Features of growing strawberries Temptation and care
Strawberries are one of the most delicious and favorite seasonal berries. That is why the culture is grown in many household plots and cottages. Growing strawberries is not particularly difficult, because the plants are not too demanding, but left without care, strawberry bushes quickly drown in weeds or are affected by diseases and pests. This article will examine the Temptation hybrid strawberry, as well as give recommendations for planting it and further care for the bushes.
Botanical description and characteristics of strawberries
Strawberries, from a botanical point of view, are not berries. Technically, this is an aggregate additional fruit, meaning that the meaty part is not obtained from the ovaries of the plant, but from the shell in which the ovaries are located. Each visible “seed” on the outside of the fetus is actually one of the ovaries of the flower with the seed inside.
Strictly speaking, berries, which in our country are called strawberries, are garden strawberries. Garden strawberries are a hybrid of wild strawberries with improved qualities (large fruits and a sweet taste). This is a perennial herbaceous plant, propagated by air stolons, in each segment of which young plants develop (children, rosettes), releasing aerial roots.
Did you know? Artificial and natural strawberry flavors and flavors are widely used for the manufacture of cosmetics. With the smell and taste of strawberries are produced: lipstick, shampoo, shower gel, hand and face cream, toilet water, perfume and many other cosmetic products.
Characterization of fruits and bushes
Garden Strawberry Temptation F1 refers to hybrids of neutral daylight hours. The repairing hybrid, i.e., it is capable of bearing fruit on sockets formed on the mustache of this year. On top of that, these mustache rosettes may not even be rooted, but with the berries that have formed, that is, the mother plant nourishes the extra fruits.
Frost resistance, declared by sellers in the characteristics of the hybrid, ranges from -15 ...- 17 ° C. But such subzero temperatures of the plant will be able to withstand a very short time: from 2 days to a week, therefore, despite the good resistance to frost, strawberry Temptation F1 is still worth sheltering for the winter.
The formation of the ovary is preceded by the appearance of white flowers on the bushes, consisting of 5 rounded petals with a diameter of up to 1 cm. Due to the maintenance, the plant can bloom and bear fruit at the same time. The first ripening berries gain a large mass (30–35 g), then the average weight of the berries varies from 15 to 20 g. The more berries are tied at the same time on the plants, the lower their weight.
The flesh of Temptation F1 is juicy, dense, has a sweet and sour taste, is painted in dark red color, the surface of the berries is glossy. Since this hybrid belongs to plants of neutral daylight hours, it can bear fruit all year round. Temptation can be grown in the open ground throughout the warm season (from May to the end of September).
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For constant fruiting, the plant must provide good lighting, favorable air temperature (especially in greenhouses) and regular application of nutrients under the root. Under these conditions, from each bush of Temptation F1, you can collect from 1 to 1.5 kg of berries.
This hybrid of strawberries is often grown as an ampel plant in hanging pots and pots. With this method of growing, ripening berries look very decorative not only on the bush, but also on the dangling cascade of strawberry rosettes.
The aerial part of the bush is covered with wide leaves, consisting of 3 segments. The color of the leaves is green, the surface of the leaf plate is smooth, but has a slightly corrugated structure. An adult, healthy, well-formed bush has at least 5–8 leaves. The leaf ends with a strong rounded petiole, 5 to 7 cm long.
The hybrid Temptation F1 breeds both with seeds and a mustache. The formation of whiskers (stolons) in this hybrid is very high, so it is much easier to propagate the variety with rosettes than to grow plants from seeds. Up to 7 rosettes can form on each mustache, but in order to get healthy seedlings, it is recommended to use only the first 3 air bushes for planting.
Learn more about the features of planting strawberries with seeds.
Pros and cons of the variety
Among gardeners, an ambiguous attitude to strawberries has been established Temptation F1: some are very satisfied with the taste and yield of the plant, others do not recommend it for growing. Most likely, the dissatisfaction is explained by the fact that the plant is grown under inappropriate conditions.
- Hybrid Benefits:
- the ability to bear fruit throughout the year;
- maintainability;
- a large number of fruit ovary;
- relative frost resistance;
- good taste of berries.
- The disadvantages of the hybrid:
- uneven mass of fruits;
- requirements for high agricultural farming technology;
- the need for winter shelter.
Pollinators and productivity
Strawberries need pollination . That is why plants during flowering emit a scent that attracts insects for pollination. During it, insects transfer pollen from one flower to another. A flower that has not been pollinated dries out after the end of the flowering period without forming an ovary.
If strawberry Temptation F1 is grown in greenhouses inaccessible to flies and bees, then manual pollination is carried out on plantings . To do this, a soft wide brush is carried out on the flowers of all strawberry bushes, artificially transferring pollen from flower to flower. When growing strawberries in film or foil tunnels, the shelter is fully or partially removed during the flowering of plants, thereby freeing access to the flowers of pollinating insects.
Features of planting and care
The temptation of F1 has a high yield, but its hybrid can manifest itself only if the gardener observes the high agricultural technology of growing the crop. This concept includes both proper care for strawberry bushes (weeding, mulching, watering, top dressing), protecting plants from subzero temperatures during flowering and wintering, and the use of chemical and biological preparations from pests and diseases.
Video: Ampel strawberries, varieties Temptation
Landing rules
Seedlings can be planted in spring or summer . It is better to avoid late autumn planting, because plants that have not had time to take root and adapt to a new place can be damaged by frost. The optimal distance between plants is 25-30 cm. These parameters are also recommended for growing strawberry bushes in containers, for example, in long boxes. The distance between the rows of plants is about 50 cm.
Read also about planting strawberries in spring.
When planting berry bushes, it is necessary to dig out planting pits of such a size that the root system of plants is easily placed in them, and the roots are not wrapped. Directly above the roots there is a characteristic thickening of the aerial part of the bush (root neck or heart), which, when planting, should remain above the ground. Otherwise, strawberries will not bear fruit and become susceptible to fungal diseases.
Choosing the best seedlings for planting
Seedlings can be easily obtained from mother plants that grow on a garden bed. Strawberries propagate through above-ground stolons, on which young plants (rosettes) are formed, and then root. To facilitate the rooting of rosettes, the mustache is lightly sprinkled with earth, so that young plants develop the root system already in the soil.
Important! The gardener must remember that in the presence of pests and diseases on the maternal strawberry bushes, planting material obtained from this garden will have the same problems.
When the seedlings are well rooted, the mustache is cut off from the mother bush, the seedlings are carefully dug up. The better developed the root system, the higher the value of the seedling, it easily adapts after planting in a new place, and the yield will be very good.
To get the most valuable seedlings, free from diseases and pests, it is advisable to purchase it in fruit nurseries with a good reputation, where they offer the buyer high-quality material.
On sale you can find several types of seedlings:
- Green seedlings are recently dug outlets with an open root system. They are ready to transplant in spring and autumn, except that the autumn period is not the best time for planting this type of seedlings. Since seedlings have open roots, care should be taken not to dry, so after digging out of the soil rosettes with an open root system should be transplanted as soon as possible.
- Potted seedlings - strawberry sockets rooted in pots. This seedling is more expensive than green, but these plants can be planted at any time of the year, the main thing is that the ambient temperature is much higher than 0 ° C. Seedlings in pots easily take root in a new place, almost without a period of adaptation, which greatly accelerates the beginning of full fruiting.
- Frigo seedlings - sockets with roots are dug up in the fall, and then stored in a cold room with a constant temperature in a leafless form. The advantage of this type of seedlings is that it gives berries about 2 months after planting. Frigo seedlings are planted when a mass crop needs to be obtained by a certain time period, since the farmer can accurately calculate the fruiting time of these plants. But the gardener needs to remember that the unique properties of frigo seedlings last only one season and the next year the planted plants bloom and bear fruit in the traditional period.
Purchased seedlings must have a healthy, well-developed root system, several healthy leaves and a properly developed apical bud. They cannot be infected with diseases or damaged by pests. They should be taken from year-old, non-fruiting beds.
Choosing a place to land
Before planting strawberries, the gardener should prepare the soil for the bed, which should be freed from weeds and properly fertilized. Under this culture, it is best to choose fertile, permeable, moderately moist and slightly acidic soil. Strawberry bushes grow shallow, so the quality of the upper layer of the substrate is especially important.
Did you know? Berries of strawberry are used for the preparation of canned food, jelly, juices, pies, ice cream, alcoholic liquors and tinctures, chocolate fillings and interlayers for cakes.
Garden strawberries grow best on sandy loam and moist (but not wet) soils. The place for growing should be in a sunny place, preferably protected from the north winds by a wall or a fence.
Strawberries should not be planted after strawberries and raspberries, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, since such precursors contribute to the development of soil parasites harmful to strawberry bushes (nematodes, scoops) and diseases (powdery mildew, gray rot). Strawberry beds should be planted after early onions, beans, peas and carrots, as well as after siderate crops: lupine, beans, peas and mustard.
Landing process
Strawberry seedlings are planted in spring (April-May), autumn or in the second half of summer (July-August). If the planting material was purchased in the nursery and its roots were weathered and dried during transportation, the gardener should soak the plant root system in a basin of water for 12-14 hours before planting. Immediately before planting, the tips of the roots of each bush are trimmed slightly (by 1–1.5 cm).
We recommend reading how to plant strawberries under cover material.
Bushes planting:
- On a previously dug and fertilized bed using a garden chopper create holes for planting.
- At least 0.5 L of water is poured into each well.
- The distance between the holes should be at least 25-30 cm, and the distance in the row between the plants can withstand from 50 to 70 cm (at the request of the gardener). It must be remembered that the more often the plants are arranged in a row, the wider the distance between the rows should be observed.
- During planting, the roots of the strawberry bush are well spread, they should not be crumpled or bent. It is important to ensure that when planting the root neck of the bush is not buried in the soil.
- Immediately after planting, plants are watered under the root, using 200-300 ml of water for each bush.
Experienced gardeners recommend a bed prepared for planting strawberries to cover with black agrofibre (spunbond). The edges of the agrofibre are fixed along the perimeter of the bed, sprinkled with soil. Marking is done on the finished canvas, observing the recommended disembarkation scheme, using ordinary chalk. Next, cross-shaped incisions are made in the agrofibre at the planting sites and strawberry bushes are planted in the holes.
Water the plants directly along the agrofibre, which does not prevent moisture from entering their roots. At the same time, the berries remain clean and healthy, because they lie on a non-woven fabric and do not come in contact with the ground.
Important! To protect the roots of the culture from the larvae of the May beetle, before planting, the planting material is soaked in a solution containing a special preparation. It can be an antichrush insecticide or other similar drugs.
Watering and feeding
Before planting bushes, it is worth enriching the substrate with organic and mineral fertilizers . As organic fertilizer, you can use manure in an amount of 300-400 kg per hundred square meters. Fresh manure can not be applied immediately before planting strawberries, this is done several months before planting, laying out organic matter in the soil before digging the beds.
Siderata (green fertilizers) can also be used as fertilizer for strawberries. Siderata is sown on a future bed long before planting, and after 6 weeks of vegetation, the plants are cut off near the soil. Cut green mass is embedded in the soil during plowing. As a green fertilizer, you can use any bean culture, on the roots of which there are nitrogen-containing bacteria (phacelia, mustard, etc.).
Read also about spring strawberry care.
Of the mineral fertilizers, multicomponent mixtures with a low nitrogen content will be most suitable . Fertilizing should be carried out in sufficient quantities, because nutrition should be enough for the entire long-term (3-4 years) period of strawberry vegetation. A single application of mineral fertilizing is possible due to the fact that garden strawberries do not have high nutritional needs. During the growing season, bushes can be fed only with small doses of nitrogen, which is done in order to facilitate the reproduction of plants.
On a newly planted strawberry plantation, weeding should be carried out regularly. On clogged beds, strawberry bushes weaken, poorly bear fruit, and become easily ill, after which they eventually die. However, the soil should be cleaned very carefully, as sharp tools can easily damage the shallow root system of strawberries.
During the growing season, strawberries need to be regularly watered, as the small root system of plants dries quickly. The easiest way to water strawberry beds is leaf watering, but this method of irrigation is directly associated with a high risk of fungal diseases (gray mold, powdery mildew) on the crop.
Learn more about how to water strawberries frequently and correctly.
Optimal would be drip irrigation of bushes . You can also water bushes from a garden watering can (hose with a spray nozzle) between rows, but this irrigation method contributes to a large loss of water and high time costs for the gardener.
Winter preparations
To shelter strawberry beds for the winter, straw is used in the central and northern parts of the country. A straw section covers the entire plantation, which will help protect plants from large temperature extremes in the winter. With the advent of spring, the bushes are freed from shelter, and straw mulch is left only in the aisles.
Important! Since straw is an organic material and decomposes over time, its layer must be renewed approximately 2 times during the summer. A mulching layer of 15 cm thick will be enough.
You can also insulate the beds with perforated plastic film. Under this shelter, plants can receive oxygen, and the temperature in the atmospheric layer where the plants are located rises to an acceptable level. Naturally, in winter the temperature under the film will not be able to rise above 0 ° C, but it will smooth out the sharp temperature difference and make the microclimate under shelter favorable for wintering strawberry bushes.
Diseases and Pests
The gardener must protect strawberry beds from diseases and pests. In order to effectively prevent the development of pathogens and pests, it is worth combining preventive methods and chemicals (if necessary).
Preventive measures include:
- mowing bushes after harvesting;
- loosening of soil in the garden after winter;
- the soil content on the bed clean of weeds;
- the acquisition of healthy planting material;
- soil mulching;
- полив растений под корень.
Did you know? В Бельгии уже несколько десятилетий действует «Музей де ла Фрейз», или Музей клубники. Помимо осмотра экспозиции, там можно приобрести продукты на основе клубники: варенье, конфеты, ликёр и клубничное пиво.
Если растения заболели или на них напали вредители и существует необходимость в применении мер химической защиты, препараты следует выбрать из разрешённых к использованию в соответствии с типом заболевания или разновидности вредителей.
Хотя клубника является многолетним растением, активное плодоношение грядки не продлится более 4–5 лет. По истечении этого времени растения становятся слабее, урожайность снижается, а восприимчивость к болезням и вредителям повышается. Сила роста кустов становится слабой, и растения дают меньший урожай ягод низкого качества.
Harvesting and storage of crops
Ягоды Искушение F1 собирают не массово, поскольку ремонтантный гибрид может иметь одновременно цветущие кисти, недавно завязавшиеся и созревшие плоды. Садовод ежедневно снимает с куста ягоды, которые внешне соответствуют созревшим, т. е. имеют характерные для гибрида расцветку и размер. Читайте подробнее, как правильно хранить клубнику. Ягоды клубники собирают в тару, имеющую гладкие стенки. Чтобы ягоды не помялись и сохранили свежесть как можно дольше, для сбора клубники используют одноразовую тару объёмом не более 500 мл. Она изготовляется из тонкого пластика, в стенках и днище которой имеются отверстия для доступа воздуха.
Для перевозки клубники используют специальный транспорт, оснащённый камерами, в которых установлен постоянный температурный режим (+8...+10°C). В этих условиях ягоды могут храниться в течение недели. Дома клубнику можно хранить в холодильнике, при этом ёмкость c ягодами должна быть закрыта крышкой, чтобы плоды оставались сочными.
Вам будет полезно почитать о свойствах замороженной клубники.
Несмотря на неоднозначное отношение садоводов к гибриду клубники Искушение F1, любителям ягод всё же стоит попробовать выращивать данное растение в своём саду и составить собственное мнение. Кроме этого, с помощью ампельной клубники, выращиваемой в горшках, в летнее время можно озеленить и украсить веранду, патио или крыльцо.
