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drew51_gw

Pineberries: Novelty or worthwhile?

Worthwhile!
My first crop of Pineberries matured and they taste great! I actually prefer them to regular strawberries. Fantastic flavor. I'm definitely going to use the runners for a new bed of just Pineberries. Currently I'm growing three different cultivars but only have tasted "White D" .
It was hard to tell when ripe. At first I was picking them early, not so great taste! When ripe a slight red cast over the white, and they were fantastic!

Comments (10)

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    How do you know when they are ripe? I would love to try them, but I love my 'Mara des Bois' . They seem to be a very tiny berry. How many plants did you order? Thanks

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It's difficult to tell when ripe! Look at photo, see the slight tint of red on the one berry? That berry is ripe!
    I only ordered 2 White D Pineberries, both are blooming.
    A month later I ordered 3 each of "White Pine" And "White Carolina" But I traded 2 of each, leaving me only one plant each! They are growing well, but no fruit yet.
    Berries are small about the size of a quarter. But it is a young plant. I suspect next year it will produce "normal" large strawberries.

    This year I wanted to try a lot of different berry cultivars to pick a few to grow in a bigger bed.
    It's really too early to make any judgments yet, but Elan F1 Everbearing type is a clear winner. Large berries, produces a lot. I won't be able to test the June bearing till next year. man though, they are HUGE plants!
    Some have powdery mildew, but it seems easy to treat. I'm glad I did this to see what plants are resistant, and which ones produce good fruit.
    Here is a photo of my alpine (mostly) bed (4x4). In the center is my mulled blueberry bush my dog ate. Only one cane survived. The bed will be only for the blueberry once it becomes larger. All strawberries will be removed in a year or two.

    Back row left to right
    Alpine Fragola
    Alpine Vesca
    Elan F1

    Center row:
    Alpine Mignonette
    Alpine Rugen

    Front row
    Tri-Start
    Red Wonder Alpine
    Tribute

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 12:11

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    "They seem to be a very tiny berry."

    Here is a size comparison to a Candian quarter. On the left is White D Pineberry, on the right a huge Elan F1.

  • armyofda12mnkeys
    10 years ago

    I have musk/pineberry and alpine strawberries.... the Musks went from lets say 8 plants to a 100 to a 1000 over 3 years lol. Good groundcover.... Dont really get that much fruit as other things seem to eat them... The alpines kinda are everbearing, more fruit in the early summer/spring and late summer/fall. I took them out though cause the fruit is just too small and most animals get them be4 me. The musks are slightly larger berries so i left them in, plus i wanted a groundcover. They have a hint of a grape KoolAid flavor to them or something thats kinda interesting.

  • mrsg47
    10 years ago

    Looks like a very nice novelty to me.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    "Looks like a very nice novelty to me."

    Starting in tropicals I was always attracted to the rare and unusual. Like I grow yellow elderberries.
    I've come to the conclusion that the pineberries have priority over all other strawberries, they are just too good not to grow, My dedicated bed is going to them.
    The ones you mentioned sound good too, others with wild taste exist also.

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Wed, Jun 26, 13 at 20:37

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    "White Pine" is a more common cultivar, and may be bigger, Appears bigger in ads I have seen for fruit for sale.
    Currently one could make money growing these. Demand at finer restaurants is huge!

    I'm making a jam out of them, it's going to be killer!
    My White Pine has a few runners, no flowers yet...
    I also have "White Carolina"

    This post was edited by Drew51 on Wed, Jun 26, 13 at 22:45

  • Coco Nuts
    7 years ago

    My pineberries, aka hulaberries, are in their second year and twice as big as laast year and incredibly productive. So much so I have to make jam, have them in my cereal, with icecream, pineberry crumble, juiced etc etcetcetcl.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I have been growing for three years and I love them! They make the best preserves! Now redoing the bed, so I may have low production next year till they take off. My other fav is Mara Des Bois. Such a great flavor.

  • Venessa Jaime
    2 years ago

    Where can I order white d Pineberries?

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