Finksy and Trott. Good, I got the answer that I was looking for. (Trot it was a typo, I know the bees don't spread nectar, too much hurry to type something).
So, OK, strawberries, (like EVERYTHING) must have pollination for the big and lucious!!!. Granted, I learned something absolutely true and new today. I thought perhaps that the self-pollinating plants did not require EXTRA pollination. So, that makes sense, that the bees make the berries even more big, beautiful, uniform, etc. That must be why the strawberries that I have these past two springs have been the most beautiful that I have ever had growing on my acreage. They have always been very nice berries, but honestly, since I began keeping the species, the berries are much much larger and UNIFORM in size. Just didn't put that two and two together.
The strawberry pollination facts that I learned today remind me of the incredible numbers of bees that it requires for the cranberry pollination here. In our Lower Mainland (especially out my neck of the woods nearby where we have the flats), cranberries are grown in great numbers. Now cranberries are very similar with what is given to the bees as far as nourishment goes, it takes about 10 hives to pollinate one acre of cranberry, whereas, for example it takes 1 hive of bees to pollinate the blueberry (which we also grow in a big way this part of B.C.). Now, that makes pollination of the cranberry very expensive to the grower, no wonder the cost of this berry is so high.
I planted 10 blueberry plants in 2005 and 30 more in last summer. This year I will be able to produce quite a bit of blueberry product, honey and berries, of course. The blueberry is an amazing sub-shrub. If you ever get a chance when the plants are setting forth flower, walk through them. The fragrance of the flowers are something to behold, no wonder the bees are drawn to these pretty little plants.
Fragrance in the garden is one that I focus on, whether it is flowers or shrubs that bloom during the day or night. I find the night scented flowers to be even more alluring. There are some flowers that bloom either night or day that surely take the breath away, and I am not exaggerating, walk around these things of beauty and one cannot help but inhale deeply, wishing never to allow this scent to leave the air.
All have a great day, hope the Christmas celebration was one of joy and happiness. Winter solstace gone by the wayside, summer a'comin' on. Cindi