Strawberries

Family - Rosaceous. In the natural state of strawberries is common in Europe, Asia, South and North America, more than 30 of its species are known. Cultured, large-fruited varieties are derived by hybridizing 2 American wild species - Chilean and Virginia.

The first varieties of large-fruited strawberries appeared in the Netherlands in 1712.Varieties with large berries are combined into one species - a large-fruited garden or pineapple strawberry. Strawberry is a small, perennial herb, reaching no more than 25-30 cm in height and 35-40 cm in width. In the spring, beginning with growth, large, triple leaves appear, and then the inflorescence. An adult bush, depending on the variety, can have from 20 to 40 peduncles. Flowering usually stretches for 20 - 30 days. Flowers large, white or cream, berries large to 35 - 50 g. The fruit of strawberries is a false berry, the fruits themselves are the achenes that are on the berry. After flowering, which usually begins in May, the plant has a mustache( filiform shoots), serving for vegetative reproduction.

For the gardeners of particular interest is the patchwork, or continuously fruiting, strawberry.

If you do not have a garden site or there is no free space, then you can successfully cultivate the remontant strawberries in pots or boxes on the window in the room, on the closed balconies, loggias, terraces. With proper care, some varieties of small-fruited remontant strawberries can give 100 - 250 berries, and large-bred pastry varieties - more than 700 berries from one bush. At the same time, strawberries are a wonderful decoration for your windows both during flowering and during the ripening of fruits.

Blossom and fructify in the room with good care remontant strawberries can all year round. For cultivation in the premises of decisive importance are varieties. The highest yields are distinguished by Roshchinskaya, Yuzhnaya, Yasnaya, as well as the French variety Mount Everest, German - Maherauh, American - Red Richie, giving an average of more than 700 berries per bush. Of small-fruited remontant varieties - Rügen, Alpine, Alexandria, Winding, Monthly and others. The first berries repair patch of strawberries already after 1,5-2 months after planting it in a pot.

♦ Accommodation. Contain plants strawberries should be on the windows overlooking the sunny side. There she feels almost as good as in the garden.

♦ Care. The plant should be regularly watered with standing water at room temperature, but do not allow excess watering. To feed - 2 - 3 times a month with liquid concentrated fertilizers "Rainbow" or "Palm".

After the appearance of the 5th leaf on the plant, flower arrows appear with buds and flowers. For better pollination, we recommend that the plant be shaken or with a paintbrush to transfer the pollen from one flower to another.

All patched varieties yield good harvests in the first two years, then plants should be replaced with new ones. As a substrate for planting remontant strawberries, we recommend soddy and humus soil mixed with sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1.It is good for planting strawberries to use the ready-made substrates available in our flower shops - "Palma", "Rose".

Pots with a diameter of 15 - 17 and 12 - 15 cm are optimal for growing strawberries. Good results are obtained with pots with a diameter of 20-22 cm.

. Perhaps you will not find a person who would not be indifferent to the taste of strawberries in the winter. In room conditions, by special forcing, it is possible to obtain large-fruited strawberries from the beginning of January to the end of April. For early forcing we recommend the following varieties - Ada, Mount Everest, Dar Katun, Orange, Vitamin and others.

The success of forcing largely depends, as we have said above, on the varieties used, the appropriate preparation of plants and temperature regimes.

The very process of preparing strawberries for forcing is as follows: in June young, entrusted plants( mustaches) are planted in small pots and give them the maximum care( regular watering and feeding).By the end of July and beginning of August, strong strawberries are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 15 - 17 cm already directly for distillation.

During the growth and development of plants with the appearance of mustaches and flower arrows, they must be systematically removed. With the onset of autumn and winter, plants are transferred to poorly lit unheated rooms, where they are occasionally watered. To get the earliest strawberries( January, beginning of February), pasture begins from the middle of November, and for harvesting in the rooms at the beginning and end of April, they begin to grow in February. In all cases, pots with strawberries are first transferred to light rooms with an air temperature of +4 - + 5 ° C.As soon as the plants move into growth, the temperature is raised to 10 - 12 ° C.During the flowering period, it should be within 15 - 17 ° C.

Watering is moderate, with water at room temperature. After barking the temperature should be raised to 18 - 20 ° C.

♦ Pests and diseases. The greatest damage to strawberries in the room conditions is caused by strawberry mites and strawberry sawfly. From diseases, most often berries are affected by gray rot and, when the substrate is overmoistened, powdery mildew.

♦ Reproduction is a mustache. This is the most widespread method, based on the property of strawberries throughout the growing season, to form numerous mustaches. On the mustache there are nodes, and then rosettes of leaves and roots. Small-fruited remnant stranded strawberries multiply easily by dividing bushes. Her, as well as the garden, can be propagated by seeds. Usually, strawberries are propagated in this way only by breeders when breeding new varieties. Seeding is best done in the summer immediately after picking berries. Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer( 1-2 mm) of light humus.