The weather in the Swedish town of Uppsala has been warm over the last few weeks. This means there is an increased chance that strawberries could be harvested from the end of May, according to the growers in the region.
Fredrik Hörenius of Ulvagubben thinks the recent warm weather has had a major influence on the strawberry cultivation. "It seems that the first strawberries will now be ready on 20 May", he says. Hörenius says it will be five or six days after that before he can start picking. Does that mean strawberries will be on the menu at the mid-summer night's feast? "It looks promising. It would surprise me if this were not the case." The strawberry season here usually lasts until mid-October. "We cultivate our strawberries under a grow tent. We do not put pressure on them. They just, peacefully, grow under then tent", he says. "The best strawberries are harvested n July."
At Fredriklunds Gård in the Uppsala region, full-ground strawberries are grown. "May is an important, influential month. If the nights are cold, it is problematic. This can delay the harvest", says Gustaf Olsson. He runs the farm with Agneta Olsson. He is, however, optimistic. According to him, the plants are looking good. Thanks to the good weather, harvesting might occur earlier than usual. "In a week, the plants will blossom. Then, after 25 days, the strawberries appear. If it stays warm, they will be ripe in about mid-June."
Olsson also thinks local strawberries will be adorning the tables at the mid-summer night's feast this year. You can, however, never be sure. "A few years ago, we also had early-blossoming plants. This was followed by 17 consecutive cold nights. The strawberries were, in fact, late that year."
Source: www.unt.se