Mara Des Bois

Ordered 50 Mara des Bois and at the last minute change to 500 rootstock. Second year gardener so very ambitious on my part. Live in Boise, Id. Zone 7. Plants arrived and started planting within a couple days on April 21, 2023. Plants survived several snow days. Very good success as maybe 5-10 failed to make it, could be planter error. My system is unique, as I use “wicking cups”l placed first in Dollar tree stackable planters, and later 10’ vinyl rain gutters. I take Sta-Green weed barrier, cut into 9” x 18” sheets, that are formed into a cone and placed in a 16 oz. plastic solo type cup (preferred over 18 oz. cups). Two-three holes are punched in the bottom and a 9 oz. cup (hole punched in bottom) is placed in the bottom to help hold the weed barrier sheets in place. The small cup is filled with perlite. Pumice could be added, but I use 5 red scoria stones (optional). The “wicking cup” is filled with three 16 oz. cups of potting mix - that I make of one part each of perlite, sphagnum moss, quality compost. I ordered a nutrient mix and mineral mix from BuildASoil (Colorado) that I add by taking a large pinch of nutrient and two of mineral and mix into the potting mix. If the potting mix is moistened it may be possible to add another 16 oz. of mix bringing the volume to 64 oz. The root stock takes to the mix very well and after a few days seems to brighten up. Jumping ahead, the weed barrier does a good job of air trimming roots and providing air and circulation. Pulling the cone out shows white roots against the cup, but not the cloth above the top of the cup. Roots grow well down into the 9 oz. perlite cup. The fabric area above the cup remains cool even in 100° days in Boise. Water is wicked up from the two types of containers and the berries rarely dry out - especially with my drip watering system. Berry flavor is awesome. I have let a lot of runners go because I am potting up lots, but now, (late August) will start to trim them. Recipes and uses: Check “Vincenzo” YouTube about his Panna Cotta using a strawberry coulis and a single berry as garnish. I have made his recipe and could make a living selling Mara des Bois sauce and single berry garnish - I may. Look up American’s Test Kitchen Use Science for Maximum Strawberry Flavor. San takes 6 oz. of fresh strawberries (Mara des Bois) and adds .5 oz. of freeze dried berries. The .5 oz of freeze dried equates to 5 oz. of fresh berries, so the mix is close to one to one. The effect is to create a sauce that hydrates the freeze dried berries with moisture from the fresh berries. Since the freeze dried berries have not been heated no flavor is lost and the macerated fresh berries are also not heated. The resulting color is deep scarlet and the sauce is a chef’s delight. I used Natierra freeze dried Organic Strawberries .8 oz. to 16 oz. of fresh Mara des Bois. Blend it without sugar and a chef can add sugar to taste, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, curaçao liquor, ????????. Life is good. Next season my production should increase substantially and I plan to take the sauce to my daughters freeze dry company to get the absolute best coulis????????. I also purchased some Whopper berries from Nourse and they are doing well. They may end up being the freeze base and fresh berry with a Mara des Bois berry as garnish. Their Brix was quite high, maybe 10, and their flavor is exceptional. The Mara des Bois was 12.5. My freeze dryer daughter was very impressed. I’m retired and love to push the boundaries of what I can accomplish. These Mara des Bois berries are well worth growing - especially if you have an inventive bent and can use them in some awesome recipes. Nourse was good to deal with and provided a quality root stock.

Ashley S
Home Grower
Zone 7
08/29/2023

I have grown strawberries in Southern California previously with success. I thought when I moved to Northern Idaho that I would not be able to enjoy as many sweet strawberries as I had in California. Wow, was I wrong! I planted 25 Mara De Bois in late spring in raised beds with plenty of compost and a topped with bark as the weather warmed up. They all took well to their new home. By late June, they were making a few sweet strawberries. Since mid-July, they have exploded with runners and berries. We cannot eat all the berries they are making. I have resorted to making fruit rolls out of them. I will try freezing them also. I am getting more berries from these plants than I ever have in California. The Mara De Bois are also larger than expected (medium at least). There are two other varieties of strawberries nearby and they are making nice strawberries but are nothing in comparison to the Nourse Farm berries. I have always had great success with the plants I have received from Nourse Farms and am so grateful to have found them!

Jerilyn
Home Grower
Zone 6
08/09/2023

Excellent, 1st year planted in Spring, fruited in Fall. 2nd year, fruited in May and continued into the Fall. Sweet & fragrant berries.

Doug
Home Grower
Zone 6
06/12/2023

Heavenly flavored strawberry .. smaller than the others but the taste is unmatched by anything and the smell divine .. i fought the slugs the first time I grew these but will keep on keeping on .. people ask for these “”French berries”” because they’re ones to remember ! A delight ..

Jess
Home Grower
Zone 5
05/15/2023

All 100 of my roots took hold and grew to produce fruit. I planted them in a neutral Ph soil enriched with composted green matter (leaves, twigs, etc.) on a bed of green manure (wood chips mostly and plant debris) under-girded by a layer of nasty, urban, heavy clay soil. My garden is in zone 5b. I prune runners--they want to run!--and pinched off flowers until early July. I watered and fertilized as per instructions in Nourse's "Planting and Success Guide." As of the end of July 2021, the production of fruits has been modest but the profusion of flowers and green fruits suggest the August harvest will be quite good. The fruits range in size from small to medium-large. Texture is not firm but firm enough for easy picking. The flavor, fragrance, and color are as advertised. They make for a fabulous photograph! Thus far my wife and I have been eating the fruits directly. I would be grateful to other Mara des Bois gardeners to comment on how they consume their harvest (in jams, pies, smoothies) and how well the fruits thaw after being frozen.

Norman L
Home Grower
Zone 5
07/27/2021

I have received these plants late April in Columbus, OH. Planted them immediately in raised beds. They looked puny, barely 2 inches each, 25 bare roots. Bare means bare. A few days after planting them and watering them, a big frost WITH serious snowing came and lasted 3 days. To my everlasting surprise, a week later after the snow melt, 23 out of the 25 roots I received had new green leaves. I am flabbergasted. The strawberry plants look very healthy and vigorous. I don't know how they will turn out, but I will definitely order from these folks again. Remarkable!

Lily W
Home Grower
Zone 6
05/10/2021