Sweet, ripe, aromatic strawberries are loved, probably, if not all, then the absolute majority. And they are looking forward to the season, when this wonderful berry will appear in summer cottages or on store shelves. But she has a lot of varieties, each of which has its own characteristics and differences. What, for example, is characterized by strawberry Florence?
Origin
This berry is an English aristocrat: it was in Britain, at one of the experimental stations, by crossing two other varieties that a new one, called Florence, was bred. It happened exactly twenty years ago. By the way, sometimes they confuse and call the Florence berry, but such a name is fundamentally wrong. Combining varieties, scientists sought to achieve the perfect taste, aroma, as well as stable immunity of the berry. They succeeded to the fullest - precisely for this reason, many gardeners prefer the aforementioned variety.
Appearance
From the reviews and descriptions of the Florence strawberry variety (pictured), it can be seen that its berries are conical in shape, oval, quite large, with a rich red hue.
The leaves are dark green, shiny, bushy voluminous, but not sprawling. Strawberries have few whiskers; flower stalks are located just above the leaves.
Strawberry Florence: Characteristics
The variety is dessert, late and high-yielding - from one bush, with good, proper care, you can remove up to one and a half kilograms of berries, and from hectare up to thirty-five tons. Florence ripens in mid-summer - early July, when other types of strawberries, as a rule, are already moving away. Berries of medium size and weight - about fifty grams in total, the skin and pulp are dense.
The main feature of this variety is the ability to actively bear fruit for five consecutive years, each year giving a still rich harvest. It can also be noted that Florence strawberry is quite resistant to various kinds of lesions and diseases, survives well both in open ground and in the greenhouse, and does not require special care. The strawberry mustache is strong, as they have already been said, there are few of them; accordingly, it is not difficult to care for the garden bed. Another advantage of Florence is that it is easy to propagate, it is frost-resistant (can withstand up to minus twenty) and it feels quite comfortable, if not in all, then in most regions of Russia, even with a humid climate. It is stored for a long time, it is recommended for use for jams and jams. If you freeze a berry of this variety, its taste will not change.
Of the minuses, it is worth noting the high demands on the presence of moisture, since without a sufficient level of water in the soil (especially in the heat) the plant reduces productivity. Also, the berry should be constantly ventilated, and with excess moisture, it can become sick during rains.
Strawberry Florence: Planting and Care
It is best to plant strawberry bushes in the spring or at the very beginning of summer, and it’s not bad if you can figure it out and do it in cloudy, cool weather. Of course, before you lower the plants into the ground, you should carry out preparatory work: about a month before the “X-hour”, you need to carefully dig the soil on the future bed and add fertilizer - humus or compost (so the soil will become looser, which is just what is required for strawberries). Be sure to dig out all the weeds and collect garbage. Wells for Florence should be made exactly to the size of the roots of the plant, before planting it, they need to be thoroughly moistened with warm water.
Place strawberries Florence on the bed is necessary after 30-40 centimeters from each other. Covering the bush with earth, you need to make sure that it does not get on the heart or main kidney. By the way, Florence will take root well both in the open ground and in the greenhouse. In the second case, it will yield an earlier crop.
Proper care of the Florence strawberry variety (in the photo) according to the description and reviews involves periodic loosening of the soil, watering and top dressing the plant. Loosening is carried out throughout the summer period, but at a shallow distance. Certainly you need to make three kilograms per square meter of humus or compost. In a great heat, a plant may be unwell - it is permissible to shelter it with something to protect it. It is also necessary to cover strawberries for the winter - agrofibre or peat is perfect for this purpose (especially true in cold regions). When collecting ripe berries, it is important to remember that it is not recommended to do this in the morning - so the fruits quickly deteriorate. It is best to do this procedure in the evening.
The soil
Strawberries of the Florence variety are quite picky about the soil: they must certainly be fertile, neutral (at least slightly acidic) and easy to let in air. To improve the soil (if it is too acidic), you can add calcium carbonate or dolomite flour to it, and then dig it carefully.
He loves this type of berry most of all on sandy soils, but if it is well fertilized with humus, it can produce fruit on clay soils.
Watering
The more you water the Florence strawberries, the higher the likelihood of a good harvest. In dry weather and in the absence of moisture, the fruiting quality of the berry decreases significantly. That is why it is necessary to carefully monitor the frequency and regularity of watering, in addition, it is important to remember that in a certain phase of development a plant has certain requirements for the presence of water. So, for example, after planting a berry, you should water it every three days, spending ten liters per square meter. When the plant adapts a little, you can increase the gap between watering up to seven days.
As soon as the strawberries begin to bear fruit, you need to reduce the frequency of watering - now it will be enough to do this once every two weeks. Of course, if the soil suddenly turns out to be dry, it is simply necessary to give the plant the desired moisture. By the way, the type of soil is directly related to how intensively you have to water the berry.
It is recommended to water strawberries from a watering can with a special nozzle, falling on the leaves - however, only before the appearance of flowers. And when the fruits are already harvested and the bushes trimmed, you should moisten them until the end of the season as necessary.
Top dressing
Strawberry Florence is rather capricious about the presence of top dressing. She needs them in large quantities, because the more fertilizer - the larger the output will be. Certain additives should be added at each time of the year - for example, in spring, before flowering, nitrogen is best suited, but after the buds appear, you need to feed strawberries with phosphorus and potassium. At the end of the season, it will be most useful to add humus or manure - this will help the roots of the plant grow stronger.
Breeding
There are several ways to propagate Florence strawberries : tendrils, dividing the bush or seeds. The first method - the "mustachioed" - involves the selection of a good, strong antennae, fixing them in the soil with a wire and, after the appearance of roots, landing in open ground.
The division of the bush is also simple: you need to choose a plant that is at least three or four years old. Its root is divided into several parts, and individually, each is sent to the soil. But seed propagation is a more laborious process. It is necessary to obtain seeds from the elements of the skin and pulp of the berry. Then they should be sown for seedlings in a special soil, and only after a month - with abundant watering and good lighting - will sprouts emerge. When five or six leaves appear on the seedlings, you can send them to the open ground.
Diseases and Pests
Strawberry Florence is susceptible to a disease called “gray rot”, which occurs in the absence of ventilation and excess moisture. It is easy to recognize it: these are brown spots on the fruits and leaves, as well as dry berries. It is permissible to fight gray rot with lime.
In addition, strawberries and powdery mildew are sick - with hot temperatures and excess moisture, white dust spots appear on the leaves, and the berries begin to rot. To cure the berry, it will require treatment with whey with iodine and water. The third dangerous disease is verticillosis. Leaves become sluggish, fall off, their color changes from green to pink-yellow. Such a sore can infect strawberries if many weeds appear next to it.
To grow strawberries of any kind, including Florence, is within the power of absolutely any summer resident. You only need to follow the simplest recommendations, and then a beautiful berry will fill your garden with aroma!