Strawberries are considered the most popular gardenberry. And in terms of vitamin content, it is among the top five. Strawberry varieties amaze with their diversity thanks to breeders who are actively engaged in their development. Early varieties include Alfa, Kishinevskaya early, Biryulevskaya early, Krasavitsa Zagorya. There are most mid-season varieties: Vityaz, Pavlovskaya krasavitsa, Festivalnaya, Lakomaya and many others. Late varieties are represented by: Borovitskaya, Zenit, Saxon, Leningradskaya pozdnyaya, Bogota. Strawberries are an excellent dietary product. They improve digestion, promote appetite and quench thirst well. Fresh berries are a remedy for salt metabolism disorders, peptic ulcer, atherosclerosis, hypertension. Strawberries are most widespread in the southern part of Russia, since this crop loves the sun and moisture. Typically, 2-3 varieties of garden strawberries are planted in plots, which promotes good pollination.
Varieties of remontant strawberries
Particularly popular todayare used by promising remontant varieties that bear fruit several times a year. In addition, they can also perform a decorative function, since the bushes are covered with flowers and berries throughout the season. And if you plant several of these bushes in a box or basket, the drooping tendrils will form a hedge. The varieties of remontant garden strawberries include: Queen Elizabeth, Yellow Miracle, Mount Everest, Fresco. Queen Elizabeth begins to bear fruit earlier than all. If you grow it in a greenhouse or on a warm balcony, you can enjoy the berries almost until the New Year. The berries of this variety are bright red, have dense flesh and are quite large. They are great not only for jam, but also for freezing. Garden strawberries of this variety are good for planting small areas, since they can be grown in an ampelous (vertical) way. The very first berries appear at the end of May. Such early fruiting is possible because the formed buds overwinter on the bush. In early spring, they bloom, which leads to rapid ripening of the berries.
Strawberries of Dutch breeding
Dutch varieties of garden strawberries include:
- Elvira
Belongs to early varieties.The berries are fragrant, round, red, weighing 40-60 grams. The pulp is dense with a very sweet taste. It bears fruit abundantly, grows in damp and cold areas. The main advantage of this variety is its resistance to fungi;
- Vita Zant
Belongs to a group that consists of relativelynew varieties of large-fruited Dutch selection. Berries ripen early, bushes yield high yields of large and sweet berries. The variety is resistant to cold and diseases;
- Maxim Gigantella
Belongs to the medium grades.The bushes grow up to 50 centimeters, have large leaves. The berries of the first harvest reach 9 centimeters in diameter, have dark red sweet pulp. The advantage of the variety is that even in the rainy season the berries ripen successfully. In addition, this variety has excellent resistance to strawberry mite and gray rot;
- Crown
A Dutch variety belonging to the large-fruited varietyvarieties. It tolerates the frosty Russian winter well. The berries are bright red and have a pleasant aroma. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew, but has poor resistance to gray mold and white leaf spot.
High-yielding strawberry varieties
Strawberry roots develop in the upper layersoil, conditionally creating two tiers. The lower one is the plant roots themselves, and the upper one is created by adventitious roots that form at the annual horns. After about 3 years, the lower tier of roots dies off. When planting new plants, experts recommend purchasing seedlings with a closed root system. In order to grow strawberries all year round, you should learn how to skillfully combine its varieties. On one plot, it is necessary to plant varieties with different ripening times: early ones should be adjacent to medium and late ones. They all differ from each other, so under the same conditions they will produce different yields. Naturally, high-yielding berries are more popular. Here are the most famous of them:
- Albion
Brings large yields, bears fruit from the endspring and until the first frosts. The berries are large and conical in shape. The pronounced aroma and taste allow us to classify it as one of the best strawberry varieties. The variety is resistant to temperature changes, rot, anthracnose, and late blight. By growing Albion strawberries in protected soil, you can get the maximum yield of berries;
- Zenga Zengana
A fairly common late variety of strawberry. On tall bushes, dark red berries ripen, having a sour-sweet taste. This variety is very sensitive to gray mold;
- Honey
It is of American origin and belongs toearly varieties. It is not afraid of cold and rainy weather, resistant to gray mold and other diseases. Berries with dense pulp, have a dark red hue and a sweet and sour taste. Such strawberries make excellent jam.
- Victoria
An old-timer of our beds. It is widely distributed in the southern regions of Russia. It bears large, fragrant, dark-red berries;
- Mashenka
Mashenka, otherwise known as Moscow Jubilee.The variety was bred in 1953. The bush is small in size with large leaves. The berries are aromatic with a pleasant sour-sweet taste, reminiscent of the taste of wild strawberries.
Planting strawberries
Strawberries grow best on flat surfaces.plots or on small slopes facing southwest. But you shouldn't plant this berry on steep slopes and in lowlands, because it starts to get sick, and the harvest is late. Poor results will also be on a steep southern slope, where with the arrival of spring the snow quickly melts and exposes the plants. The place where strawberries grow should have natural protection from the wind. High-yielding varieties bear fruit best on light, humus-rich soils. Waterlogged, calcareous and saline soil is not suitable for planting. Strawberries can be planted between currant and gooseberry bushes. For people who have only recently begun to master strawberry cultivation, the following varieties are suitable: Queen Elizabeth, Zenga Zengana, Festivalnaya, Istochnik, Symphony. But it should be remembered that the yield of strawberries only 50% depends on its variety, everything else is the result of hard work. Also, a novice gardener should know that even the best varieties need to be replanted every 3-4 years, since these plants greatly deplete the soil.
Strawberry Dishes
It is unlikely that there are people who have never in their lifehave not tried garden strawberries or their wild variety - wild strawberries. It is not for nothing that they are so popular. If the berry is sweet, it is best to eat it in its natural form, washed under running water and slightly dried. And strawberries seasoned with cream or sour cream are a dish that neither an adult nor a child will refuse. This berry is also good with liqueur, chocolate cream, nuts, kiwi, bananas. A sprig of mint adds an unusual taste, almonds shade, orange juice makes it piquant. Strawberries are also used as an element of complex side dishes, combining them with shrimp or duck breast. And, of course, strawberry jam! Nothing compares to its delicious aroma. And in order for the jam to turn out great, it should be cooked correctly. Let's look at an example of a quick recipe that will definitely take its place in your collection:
- Helpful advice - don't cook strawberries in large containers, as they quickly lose their color and aroma;
- Take 1.5 kilograms of sugar and dilute it with water so that a thick syrup turns out;
- After the syrup has begun to boil, a washed and dried strawberry is added to it;
- The resulting mass is cooked for no more than 5 minutes, after which the pan is well wrapped;
- Once the jam has cooled, it is necessary to pour it over the cans and close with capron lids or paper.
It is up to you to decide which variety to choose for planting.you. We hope that our article will help you decide, and soon you will be collecting a rich harvest of sweet and aromatic strawberries. Good luck! There is a lot of useful information about strawberries on the site
