This is often the time of year that people in southern and central Maine can go out into the fields and pick their own strawberries. This season, however, strawberry enthusiasts will have to wait a while longer.
David Handley with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension says the cold, wet spring means an opening day that’s later than last year. He says a lot of growers in southern Maine, and possibly a bit farther north, hope to open up near the weekend of June 23.
“There’ll be some berries to pick in southern Maine next week, maybe a few this weekend, but I think right now what’s ripening is being picked and sold at the stands because there isn’t enough ripening at one time to open for pick-your-own yet,” he says.
Handley says one benefit of a later season is the chance for families to pick after school lets out.
“Having the season a little bit late isn’t necessarily a bad thing because a lot of these growers are concentrating on the pick-you-own market and, if your season is too early, you’re opening before school lets out and a lot of your pick-you-own customers, of course, are families and, if school’s still in session, that’s really going to slow down the number of people who are coming to your fields,” he says.
He says the crop is looking good, with the potential for pretty good yields and really good fruit size.
