Hello! I heard on TV that black strawberries appeared in our country. Is it true? Is it possible to grow it in central Russia? Thanks.
In our country, gardeners are accustomed to growing and using varieties of this culture that produce red berries. However, today white and other varieties are gradually gaining positions on the plots and plates of summer residents.
He is from America. This is the fruit of the work of modern breeders. The fruits of this species are large, juicy in appearance and taste. It is a mistake to think that they are very dark in color in the usual sense of the word. No, the fruit has a deep red color. By the time it is fully ripe, it actually looks like black. But the seeds of this still rare species of strawberries are really black.
Sometimes this berry is mistakenly considered to be the Black Swan strawberry variety shown in the photo. These are frost-resistant strawberries, which, by the way, can also be cultivated.
Rare berry bushes do not require special care in comparison with other varieties. Plant it in fertile soil, of course, not clay and not sandy. Moderate watering and loosening is the main care for her. It is interesting that, unlike ordinary strawberries, this species does not degenerate over time, but, on the contrary, its bushes release more and more mustaches, giving more and more fruits. So you can safely plant strawberries, popularizing them among gardeners.
As for the middle zone of Russia, it is quite possible to select and breed this variety. The seeds are sold in all major gardening stores, and online ordering is also available. In America, these berries are very popular for their taste. They are eaten fresh, natural, fruit drinks, compotes are prepared.
The leaves of the plant are no less popular. Dry them and use them in winter tea. This will be a real prevention of ARVI.
A Japanese psychologist created an image of strawberries without red to show that color perception tricks the brain - even though there are no red pixels in the picture, people still see red in it.
Psychology professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka tweeted a picture that doesn't show red, Motherboard writes. That said, people still think they see red, because Kitaoka's photo has strawberries:
2 色 法 に よ る イ チ ゴ の 錯 視。 こ の 画像 は す べ て シ ア ン 色 （青 緑色） の 画素 で で き て い る が 、 イ チ ゴ は 赤 く 見 え る。
Strawberries appear to be reddish, though the pixels are not. pic.twitter.com/Ginyhf61F7
"The strawberries appear red, although there are no red pixels."
Neuroscientist from the USA Matt Lieberman confirmed that there is no red in the photo:
This picture has NO red pixels. Great demo of color constancy (ht Akiyoshi Kitaoka) pic.twitter.com/pZHvbB6QHE
“There are NO red pixels in this image. Excellent demonstration of color consistency. "
Color constancy is a feature of human color perception that allows the brain to "recreate" absent or altered colors if he knows what they should be (or is sure he knows it).
The claim that a person “invents” red when looking at an image sparked controversy in the comments. The community did not believe the scientists and tried to prove that they wanted to pull off some kind of trick:
"I think I found some red pixels? .."
574b4f Hex Code information. This color is part of the Magenta Red group. pic.twitter.com/PLPJ9id9wJ
“574b4f (color code). This color is part of a group of shades of pink and red. "
https://twitter.com/justUmen/status/836839628065882113
“Akiyoshi Kitaoka, you just don't understand what Jpeg is, there is red here. Jpeg has three channels - red, green, blue. Here I removed the red channel. "
Other commentators examined the image and still found no red in it:
https://twitter.com/carsonmell/status/836411673552400384?ref_src\u003dtwsrc%5Etfw
"I took out some of the reddest colors from the image and positioned them to the right."
"I drew three rectangles (using color swatches) to show the effect."
But one user cited seemingly incontrovertible proof:
https://twitter.com/EdwinNikkels/status/836922568279982080
“No red in the image? Check out what "autotone" did with the image in Photoshop. Photoshop instantly detects the red color of the original. "
In fact, the human brain colors the image from memory, which is why we find red in the strawberries in the photo, writes Motherboard. As a result of evolution, we have learned to understand that lighting can change, and the color of the object itself, which we are looking at, remains unchanged. So, for example, a ripe banana will always seem yellow to us, even if we walk with it through rooms with different lighting from blue to red - we just see the yellow color of a banana under normal lighting and take it for granted that it will not change if we will change the lighting. The same with the strawberries in the photo: the brain sees the saturation of blue in the image and therefore automatically removes its excess, deciding that the strawberries are red.
To prove that people themselves think of colors in images, Kitaoka showed another photo:
Do you think there is red here? And in the photo with strawberries?
Garden strawberries are almost a must on every garden plot. You can hardly find a gardener who prefers to do without these lush green bushes with aromatic red fruits. And, of course, everyone strives to find exactly their own variety, which will satisfy him according to all criteria for many years. It so happens that in addition to taste and yield, you also want to see something unusual, different from the usual. And here you can pay attention to the Black Prince variety, which stands out favorably among others. A description of the characteristics of the variety and the rules for its cultivation will significantly help the gardener get a high-quality harvest.
Description of the variety
The Black Prince appeared in the Italian city of Cesena, where he was bred through the efforts of breeders from the New Fruits company. Gardeners liked the unusual appearance and pleasant taste of berries so much that the variety very quickly began to gain popularity not only at home, but also abroad.
Difference in names
Usually from gardeners in relation to culture you can hear the word "strawberry", which is not entirely true. Strawberry is a bisexual plant (with male and female flowers), which does not differ in rich fruiting, but it grows very well throughout the site. It is not difficult to recognize these berries - they have a dark red color with a transition to white, are slightly fuzzy and have a pleasant musky aroma with an irresistible juicy and sweet taste. Their size is small, so gardeners only in rare cases specially planted this plant in the country. Most often it can be found in the forest, in clearings and in the shade of bushes and trees, because strawberries love shade most of all.
Garden strawberry is a completely “domesticated” plant, which was created by man specifically for subsidiary plots, does not occur in the wild. Of course, she always has good yields, and the berries are much larger. It tolerates drought well, and many varieties produce berries throughout the season (remontant). And the Black Prince variety should be called garden strawberries.
There is also strawberry - a forest plant, but often found in summer cottages. Produces small and extremely fragrant fruits, usually pointed, conical in shape. It is not difficult to recognize and remember it, because almost everyone who has been to the woods since childhood knows this wonderful berry.
Characteristics of the appearance and fruits of garden strawberries Black Prince
The fruits of the Black Prince are distinguished by their dark red (rather, even deep burgundy) color, which is perceived as very dark from a distance, and in the shade you cannot distinguish it from black at all. That's why the variety got its name. However, it is notable not only for color.
The bushes are very vigorous and tend to grow rapidly. They are even higher in height than all other varieties of garden strawberries. They can sometimes be compared to other garden crops like potatoes or tomatoes. Leaves are medium in size, rich dark green color, have a slight relief. The shoots of this variety are practically erect, stand out for their height, and the fruits, when ripe, are at the very top, in plain sight. However, with abundant fruiting, twigs with berries can lean to the ground under the weight of a ripening crop.
The berries are large enough (on average 45 - 50 g), cone-shaped, shine in the sun. Very aromatic and sweet with a slight sourness. The seeds can protrude above the surface, which gives texture to the berries. The pulp is very dense, thanks to which garden strawberries can be successfully transported without fear of damaging the crop.
The black prince shows the features of remontant varieties, since it has an extended fruiting period. The first berries can be removed in mid-June (since the variety is medium early), and fruiting ends in late August. During the season, more than 1 kg of berries are removed from one bush, and with age, the plants begin to bring more and more crops.
Table: advantages and disadvantages of the Black Prince
| Benefits | disadvantages |
|---|---|
| High yield and extended fruiting period allow you to enjoy a large number of berries. | The bushes give not so many whiskers and only in the first 3 - 4 years, which makes the volume of planting material not the largest. |
| The variety bears fruit for 5 - 7 years, and maybe longer if it is well monitored. This is much more than that of many other varieties (3-4 years). | Not the highest indicator of drought tolerance, so in hot seasons special attention is required care. |
| It tolerates transportation well, it is stored for a long time, the berries have a presentation. | It does not take root well on heavy soils, even with good drainage, the roots rot easily and quickly. |
| Sufficiently frost-resistant plants that tolerate return frosts well. | It is often affected by the transparent strawberry mite. Spotting may also occur in autumn. |
Planting and leaving
Choosing a place and preparing the ground
Garden strawberries prefer open, sunny places, but protected from the north wind, which in winter can blow snow from the beds, making the roots extremely vulnerable and susceptible to even slight frosts. Groundwater should be below 60 cm, otherwise the roots will start to rot. For the same reason, garden strawberries are not planted in the lowlands. Also, avoid steep slopes, as this will cause moisture to drain down, not supplying enough plants.
The variety is very picky about the type of soil. Sandy loam, gray forest soils, as well as light loams are well suited for growing it. It is useless to try to grow shrubs on heavy clay and peat soils, as well as muddy. Indeed, here the root system, even with high-quality drainage, will quickly rot. When growing on black soil, you need to add sand.
Legumes and grains, as well as onions and carrots, are good precursors for garden strawberries. It is not recommended to plant the Black Prince where cabbage, eggplants, and also nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes) grew. Before growing garden strawberries, the selected place can be sown with green manure to enrich the land with the necessary trace elements.
The soil is prepared 3 - 4 weeks before planting or from autumn, processing a layer of up to 30 cm. At the same time, rotted manure is introduced in a volume of 5 liters per 1 sq. m. Manure can be replaced with humus. When digging, be sure to remove all plant residues from the ground, and in the future, make sure that weeds do not grow on the dug area.
Soil acidity is important for the Black Prince variety, which prefers neutral to low soil acidity. If the acidity level is increased, dolomite flour is added (up to 300 g is consumed per square meter).
When and how to plant?
The most reliable variety is planted in early autumn. However, in regions with hot summers, this can be done starting in mid-spring (from April to May). Bushes are planted according to the 40x50 scheme, since they tend to actively build up the green mass, especially if they are periodically fed.
Before planting, the holes are spilled with water (each one takes half a liter). Then take young bushes and straighten their roots. The so-called heart (the growth point from where the bush throws out new sockets and flower stalks) should, as a result, be 1 - 2 cm above ground level. There is a very simple way to check the quality of planting of bushes - just pull lightly any of them by the top, and if it comes out freely from the ground, then the planting should be repeated.
After planting, the soil around each plant is compacted and watered. As soon as it is absorbed, the ground under the plants is mulched - straw can be used for this purpose. You can also take freshly cut grass. Many gardeners use a covering material - spunbond or plain black film. Within two weeks after planting, the bushes of garden strawberries must be regularly (every day) and vigorously watered.
As practice shows, the Black Prince garden strawberry can bear fruit for up to 10 years, if it is carefully and competently looked after.
How to water and feed
Garden strawberries need watering, in the post-planting period and during flowering, the bushes should be watered every day. A completely different situation during fruiting, when daily watering will only harm the fruits, making them watery and unsuitable for storage and consumption. At this time, it is advisable to water the bushes only once a week, spending 10 - 20 liters of water per square meter.
Not every watering method is suitable for garden strawberries. So, sprinkling, practiced by many gardeners, which usually has a positive effect on plant growth, in this case will have a negative effect when it hits the berries and leaves. The harvest from this will become tasteless, and the leaves in drops of water in direct sunlight can be burned. The most reliable, seemingly, watering at the root also has its drawback - the water quickly flushes off the top layer of the soil, exposing the growth point of the bush, and at the same time the roots growing at the very surface. The best way out of the situation is to dig grooves between the bushes and pour water into them.
Water temperature matters when watering. For example, it would be better to exclude the use of cold water, but water heated in tanks during the day (temperature about + 20 ° С) will become a pleasant growing condition for garden strawberries. That is why the evening hours are considered optimal for watering.
After each watering, the soil must be loosened so that a dense crust does not form on its surface, which prevents air from reaching the roots. Mulching the beds will help to retain moisture in the upper soil layer and relieve you of frequent loosening.
Top dressing is the factor that can make the bushes bear fruit for many years, if used correctly. They use both root (watering with nutrient solutions) and foliar dressing (scattering fertilizers over the surface of the earth or spraying), absolutely excluding chlorine in any form - garden strawberries categorically do not accept this macroelement. Water the bushes half an hour before feeding, preventing moisture from getting to the growing points. When spraying the leaves of garden strawberries, especially carefully treat their underside, which absorbs the necessary substances.
Table: feeding garden strawberries
| Feeding time | Type of feeding | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| In early spring before the start of active vegetation | Root / foliar | Ammonium nitrate or carbamide (urea) - applied at the root or used for spraying leaves (15 - 20 g per 10 l). Also, a good effect is achieved by combining root and foliar dressing, for example, spraying with urea or applying nitroammofoska under the root. |
| Bud formation and the appearance of flowers | Foliar | Superphosphate (30 - 40 g per 1 sq. M.) Or double superphosphate (15 - 20 g per 1 sq. M.). |
| During the ripening of berries | Root / foliar | Complex mineral fertilizers like Agricola or Yagodka are used (according to the instructions). It is also possible to add microelements separately: 15 g of carbamide and ammonium nitrate, 15 g of potassium sulfate and 40 g of superphosphate. After picking the berries, fertilizing is carried out again, but without nitrogen. |
If you prefer to use natural ingredients instead of chemistry, then there are the following options:
- bird droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of one part to four, closed in a container and placed in a place illuminated by the sun. The resulting infusion after a week is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and used as directed;
- according to a similar principle, a solution is prepared on the leaves and stalks of nettle, however, the proposed proportion here is 1: 2;
- instead of fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus, wood ash can be used by pouring 50 g of it with a liter of warm water. The solution is left for a day, then filtered and used.
Important care features
Caring for garden strawberries does not end after picking the berries. On the contrary, at this time the crop should be monitored even more closely, because the harvest for the next year will depend on your actions, and, most importantly, the health of all bushes.
Be sure to remove any old layer of mulch, as it becomes a breeding ground for pests and various bacteria over time. Weed the soil and remove any yellow and dry leaves.
You can spud the bushes and supply the soil with humus or vermicompost. The roots of plants must be covered with earth. Loosen the soil well between the rows and water the garden strawberries with water (1.5 liters per plant).
Watering with an eye to the weather. In case of rare rainfall, water the plants at least once or twice a week. To save the bushes from various painful troubles, spill the beds a couple of times with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Remove all the whiskers that appear, but leave the remaining green leaves alone, they will become the basis for the new green mass.
When late autumn comes, provide extra warmth to the beds by covering them with spunbond or pine spruce so that the plant roots can survive the winter more easily.
How to propagate garden strawberries?
Breeding garden strawberries is not such a difficult task. However, it all depends on the method you choose. Garden strawberries can be propagated in three ways: with a mustache, dividing a bush and planting seeds.
Mustache reproduction
The Black Prince variety can reproduce with a mustache, but he builds them up in small numbers and only in the first three years of the life of the bush. The essence of this method is quite simple: you examine the plant for the presence of a mustache with new young rosettes and choose those that are best developed. Then pin these sockets to the pots of soil (these can be peat or plastic pots) and water well. After a couple of weeks, the rosette will have time to root well in a new place, and through the mustache from the mother bush it will receive all the necessary nutrients. It remains only to cut it off from the supply channel and plant it on the selected site, not forgetting about good watering. Garden strawberries planted in this way briskly start to grow, and they do not need time to get accustomed, because they already spend all the time in the open air.
Dividing the bush
Since the Black Prince variety will not share its mustache from the fourth year of growth, another method can be used - dividing the mother bush. Usually, for this purpose, bushes are chosen at the age of two or three years, but in the case of the described variety, the age may be later. The plant is dug out of the ground and divided into several parts, each of which must contain at least one full-fledged outlet and well-developed roots, where new roots must also be present (they are white). The resulting material is planted in the chosen place, watered abundantly and mulched.
This method should be used in spring or autumn, until the plant begins to bloom, or when it will gradually come to a state of dormancy.
Planting seeds
Planting seeds is the longest, most painstaking and difficult way to propagate garden strawberries. However, if you manage to grow this crop in this way, you can safely consider yourself a skilled gardener.
Buy seeds in bags from reputable manufacturers, so you can count on the positive result of your enterprise. You can, of course, collect the seeds yourself, but they most likely will not retain varietal characteristics.
Before planting, it is advised to soak the seeds in Epin's solution - a couple of drops per 100 ml are enough. You can also soak the seeds on cotton pads to help them hatch faster. But usually gardeners practice direct planting directly into the substrate, which consists of humus (from leaves), river sand and garden soil (all elements are taken in equal proportions). Grooves are created in the substrate with an interval of 5 cm between them and a depth of 0.5 cm. Seeds are laid in these grooves (pre-moistened), after which they are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. The container with seeds is transferred to room conditions and covered with glass. In the coming days, your task is to periodically pour water into the sump and remove the glass for ventilation. Usually, after one and a half to two weeks, the first shoots appear - it's time to expose the container to the sun.
When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings will need to be planted at a distance of 2 - 3 cm from each other, while slightly shortening the tips of the roots in order to accelerate their growth. When the plants have 4 - 5 leaves, they are again planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
Germinating seeds in peat pellets is a good option. The seeds are sown in the grooves that are in each tablet. All care will consist in periodically adding water to the pan. In the early stages of their growth, the plants will be supplied with all the necessary nutrients that are in the tablets.
Growing garden strawberries from seeds has its own significant drawback: the plants are at home for a long time and when transplanted into open ground, they may not take root if hardening has not been carried out. This procedure is simple - first, the seedlings are placed near the window (in April, the weather is most often outside the window) or taken out on the balcony for 15 minutes. The hardening time is increased each time. Thanks to this event, garden strawberries will transfer transplanting into open ground without any problems.
Diseases and pests
The Black Prince variety has good resistance to a number of diseases characteristic of this culture. Nevertheless, there are frequent cases of its defeat with brown or white spot. And these plants are just a tasty morsel for the strawberry mite. It is very important to know how to prevent these troubles or to deal with them if they arise.
Table: characteristic problems of the variety
| Disease / pest | Signs of appearance | Control measures |
|---|---|---|
| Verticilliasis | The leaves on the bush change color - turn brown or red, curl and dry out. Plants develop slowly, sometimes they stop growing completely and gradually wither. | Affected plants are destroyed. If the bush is slightly affected, it is treated with 0.2% Fundazol (10 g per 10 l). Before planting, plant roots are dipped in a solution of Agat 25K (7 g / l) or Humate K (15 g / l). |
| White / brown spotting | Brown or white spots appear on the leaves, as well as on the stems, which gradually increase in number and cover the entire leaf rosette. The leaves dry out and fall off. | Prevention: 2-3 treatments with 2% Bordeaux liquid (200 g of copper sulfate, 250 g of lime per 10 liters of water). At the first sign: Antracol (15 g per 10 l) or Ridomil-gold (25 g per 10 l). When affected by aphids, the leaves curl and begin to fade along with the petioles The strawberry mite sticks to the leaf plates and significantly weakens the bush Harvesting and storageThe berries are picked in the morning after the dew has dried. Harvesting after rains is not recommended, as the berries will become limp and unsuitable for eating and storage. It is recommended to collect garden strawberries every 3 days so that there are no overripe berries that can crumble and rot, becoming a source of spreading various problems. The harvested berries are placed in paper boxes or plastic containers and stored in the refrigerator, where they can lie for up to two weeks. In indoor conditions, it takes no more than 2 days to count on the freshness of the berries. They can only be washed before eating. If you want to keep the berry longer, freeze it after drying it on napkins. Freeze garden strawberries in plastic containers, but not in plastic bags, which will ruin their taste. Determine in advance how much berries you want to put in the freezer, so that when you remove them from there, you do not return the leftovers back. Re-freezing will completely ruin the taste and quality of your garden strawberries. Berries of garden strawberries Black Prince are great for various harvesting. The berry rubbed with sugar is a real delicacy not only for the family, but also for guests. Jams, jams, pastries and even fortified drinks - all this turns out to be incredibly tasty thanks to the best qualities of the Black Prince fruits. |
First, without looking under the cut, decide - what color is the strawberry in the photo? Bolder)). The fact is that this is another optical task - an illusion from the Japanese professor of psychology Akioshi Kitaoko. All her works become canonical, and this is amazing every time. But first, netizens actively discuss it. This time, he invited everyone to guess the color of the berries shown in the picture.
At first glance, we see just a poor quality image - perhaps the author has overdone it with filters.
In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated: the fact is that there are no red pixels in the picture, which does not prevent us from seeing red berries.
The red color of strawberries exists only in our imagination: the mind deceives us, since the berries are depicted on a blue background.
In different lighting, things and colors look different - for example, under office fluorescent fluorescent lamps or in the soft lighting of the living room.
However, our brain independently adjusts the image so that we can still see strawberries red, no matter where and under what circumstances we eat them.
This feature of human perception is called "color constancy".
"Your brain is saying, 'The light source I see these strawberries in is giving them some blue, so I automatically remove the blue from each pixel," color expert Bevil Conway explains in an interview with Motherboard.
“And when you take the gray pixels and remove the blues, the result is that the image looks red to you,” explains Conway.
Of course, we know that strawberries should be red. And it also helps the mind to correct the color of the image.
Matt Lieberman then joined the discussion by tweeting a slightly altered picture, which, however, also did not contain red pixels.
Matt Lieberman / Twitter Copyright holder illustrations by MATT LIEBERMAN / TWITTER
Many responded to Matt's post by adding gray rectangles to his picture for comparison. Carson Mall took color samples from several places that appear red to us and placed them on a white background.
Carson Mell / Twitter Copyright holder illustrations by CARSON MELL / TWITTER
Image caption
"I took some flowers that seem to be the most 'red' parts of the strawberry and overlaid them on the white background on the right."
The gray color becomes more obvious if you look at each berry separately from the rest of the picture (for example, covering the background in the photo with your hands).
Many people remember how in 2015 the Internet was divided into two camps, furiously arguing among themselves what color the dress was: blue-black or white-gold.
The red-looking gray strawberries have a slightly different explanation, however, in both cases we are talking about color correction, which our mind resorts to, depending on the type of lighting.