Strawberry Varieties
Best Strawberry Varieties for the Kratky Method
The variety you choose decides whether a Kratky container gives you one short crop or berries for months. This page compares the strawberry varieties growers most often use in passive hydroponics.
Albion Strawberry
A day-neutral variety with firm, sweet berries that fruits over a long season.
Seascape Strawberry
A day-neutral variety that tolerates warm conditions and produces large berries.
What Makes a Variety Suit a Kratky Container
A Kratky container holds a fixed amount of nutrient solution and has no pump, so the plant has to stay productive in a small, still root zone. Three traits matter most.
- Fruiting habit. Day-neutral and everbearing varieties flower repeatedly, so one plant keeps producing. June-bearing varieties give a single crop.
- Plant size. Compact plants are easier to support in a net cup and drink the reservoir down more slowly.
- Heat tolerance. Indoor shelves and sunny windows run warm, and some varieties stop setting fruit in heat.
Strawberry Varieties to Consider
Day-Neutral
Albion Strawberry
Firm, sweet, conical berries on a tidy plant.
Good for: a long, steady harvest.
Day-Neutral
Seascape Strawberry
Large berries and good tolerance of warm conditions.
Good for: warmer growing spots.
June-Bearing
Chandler Strawberry
Large, flavorful berries in one main crop.
Good for: one big harvest, not steady picking.
Day-Neutral
Monterey Strawberry
Firm, notably sweet berries on a vigorous plant.
Good for: larger containers.
Day-Neutral, Everbearing and June-Bearing
How Strawberry Types Differ
Strawberry varieties fall into three groups, based on what triggers them to flower.
Day-neutral varieties, such as Albion, Seascape and Monterey, flower regardless of day length as long as temperatures stay moderate. They fruit in repeated flushes and are the usual first choice for hydroponics.
Everbearing varieties, such as Eversweet, produce two or more crops across the season. In practice they behave much like day-neutral plants in a container.
June-bearing varieties, such as Chandler, set flower buds in short, cool days and give one large crop. They can be grown in a Kratky container, but the harvest is over in a few weeks and is harder to time indoors.
Kratky Strawberries does not sell plants. Look for these varieties as bare-root crowns or plugs from a nursery.
What to Expect From Each Variety
How a variety flowers and fruits tells you what to expect from it in a Kratky container.
1
Albion
Day-neutral. Flowers and fruits in flushes for as long as temperatures stay moderate. The berries are firm, which helps them hold up after picking.
2
Seascape
Day-neutral. Keeps fruiting in warmer conditions than many varieties. The berries are large and bright red.
3
Chandler
June-bearing. Gives one large crop of big, flavorful berries, then stops fruiting for the season. Best if you want a single heavy harvest.
4
Eversweet
Everbearing. Bred to keep producing in heat, with several flushes of sweet berries through the season.
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Have a Question About Varieties?
If you are growing a variety that is not listed here, or you are unsure which one fits your space, send us a note and we will help where we can.
