Strawberries are considered one of the most popular crops grown by summer residents. Pleasant aroma, taste and an abundance of vitamins in the composition explain the increased interest in this berry. It is not surprising that every year breeders try to get more stable and fruitful plant species. One of these varieties is strawberry Lord, and it will be discussed.

History of breeding varieties Lord

This variety of strawberries was bred by English breeders as a stable, high-yielding species. The variety got its name due to the impressive size of the fruit. High quality made this strawberry popular not only at home, but also in most countries of Europe.

Did you know? Breeders bred an unusual strawberry variety, Pinberry, whose berries, when ripe, turn white and the seeds red. The pulp of this fruit resembles pineapple in taste.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The Lord is a medium-late variety with a long fruiting period. The berries of the plant are large, fleshy, conical, red. The pulp is fragrant, sweet and sour to the taste.

The weight of the berries of the first crop is 60–80 grams, the subsequent fruits grow smaller and weigh about 40 grams. The bush of the plant is sprawling, up to half a meter high, with dark green leaves of a round shape with serrated edges.

Productivity

High productivity is considered a distinctive feature of this species; on average, about 900–1000 grams of berries can be collected from 1 bush.

Drought and winter hardiness

The Lord variety is characterized by high resistance to cold and is able to tolerate frosts up to -20 ° C under snow cover. In addition, strawberries do not suffer from return frosts typical of early spring. The Lord belongs to the conditionally drought-tolerant species, - it transfers the absence of moisture much more easily than its excess. But heavy rains, on the contrary, can lead to the destruction of the berry crop.

Timing of flowering and ripening

The plant belongs to medium-late varieties, therefore, its fruiting is stretched for a long period and is at least 3-4 weeks until complete ripening. Flowers on the bushes usually appear by the end of May, and the first fruits begin to ripen from the end of June. In August, the growing season stops at the Lord's strawberry garden.

Important! With the onset of “Indian summer” in October in the southern regions, new flowers may appear on peduncles, but they are recommended to be removed so that the plant does not waste strength before wintering.

Disease and pest resistance

This variety is highly resistant to most characteristic diseases and is rarely attacked by parasites and pests.

Transportability

Large dense strawberries Lord well tolerate transportation, however, if you do not follow the rules of collection and storage, they quickly deteriorate.

Video: Strawberry variety Lord

The main advantages and disadvantages of the Lord variety

Before proceeding with the cultivation of the variety in question on your site, you should familiarize yourself with its features.

• The advantages of this berry include:
• high productivity;
• good transportability;
• excellent taste;
• large fruits;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• the ability to bear fruit in one place without transplanting for at least 10 years;
• frost resistance.

Did you know? Strawberry pulp has the ability to whiten tooth enamel, the effect can be compared with the action of specialized toothpastes.

• However, the Lord has some disadvantages:
• the plant does not tolerate rain, dampness and waterlogging of the soil;
• only shoots of young bushes (no older than 3 years of age) can be used for breeding purposes.

Optimal conditions for growing

Although the strawberry Lord is not very whimsical to the conditions, when growing it, you should adhere to some recommendations that will ensure a good harvest of berries.

Check out

Soil for strawberries at home First of all, you need to pay attention to the composition of the soil and the characteristics of the selected site. The culture grows more actively on the south side, on a flat surface without slopes and lowlands.

Lighting should be uniform. Moderately shaded areas are generally suitable for growing strawberries, but the berries will not be very large.

The Lord does not take root well on acidified soil, it is better to place the beds on a neutral, fertile soil. It is strictly forbidden to plant strawberries in wetlands.

The best precursors for the plant are carrots, beets, onions, garlic, but the soil after solanaceous is not suitable.

Basic rules for planting and care

To garden strawberry gave an excellent harvest, you need to properly organize the process of planting bushes and caring for them. The optimal period for planting strawberry bushes is mid-August - early September, before the onset of winter seedlings have time to adapt to the soil and conditions. Transplantation is also allowed in early spring (in March - April), after the completion of night frosts on the soil.

When spring planting of the Lord variety, it is necessary to prune flower stalks to increase the endurance of the bushes.

Dig the soil in the selected area and pour it with an ammonia solution (20 ml of ammonia per 10 liters of water) for disinfection. After the procedure, the soil is allowed to dry, then the beds are prepared.

Strawberries Lord are planted in holes with a depth of 15–20 cm, in a checkerboard pattern, at a distance of 50–60 cm from each other. It is often used to fit “under the film”: for this, the bed is covered with black plastic film, in which holes are cut out according to the scheme and holes are dug under them. This method greatly facilitates weed control and harvesting.

Read more on how to plant strawberries under cover material.

A little water is poured into the prepared pits, the roots of the bush are carefully placed there, spreading them, then they are sprinkled with earth and compacted. If planting is done without a film, a small earthen roller is made around the planted plant to hold the fluid in the root system.

Further crop care involves standard procedures such as watering. For strawberries, it is very important, especially during the flowering period. It must be produced regularly, preventing both complete drying of the soil and its excessive moisture. Typically, the amount of water for each bush is about 1 liter.

The bed needs to be kept clean and, if necessary, weed weed can be combined with loosening the soil a day after watering.

Learn more about how to water strawberries frequently and correctly.

Fertilizing garden strawberries is required and is carried out at least 4 times per season:

1. Immediately before planting, a nutrient mixture is added to the wells: 30 grams of compost, 15 grams of potassium salt, 30 grams of superphosphate and 15 grams of urea.
2. During the formation of new leaves on the bush, the plant needs nitrogen, you can use a solution of nitroammophoska at the rate of 1 tbsp. l substances on a bucket of water.
3. The next stage occurs at the time of formation of the first ovaries - at this time, strawberries are fed with potassium nitrate, dissolving 2 tbsp. l substances in a bucket of water.
4. Before wintering, under the bushes spread a layer of humus or cow manure, which will provide a breeding ground for the period of cold weather.

Despite the good resistance of plants to cold, experienced gardeners advise preparing them for winter. The bushes do not need additional shelter, however, it is necessary to remove all the "antennae", and protect the root system with mulch (it is best to use needles uniformly distributed over the bed).

Read also our e-magazine on strawberry cultivation.

Disease and Pest Control Tips

Garden strawberry Lord has a strong immunity to diseases and is resistant to most parasites, however, some ailments can still adversely affect the condition of the plant:

1. Gray rot is a characteristic disease, manifested in the form of a grayish-white coating on the foliage, sepals and stems of the bush. If the disease manifests itself in at least one seedling, it is necessary to spray the entire planting with a fungicidal agent (for example, “Derozal”). The cause of such a disease is usually excessive watering, poor ventilation of the site, lack of nutrients, soil pollution by weeds.
   

2. Strawberry mite is a parasite that can infect seedlings during a drought or move from infected seedlings. Manifestations of the disease are the deterioration of foliage, drying of the fruit. In order to prevent, as well as the appearance of characteristic signs, it is recommended to treat the planting with insecticides (for example, “Karbofos”), according to the instructions.
   

3. Stem nematode - affects strawberries if excessive watering and stagnation of water in the soil are allowed. Infection is characterized by yellowing of the foliage, deformation of the fruit, stopping flowering. To combat the parasite, fungicides of industrial production are used (for example, Fundazol).
   

To avoid the occurrence of ailments in the wild strawberry Lord, it is necessary to observe preventive measures:

1. Regularly remove weeds and debris from the beds.
2. Trim the damaged and non-breeding shoots.
3. Remove bushes affected by the disease from the site.
4. Observe the irrigation regime taking into account external conditions (climate, region, weather changes).

Also find out if you need to prune strawberries after harvest.

So, having become acquainted with the characteristics of the strawberry variety with the majestic name Lord, it can be noted that the unpretentiousness, stability and good characteristics of the fruits provide it with high and reasonable popularity among gardeners. Subject to the basic rules of cultivation, you can get a high-quality and rich crop in almost any climate.