Growing and caring for Arosa strawberry variety
On the site of almost every summer resident, there is a "bed" of strawberries. This berry is very popular due to its appearance and excellent taste. Variety Arosa (Arosa) is considered one of the most common, as it is suitable for both amateur planting and commercial trade. This type of red berry will be discussed in this article.
Breeding history
Aroza variety was developed by the Italian company CIV, which is engaged in the cultivation of new varieties of berries for the continental and Mediterranean climate. The company is famous for crossing varieties with the best indicators among themselves, getting a new look with "ideal" individual indicators.
Arosa was obtained by combining the qualities of the Marmolada variety and the American strawberry Chandler. It was thanks to the crossing of these species that Arosa received such high rates of resistance to diseases and temperature conditions.
Did you know? 100 g of fresh strawberries contain 99% of the daily intake of vitamin C.
Description and characteristics of the culture
Despite the fact that most varieties of strawberries are very similar to each other and, at first glance, it is very difficult to distinguish them, Arosa has a number of external data that are peculiar only to this variety.
Bush
The adult bush is medium in size and scatters leaves strongly. The leaves themselves have a light green hue, the plate is slightly wrinkled and has a slight fluff around the edges. Petioles are also fluffy. The bush grows and forms very quickly.
Berries
Aroza berries are large (20-30 g), juicy, sweet. They have a conical shape (characteristic of most varieties of strawberries). Color can vary from orange-scarlet to red. The seeds on the berries are slightly depressed, they are clearly visible and easy to separate from the elastic, shiny surface.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Arosa is a very hardy crop.
- It has a huge number of advantages compared to other varieties:
- no risk of crop loss;
- early ripening;
- high performance (about 2 t / 1 ha);
- can grow both in the garden and at home;
- high taste indices;
- excellent transport tolerance over long distances;
- high resistance to diseases and pests.
- The disadvantages of the variety include:
- the need for constant watering (in the absence - taste indices are greatly worsened);
- berries can ripen unevenly.
Read also our e-magazine on strawberry cultivation.
Breeding methods
Aroza variety refers to those crops that reproduce equally well in all ways - tendrils, dividing the bush, growing from seeds. This is one of the reasons for this popularity of this species. Consider each method in more detail.
Mustache
As mentioned above, Arosa is not peculiar to throw a large number of antennae, but they are strong enough to grow a new bush. It is recommended to take no more than two shoots from each plant, the rest must be removed in order for the bush to put all its strength into the formation of new roots.
Each gardener in the breeding season decides which way to transplant strawberries. When choosing a tendril arrangement, all flowers must be cut off after planting.
Dividing the bush
When dividing by bushes, manipulations are simple. The bushes of this species are quite large and if you dig a plant a little, you will clearly see how it is better to divide it. To do this, take a sharp knife disinfected with alcohol or vodka and carefully divide the bush into 2-3 parts, cutting the green part together with the root. After separation, the bush must be planted in the ground.
Seed cultivation
Growing from seeds is the most time-consuming and difficult way, so gardeners resort to it extremely rarely. Raw materials for planting do not have to be bought in a store. You can collect seeds from grown ripe berries.
Read more on how to grow strawberries from seeds.
However, when planting, it is necessary to do several mandatory procedures, without which the seeds simply will not sprout:
- Seeds should be soaked and put in the refrigerator for 2-4 days on the lowest shelf (in the section for vegetables).
- Planting seeds is not necessary in the usual way, but through the snow. A handful of snow is laid out on the ground, the seeds are laid out on top (for this they were kept in the refrigerator). The snow slowly melts, and the water gently "picks up" the seeds under the ground.
Pre-planting seeds in peat cups is also very popular. For this, the seed should not be pre-sent to the refrigerator. It is enough to soak the raw materials and plant them in the fertile soil inside the cup, sprinkle a little with a spray gun and leave in a bright place until seedlings appear.
Landing and care
The result and productivity of the bush will directly depend on the correct choice of place and proper care, therefore, this process needs to be given special attention.
How to choose seedlings
Good seedlings are the key to a plentiful healthy harvest, therefore seedlings need to be given due attention. A bush with at least 5 leaves and a strong root bunch is considered a quality planting material. Healthy bushes can be seen immediately, so there should be no problems when selecting.
Important! When buying seedlings over the Internet, purchased seedlings must first be soaked in warm clean water (about a day).
Site selection and soil preparation
Strawberries love neutral soil, as well as plenty of light. Therefore, it is necessary to plant Arosa on the most open part of the summer cottage. As preparatory measures, it is quite good to dig and loosen the soil, remove the entire litter and form small holes for the future berry.
- The most preferred Arosa precursors are:
- celery;
- carrot;
- Beans
- onion;
- garlic.
Landing pattern
The bushes are planted in one, two or three rows (the number of rows can be limited only by the size of a suitable place for planting). Given the compactness of the plant, the distance between neighbors in one row may not exceed 30–35 cm. The interval between the rows themselves should be slightly larger: 40–45 cm.
Watering and mulching
Care for strawberries during the ripening period plays a very important role. Watering the beds is necessary as necessary: drought will adversely affect the plant, as well as excessive moisture will not benefit the roots. It is preferable to water it exclusively with the drip method, since this method is more accurate and does not wash the soil.
Important! The water temperature must be at least 15 ° C.
Monthly dressing
The procedure for applying dressings at different times of the year is more convenient to consider in the form of a table:
| Period | Feeding Schemes |
| March-April (warming period) |
|
| May |
|
| June |
|
| End of summer – beginning of autumn |
|
Winter preparations
Before the onset of frost, berry bushes must be prepared for the upcoming winter. Arosa is a fairly frost-resistant variety, therefore, in the southern regions, special preparation is not needed, just cut the bushes, leaving 3-4 cm of greenery over the roots, and when exposing the root system, cover it with soil or humus.
In cold regions, there are a few more concerns with bushes. They need to be cut and covered with roots, as well as covered for the winter, covering all the shoots with sawdust, and if necessary, covered with a special film.
Did you know? Strawberries are an excellent way to fight high blood cholesterol.
Diseases and pests
Strawberry bushes are often attacked by pests, the development of various diseases.
However, with the timely detection of a problem, pest control will be quite easy:
- Strawberry (strawberry) mite : in the middle of spring it is necessary to douse bushes and beds with hot water (about 60 ° C), after - sprinkle leaves from shoots with infusion of onion husks or purchase special preparations in the store for pest control.
- Weevil : get rid of the old mulch, cultivate the soil around the bush with red hot pepper or wormwood.
- Nematode : dig a plant together with a lump of soil, transplant to ridges next to calendula.
- Leafworm, aphid : these pests are more likely to be scared of chemicals than folk remedies. Process the bushes according to the instructions.
- Birds : birds like to spoil the beds and harm the bushes themselves. To do this, Aroz needs to be covered with a special thick mesh.
- Snails : set special traps, if possible - to collect manually.
The most common diseases of culture and methods of treatment:
- Phytophthora - treatment of the entire plant with a light solution of iodine, manganese.
- Powdery mildew - treatment of the entire plant with a light solution of iodine, manganese + use of fungicides according to the instructions.
- Brown spotting - to process all plantings with the help of "Nitrofen".
- Gray rot - garlic tinctures and irrigation with ash solution can cope with this disease.
Features of harvesting and storage
Harvesting strawberries has its own characteristics that you need to know. For transportation, it is better to pick the berry 1-2 days before full ripening. This will deliver it in the best possible way, without waiting for overriding.
It is also important to know that the collection must be carried out either in the morning or in the evening, after sunset, since direct sunlight can quickly burn the berry. In the morning harvest, it is imperative to wait until the dew has dried.
The berry comes off whole, with a green cap and a small tail of tops. So its aroma and taste will remain more saturated, and the fruit itself will lie fresh much longer.
So, the Arosa strawberry variety is very popular in many countries due to its individual qualities. The plant is characterized by high frost resistance and immunity to many diseases. With proper care, even a not very experienced gardener, in the middle of June will be able to get a wonderful harvest of transportable, juicy, tasty strawberries.
