Strawberries are called the queen of berries. Its aroma will not leave anyone indifferent - neither children nor adults. In addition, strawberries are not only a delicious treat, but also an excellent medicine, presented to man by nature.
general information
This berry is one of the best summer treats. Many are looking forward to when the season comes to taste their favorite strawberries. But today you no longer need to expect summer, since this berry is available for sale in the winter. Nevertheless, many summer residents are safely growing it in their gardens. Delicious fragrant strawberries are known to mankind since the Hippocratic era.
There are many varieties of this garden strawberry . Breeders are constantly creating more and more new species. This garden plant loves the sun and moisture. Therefore, it is widely distributed in the south of our country, where it gives fairly high yields.
The name of the berry comes from the Latin expression fragaria vesca, which means "fragrant, fragrant." Due to its amazing taste, it is widely used in desserts. In our country, strawberries are better known as seasonal berries, and most of them, namely, about ninety-five percent of the total strawberries, are grown on personal sites of Russians. The world leaders in its production are China and the United States.
Strawberries in European countries have been known since the Neolithic. This is evidenced by many archaeological sites. She was also enjoyed in the era of antiquity: references to her in Greek and Egyptian writings are not uncommon. Although strawberries were not particularly popular until the seventeenth century, when travelers brought large-berry species from America to Europe. For example, strawberry Marshall, the description of the variety of which you can read in the article, can perfectly bear fruit in our country. And as proof of this, numerous reviews of those who have already planted it in their garden.
Healing properties
Like many gifts of nature, strawberries also have medicinal properties. In addition, it contains macro- and microelements, which are so necessary for the good functioning of the body.
This garden crop, including Marshall strawberries, whose description of the variety indicates that it belongs to fruits that have a minimum of sucrose, also contains the same amount of fructose and glucose.
Fresh berries have not only a gentle pulp with a pleasant aroma and wonderful taste, but also bring great benefits to the body. Due to the high content of potassium in the fruits, any type of this crop, including Marshall strawberries, a description of the variety, the photo of which is of interest to many summer residents who want to plant it in their plots, facilitates the work of the heart muscle and regulates blood pressure. Its frequent consumption, according to experts, protects against depression and helps supply the human brain with oxygen. In addition, calcium and fluoride, which are found in large quantities in any strawberry variety, strengthen teeth and bones.
It is recommended as a prophylactic for diseases of the joints, kidneys, urinary tract, atherosclerosis, loss of strength, vitamin deficiency, the recovery period after serious illness, decreased immunity, etc.
Strawberry Varieties
This popular garden berry is represented by numerous species. Along with existing ones, breeders annually develop new varieties. By maturity, strawberries are distinguished for early, middle and late. The first category includes Alpha and Chisinau early, Beauty of Zagoria and Biryulevskaya early. The group with the usual, average maturity includes Lakomaya, Pavlovskaya beauty, Vityaz, etc.
One of its most prominent representatives is Strawberry Marshall, a description, reviews of which are of interest to many gardeners who dream of growing it. And this is not surprising, because it feels great in any region of our country, as it is considered frost-resistant.
Saxonka, Zenit, Bogotá, as well as Leningrad Late - bright representatives of the late varieties, many Russians also know. In addition, all types of strawberries can be divided into three main types: varieties that give only one crop during the season, as well as fruiting plants throughout the summer, the so-called repair, and small-fruited. Strawberry Marshal also belongs to the first group.
Grade description
This berry is the result of selection of Americans. She has an average ripening period. The fruits have a large, wedge-shaped, bright red color and reach a weight of up to seventy grams. Strawberry Marshall, the description of the variety of which indicates its consistently high yield, has a sweet strawberry flavor with sourness. The bushes of this culture are vigorous, medium-leafed with high erect peduncles.
Strawberry Marshall, reviews of which indicate that it is one of the most profitable varieties for planting in the garden, ripens in early June. Its fruits have a characteristic concave nose at the apex.
Benefits
The most important characteristic due to which the Marshall strawberry variety has become so popular in our country is frost resistance, which is especially important for cold regions. In addition, it is resistant to various diseases or pests.
In addition, many domestic gardeners prefer this particular type, since it is distinguished by abundant bright green shoots, large leaves and shoots, as well as a powerful root system. Thanks to such a developed above-ground system, large berries are safely hidden under their cover, protected from birds who love to feast on them. And therefore, to the delight of gardeners, the harvest that Marshall gives strawberries is safe. Variety bushes annually throw out a large number of antennae and rosettes, allowing this species to breed easily.
In the process of flowering, Marshall creates thick peduncles that gradually bend under the weight of ripening berries. The period of the main harvest is approximately mid-June. Each bush can produce up to a kilogram of delicious fruits. But the largest harvest of strawberries Marshall, reviews of which confirm its given quality, gives in the first year after planting. Interestingly, this variety is also characterized by its amazing resistance to long droughts. Moreover, its productivity is maintained at the same level both in the arid and normal periods.
Landing
Strawberry seedlings Marshal is transferred to the ground somewhere in the middle of summer. Only in this case does the plant take root well, having time to form flower buds before frost. In general, to plant this crop in the fall, whether it be strawberry Marshall, reviews of which indicate the unpretentiousness of the variety, or other varieties, is inappropriate. Such actions can significantly reduce productivity.
As for the planting itself, the Marshall strawberry seedlings should be separated from each other by a distance of at least twenty centimeters and should be staggered.
The site must be prepared in advance, be sure to make compost with humus.
In the garden for planting strawberries, you need to set aside a very well-lit bed. Its area is selected on the basis of the future crop, which can reach up to three kilograms from at least each square meter. It is better to choose a place on a garden plot with loamy or sandy loamy soil, since such soil not only retains moisture well, but also allows excess water to pass through. With sufficient humus content, such land is ideal for growing this crop.
It is impossible
It is not recommended to plant strawberries in the same place for several years in a row. This can lead to the appearance of high strain activity in spores of pathogenic fungi, as well as to the development of ectoparasites. Also
give excess portions of nitrogen when fertilizing. This can also trigger an outbreak of fungal diseases.
Care
Despite the fact that Strawberry Marshall, the description of which claims to be a drought tolerant variety, is highly resistant to pests or diseases, proper attention to the cultivation will never be out of place.
You just need to water the crop in a timely manner, to loosen and fertilize, freeing the bushes from dried leaves. As a rule, a young strawberry Marshall, care for which is practically no different from a similar process for other varieties, requires a lot of nutrients when growing, developing and bearing fruit. This is a must for gardeners to consider.
In addition, Strawberry Marshall is demanding on how to water it. In hot weather, it is better to do this two or three times a week, so that the earth around the bushes is well saturated. Then for the root system access to moisture will be facilitated. In the flowering process, watering should be slightly reduced: it is desirable, if weather conditions permit, to stop it altogether.
Formation of beds
For garden strawberries, this process is quite important. It is carried out manually. For feasibility, the place for beds should be selected on clay or undrained moist areas. They can also be made on low, humid hills, where the water stagnates in the spring, and in the summer or autumn, during the onset of a period of prolonged rainfall, the soil is waterlogged. With this choice of place, warming and airing of the land improves, and the drain of excess water is also facilitated. In addition to this, the gardener is recommended to take into account not only traditional criteria, but also the location of the rows of seedlings, and in general - the planning of the site. This is especially true of such a variety as Marshall, which has a rather rich green part, which means that it can decorate the garden quite well. It is also necessary to carry out preliminary tillage.
Fertilizers
Like any other fruiting plant, Strawberry Marshall also needs periodic feeding. Fertilizers in the soil should be applied both in May-June, and after the harvest - in the fall. This can be bird droppings and mullein infusion, which favorably affect the culture in spring and enrich the soil. Simultaneously with the process of applying fertilizer, the gardener should carry out cultivation at a depth of up to five centimeters. The latter is very beneficial for strawberry roots. Ideally, this process is required after each watering or rain, as well as after each liquid top dressing. During fruiting, Strawberry Marshall is fertilized with cow dung at most once a week.
If the gardener notices the thinning of the shoots, which indicates the lack of such an important trace element as potassium, then he needs to add saltpeter, wood ash, sulfate, etc. to the soil as soon as possible. Thanks to this element, the excellent taste that Strawberry Marshall is famous for . Responses of summer residents indicate that when there is enough potassium in the berries, they are not only long and well stored, but also have an attractive and very appetizing appearance.
In general, for strawberries of the Marshall variety, fertilizers are required, including those containing nitrogen. Urea or ammonium nitrate must be dissolved in water before top dressing. It is better to spray the plant with means during the flowering period and after harvesting. However, experts recommend avoiding getting the medicine on ripe berries, since they are consumed raw or are used to make canned food - jams, compotes, etc. At the same time, they should not be delayed by spraying the bushes.
Some Care Tips
Many summer residents in the fall, after the last harvest is harvested, completely cut the green foliage near the strawberry bush. Most often they do this with the help of a scythe, eliminating the entire ground part at the very root. But it turns out you can’t do that. Thus, the gardener stimulates leaf growth for next year, however, the plant loses the ability to lay buds in the spring.
Full pruning of bushes is necessary only in the most extreme cases. For example, when a strawberry plantation falls ill, however, this must be done immediately after harvesting, and not wait for the fall. After the strawberries are already fully harvested, the plant does not “rest”: until mid-October, leaf growth continues, new roots and stems form, flower buds form. At this time, there was a lot of work on the beds with strawberries, including the removal of yellowed leaves. Knowing how to properly care for this garden crop and adhering to the rules of agricultural technology, even a novice gardener will be able to get an excellent harvest, which he will appreciate with the Marshall strawberry variety.
Reviews
This variety of "American strawberries" has long been successfully grown in many countries, including the United States and Japan. And for some time now, Marshall began to plant strawberries everywhere in domestic gardens. An interesting feature of this variety is that it can be left unattended for a long time. According to many summer residents, this plant, which grows leaf mass very quickly, is quite unpretentious, since it can easily “overtake” and drown out even the numerous weeds surrounding it.
In addition, as evidenced not only by the description of the variety, but also by numerous reviews, strawberry Marshall is really resistant to drought. It can stay for a long time without any watering, which is important for those summer residents who come to the sites only on weekends. Its bright red berries have a very sweet taste. They also do not lie on the ground. The fruits, as they say, those who grow this wonderful berry in the garden, are well transported and stored for a long time.