Tim Baker, a northwest region horticulture specialist for MU Extension, writes:
"One of the more interesting aspects of my job as a Horticulture Specialist for University of Missouri Extension is to work with growers who are willing to experiment with new ideas. For the last couple of years, several growers around Jamesport have been trying out hoop house strawberries.
The strawberries are grown in greenhouse-like structures, which for the most part are unheated. During the April freeze last year, some of the growers did use a little heat to save blooms. Other than extreme conditions like those we saw last year, no heat is used.
Hoop houses, sometimes called high tunnels, give these strawberry growers a jump on the season. Many crops will be picked several weeks earlier in hoop houses compared to the same crop outdoors. Last year, the hoop house strawberries were being picked close to one month before their outdoor cousins."
Reviewed 2013-02-18