And top the “Dirty Dozen” list yet again:
“Strawberries once again top the annual ”Dirty Dozen” list of produce found with the most pesticides.
And once again, experts not involved in the report say they worry the list will discourage people from eating fruits and vegetables, especially people on budgets who view higher-priced organic produce as unaffordable.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization focused on human health and the environment, issues the “Dirty Dozen” report each year. EWG researchers this year found that more than 98% of samples of strawberries, along with spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries, and apples, had residue of at least one pesticide. A single sample of strawberries had 20 different pesticides.”
The complete list ranks as:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
Strawberries aren’t particularly easy to grow unless you have the right climate and decent soil, a very green thumb, or lots of pesticides / chemical fertilizers.
Big Ag opts for the last of the three.
For a couple of years I had two beds of strawberries:
They produced poorly and I really didn’t work at them enough to make them worthwhile. I gave them lots of compost and foliar feeding but eventually gave up and switched to a much more productive berry.
Mulberries!
I did learn from my friend Jo that strawberries love fish emulsion. If you feel like growing them, see if that works for you.
You can also make your own fish emulsion/fertilizer, as I share in Compost Everything.
Fish emulsion makes a lot of plants really happy. I’ve used it off and on for years. I can’t find it for sale here but plan to make my own when I get my own property. It stinks to high heavens but plants don’t have noses.
One last thing on strawberries: has anyone else noticed that despite how perfect they appear, store-bought strawberries are barely worth eating?
I don’t even get the appeal of buying strawberries. They’re watery, bitter and terrible even when they look nice and red.