Sun brings out the best of the berries after delayed harvest

Wet weather conditions in November saw the growing season get off to a low start, but strawberry gatherers, both young and old, are already making their way to Longford Berries to pick their fill.

Longford Berry owner Dennis Betts said the season started off brilliantly with some fantastic strawberries.

He said the wind, from a picking perspective, had been a bit of a drag, but that this was just the nature of being a berry grower: "we just have to live with what the elements turn out".

"Our early fruit arrived about the same time as it always does but then because the weather was so cold and miserable that next growth period has been a bit slower with the strawberries," Mr Betts said.

"We haven't had as much flower as we might have expected if the weather was warm but it isn't really such a terrible issue for us. We already have, and will have absolutely fantastic strawberries for Christmas."

Mr Betts said all of his other berry crops were in good health and growing as expected, with his farm and customers set to enjoy the usual summer berry harvest.

This includes sylvan berries, expected to be ready for picking next week, boysenberries, which are expected to be ready in three weeks, gooseberries, marion berries and yosta berries.

"Marionberries are a long, black-coloured berry, ready early to mid-January, which are often marketed as blackberries.

"Jostaberries are a cross between a gooseberry and blackcurrant, they are really healthy and really prolific."