WATCH: “U-pick” strawberry farms betting on sweet season

Midlands strawberry farms are expecting a fruitful season, despite setbacks spurred by last year's extreme weather

GILBERT & HOPKINS, S.C. (WOLO) – Midlands strawberry farms are expecting a fruitful season, despite setbacks spurred by last year’s extreme weather.

At James Sease Farm in Gilbert, owner Mike Keisler said the record rainfall did increase the attention he had to give to the plants, but that they’ve thrived despite. Strawberries do best in moderate conditions; too much rain or heat can cause problems for them. Luckily, Keisler was about two weeks out from planting his strawberries before the flooding hit.

The same was true for farm manager Hunter Bulloch at Cottle Farm in Hopkins. Bulloch said the ripple effects from the flooding came in the form of major clean-up of his 18 acres. Since then, the wet winter and cold spurt a few backs back have caused problems with delayed ripening times.

Both farms said they would like to open next week, but that’s dependent on storms that are projected for the end of this week. Too much rainfall could harm the ripe berries, causing them to rot, and delaying pick time.