[Kajazy]

I'm about to set up a bed of new strawberry plants and I'd love your opinion on which variety/varieties is/are good to grow? Flavour, rather than yield, is more important to me, and I don't mind if they all mature at once, as I love strawberry jam!!

Thank you!

[Yorkie]

Might be worth doing a forum search, this has come up several times so you'll be able to see what people have previously said.

[Azazello]

I have Albion. They've been brilliant, and have a long cropping season. The fruit is sweet and aromatic.

Recommended.

[Nige2Plots]

For your information I hope this helps.........

http://www.allotment-garden.org/greenhouse/fruit/strawberry_plants.php

[JayG]

After not bothering with growing strawberries for years I bought a single Albion plant 2 years ago. That produced 30 new plants in its first year, and I kept a dozen of them to grow on this year.

So, very little recent experience of other types, but I don't see how anyone could ask for much more from a strawberry variety than what you get from this one! 

It is an everbearer though (   ), so you might prefer to choose what is undoubtedly the very popular Irresistible which apparently fruits more or less "all at once" in June.

[Kajazy]

Thanks all - I'm going to try both the suggested Albion & Irresistible. Does anyone know the difference between buying 'bareroot plants', 'runners' or 'misted tip'? It's a 'mistery' to me... (doh)

[Debz]

The Beechgrove Garden (Scottish Garden TV Show) did a trial with strawberries and they decided that Elsanta was the best flavour.  You could find the information on their fact sheet online and that will tell you what other varieties they trialed.

[operabunny]

Elsanta??  I was definitely not part of that research!

Christine (early), Irresistable (mid season) and Royal Sovereign (mid season, not as prolific but proper 'old-fashioned' flavour) are my faves after trying quite a few varieties so I've settled on those three.

I have yet to find a late season strawberry I really like so I'm still open to ideas on those!

[bigben]

I would agree with the irresistable vote but did find they tended to crop for a short period. This was not a problem for me this year as this was my first year and the amount I got was limited but I have sown runners. I have also bought another type to spread the season next year when I hope to get a better crop from two year old plants.

[Aidy]

Florence is supposed to be another great tasting one, it has been on both Hughs river cottage and also recently on another foody program for seasonal foods, on both it was voted by the general public in blind tasting as the best tasting.

[JohnB47]

Florence is supposed to be another great tasting one, it has been on both Hughs river cottage and also recently on another foody program for seasonal foods, on both it was voted by the general public in blind tasting as the best tasting.

I'll second that - best fruit I've tasted. I got a great crop off of my 'second summer' plants this year - from late May to just after the end of June.  I even had enough to make a pot of jam!

They're flowering again now but I don't expect that to come to much (should I cut the flowers off?). Lots of runners too for new plants.

I've also planted some Albion this year, after recommendations on this site.