Strawberry Growers Fight Weather

Taylor Hillman Field & Row Crops, General, Specialty Crops

Strawberries
Strawberry growers in Southern California are fighting the frost, but that’s not their only concern.

Our recent bout with freezing temperatures caused some damage to strawberries in Oxnard and Santa Maria, in particular to fields lacking frost protection.
When the mercury dips below 34 degrees, and depending for how long, you’ll start to see damage to the plant’s flower and to the fruit itself.
But Robert Riegelsberger, a Markon company inspector is seeing different kinds of problems as well.
Riegelsberger posted his findings on YouTube from a field being harvested in Oxnard.
California is the nation’s leader in strawberry production, generating over $2-billion a year. Strawberries are grown year round in the Golden State.