Organic Strawberries

Long long ago, way back when I was in college (ok, not that long ago) I had a sweet little lovebird. Researching what her diet should be, I was surprised to learn that strawberries were a no-no because of the pesticides put on them. This was the very beginning for me some ten years ago to question what we eat.

Strawberries this year are ranked number three on the Daily Green's Dirty Dozen. Having grown these luscious yummies, I can see why. When on the ground, strawberries are a yummy treat for everything. They'll get slugs burying holes through them, squirrels take off with them, everything loves strawberries. Can you blame them?

For a home grower, simple precautions can keep your berries all for you. First, try them in a container. Sometimes as the plant ages, containers can get too constricted, so if you must put them on the ground keep a close eye on them. They should have some kind of fence around them, and for any berries getting ready to turn red like this one here from my daughter's strawberry bush, put a plastic card or something underneath it. This will keep the slugs and bugs away.

Last fall, hubs and I took the kids to Florida to visit some family. My like-minded brother took us to one of his favorite places The Girl's Strawberry Patch. I had never been to an organic strawberry patch before, and seeing how they stack the strawberries up like that in rows, I can see why they don't need pesticides. You don't even need to bend over and pick them. A very neat place.

In the end, I would strongly suggest you do you're own research. My children either eat organic strawberries, or they don't eat strawberries. It's really that simple.