What Are Cavendish Strawberries?

Characteristics

• The Cavenshish strawberry bears its fruit once a year, primarily in late May through June. The flower of the Cavendish strawberry has white petals with yellow centers, which appear on the plant in spring. The Cavendish strawberry is high yielding and the fruit is very large, dark red and has a medium firmness. This strawberry will produce fruit for several years.

Strengths

• The Cavendish strawberry can be harvested over several years and will continue to produce a high yield of crop. This strawberry is resistant to red stele, a root rot disease commonly known to destroy strawberry crops. The Cavendish strawberry is high yielding and will produce fruit for many years. The fruit can be harvested over a long period of time, given the plant remains healthy.

Weaknesses

• Under some climate conditions, the Cavendish strawberry can color unevenly. This is especially prevalent when there are cool springs followed by hot weather during ripening. When hot weather occurs, the skin of the fruit can become tender. Like all strawberries, Cavendish strawberries are susceptible to a large number of foliage and root rot diseases, though it has a relatively good resistance to disease. This strawberry can have occasional insect problems, such as infestations from mites, aphids, slugs and strawberry weevils.

Strawberry Plant Care

• Like all strawberries, Cavendish strawberries need a certain amount of care for them to ripen successfully. It is recommended that in the first year of growth all flower buds are pinched out. This allows the plant to place its energy in the fruit, and not the flower. Fertilization of the plant is very important. The soil should be fertilized before planting and again in July and August, after the ripening has begun. If the season is particularly rainy, it is important to provide extra fertilizer treatments, as the the rain will wash away nutrients.