Mara Des Boir Strawberry

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Barmaley
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Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#1

Post: # 46596Unread post Barmaley
Wed May 12, 2021 1:11 am

After serious search for the best tasting strawberry available in the USA and disappointed by lack of Japanese strawberry seeds I came to a conclusion that Mara Des Boir is the tastiest strawberry variety available in the USA. It is true?

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Shule
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Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#2

Post: # 46600Unread post Shule
Wed May 12, 2021 1:55 am

I haven't tasted them all, so I can't say, but the description does say that.

I'm hopeful that Ogallala might be competitive, however. It's supposed to taste like a wild strawberry.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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ponyexpress
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#3

Post: # 46618Unread post ponyexpress
Wed May 12, 2021 9:13 am

Barmaley wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:11 am After serious search for the best tasting strawberry available in the USA and disappointed by lack of Japanese strawberry seeds I came to a conclusion that Mara Des Boir is the tastiest strawberry variety available in the USA. It is true?
I hope it's a good one. I will say that it does produce a lot of flowers for an everbearer compared to Seascape. I also have Albion but it's a new plant for me. Haven't tasted Mara Des Boir yet but will in a month.

I'm also growing Gariguette but it doesn't look like I'll get any fruit this year. I started some plants from seed last year.

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Barmaley
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#4

Post: # 47108Unread post Barmaley
Wed May 19, 2021 9:41 pm

I got my 100 bare root plants today and I could not imagine that it would be so much work!!! All I managed to plant 45 considering that on the same day I got 15 plants of Charlotte strawberry as well and I planted them as well :(
What bothers me: I called customer support with Nourse Farms (I bought them there) and I got a really professional support ( I spoke to a specialist for an hour!!!) and learnt a lot, but she told me that there is not way to propagate them. This year it I should expect the largest crop, next year about half and then less and less. If I will try to save runners they will not as productive as first ones and over several years this strain will degrade. The only was is to buy every year new bare roots from them. Frankly, the price was reasonable - just over $70 plants including shipping, however, the whole fun is to grow your own plant! What guys do you think about it?

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Shule
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#5

Post: # 47113Unread post Shule
Thu May 20, 2021 2:47 am

[mention]Barmaley[/mention]
You can grow them from seed (but they won't be true-to-type; you'll get a whole new kind of strawberry; garden strawberries are octoploids--so, stabilizing them could take a lot of generations, and you're unlikely to get a stable plant like the original parent, even if you get a stable plant; alpine strawberries are diploids like tomatoes, and are easier to breed than garden strawberries). I've had success growing strawberries from seed just by mushing up a strawberry into the top part of the soil indoors, and keeping it watered (fruit-mushing aside, it's kind of like starting tomatoes). Alpine strawberries sprout faster and more abundantly, but garden strawberries will work, too.

You can propagate alpine types by division, too (not just runners). I know garden strawberries do multiply that way, though, but I don't know if they'll keep producing over years of doing it like they will with runners. Alpine types don't stop producing after a few years like garden types.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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ponyexpress
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#6

Post: # 47152Unread post ponyexpress
Thu May 20, 2021 3:21 pm

Barmaley wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 9:41 pm If I will try to save runners they will not as productive as first ones and over several years this strain will degrade.
All of my plants are from runners and they're doing fabulous. I did see some sending out runners and I cut them off. I do plan to save some runners for a new bed later this year. I don't understand how this will degrade the strain. I do understand if you keep the mother plants and never replace them, they'll degrade and eventually die off.

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Shule
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#7

Post: # 47187Unread post Shule
Thu May 20, 2021 10:36 pm

[mention]ponyexpress[/mention] [mention]Barmaley[/mention]

Yeah, I've never heard of runners being worse than the parents. I'm pretty sure the nurseries get their plants from runners.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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Whwoz
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#8

Post: # 47190Unread post Whwoz
Fri May 21, 2021 2:17 am

[mention]Barmaley[/mention] , [mention]ponyexpress[/mention] Agree with [mention]Shule[/mention] , runners are what is typically supplied to nurseries and commercial growers. A lot of the talk about plants degrading quickly actually relates to commercial situations where pickers who work different farms can rapidly and effectively transmit virus between plants.

In the domestic situation, where only family members are picking fruit, plants can last a lot longer, depending upon variety. Production will drop off over time, rate depending upon variety, for example, our favourite variety, Hokowase really needs to be reset every two years to maintain production levels, ideally one should do half the patch every other year, alternating halves. This variety produces superbly after a stir up, but drops off quickly, whereas the old standard Red Gauntlet peaks at year two and will produce a reasonable crop for up to 20 years if allowed to.

Runners are easiest way to re-establish a bed but have done division successfully before. Divisions quickly kick off and start new growth and roots

OhioGardener
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#9

Post: # 47201Unread post OhioGardener
Fri May 21, 2021 4:21 pm

Barmaley wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:11 am After serious search for the best tasting strawberry available in the USA and disappointed by lack of Japanese strawberry seeds I came to a conclusion that Mara Des Boir is the tastiest strawberry variety available in the USA. It is true?
I had them a few years ago and ended up ripping them out. It could have been that my growing conditions weren't ideal, but I wasn't all that impressed with the berry size. They were indeed tasty, but not to the degree that I was expecting, and their soft texture means they go bad fast.
Debbie

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Barmaley
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#10

Post: # 47215Unread post Barmaley
Fri May 21, 2021 11:48 pm

I read and understand about runners, but what is division?

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Shule
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#11

Post: # 47219Unread post Shule
Sat May 22, 2021 12:56 am

[mention]Barmaley[/mention]
As the plants age, they turn into multiple plants clumped up together; you can divide them and put them further apart.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

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ponyexpress
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#12

Post: # 47346Unread post ponyexpress
Mon May 24, 2021 5:55 am

Here’s a recent picture I took of my Mara plants. I’m very impressed with the size of the plants and the quantities of berries. These plants were runners last summer that I got from a friend.
7C00B0BC-81DE-4506-966E-42D18064F7B2.jpeg
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ponyexpress
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Re: Mara Des Boir Strawberry

#13

Post: # 49165Unread post ponyexpress
Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:04 am

I’m very impressed with Mara. Had big plants from tiny ones planted last fall. Each plant produced so many berries. It was the top producer in my garden.

As for taste, I think they’re great but my French friend is not impressed with them. She was expecting more of the knock your socks taste that you would get from Alpine berries.

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