Strawberry 'Symphony'

Fragaria ananassa 'Symphony'

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At a Glance

Overview

Strawberry 'Symphony' is a late-season dessert cultivar of Fragaria × ananassa bred at the former Scottish Horticultural Research Institute (now the James Hutton Institute) in the 1970s, released commercially in 1979. It was developed specifically to extend the UK strawberry season into late July and August, pairing reliable yields in cooler, wetter conditions with a clean, sweet flavour. Gardeners typically grow it as a maincrop variety to follow on from earlier mid-season types.

Distinctive Features

Unlike the typical mid-season garden strawberry, 'Symphony' carries its main crop noticeably later, with harvest usually beginning in late June in the south of England and running through July, and a week or two later still in the north. The berries are large, broadly conical to wedge-shaped, with a glossy mid-red skin and a paler, firmer flesh inside. Flavour is mild and well-balanced rather than intensely aromatic, which distinguishes it from strongly perfumed cultivars such as 'Cambridge Favourite' or 'Honeoye'.

Plants are vigorous and upright, producing plenty of runners, and the trusses hold the fruit clear of the foliage, which helps reduce rotting in damp spells. The flowers are the usual five-petalled white of F. × ananassa; there is nothing unusual in the blossom. It is generally regarded as moderately resistant to verticillium wilt and to red core (Phytophthora fragariae), though it is not immune. The Royal Horticultural Society has not awarded it an AGM in the current cultivar listing, and growers should treat any hardiness rating as unverified.

Growing Notes

'Symphony' is a June-bearer rather than an everbearer, so it produces one main flush of fruit per year on the previous season's crown. For the heaviest crop, plant cold-stored runners in July or August, or pot-grown plants in early spring, spacing them about 40 cm apart in rows 75–90 cm apart in well-drained, slightly acidic soil improved with plenty of well-rotted organic matter. Replace the bed every three to four years, as yields fall sharply on older crowns.

It is hardy across the UK and tolerates exposed northern sites better than many dessert cultivars, though fleece is still worthwhile over the flowers if late frosts threaten. Because it flowers and fruits late, it largely escapes the early spring frosts that can damage mid-season varieties, which is part of its northern-bred pedigree. Water consistently while the fruit is swelling, mulch with straw or proprietary mats to keep the berries clean, and net against birds and squirrels. After harvest, cut back the old leaves, remove weak runners, and feed with a balanced fertiliser in late summer to build the next year's crown.

Best Used For

'Symphony' is a good choice for a dedicated strawberry bed in a kitchen garden or allotment where the goal is a heavy, reliable late-summer harvest for jam-making, freezing, and puddings rather than the very earliest strawberries. It also performs well in larger containers and grow-bags on a sunny patio, provided the plants are renewed regularly. In the north of the UK, where many dessert cultivars struggle to ripen, its cooler-season tolerance makes it one of the more dependable maincrop options. Pollinators visit the flowers freely, and the bright fruit is attractive to birds, so netting is essentially a must in any open garden setting.

Pests and Diseases

For step-by-step help, read Controlling Aphids Naturally, Dealing with Slugs and Snails and Treating Powdery Mildew. Or browse the full plant problem solver to diagnose an issue by symptom.