Weather 
IRVINE, Calif. () — Spring is in full bloom and Tanaka Farms in Irvine is bringing a sweet surprise, an abundance of fresh, ripe strawberries. The family-owned 40-acre farm is experiencing one of its biggest strawberry harvests yet.
“This is probably the most strawberries we’ve had early on in the season. We’ve been picking ever since January and hopefully no more rain and we’ll be good to go,” said general manager Kenny Tanaka.
While the harvest has been impressive, Tanaka said the recent rainstorms have posed a challenge. Excessive or sudden downpours can damage strawberries, causing them to turn into mush.
“If we get hail or hard rain, even these green ones can be damaged. So we could lose a month of strawberry production,” Tanaka said.
So what’s causing this record-breaking harvest? Tanaka credits their success to a new fertilizer mix.
“Water comes through the watering system, we put fertilizer in there and it really took off. In past years, we were experimenting with different composts and we really found the right mix now. You’re talking about hundreds and thousands of pounds right now,” Tanaka said.
At the farm, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities including petting animals, taking a train ride and picking their own fresh strawberries and vegetables.
“It’s fun and it’s been really refreshing and the weather has just been perfect” said Victorville resident Jael Reiss.
The best tip for finding the perfect strawberry is to look for one that has that bright red coloring all the way around. Then to pick it, you gently grab the stem and then pull.
“They’ve been pretty much flourishing. Right now, springtime is the perfect time for strawberries. We’re just getting a little warmer, 70s and 80s is what they really love and as long as this temperature stays like that, you should have a long strawberry season,” Tanaka said.
© 2025 Television,
