Strawberries and its varieties
Strawberries are one of the most popular garden plants, producing tasty and healthy berries. It is one of the first to ripen and is a favorite delicacy for both children and adults. Strawberries have a sweet or sweet-sour taste and a pleasant rich aroma.
There are several thousand varieties of strawberries today. All of them are divided according to ripening periods into early, middle and late. Every year, breeders create new varieties of this berry. To harvest throughout the summer and even at the beginning of autumn, it is better to plant strawberries of various varieties in the garden plot.
Strawberry “Asia”
Foreign strawberry varieties are represented by the Asia variety, which was bred by Italian breeders. The berries are conical in shape, with dense, juicy pulp, aromatic, of the same size, and do not shrink over time. They are transportable, have a sweet taste, the average weight of one berry reaches 20-35 grams. The variety is frost-resistant, but covering the bushes for the winter will not be superfluous. Fruiting lasts a month.
For planting seedlings, areas with loamy or sandy loam soil, fertilized and well lit most of the day are allocated. In one plot, strawberries of the Asia variety are grown for no longer than four years. The best predecessors are vegetables or legumes.
Strawberry “Gigantella”
Gigantella represents strawberry varieties created by Dutch breeders. The name of the variety is a very good indication of its size: a powerful bush grows up to half a meter high, and the weight of one berry with good care can reach 100 grams. The variety is frost-resistant and has high productivity.
Gigantella seedlings should be planted in soil well fertilized with humus and wood ash. Since the bushes grow quickly and reach a diameter of up to 60 cm, it is necessary to take this factor into account when determining planting density. To increase productivity, you need to constantly remove tendrils and shoots. Caring for strawberries of this variety involves regular feeding and watering.
Strawberry “Lord”
Representing giant strawberry varieties, “Lord”, created by UK breeders, is a mid-late variety. The berries are bright red in color and conical in shape, have a delicate aroma and sweet and sour taste. The bushes grow in height up to 55-60 cm. The variety is large-fruited, the weight of one berry reaches up to 100 grams. For a large harvest, it is recommended to tie up the bushes.
For planting strawberries of this variety, select sunny, well-fertilized areas. Care consists of regular watering, pruning, weeding, fertilizing and mulching. To maintain high yields, it is recommended to renew the beds every five years and change the location of planting new seedlings. The variety is frost-resistant, but in severe frosts the bushes must be covered.
Queen Elizabeth Strawberry
Queen Elizabeth strawberries have been known to gardeners for more than two decades. This variety was given to the world by British breeders. It is distinguished by good yield and excellent taste, but its main advantage is the truly royal size of the berries, the weight of which reaches 90 grams, which is impressive even by modern standards.
The variety is early ripening, remontant. The berries are rich red. The harvest ripens three times a year: at the end of May, in mid-July and in September. The first buds begin to form in the fall, which contributes to the early ripening of the berries in the spring. Despite the good frost resistance of the variety, in regions with harsh or snowless winters, care should be taken to protect the bushes from freezing. Caring for Queen Elizabeth strawberries involves watering, fertilizing and mulching.
Strawberry “Albion”
This remontant, beardless strawberry variety, bred by California breeders more than twenty years ago, deserves special attention. It is characterized by long, continuous fruiting. Four waves of harvest ripening occur in May, July, August and September, and the process of flower bud formation continues until the autumn frosts. The berries have a dark red color, slightly elongated shape, excellent taste and large size: their weight is 40-60 grams.
It is better to plant strawberry bushes of the Albion variety in the ground in the fall, choosing a well-lit place for planting. Before planting, it is necessary to remove all flower stalks, keep the seedlings in a cool, dark place for about a week, trim overly long roots and add humus to the soil. After planting, the soil around the plants and between the rows should be mulched.
Strawberry “Victoria”
The name “Victoria” is not the name of the strawberry variety. Rather, it is a common noun, which is used to generally refer to large-fruited garden strawberries (strawberries), numbering several hundred different varieties. Victoria has been cultivated in our country for a long time, bears fruit once a year, is resistant to pests and diseases, and is also cold-resistant.
White strawberry
White berries with red seeds, which were a curiosity not so long ago, today no longer cause much surprise. Breeders have developed several varieties of white strawberries, one of which is Pineberry. Its berries have an unusual taste, reminiscent of pineapple and a strong aroma. The taste of white strawberries of the “Anablanca” and “White Soul” varieties also has pineapple notes, and the berries of the “White Swede” variety will delight you with their sweet and sour taste and bright aroma of wild strawberries.
Growing and caring for white strawberries is practically no different from varieties with red berries. It can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. In bright sun, white berries may take on a pinkish tint. White strawberries are distinguished by small bushes 20-25 cm high and not very large berries.
Strawberry “Frigo”
Frigo is the name of a special technology for storing plants. Using this innovative technology, annual strawberry seedlings are dug up in the fall, with the onset of the first frost, when the plants are dormant. The leaves of the seedlings are cut off, leaving 3-4 centimeter stems, thereby focusing on the formation of a powerful root system. In this form, the seedlings are stored until planting at temperatures down to -2 ° C.
Frigo technology has the following advantages:
- plants remain in excellent condition for a long time;
- the risk of winter freezing is eliminated;
- after planting, the seedlings take root well and at the same time begin to grow;
- seedlings take up little space and are easy to transport;
- plants produce a harvest already in the year of planting.
Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and microelements that our body needs. In addition, this berry is not only healthy, but also a low-calorie delicacy. It is often used as a dietary product, since 100 grams of strawberries contain only 30-40 kcal.