Strawberry (Albion)

📖 About This Plant

Strawberry (Albion) is a day-neutral everbearing variety from the University of California that has become the preferred choice for home gardeners who want a long, productive harvest season rather than a single June flush. Day-neutral strawberries like Albion ignore day length and produce fruit continuously from late spring through the first fall frost — three or four distinct flushes per season — rather than a single burst. Albion's fruits are large, conically shaped, bright red all the way through, with a firm texture and exceptional sweetness that holds even in warm-weather harvests. It was released in 2006 and quickly became the industry standard for fresh-market strawberries in California, validating its flavor and reliability for the rest of the country's home gardeners.

📊 Quick Facts

📅 When to Plant in Your Area

🌱 Care Tips

Plant Albion strawberries in raised beds or mounded rows with excellent drainage — standing water is fatal to strawberry roots. Space plants 12–18 inches apart in rows 2–3 feet wide. For the strongest first-season harvest, remove all flowers for the first 6–8 weeks after planting to build root mass and plant energy; this sacrifice pays off with significantly heavier yields for the remainder of the season and in future years. Albion produces moderate runners; in a matted-row system, allow 3–5 runners per plant to root and fill in the row, then cut additional runners to keep the bed from overcrowding. Fertilize at planting with a balanced fertilizer, then feed lightly every 4–6 weeks through the growing season — too much nitrogen encourages foliage at the expense of fruit sweetness. Renovate beds after the final fall harvest by mowing foliage to 3 inches and applying fresh straw mulch over the crowns for winter protection in zones 5–7. Albion is susceptible to powdery mildew; ensure good airflow between plants and avoid overhead irrigation.

🤝 Companion Plants

These plants grow well alongside Strawberry:

🌿 Related Fruit

More fruit that grow in similar conditions:

❓ Frequently Asked Questions