Strawberry, or garden strawberry is a whimsical berry, the care of which requires certain knowledge. One of the factors affecting the successful growth and fruiting of a plant is the correct selection of the variety. The article contains information about Strawberry Festival - one of the most unpretentious and suitable for growing by beginners.

Selection history

Festivalnaya strawberries were received by Soviet breeders living in Pavlovsk. They worked on its breeding for 4 years - from 1954 to 1958. It is recommended to grow this berry in the Central and Northern regions of the Russian Federation, in the Ural and Siberian regions, and in the middle lane. For planting in the southern regions, it is not suitable.

Did you know? The Guinness Book of Records included strawberries, which weighed 250 g and had a circumference of 25 cm. It was raised by a Japanese farmer Koji Nakao.

Description of Festivalnaya strawberries

Strawberry Festival is popular among gardeners. This, first of all, is explained by the fact that it is maintenance-free, that is, it is able to bear fruit: 2 or more times per season.

Bushes form a powerful outlet. Their height is 30–40 cm, their width is 20 cm. A large number of large foliage forms on them. The fruits ripen in July. They are conical in shape. The surface and the inside are painted bright red. The pulp is characterized by density, juiciness, pleasant taste. Fruits are suitable for universal purposes. In the first wave of fruiting, the berries are large, weighing 45 g each . In subsequent periods, they will be smaller - from 10 to 25 g. The last bearing occurs in late autumn.

• According to gardeners who already had experience growing this variety, it has a number of advantages, including:
• high frost resistance;
• good productivity;
• the ability of the fruit to tolerate transportation without loss of taste and presentation;
• long shelf life of berries;
• long term fruiting;
• the possibility of growing in the shade.

• Its disadvantages include:
• poor survival at high temperatures and in dry periods;
• low resistance to fungal diseases.

Grade characteristics

The yield of the variety is 500 g per plant. In the bushes, medium resistance to powdery mildew, verticillin wilt, and gray rot was noted. Their winter hardiness is very high.

Landing Features

Festival Strawberry must be grown from seedlings purchased or grown by hand. In addition to the seed method, strawberries can be propagated using mustaches and rosettes. Seedlings should be prepared in the fall and placed in storage in a dark place before planting in the spring. You can also purchase them at a specialty store.

When choosing, one should give preference to those whose roots are well developed — 7–9 cm long, and the diameter of the root neck — at least 5 mm.

Sowing seedlings is carried out from late February to early March. Tanks for planting need to be filled with very moist soil. Plant seeds, sprinkling them with a thin layer of earth.

Optimal conditions for the rapid and successful emergence of seedlings:

• temperature - + 18 ... + 20 ° С and higher;
• bright lighting for 12-14 hours;
• shelter before sprouts.

Read also our e-magazine on strawberry cultivation. The main procedures for the care of seedlings:

• moisturizing with warm water;
• daily airing;
• picking after the formation of 2-3 leaves;
• hardening 2-3 weeks before the planned planting in open ground or a greenhouse.

Suitable conditions and soil

Landing at a permanent place must be made from mid to late May. You should focus on weather conditions - stable warm weather should be established and the threat of the return of frosts should pass. Planting with seedlings is possible in the fall - in September.

The best strawberry yields when grown in fertilized loam or sandy loam with a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

Selection and preparation of a seat

To the area where it is planned to grow strawberries, several requirements are put forward:

• good illumination (landing in partial shade is possible);
• shelter from drafts;
• the occurrence of groundwater is not closer than 80 cm to the surface of the soil.

The preparation of beds is carried out in the fall. Dig the soil 25 cm and fertilize it with manure or peat (5–6 kg / 1 m²), potassium sulfate (20–30 g / 1 m²), superphosphate (40–50 g / 1 m²). Important! Adhering to the rules of crop rotation, it is necessary to plant strawberries in the beds where legumes, parsley, dill, beets, carrots were previously grown, and should not be placed after potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries, cabbage.

Landing pattern

When planting seedlings or seedlings in a permanent place, it is recommended to proceed as follows:

1. Dig shallow holes 30 cm apart. The row spacing should be 30–40 cm.
2. To water
3. Place sprouts in the wells without destroying the earthen lump. The root neck should be flush with the ground.
4. Water abundantly.

Watering

Like all repair varieties, Festival Strawberry requires enhanced watering . Immediately after landing on a permanent place, the bushes need to be moistened every day. After they take root, watering should be reduced to 1 time in 2-4 days. From August to September, you need to switch to the regime with two hydrations per month. The volume of water is regulated in such a way that the soil is moistened 2-3 cm in depth.

Weeding and mulching row spacing

Watering should be combined with shallow loosening and mulching. Loosening is carried out one day after moistening. They are necessary to prevent the appearance of a dense crust on the soil surface, which prevents the normal flow of moisture and air to the root system.

They mulch the soil in order to maintain the necessary moisture level and restrain the growth of weeds . Peat, straw, needles, sawdust are used as mulch.

A mandatory procedure for the care of strawberries is weeding . Weeds pose a threat to the spread of diseases and harmful insects, do not allow sunlight to break through to strawberry bushes and take away nutrients from plants. Weed herbs must be removed as necessary, tearing them out with the root. Read also articles on this topic:

Features of planting and care for strawberries Tradeswoman Medium strawberry

Characteristics and features of the cultivation of strawberries varieties Maxim Average varieties of strawberries

Features of planting and care of strawberries Murano Medium strawberries

Features of planting and care of strawberries Polka Average varieties of strawberries

Features of the care and cultivation of strawberries Salsa Average varieties of strawberries

Description and characteristics of strawberry varieties Fireworks Average strawberry varieties All articles

Top dressing

Strawberries should be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. From organics, it responds well to mullein, bird droppings, herbal infusions. Among the recommended mineral supplements are Kemira Lux, Mortar, and Kristallin.

Winter preparations

In order for stable and high yields to be observed every year, it is necessary to replant young outlets every 2 years in the fall.

Strawberry bushes need special shelter only in very severe winters without snow cover. They are covered with spruce branches, straw, dry foliage.

Important! Shelter should be removed in the early spring to prevent strawberry bushes from ripening.

Diseases and Pests

The following diseases can affect Strawberry Festival:

1. Powdery Mildew The manifestation of the disease is possible in May. The leaves are covered with a characteristic whitish coating, similar to flour. To prevent the onset of the disease, preventive treatment with Topaz and Bayleton should be carried out. They need to be carried out 3 times in the following periods: during the formation of the first leaves, before flowering, after harvesting the fruits.
   

2. Verticillin wilt. A sign of the disease is the drying of the lower leaves. To prevent the disease on the beds, before flowering and after it should be sprayed with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture, "Maxim", "Fundazolom") and biological products ("Fitosporin", "Fitocide", "Trichophytum).
   

3. Gray rot. It affects the fruit. Brown spots appear on them, on which subsequently a gray coating forms. The fight against the disease is carried out with a solution of iodine, potassium permanganate, extracts of mustard and garlic, preparations "Horus", "Alirin-B", "Switch". A variety is rarely affected by pests and only with improper planting or errors in agricultural technology.
   

Harvesting and storage of crops

Fruits must be harvested 2-3 days before they are fully ripe. If they are planned to be stored, then during collection it is necessary to leave ponytails. Berries must be removed in the morning, after the dew has dried, or in the evening. The shelf life of fruits with a wet surface is significantly reduced. Learn how to grow strawberries in winter.

During harvesting, the fruits are stacked in boxes of plastic or wood, covered with paper or cloth, in one layer. At home, the fruits are laid out in glass or plastic containers with lids. You can not wash them before storing them for storage.

Immediately after harvesting the berries must be placed in cold conditions - temperature 0 ... + 2 ° C. At this temperature, the shelf life of strawberries is 3-4 days. In indoor conditions, berries can lie one day. Frozen fruits can be stored the longest. In this form, they save most of the useful elements. When transporting strawberries should not be poured from container to container and sorted. Any additional actions threaten to reduce the shelf life.

Did you know? Famous trendsetter in France of the XVIII century. Teresa Talien made strawberry baths in order to maintain the beauty of her skin. On one cosmetic procedure, it took about 10 kg of fruit. So, the Strawberry Festival is a variety popular among gardeners that has a number of advantages. If you follow the recommendations for planting and conducting the right agricultural technology, you can collect a large number of tasty and healthy berries for 4–5 months.