Strawberries are one of the main berry crops in almost every farm. One of the varieties of universal purpose that deserve special attention is Honey. About the features of this variety, as well as the rules regarding its cultivation, read below.

Grade description

Bred culture in the United States in 1979. Varieties Vaibrant and Holiday were taken as parental specimens. During its existence and passing various tests, the variety has collected excellent reviews from gardeners and gardeners. Despite a rather long period of existence, culture was introduced to the State Register of the Russian Federation only in 2013. Tests on the variety were conducted at the Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, Viticulture and Winemaking in the North Caucasus.

Did you know? 100 g of strawberries contain 98% of the daily rate of ascorbic acid.

Strawberry Honey is a powerful, upright plant with abundant foliage. Medium and large sized sheet plates. Their surface is pubescent. Ribbing and wrinkling are moderate. There are obtuse wide denticles along the edge of each sheet. Mustache is not long. The rate of their formation by the plant is average. Flowers on the bushes are formed of both sexes, so the variety does not need pollinators. Inflorescences are semi-spreading, including a large number of large white flowers. Peduncles are medium, thick. Stop their growth below the leaf plates or on a par with them.

To speed up the start of ripening of berries for several weeks, you can cover the bed with agrofiber. This will create the necessary conditions for active fruiting.

Characteristics of berries and productivity

The main characteristics of the Honei strawberry variety:

• flowering period and its duration - the plant blooms for 15 days, this process begins early, in the middle-end of April;
• ripening period - early, the first berries ripen already in late May;
• fruiting period is short, the entire crop is harvested in 3 stages for 1 month;
• winter hardiness - high, tolerates frosts -up to 15 ° C without shelter, with lowering the temperature regime, shelter is highly desirable;
• tolerance to diseases and pests - medium and higher than average, depending on the quality of care and the growing region, at high humidity it is affected by gray rot and leaf spotting, powdery mildew, verticillosis, from pests it is invaded by strawberry weevil, tick;
• drought tolerance - medium;
• the period of active mustache formation - begins in mid-June, it is at this point that attention should be paid to normalizing their number;
• exactingness to lighting - with a lack of light, the fruits become smaller, the quality of taste decreases;
• replacement period for planting material - every 4–5 years;
• exactingness in relation to the soil - it grows well and bears fruit on black soil, however, cultivation on other types of soil is also possible, but the site should be well fertilized with organic matter and minerals;
• productivity - 400–500 g per bush, 12–15 t / ha.

Did you know? On the surface of one strawberry fruit are about 200 seeds.

The fruits of this variety are quite large, weighing 20.2–45 g. Their shape is regular, conical. The neck is pronounced. In the stage of physical maturity, the surface of the berries is dark red, shiny. The pulp is a tone lighter, rather dense structure. The aroma is mild.

On the surface of the berry are yellowish achenes. They are slightly pressed into the pulp. The taste is harmonious, sweet and sour. When removed at the stage of technical maturity, acid predominates in taste. In violation of the rules of agricultural technology, bitterness may appear.

• Honei Strawberry Variety Pluses:
• high productivity;
• early ripening;
• high winter hardiness;
• the possibility of growing in almost all regions;
• good resistance to diseases and pests with proper agricultural practices;
• quick return of fruits, which allows the use of the variety for commercial activities;
• good fruit transportability.

• Cons of Strawberry Honey varieties:
• exactingness to lighting and soil structure;
• mediocre taste when harvested at the stage of technical maturity;
• poor tolerance of high humidity;
• with a lack of light or improper care, the berries acquire a bitter taste.

Regions suitable for growing

The variety is zoned in the Central, Central Black Earth, and North Caucasus regions. The culture has established itself well in cultivation in the southern regions. In the Urals and Siberia, cultivation is possible only in greenhouse conditions.

Learn how to make a strawberry bed.

Growing Features

To get good strawberry yields, Honei varieties need quality planting material. The purchase should be made at a familiar breeder or in a specialized nursery. When buying, pay attention to the following nuances:

• roots - should be elastic, dense, without signs of lethargy and overdrying, mold, rot;
• sheet plates - uniformly stained;
• the ground part - should consist of 5-6 leaves, have several annual shoots 8-10 mm thick.

Landing time

The variety is early, so the fruitful buds of plants are laid in late summer. Accordingly, in order to get the crop in the first year, you need to plant in mid-July and early August. But if the crop in the first year is not a prerogative, then plants can be planted in the spring, when the soil warms up to + 15 ° С.

Important! When grown in a greenhouse, strawberries can be planted year-round.

Choosing a place to land

The place to plant strawberries must be chosen with a level surface, well-lit, protected from the north wind. It is not necessary to select the lowlands - on them plants will suffer from an excess of moisture. When choosing a place, crop rotation rules must be observed. Good precursors for this crop are legumes, grains, onions, and garlic.

Site preparation

The soil in the area selected for planting strawberries should be prepared in advance. Special preparation, in addition to deep aeration, does not require only chernozems with a good fertile layer. During the summer planting, preparation of the site begins in the spring, and in the spring - in the fall. At the initial stage, digging of the soil is carried out on the bayonet of a shovel (20–25 cm). Then it is treated with a solution of copper sulfate of 3% concentration for disinfection.

Important! Landing is necessary only in cloudy weather or in the evening. Otherwise, bright sunlight will destroy the plants.

After a week, for each 1 m²:

• 10 kg of sand;
• 20 kg of peat;
• 20 kg of humus or rotted manure;
• 70 g of superphosphate;
• 30 g of potassium nitrate.

After fertilizing, the soil is again dug up to a depth of 20 cm. A month before planting, 20 kg of compost and 600 g of wood ash are applied to each 1 m², then they are dug up on a bayonet shovel.

Read more than to fertilize the earth in the fall under strawberries.

Step-by-step landing pattern

Plants are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Between the rows leave a step of 60–70 cm.

Step-by-step instructions for planting strawberry bushes:

1. Shorten the root system to 10–12 cm.
2. Dip into the talker - add 10 liters of mullein, 1 kg of clay to 10 liters of water.
3. Dig holes 15 cm deep, 25 cm in diameter.
4. Mix soil from the wells with superphosphate - take 10 g of the substance per 10 kg of soil.
5. From the obtained substrate, form elevation holes at the bottom.
6. Arrange plant roots on elevations.
7. Fill the holes, not reaching the top of 5 cm, pour 1.5 liters of water, add earth to fill completely. Make sure that the root neck is flush with the soil.
8. Compact the soil around the plants, mulch it with sawdust or compost.

Video: planting strawberries

Care and protection against diseases and pests

Caring for the crop will not be much trouble. Strawberries will need top dressing only after 2 years. For this period, it will be enough for her that was made during the landing and preparation for it. In the future, top dressing is applied 3 times a season under the root. A mullein solution is used for this (proportion 1:10).

Each plant takes about 1 liter of fertilizer. Fertilize for the first time before flowering, then immediately after it and after another 10 days. In water for irrigation, you can periodically add wood ash (10 liters of water 1 tbsp.).

You will be interested to know about feeding strawberries after harvest.

Watering is carried out 2 times a week. Under each bush make 1 liter of water. After each moistening of the soil, it is necessary to carry out loosening, and then mulch the soil with straw.

When fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew, verticillosis, spotting, appear, the affected parts of the plants are removed first. Then carry out the processing "Fitoverm" according to the instructions. If pests have settled on strawberry plants, the soil and the plants themselves are dusted with wood ash or tobacco dust.

Learn more about strawberry processing with copper sulfate.

To prevent the spread of diseases and pests, before flowering, “Phytosporin” treatment is carried out (diluted in a proportion of 5:10 with water), and in mid-September 1% concentration of copper sulfate. Spraying is carried out on the terrestrial part of the vegetation and soil.

Immediately after fruiting, the terrestrial parts of the plants are cut. Watering mode is kept the same. In mid-September, 10 g of superphosphate is added to each 1 m², loosen the soil, mulch it with compost to a height of 10 cm. 3 weeks before the onset of cold weather, plantings are covered with spruce branches or with a film.

Harvesting and storage of crops

The fruits of this variety are well tolerated transportation. The berries are picked by hand. Separate them from the bushes along with the stalks. Stacked in plastic or wood boxes in one layer. The bottom of the container is pre-lined with paper. In a cool, dark room, this strawberry variety retains freshness for 7–10 days.

You will be interested to learn about the beneficial and harmful properties of frozen strawberries.

Berries are actively used for various types of processing:

• jam;
• paste;
• marmalade;
• sauces;
• juices;
• mashed potatoes.

The Honei strawberry variety is attractive for its high yield and resistance to frost. With the right approach, it can be cultivated in any region of the country.