Probably, every experienced summer resident who loves to grow delicious berries on his plot, had heard about the Roksana strawberry variety. Bred in distant Italy, it quickly gained popularity in our country, often delighting gardeners and their children, grandchildren, with large, tasty berries that have a precisely tuned shape. So to learn more about this variety will be very useful.
Plant description
It is worth saying right away that Roxanne's strawberry is a relatively young variety. It was launched at the very end of the twentieth century, and appeared in free sale around 2001-2002. The variety immediately gained considerable popularity due to good yield and excellent taste of berries. Therefore, it will not be out of place to give a description of strawberries of the Roksana variety - perhaps thanks to this the reader will decide whether this crop is suitable for him or whether it makes sense to give preference to other varieties.
The bushes are quite compact, high, which allows you to plant a larger number of plants in a limited summer cottage area. There are many leaves, they are quite large.
Inflorescences are at the same level as the leaves. Peduncles are long. There are not too many whiskers, although the plant boasts fairly developed rosettes.
Appearance of berries
Now let's move on to the most interesting part of the plant - berries. Giving a description of Roxanne's strawberries, one cannot fail to note the high yield. In a good year, one hundredth can bring up to 90-100 kilograms of fruit, which is a very good indicator. It is no coincidence that many people involved in the cultivation of berries on sale, prefer this particular variety.
The taste of the berries is simply magnificent, they have a pronounced strawberry smell, which will especially appeal to true gourmets. Fruits can be either red or dark red - they look great anyway. It is nice that even on a cloudy summer that does not spoil plants on sunny days, the berries still not only successfully grow, but also gain the proper color. This makes the variety an even better choice if you grow fruits for sale.
Like most strawberry varieties, the best berries can be obtained during the first harvest - their weight reaches 25-28 grams, and some 30-32. The shape is conical, slightly elongated. Appetizing gloss attracts attention to the berries, not allowing to look away. Of course, they look just great. The subsequent harvests are not so good anymore - the berries are formed smaller, the shape may not be the same as during the first harvest. And yet, it is they who provide a fairly high yield. With proper care from one bush, you can get up to 500-700 grams of delicious and beautiful berries.
Optimal landing time
Most experts agree that landing in the fall is the best choice. So, this work will have to be done in mid-late August. Then the plant will have time to take root before the frosts, successfully winter and in the spring will give the first crop.
To speed up the process of forming a powerful root system that helps survive the winter, you can immediately apply a small amount of phosphorus fertilizer to the soil after planting.
Also, one should not forget that the Roksana strawberry variety, the photo of which is attached to the article, was bred in Italy - a warm country where winter is practically absent. Therefore, if weather forecasters promise a cold, little snowy winter, you should think about additional warming in the fall. If in winter they promise heavy snowfalls, then you won’t have to worry - for sure the strawberries will survive the cold season without any harm to themselves in the spring to please you with a rich harvest.
In general, you can plant in the spring - when the snow melts, the earth warms up, and the last night frosts are left behind. For many regions of our country, this is the end of April - the beginning of May. However, in this case, one should not hope that the harvest will be rich. The plant will spend a lot of time and nutrients to take root. Therefore, getting a pound of large berries for the season obviously will not work.
Proper landing
If you dream of a rich harvest, then forget about certain planting rules.
It is important that this strawberry variety is perfect for growing not only in open ground, but also in greenhouses. A significant increase in the vegetative period allows you to increase the yield.
The optimal distance between the bushes is 30-35 centimeters. Trying to increase the number of plants in a limited area, the summer resident will only reduce productivity, and due to a lack of light and nutrients, strawberries will hurt.
Many experienced gardeners use compost for quick rooting. Digging up small holes in pre-calibrated places, they fill them with humus. This is good practice to speed up the process of rooting plants, as well as provide all the substances necessary to obtain a rich harvest.
We must not forget about the correct choice of place. Experts recommend choosing sunny, open areas. A great choice would be any elevation, even a small one - it is here that the earth warms up in the spring most quickly, which contributes to the early opening of buds, the appearance of flowers and first berries.
How to care for her
Caring for Roxanne's strawberries, the photo of which you have already seen, is quite simple and is not particularly different from caring for other varieties.
It all starts in the spring. When the ground warms up and the first shoots of strawberries appear, you need to bypass the strawberry bed and carefully, preferably with a secateurs, remove the old peduncles, dried leaves and other dead parts of the plant. Some novice summer residents fall into a panic, noticing that they removed everything except the central heart, on which the first green leaves blossom. In fact, it should be so. Just try not to damage it - otherwise the plant will hurt and may even die. It is this sprout that will turn into a bush with leaves, buds, flowers, and then delicious berries.
It is advisable to burn the collected leaves or send them to a compost pile - this will reduce the risk of infectious diseases on the site.
It will not be amiss to add nitrogen fertilizers - thanks to them, large leaves will appear faster, receiving a lot of sunlight, which contributes to the development of the plant as a whole. You can add dry fertilizer to the soil or dilute about 20 grams of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water, and then pour the beds with the resulting solution.
Do not forget about watering. A sufficient amount of moisture during flowering is especially important. If there is not enough water, the plant will simply drop flowers, and the summer resident will not receive the rich harvest that he dreamed about. At least 10 liters of water must be poured per square meter (about 9 bushes). The best method of watering is sprinkling - the main thing is to do it in the morning, when the sun has not yet begun to burn with might and main. However, if it rains regularly - at least a couple of times a week - then you can not worry about watering.
Breeding
The next important step in the cultivation of strawberries is reproduction. The simplest and most common method is the separation of the bushes. Everything is quite simple here, any beginner will cope with this task. The main thing is to separate the dug bush carefully. There is only one minus - the plant noticeably weakens. As a result, instead of one strong bush, the summer resident receives two weak ones.
Therefore, many prefer reproduction with antennae. They are carefully selected. Make sure that on one mustache there are no more than three outlets. Extra ones are desirable to remove. If you do not do this, they will still remain small, stunted. But at the same time, they will delay nutrients from healthier and stronger ones, which will slow down the growing process.
Seedlings are planted in abundantly watered soil, preferably mixed with compost. Until it takes root, it is necessary to regularly water the garden, especially if you have to work on sandy soil that easily passes moisture.
Why are the berries not even?
In general, Roxanne's strawberry reviews are just fine. But some people who first planted it on their site, when collecting the first harvest, remain unhappy. Instead of beautiful, smooth and large berries, they get smaller, often curved fruits. What is the matter?
In fact, do not worry. Strawberry is a perennial. And in the first year, the fruits are often different from those promised in the brochure. Alas, for now it is necessary to be content with this. But by next year the plant will acquire a powerful root system and will definitely bring a richer crop, consisting of selected, large, beautiful and delicious berries.
Most common problems
Most often, when growing Roxanne's strawberries, summer residents are faced with a problem such as powdery mildew. Usually the problem is solved by applying phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. It is advisable to use liquid diluted in water. They are quickly absorbed by the plant, which helps it to effectively fight the disease.
Strawberry ticks can sometimes cause problems. Alas, the only reliable method of dealing with it is insecticide treatment. It is advisable to do this before the formation of flowers in order to obtain healthy and safe fruits.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know more about Roxane's strawberry variety. Description, photos and tips on growing will allow you to create a more detailed picture of it and get a rich harvest.