Strawberry Honey Summer is a hybrid variety that produces large fruits. It belongs to the repairing varieties that are able to bear fruit before the beginning of autumn, for which it is very much appreciated by many gardeners. More details about the variety are described below.

Description and characteristics of a variety of strawberries Honey summer

For this variety, you need to devote a lot of space on your site, because the mustache of this garden strawberry is longer than usual. You can grow bushes both in open and closed ground, as well as, for example, in hanging flower pots, because due to long inflorescences, the plant will effectively fall from the pot. Start exploring the variety with its description, characteristics of bushes and berries.

Bushes and fruits

The bushes of the repairing variety are high, 30–40 cm. If their growth is not regulated, they can occupy a significant area. The broad, wrinkled leaves of a deep green color form a powerful outlet. A mustache and peduncles appear in large numbers from it. With sufficient nutrition, a mustache can reach a length of 40 cm.

Flowers of bright pink color appear the next year after planting on long stalks. The berries are knotted medium (20–25 g), heart-shaped, slightly elongated. The colors are red-orange, uniform. The pulp is dense, in the context of voids it is not visible, juicy, sweet, tender. Her taste is honey, and the aroma is rich strawberry.

Important! The closer the growing region is to the south, the larger the berry grows. In the south, strawberry fruits reach a weight of 50 g.

Productivity and ripening dates

If you follow the rules for caring for the crop, the fruiting will be plentiful. A repairing strawberry variety allows you to harvest twice a season: in early June and in August (in warm regions, in cold ones - the dates are slightly shifted). In season, from one bush you can collect 1-2.5 kg of berries. Cleaning can be done before frost.

Frost resistance

Strawberry Honey summer is able to calmly survive temperature drops of -20 ° C, so in the south for the winter you can not hide it. But in a temperate climate and northern latitudes it is better to take care of shelter for the winter.

The variety responds well to drought, but only for a short period.

Grade Pollinators

Honey summer blooms in May, so for pollination it is necessary to plant other repairing varieties nearby with a similar flowering period. Such varieties as Irma, Furor, Monterey, Linosa are suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages of other varieties

• Qualities that distinguish Honey Summer from other varieties:
• early bearing
• continuous formation of peduncles;
• high productivity;
• excellent taste of the fruit;
• excellent keeping quality and suitability for transportation;
• can be grown in flowerpots or pots on the windowsill.

• There is a small list of negative qualities:
• constantly in need of feeding;
• in cold regions it is necessary to shelter for the winter;
• likes plentiful watering.

The selection of quality seedlings for planting

When choosing seedlings, it is recommended to give preference to plants grown from the seeds of the company "Siberian Garden". It is believed that the culture grown from them is better adapted to the harsh climate.

If you get seedlings yourself (by dividing the bush), then it is advisable to choose two-year-old bushes for these purposes

When choosing seedlings, it is necessary to pay attention to the number of leaves: there should be 3-4 of them, necessarily disclosed. You should also evaluate the state of the root system. There should be well-developed roots 6-7 cm long. The central kidney should be pink, large and clearly visible.

Important! Seedlings are best bought in peat pots. In this form, they will take root more quickly in a new place.

Strawberry Planting Rules

Strawberry planting also has its own nuances, without which it is impossible to grow a good crop.

Landing time

Experts advise planting Honey Summer in the fall, since this variety is early and, having quickly gained strength before the winter, in the spring it will already be able to produce the first crop. Landing work must be completed before mid-October.

Choosing a place to land

Honey summer loves to grow on a hill. The variety prefers fertile and loose soil, for this purpose ash, humus and compost should be added to the bed for digging. If the soil is heavy, then sand should be added. Ideal soil - loam and light sandstone. The plant does not like swampy and sandy soil. Groundwater should lie at a depth of 0.6–1 meters.

The bed should be in a well-lit place, best in the southwestern part of the site

Good strawberry precursors will be legumes, carrots, onions, beets, garlic, and corn.

Landing site preparation

In the selected place, the soil is dug up several times. The rotted humus, compost, peat, ash are added to it. Mineral fertilizers at the rate of 50 g / m² are also introduced.

Holes in a row break out in a row with an interval of 25-30 cm between them. There is a minimum of 0.4 m between the rows. It is better to leave more free space, as the honey summer bushes are large and they need a lot of space for normal growth and development.

Important! It is advisable to update the garden every 4 years, otherwise the crop will deteriorate sharply.

Direct landing

A small mound is formed in dug holes at the bottom of fertile soil. A strawberry bush is placed on it. Its roots are straightened and neatly sprinkled with soil. The seedling in the hole must be located so that after falling asleep with earth, the outlet is above the soil surface. After planting, the garden bed with strawberries is abundantly watered and mulched.

Culture Care Features

In the care of strawberries, Honey Summer, the main thing is to make nutrients on time, so that the plant can bear fruit abundantly throughout the season.

Watering a plant

Watering is carried out often, at least twice a week. Especially strawberries need moisture during the fruiting period. Watering is preferably carried out in a drip way so that moisture does not fall on the leaves and flowers.

Read also our e-magazine on strawberry cultivation.

Top dressing

The repairing variety is fed three times a season with mineral complexes:

• with the beginning of the growing season;
• during flowering and the formation of the ovary;
• after harvesting the first crop.

Some gardeners recommend another feeding, after harvesting the second wave of the crop, to increase the immunity of the culture.

Preparations for the arrival of winter

Start preparing for winter is recommended from mid-August. Need to trim mustache, dry leaves. After harvesting the last crop, the soil between the rows should be loosened and the plants should be fed with a solution of mullein or bird droppings.

Did you know? Documented references to strawberries date back to the 230th year BC. e. At this time, the culture was grown in Italy, although genuine fame for berries in Europe came only in the 16th century.

In the autumn, the garden is abundantly watered. The last watering should be done at the end of October. But if the autumn was rainy, then you can do without this procedure. They cover the bed after the night temperatures stably begin to stay below the 0 ° C mark. For shelter, it is best to use needles or spruce branches. This is a great protection not only from frost, but also from rodents.

Diseases and Pests

The variety has immunity against such misfortunes:

• gray rot;
• nematode;
• brown spotting;
• getting wet
• root cancer.

Of the diseases, only powdery mildew and fusarium wilt can appear. Powdery mildew can be overcome with a solution of soda ash and laundry soap (50 g of soda and soap per 10 liters of warm water). With this mixture, the bed is sprayed once every 14 days until the ailment disappears. You can use this tool as a prophylaxis (treatment with the same interval). With a massive defeat of the culture by Fusarium wilting, the bed is processed by Fundazol, Horus, Fitosporin. If there are isolated cases of the manifestation of the disease, then you can use the biological product "Agate 23K."

In rainy times, slugs can bother the plant. To disperse them from the beds will help pulverized wood ash. Also, ants, millipedes, wasps like to feast on berries. With flowering strawberries to drive away ants will help bait from 1 tbsp. l dry yeast and 1 tbsp. l sugar syrup. If the berries are already tied, then you need to drive away insects with the help of 1 tbsp. l ammonia diluted in 8 liters of water. This amount of liquid is enough to spray the bed. With the appearance of ripe berries, pests can be driven away only with the help of aromatic herbs (wormwood, tansy, mint). The millipede is driven away by "Actofit."

A good prevention of all ailments is the treatment with copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. In spring, a 3% solution is used, and with the advent of young leaves - 1%. In the autumn, after harvesting, processing is again carried out. These means effectively fight any disease if they are at an early stage of development.

Did you know? In the 80s of the last century, strawberries of record sizes were grown in the States - 231 g, but the taste of the fruit was far from ideal.

Harvesting and storage

As already mentioned, repairing varieties form inflorescences continuously, therefore they bear fruit for 4 months. Berries are sung in waves. The first peak occurs in early June. During this period, you can collect about 30% of the total crop. The second, more plentiful wave, falls on August - September.

Due to the dense structure of berries, the crop is stored well. For long-term storage, it is better to put it in the refrigerator. You can freeze or process jam and jams.

So, the Honey Summer variety is a repair strawberry with juicy, honey berries that bears fruit all summer. It is slightly more capricious than non-maintenance varieties, but increased attention pays off with a wonderful crop.