Features of planting and care of a strawberry merchant
Variety Merchant is a hybrid of strawberries and strawberries (Fragaria ananassa and Fragaria moschata). The plant is unpretentious, the fruits have a more pronounced taste and aroma compared to ordinary strawberries. About the features of the variety, the benefits of dredgers, how to grow this wonderful berry, read further in the review.
Description of the strawberry variety Tradeswoman
Zemklubnika Merchant is the only variety of this hybrid plant, listed in the State Register. This happened relatively recently - in 2017. The originator of the variety was the All-Russian Institute of Horticulture and Nursery.
Outwardly, the bushes are very similar to garden strawberries - triple leaves of dark green color, compact rosettes. But the flower stalks formed are much larger than those of strawberries - up to 15. On each of them - about 10 flowers. The berries are longer and have a dark red, close to purple, a shade - on the "sunny" side of the fruit.
Since the berries are located high enough and do not fall to the ground, like garden strawberries, they are little affected by rot and pests. In dredgers, the fruits hold well enough and do not fall off themselves, which distinguishes it from garden strawberries.
Characteristics of the variety Tradeswoman:
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| Bush |
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| Mustache |
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| Leaves |
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| Petioles |
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| Flowers |
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| Inflorescences |
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| Berries |
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The plant is valued for its unpretentiousness and ease of care. Due to its kinship with wild strawberries, the dredger is disease resistant.
Read also our e-magazine on strawberry cultivation.
Fruit Characteristics
Sugar content of berries is 5.8%. The taste is sweet. Tasting score: 5 points out of 5. Average weight: 5–10 g. Maximum: 20 g. Some berries acquire a bizarre shape - they “end” with scallops or horns. And this is one of the features of the variety.
Since the berries received the aroma and sweet taste from wild strawberries, they are appreciated in cooking for their high organoleptic characteristics. In addition, during heat treatment, dense berries perfectly retain their shape without boiling. The density of the pulp allows the dredger to be transported over long distances without significant losses.
Pros and cons of the variety
- Grade advantages:
- high flavoring properties;
- excellent transportability;
- high productivity;
- resistance to fungal diseases;
- allowed to grow in flowerpots for decorating arbors and balconies.
- Disadvantages or features of the variety:
- the largest berries - at the beginning of the harvest, the rest - will be slightly smaller;
- stable fruiting lasts for 5 years, then the plants need a transplant.
Pollination
Plants are pollinated by bees. Flowering dredges fall in May. Fruiting - once a year. Weather conditions have a significant impact on the ripening of berries. Ripening delay up to 2 weeks is possible due to bad weather.
Important! If the bushes are planted in autumn, then there will be few peduncles in spring. During spring planting, flower stalks also appear on the bushes. But they are advised to remove in order to enable the plants to form a powerful root system, thereby ensuring high yields in the next year .
Productivity
In terms of ripening, the Merchant is considered a mid-early variety. Flowering occurs in late May - early June. And after 5 weeks the first berries ripen. Productivity is about 135 kg / ha. From one developed bush, you can collect up to 400 g of berries.
Calorie Strawberry Fruits
Berries dredgers are very tasty and fragrant. They are low-calorie, but nutritious - 100–4 grams of berries contain 41–44 kcal.
In addition, in the composition of the fruits of the Merchant there are (per 100 g):
- carbohydrates: 7.5 g;
- fiber: 2.0 g;
- sugar: 4.9 g;
- fats: 0.4 g;
- protein: 0.8 g.
They also have a lot of essential substances needed by the body. The amount of vitamins, micro and macro elements (percent of the daily value):
| Vitamins | Minerals |
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As in other berries, the dredger has a high polyphenol content. These are plant compounds that are beneficial to the human body.
They include three main groups of substances:
- anthocyanins - provide the presence of coloring pigment in berries and the level of acidity;
- flavonols responsible for aroma;
- phenolic acids.
Polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties, healing the body as a whole. They improve the functioning of the immune system, reduce the risk of developing infectious and colds.
Did you know? Does strawberry help “ lose ” weight? After all, there is even a special strawberry diet. Unfortunately, the answer is no. The substances that make up the fruit accelerate metabolism, but do not cause weight loss.
The benefits of consumption
- The benefits of including berries of the described variety in the menu:
- A high concentration of vitamin C enhances immunity, treats colds, and increases the absorption of iron by the body.
- Berries support a healthy blood glucose level, which is important for diabetics.
- Positive effect on the health of the cardiovascular system.
Features of planting strawberries
Landing is carried out in open ground. The plant fully develops in the area with constant sunlight throughout the day. Preferred soil type: loam. The desired level of acidity should be in the range of 6.5-7 pH.
In infertile, depleted areas, fertilizer is required during planting. Among the preferred organic fertilizers: bird droppings, rotted manure, compost, peat moss and other organic substances.
Planting is not recommended on the site after tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, pepper and strawberries of this or other varieties. Landing on ridges after melon, mint, blackberry bushes, stone fruits, roses and chrysanthemums is not recommended if they grew here from a year to five.
Read more, after which you can plant strawberries in the same place.
The plant needs good drainage. Roots that do not lie too deep need good and regular watering. If the water stagnates at the site, then the roots will not be able to receive nutrients from the soil and the plant will die. If the site is poorly drained, use high beds.
Planting time almost always depends on climatic conditions. The optimal time is April or May. The soil should be well warmed up, and the thermometer should show no lower than + 20 ° С.
Before planting, the site must be cleaned of weeds and dug to a depth of 20 cm. Organic matter is introduced into the soil for digging. It can be rotted manure. The application rate is 1 bucket per 1 m² of soil.
It must be thoroughly mixed. If the soil is dense, then sand is added for looseness, but if it is sandy, then vice versa, you need to add more dense soil in structure.
Important! If you plant the bushes close to the surface, then their roots will dry out. And if you deepen too much, then rotting of the root neck can occur.
Landing algorithm:
- When planting in rows, they provide a distance between outlets of 20 cm, a depth of holes of 20 cm, a distance between rows of 30 cm.
- Watered abundantly indentations with water.
- Disinfect the roots with a solution of the Fitoferm type. Soaking time is indicated on the package with the drug.
- Leave on the outlet no more than 4 leaves.
- Spread the roots, fill the pits with soil.
- Check that the growth point is above ground level.
Key Care Features
Plant care consists of a number of activities:
- regular watering;
- periodic fertilizer application;
- pruning and updating bushes;
- harvesting and processing of crops;
- pest control;
- preparing bushes for the winter.
Watering and feeding
The roots of the dredgers lie no deeper than 10-15 cm from the soil surface. Accordingly, the soil should be moistened 15 cm in depth of the soil layer during irrigation. Drying of the soil will adversely affect the future crop. Water the plants 2-3 times a week. Regular watering should be carried out starting in early spring, and ending in autumn. The main types of irrigation are sprinkling and root water application.
Fertilizers need to be applied 1 time in 3 weeks. The first time is during flowering. The second - during the active formation of fruits. The third time - immediately after the crop is harvested. A solution is used as top dressing: 45 g of urea per 10 liters of water, which serves as a source of nitrogen and is necessary for vegetation.
In the future, “connect” potash and phosphate fertilizers. The source of potassium may be ash - 1 glass per 10 liters. water. The source of phosphorus is superphosphate (40 g per 10 liters of water).
Important! Top dressing should not be applied if the plants are wet after rain or dew. This enhances the phytotoxic effect of chemicals on berry crops.
Winter preparations
One of the advantages of dredgers is that the culture does not require shelter for the winter, as it can withstand frosts down to –30 ° С. But keep in mind that the thaw, which alternates with freezing the soil, can push bushes up out of the soil. This causes damage to the roots.
Therefore, gardeners cover strawberry beds with a mulching layer. But they do it after the soil freezes. The thickness of the mulch layer is not more than 7 cm. As soon as the air temperature rises in the spring, the mulch layer is removed so that the roots do not begin to shed. Mulch - sawdust, ears of corn (crushed), straw.
Diseases and Pests
According to the originator of the variety, the Merchant is weakly affected by pests and diseases. Thanks to standing stalks, the berries do not contact the soil and therefore are not susceptible to rot, powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. As a preventive measure, bushes can be treated at the beginning of the growing season with a 1% solution of Bordeaux fluid.
As for pests, berries are liked not only by people, but also by birds and insects. From birds, farmers install special nets to prevent birds from reaching the berries. The choice of insect control products always depends on what kind of pest you found.
With high humidity, slugs appear in the garden. You can deal with them in different ways: sprinkle row-shells with crushed shells, adding phosphorus-potassium fertilizers that can not tolerate slugs. Against aphids or thrips, spraying with a solution of insecticidal soap is used.
Harvesting and storage
Ripening occurs within 2 weeks, from mid-June. Ripe fruits are sweet, dark red in color. Gather them carefully, tearing off with your fingers along with the “hat” and part of the stem.
Keep the berries in the refrigerator for a week. During this time, they must either be consumed or processed. Berries can be frozen, cook juices, compotes, preserves, jams, marmalade and other desserts.
Zemklubnik Kupchikha is very hardy, unpretentious to the growing conditions and not demanding in care. In addition, it is productive, resistant to diseases and pests. These and other advantages are sufficient so that, choosing the varieties of plants for growing on the site, stop your preference on it or try to grow several bushes in a container to decorate the gazebo or balcony. Applying the acquired knowledge, you are sure to get a wonderful harvest of delicious and fragrant berries.
