sauces and Syrups, Dips and Salsas, Baked Goods, Jams and Jellies, Smoothies

Ornamental use: Can be used for an ornamental purpose.

Medicinal use: Strawberry consumption may be associated with a decreased cardiovascular disease risk and that phytochemicals present in strawberries have anti-inflammatory or anticancer properties in laboratory studies.
Epidemiological studies have associated strawberry consumption with lower rates of hypertension, inflammation, cancer, and death from cardiovascular diseases.
Certain studies have suggested that strawberry consumption may have beneficial effects in humans such as lowering blood LDL cholesterol levels, total cholesterol, reducing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and decreasing the spike in blood sugar after high sugar meals and the spike in blood cholesterol seen after a high-fat meal. Note: The following information is general guidelines. Be sure to ask your healthcare provider for guidelines.

References

• http://strawberryplants.org/2010/08/sweet-charlie-strawberry-plants/

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