The benefits of strawberries are beyond doubt. Breeders around the world continue to develop new varieties that meet the preferences of those who grow it and those who eat it.
Early varieties with large and juicy berries that are well tolerated for transportation and storage, such as Strawberry Zephyr, the description of the variety of which shows that it meets all these requirements, are in great demand.
Early strawberry varieties
The most popular are early varieties of strawberries. It is they who open the fruit and berry summer season and are bought best.
Early varieties that yield crops by the end of May include:
- Alba variety is distinguished by bright red berries that are easy to tolerate transportation and storage.
- Strawberry Mariska stands out with a strong aroma and flavor of wild strawberries. Its burgundy berries are so sweet that no other variety can compare with them. It grows well in arid places.
- The Strawberry Zephyr belongs to the super-early, the characteristic of which has the highest score among many amateur gardeners. This variety is resistant to diseases, gives large berries of bright red color weighing from 40 to 60 grams.
All early varieties (for example Gourmand, Niad, Zephyr and others) are considered the most popular for commercial strawberry cultivation due to high demand and price. In order to choose the right variety and understand, for example, what kind of strawberries Zephyr, the description of the variety will be the first guideline.
Description of the Zephyr variety
This variety was bred from Denmark and made it resistant to diseases that give a high yield in the first season.
Interesting berries are strawberries marshmallows. Description of the variety, photos give the fruits the following characteristic: very large, sweet, often in the form of a cock's crest, well tolerate transportation and storage.
The peculiarity of this variety is that its fruits ripen together, have a good presentation and high yield.
The bush of this species is distinguished by powerful peduncles, so the berries do not bend to the ground, as in other varieties. Strawberry Marshmallows, the variety description indicates this, tolerates drought well, is not susceptible to disease, and does not lose its presentation in long-distance transport.
All these properties are important when creating a “strawberry” business. If you grow this variety in the garden to feast on, it will not disappoint gardeners, because this species is not picky. The main thing is to choose the right place for a strawberry bed.
Selecting a Place for the Zephyr Variety
Many summer residents are familiar with Strawberry Marshmallows. Landing and caring for it begin with the determination of an optimum favorable place.
It should be a flat surface, completely protected from drafts and wind, with good lighting. Although this variety is non-capricious and grows on any land, it is still preferable to loam with an acid-base or neutral balance.
Strawberries prefer organic fertilizers, such as peat with humus on loamy soils. For the prevention of diseases of the root system, it is good to use a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons per 10 liters of water.
Strawberry Marshmallows (the variety description especially emphasizes this) bears fruit well for 3-4 years, after which she needs to choose a new place for planting. Well, if before that there were growing and fertilizing garlic, carrots, beets or cabbage. After them, the land is most favorable for the growth of strawberries. Once the place is chosen, you can begin to land.
Planting Strawberry Marshmallows
The best time to plant strawberry seedlings is the end of August - mid-September. There are varieties that give the first crop after planting in the spring, for example strawberries Marshmallows. Description of the variety, photos of early fruits are good advertising for farmers who want a quick result.
First of all, the soil should be prepared. For this, holes are prepared and filled with a mixture of garden soil, horse manure or compost with 2 tbsp. spoons of vermicompost and 2 glasses of ash. Fertilized holes in this way will become the best “home” for the strawberry root system.
Strawberry seedlings should have 2-3 strong leaves and be sold with closed roots, for example in a cup or pot.
During planting, you need to straighten the roots along the bottom of the hole and make sure that when digging in, the earth does not cover the top. Correctly selected planting depth is a guarantee of a good harvest, therefore, the optimal hole is 25 x 25 x 25 cm in size. It is better to plant in cloudy weather or in the evening, and in order to protect delicate sprouts from sunlight, in the first days they can be covered with burdock leaves.
After planting, the earth around the seedlings should be well watered and mulched, for which it is loosened and covered with straw or plastic.
To obtain large berries, it is also necessary to observe the distance between the bushes. It should be 50 cm. If there is not enough space on the site, then you can plant seedlings in a checkerboard pattern, which will save space, but give strawberries the opportunity to grow into large bushes. When planting strawberries in the spring, it is important to follow the rules for caring for it.
Spring Strawberry Care
If the strawberries Gourmand, Zephyr and Niad (the description of the varieties of each must be studied before planting) were planted in the fall, then in the spring the beds should be free of snow and pour them with warm water.
To “wake up” plants faster, you can cover them with bottles of warm water, and cover the strawberries themselves with a film. Water heated by the sun during the day will give its heat at night.
When the heat has finally settled, the film can be removed. It is necessary to clean the “strawberry” area and collect all the old leaves, which are better to burn, as they may have harmful bacteria.
If strawberry seedlings are planted in the spring, then the soil preparation includes digging with the laying of fertilizers and watering with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will fertilize the soil and protect against harmful bacteria.
Many gardeners make tall beds so that the berries do not touch the ground, which ensures their greater weight and size. Along such a bed it is useful to pour sand, which will not only retain moisture, but also prevent slugs and snails from tasting delicious fruits.
Planted in late April - early May, Zephyr strawberries (this guarantees the variety description) will bear fruit in the summer. For this, she is loved by those who decided to create a "strawberry" business.
To increase productivity, it is recommended that during flowering spray a solution of boric acid over bushes based on 1 liter of water 0.5 teaspoon of the substance. This will help the plant to form a large number of ovaries.
Also, proper care in the summer affects crop yields.
Summer Strawberry Care
In order not to decrease strawberry productivity, in the summer it is possible to fertilize the roots with slurry or nitrogen fertilizers with nitrate (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). Doing this is enough 1 time in 2 weeks.
In the hot summer, you should not only water the root system well, but also spray the leaves with infusions of onion, celandine or wormwood.
Loosening of the soil and cleaning of weeds is carried out regularly, and the cut grass is left for mulching in place.
Berries in the summer should be picked early in the morning before they are warmed up in the sun. This will preserve their presentation and taste.
During harvesting, the extra mustache should be removed, leaving only the antennae of the first, second and third order. This will increase the yield of the variety.
Important is the care of strawberries in the autumn-winter period.
Strawberry Care in Autumn
After harvesting in August, it is recommended to mow strawberry bushes, leaving 5-6 cm above the surface so as not to damage the "hearts" of the plant.
To lay the future crop in the fall, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are introduced . At the end of September, you should “dust” the soil with ash, add superphosphates and carry out abundant watering. The same watering must be carried out before the start of frost in late autumn.
After the last watering, it is recommended to cover the bushes with fallen leaves and spruce branches, which will save strawberries from frost and keep snow on the garden.
The beneficial properties of strawberries
What kind of strawberries Marshmallows can be understood by recognizing its beneficial properties. Each berry contains the maximum amount of carotene and manganese, which reduce the risk of developing tumors and premature aging, increase immunity, and have a beneficial effect on brain activity.
The composition of strawberries includes folic, malic and salicylic acids. Only 5 strawberries contain as much vitamin C as a large orange. Also among its useful trace elements are iron, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. The berry helps hypertensive patients lower their blood pressure, and diabetics lower their blood sugar.
Therefore, strawberries remain the most popular berry sales worldwide.