What varieties of strawberries to choose for cultivation in Siberia?
Strawberries as a garden berry are loved by both adults and children. Many summer residents are engaged in growing this crop in the hope of harvesting a rich harvest. However, the expectations of farmers are not always justified, because even if all the recommendations for planting and growing are followed, a poor harvest can be harvested. Most often, the problem lies in the illiterate choice of berry varieties for a particular climate, for example, for Siberian.
Criterias of choice
When choosing a suitable strawberry variety, you need to decide how long the berries will ripen and whether a remontant type of berries is necessary. Such plants give a rich harvest twice in one season. There are also varieties that bear fruit constantly every one and a half months. Such varieties require careful care and preventive measures from pests. Remontant strawberry varieties for Siberia are most effective for growing in protected conditions, where it is possible to increase the growing season and fruiting.
Depending on the ripening period, early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening strawberry varieties are distinguished. The first grade fructifies in the late spring, late-ripening fruits ripen in the middle of summer. Remontant winter-hardy strawberries will delight with their fruits from spring until the start of frost.
When choosing seedlings for planting in a given region, parameters such as resistance to cold, adaptability to minimal lighting and various parasites are necessary. These parameters correspond to modern zoned varieties of berries
Description of the most popular varieties
For Siberia, it will be useful to use, first of all, zoned varieties, and remontant ones will also have good results.
Zoned
For Siberian conditions, special zoned varieties of berries were bred by Russian and foreign specialists. Consider those that are considered the best of them.
"Fairy"
"Fairy" - a mid-season strawberry variety, intended for cultivation in cold regional conditions. A distinctive feature of this variety is a strong immunity to the invasion of parasitic worms and diseases. According to most summer residents, even during severe frosts, the bushes of the plant are not damaged.
"Fairy" has a sweet taste and a delicate elegant aroma. These are very large fruits weighing up to 40 grams in the shape of a cone. A special advantage of this strawberry variety is considered to be a rich yield, since up to one and a half kilograms of fruit can be obtained from one bush.
Plants are erect, small and not sprawling. Strawberries do not need special care, but when organic fertilizers are applied, they give a high yield.
"Festival"
"Festivalnaya" is considered the best variety, because it brings tasty and large berries of a bright red hue with a delicate aroma. The berries are round or flattened, weighing about 30 grams. Grooves can be seen on the outside of the strawberry. The maturation period is late, but the variety bears fruit for a long time.
Thanks to the rich harvest of berries, you can make various preparations for the winter. Strawberries do not spoil for a long time, so that up to 5 days they will not lose their taste and quality for further sale.
Variety "Festivalnaya" - resistant to harsh climatic conditions, so he is not afraid of any frost. Each bush has a large number of leaves. The variety has the ability to regenerate, in case of any damage, the leaves grow quickly, thereby restoring the normal functionality of the plant.
The main disadvantages of this variety can be considered instability to disease.
"Mascot"
A unique variety called "Talisman" was invented by Scottish specialists. Only recently has it been recognized as a suitable variety for cultivation in the Far North. Strawberries have increased resistance to severe frosts and are not exposed to the invasion of various parasitic organisms.
The fruits are large, round and cylindrical, weighing more than 20 grams. The species belongs to mid-season, the fruits ripen in mid-summer. Strawberries bear fruit more than 1 kg per 1 m2.
This variety belongs to the semi-repaired species. That is, the fruits ripen in the summer on last year's bushes, and in the autumn - on the sprouts of this year. Due to the presence of a large number of mustaches on the bushes, it can be concluded that the fruits during the second harvest will be just as plentiful. By adding additional fertilizing, you can increase the yield of the beds.
The disadvantage of this variety is that high yields and excellent taste qualities appear only for a couple of years.
"Lviv early"
Variety "Lviv early" is grown in special areas by professionals and ordinary summer residents.It has been known for many years, and reviews confirm that the variety does not fail in any way. You can plant seedlings on any soil, the plants will quickly take root and will bear fruit every year, and also delight with their rich harvest.
The fruits of the variety begin to ripen in late spring. Each berry weighs about 30 grams. The shape of the strawberry is a truncated cone.
This variety is characterized by unpretentious cultivation and medium resistance to frost. Therefore, to prevent the death of bushes from the cold, it is recommended to cover them with burlap. Various diseases are not terrible for this variety; strawberry mites represent the greatest danger to it.
"Idun"
Strawberry variety "Idun" is unpretentious in cultivation. The variety was bred in Denmark exclusively for cultivation in cold regions. Grows and gives a rich harvest on any kind of soil. Requires only high moisture content.
Early maturing variety ripens in late spring. Form - rounded weighing no more than 25 grams. The pulp is juicy and soft. "Idun" cannot be stored or transported for a long time.
Strawberries are distinguished by strong immunity to various diseases and the invasion of parasitic microorganisms. The greatest danger to the plant is verticillium and gray rot. With mechanical damage, the bushes are able to quickly regenerate.
"Omsk Early"
Berries "Omskaya early" - a world-famous variety intended for cultivation exclusively in the northern regions. Due to the large number of leaves on each bush, the plant is not afraid of any frost and does not freeze. It has good resistance to the invasion of parasitic organisms and diseases.
The fruits are small, weighing only about 10 grams. Berries are high in sugar and vitamin C.According to farmers, this variety is rated at 4.5 points on a five-point scale.
The bushes are not sprawling and large, but have a large number of branches. This ensures a rich yield of the variety. From one square meter you can collect about 1.5 kg of strawberries.
The above plant varieties are intended for cultivation in the northern regions. No less popular types of strawberries are Darenka and Amulet. Zoned strawberries are grown both by amateur gardeners and in special agrotechnical plantations.
Refurbishment
The main advantages of remontant strawberry varieties are a high level of fruiting, which is ensured by several stages of the formation and ripening of berries. Growing in greenhouse conditions allows you to increase the growing season of plants and increase yields. Remontant varieties of berries begin to ripen from the beginning of spring to autumn.
"Queen Elizabeth II"
A variety of strawberries called "Queen Elizabeth II" is considered one of the best and is great for growing in cold areas. It gives a good harvest annually, about 1.5 kg of berries are harvested from one plant. These are large fruits weighing up to 80 grams, but can reach 100 grams. Has a sweet taste.
This variety has the feature of continuously fruiting. It is resistant to frost, invasion of parasitic organisms and diseases.
"Lord"
Variety "Lord" gives a rich harvest, has large berries and is resistant to cold. Mid-season strawberries weighing up to 100 grams begin to ripen in mid-summer. In August, you can pick berries in the second stage. However, they will have a smaller weight and size, but the taste will not differ in any way.
This productive variety is characterized by whimsical care. Strawberries are grown only in places with constant sunlight, in order to avoid rotting of the fruit, it is necessary to mulch the soil. With the introduction of organic matter and abundant watering, the harvest from one bush can be up to 1 kilogram.
"Honey"
Strawberry variety "Honey" is a popular variety that gives a rich harvest in early spring in greenhouse conditions. On open ground, the berries ripen in May. At the end of August, you can collect the second stage of the harvest.
Characteristic features of this variety are a rich harvest of up to 1.2 kg per m2, large fruits weighing up to 30 grams and resistance to cold climates. Can be grown both indoors and outdoors.
All listed remontant varieties of berries are perfectly adapted to regions with a harsh climate. They allow you to get a rich harvest, but only with careful care and regular watering. To create more favorable conditions for growth and increase yields, you can grow a crop in greenhouses.
Growing advice
When planting strawberries, seedlings are settled in permanent beds. In those places where tomatoes and potatoes were previously grown, parasitic worms may appear. But it is also not recommended to plant seedlings next to garlic, raspberries, fennel. Best of all, strawberries will take root next to legumes. Before planting, it is necessary to disinfect the soil from fungal diseases with copper sulfate and lime diluted in hot water. And also it is necessary to carefully weed the beds and apply fertilizer.
In order for the plants to take root, it is necessary:
- straighten the roots of the seedlings so that they do not become crushed in the ground;
- with large roots, it is necessary to make deeper holes and pour water into it;
- before planting, spray the root system of plants with substances to stimulate growth;
- strawberry bushes should be planted at a distance of at least 20 cm.
- It is best to plant strawberry whiskers in rainy weather.
Growing and caring for strawberries largely depends on the variety. However, all types of plants love an abundance of moisture, so it is necessary to water the beds at least 2 times a week and periodically feed. At the same time, do not overfeed the plants, otherwise the bushes will be leafy and fruitless.
Various diseases can leave without a crop. These include gray rot, which looks like a gray tint, as well as a strawberry mite, which can not be seen, leaves twisted into tubules testify to the invasion of ticks. So that when the fruits ripen, gray rot does not spoil the plants, it is necessary to water the beds with cold water and carry out mulching.
And also every 4 years it is necessary to transplant strawberries to a new place. This will avoid gray rot and not impair the taste of ripe fruits.
At the end of summer or autumn, it is necessary to add potassium and phosphorus in order to prepare strawberries for winter. It is recommended to cut the tendrils of strawberries and cover the plants with spruce branches, and some experts are against this. However, this procedure will avoid freezing strawberry bushes during the cold period.
In the next video, you will find the technology for growing remontant strawberries of the Elizabeth II variety in Siberia.