Saw them in Bunnings last year but they were in hanging baskets and they wanted some ridiculous amount of money for them. Not sure if they've been tampered with genetically. Probably just a result of breeding. The low-acid label usually just means high sugar, which disguises the acidity. Nothing wrong with that, especially for a strawberry. There's a tomato whose name is "Acid Free", a marketing ploy to get people to buy them. I tried them last year. They're inredibly productive but have absolutely no taste. I mean none. They were just wet and quite crunchy. Weird. Glad to hear that Hokowase doesn't suffer in the taste department.
I'm trying to get a patch of Tioga strawbs going but it's a battle with the aphids. The ladybirds can't get near as they're protected by small but ferocious ants.

Hi Lyn

I put in some tiogas, hokowase and ichigo strawberries this year. Ichigo strawberries are the sweetest things, but they dont ripen to red but an orange colour. I bought some at work and at first people thought they were unripe, but when they tasted them, I couldnt get them to stop eating them :-) I know the ichigos are gm because they were developed here in Tas by a Japanese company and Tas has been gm free except for the poppies. Hokowase is another japanese strawberry, so I hope we are safe from gm

hope this helps

Helen

Hello Lyn,

I've got some Hokowase as well. I ordered some heirloom (and endangered) strawberry runners from Digger's Club but they couldn't supply two of the three varieties so they substituted Kunowase with Hokowase. Since Diggers are pretty much against GM stuff, I'm pretty sure Hokowase is ok.

Maki

Thanks everybody on this thread.
I was interested in putting in strawberries this year but did not know much about the different varieties. You see all the above mentioned varieties in the nurseries. Might try out 6 ichigo plants.
Cheers
Craig

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the info!! I was in the nursery early this morning looking for a capsicum and I asked about hokowase being gm or not, the sales assistant rang her supplier while i was standing there and got the verdict back - NOT GM! Yayy!! I'm a happy gardener now - love the hokowase!!!
Cheers
Lyn

Just read my reply Lyn, sorry to lead you astray. I meant the strawberries were gm free.

helen

That's o.k, Helen. I was confused for a few minutes, but finally come to the conclusion that you meant gm free! (Otherwise the post wouldn't have made sense!!!) Thanks for the follow-up though - now i'm 100% on the right track!
Hope you are getting a beautiful spring day like we are up the north-west.
Cheers
Lyn