Gardeners rarely do without strawberries on their plots. This berry pleases both children and adults with its juicy, sweet fruits. Harvesting can be a lot of fun for the whole family.
The vast majority of plantings on such plantations are occupied by the Victoria variety, but not everyone knows what it actually is garden strawberries, not strawberry, a cultivated variety of wild berry, known since the 18th century, brought to us from America. It is very problematic to find real strawberries on someone’s plot, because preference is given to the Victoria variety.
Description of culture
Low bushes with wide leaves are found everywhere where there is garden land. Unlike strawberries, the fruits are larger, juicier and more aromatic. At proper care You can collect a huge amount of berries from a small area.
According to science, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants. By eating these small delicacies you can recharge yourself with energy and health components for the whole year.
To prolong the pleasure of enjoying red “hearts” they are used to make jam, compotes and other preserves, baking lovers treat themselves to pies, etc.
Landing dates
This plant can be planted from the onset of spring until late autumn. If you listen to advice experienced gardeners, then it is better to do this after the fruitful period, when it becomes cool.
Why in autumn?
The answer is quite simple. Let's look at the process of planting or transplanting.
We remove the bush from its usual soil and transplant it to an area with completely different soil. Yes, maybe it is more suitable, rich in essential minerals and nitrogen, ideal for this type of plant, but it takes time to adapt - it’s like moving to another place.
In addition, during this action, small roots, which are excellent producers of microelements and nutrients, are damaged. It takes time to treat wounds, and after that you need to restore the lost threads to ensure normal maintenance of the bush.
If we replant the bush in the spring, before the harvest is harvested, then we will not see berries this season, since the plant needs to recover and adapt. There will not be enough strength for the fruits; It’s good if the flowers set.
In autumn the picture looks different. By this time, the plant has fulfilled its function, there is no need to waste energy on growth, flowering and growing fruits; you can slowly restore what was lost and adapt to new conditions.
In cool autumn climates, sap flow slows, leaves become unnecessary and effort is wasted on survival. By the next season everything will be back to normal, and each bush will delight you with its berries.
From this we can conclude that replanting in the fall is much more advisable - in this case, you will get a harvest and allow the plant to calmly overcome stress. Transplanting in the spring will not give you berries from the bush, because they simply will not have time to develop. An excellent time for such actions would be September, in northern conditions– August; in warmer regions, you can postpone the transplant until October. During the period when the leaves begin to die and become lethargic, this is best done.
Site selection and soil preparation
When planning to transplant garden strawberries, you need to choose the right place. For good growth and fruiting, Victoria needs enough sun and moderately fertilized soil. If the site has already been selected, then you can plant it with green manure. These are plants that are then buried in the ground, and they perfectly rid the area of weeds and saturate the soil with nitrogen and minerals during the decomposition process. The roots that remain in the soil will serve as excellent aerators and saturate the deep layers with air. Also suitable are beds where herbs, onions, and garlic previously grew.
Great view Lupine will serve as preparation. This flower is from the family leguminous plants will allow you to enjoy its appearance over the summer and will be an excellent basis for growing strawberries in open ground.
How to plant a crop?
For Victoria to be planted correctly, several conditions must be met: which are designed to ensure the comfort of the plant in the new area:
- the site must be located in a place where groundwater it is not flooded. Excess moisture can lead to plant disease;
- bushes in a row are planted at a distance of at least 20 cm, this will give room for the development of seedlings; there should be 40-60 cm between rows for ease of harvesting and the possibility of passage without damaging the leaves;
- When choosing seedlings when purchasing, take bushes with no more than four leaves; it is better to tear off the excess ones, because they will only take away nutrients, but you will get enough sunlight It is possible with a smaller quantity. Long roots can be trimmed because the excess will intertwine with each other and prevent it from growing;
- make sure there are no larvae in the area various pests (Colorado beetle, wireworm, etc.). If pests are found, then spill the soil with an insecticide or add ammonium nitrate;
- the soil should not be acidic, if necessary, sprinkle with lime fluff to normalize Ph;
- During the planting process, make sure that the center of the bush is not covered with earth. This leads to the development of diseases and decay;
- the soil around the plant should be compacted and, if possible, mulched;
- for transplanting or planting, it is better to choose a cloudy day when the sun will not burn the plant;
- As a covering material, you need to use geotextiles, which allow moisture to pass through but protect from sunlight. The black color of this material will provide the necessary warmth to plants starting to grow.
At home, before planting, seedlings can be kept for several days in saturated soil so that they gain strength; the same can be done if aging takes place in a greenhouse. Need to keep an eye on temperature conditions and humidity level. High temperature provokes intensive growth, which is not at all desirable for seedlings, high humidity air can cause the development of characteristic diseases.
Following the diagram, you need to place the bushes at a fair distance from each other, so that when they grow, they do not overlap each other.
If you need to plant strawberries to produce offspring through runners and the harvest of this season is not particularly important, then you need to replant the plants in the prepared soil in the spring, when the threat of frost subsides and the ground temperature rises to around 20 degrees. This method, as mentioned above, does not guarantee a harvest, but stimulates reproduction. Having received sprouts from the mustache, they can be arranged or replanted in the fall. These manipulations will allow you to organize an entire plantation of a dozen plants in one season.
Another important fact. Growing seedlings of this plant from a berry containing seeds is very difficult; a lot of conditions must be met. The conditions for germination of the fruit, care of the seedlings and many other little things matter here. The period for obtaining full-fledged seedlings is about four years.
Of course, the most simple solution You will be able to buy sprouts on the market or in special nurseries, but if you want to try your hand at growing, are passionate about preserving your particular type of plant, and have the time to spend several years achieving results, then everything is in your hands.
The pride that all these plants are the result of your efforts will undoubtedly compensate for all the moral costs and worries during the growing period. Perhaps in this way you will preserve the unique appearance of strawberries, because, as you know, each generation of any crop differs in its properties from the previous one.
How to care for berries?
If we talk about caring for this small but demanding plant, then first of all I would like to note the flowering period. Here you need to provide nutrition and pollination so that the previously spent efforts are not in vain.
- Fertilizers for ordinary flowering vegetables are not suitable here. The concentration of minerals and other things is different there;
- After the flowers appear, strawberries need potassium. One teaspoon of potassium nitrate per ten liters of water will be an excellent help;
- when buds appear, you can give it to the bushes bird droppings, ash or humus. These substances are very caustic, and therefore they must be added dissolved in small quantities;
- to increase the number of inflorescences, during the ovary period, strawberries are watered with a solution boric acid(a pinch per ten liters of water), this stimulates the formation of new stalks;
- It is necessary to provide watering to the plant, because its roots are shallow and cannot extract enough moisture from the soil. It's important not to overdo it excess water leads to rotting of the base of the bush.
Among other things, it is recommended to remove the mustache at this time so that it does not take away excess strength, leaves that have withered or dried out for the same reason. The right decision There will also be a removal of the first, very weak, fruit bearings. Subsequent ovaries will be stronger, and if there is more strength, they will develop well.
If pale and small fruits began to appear on your strawberries this season, then this is a lack of pollination. The reason for this may be rainy weather, lack of honey insects, etc. In such cases, you can do the following:
- Use a soft brush to go over the available colors. This will create forced pollination and allow good fruit to form;
- Dissolve one tablespoon of honey in a liter of water and sprinkle the bushes with this solution. The bees will definitely fly to the familiar smell, and then nature will do its thing;
- plant several types of garden strawberries in one area. The principle of self-pollination applies here. The pollen will be carried by the wind, and the plants will receive the necessary substances to produce fruits.
After harvesting, in order to prepare for winter, the bushes need to be rid of excess mustache. Late shoots will not be able to grow and will die during the cold weather, at the same time they deprive the main bush of nutrition. This will give you the opportunity to gain necessary forces before wintering.
After the end of the fruiting season, the plant also needs feeding. Small portions mineral fertilizers, ash, potassium sulfate will give him the opportunity to accumulate strength for a long hibernation. This is very important to get good harvest next year.
It is best to protect plants from the effects of frost with some material that does not absorb moisture and therefore will not freeze in winter period, and will not maintain the effect freezer, which can lead to freezing of the roots.
Reproduction methods
Finally, let's look at methods of propagating Victoria garden strawberries. There are only two of them:
- dividing the bush;
The first method is used for thick bushes, where there are many shoots and developed root system. We dig up one of the objects and simply divide it into two or three parts. This can be done with your hands, the main thing is that there are enough roots on each separated sprout, or with a knife, cutting the base and root. This method injures the plant, but brings results. Over the course of the season, all wounds will heal and the characteristics of the strawberry will be restored.
The second method is more gentle. You just need to collect the shoots that each bush produces through the tendrils, and break the thread connecting them - just transplant it to the intended location.
You need to know that when dividing a bush, its characteristics deteriorate; next season the fruits will be smaller and their number may be smaller.
The second method does not disturb the natural course of things and allows the plant to develop at the speed it needs. In conclusion of all of the above, we can say that growing a good harvest of strawberries on your own summer cottage
is not a problem, it just requires some effort. Undoubtedly, during fruiting, your efforts will be rewarded, and you will be able to please your loved ones, yourself and any other person with beautiful, juicy fruits.
You can learn more about growing Victoria in the next video. One of The large-fruited garden strawberry is called Victoria. In the summer, it flaunts on the beds of most dachas, since the requirements for its cultivation are not too high, and a bountiful harvest more than pays for all the effort expended. This berry is planted as in spring period, and in the autumn. In this article we will look at how to properly plant Victoria in the fall so that it does not suffer in the winter and delights you with juicy, aromatic fruits in the summer.
Selecting a site for planting Victoria
This berry belongs to the variety, which allows you to delay the planting of Victoria until late autumn. However, it is better to avoid extremes; after all, the plant must have time to take root, otherwise there is a high risk that the bushes will die in winter or give an extremely low yield in the first year. Victoria is planted in a well-lit, flat area, protected from the winds. If you grow plants in lowlands, they often get sick and produce low yields. Also, in lowlands there is often high humidity, which negatively affects the winter hardiness of garden strawberries. A windy area is especially dangerous in winter - if the wind blows the snow away from the area, the plants will die from frost.
Victoria's predecessors
Victoria is a finicky berry in planting from the point of view of crop rotation. Being perennial plant, she has not lived in one place for more than 4 years and requires a transplant. The plant will take root well if legumes, beets, onions, carrots, oats, rye, dill and garlic grew on the site before it. You should strictly avoid such precursors as cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, nightshades and strawberries. The area where strawberries were already growing will be unsuitable for planting Victoria for at least 5 years.
Preparing the soil for autumn planting
Before planting Victoria in the fall, you need to take care summer training soil. Typically, gardeners add humus to the soil a month before the intended planting (about 3 kg per square meter) and dig it up, then level it and trample it down. It is important to get rid of the roots of other plants and insect larvae when digging. Sandy loam soil is ideal for Victoria, so sand is often added when digging.
Rules for planting Victoria garden strawberries
Directly planting Victoria in the fall is no different from planting in any other season. The soil is loosened to a depth of about 8 cm, furrows are made in it and watered abundantly. Correct fit Victoria requires the following distances between bushes to be provided - 25 cm between plants in the same row and 60 cm between beds. If Victoria roots exceed 7 cm, they should be trimmed. It is important to lower the roots vertically into the ground to ensure rapid growth of the root system, and place the apical bud strictly at ground level. The technology for planting Victoria involves further compacting the soil near the bush, watering it and mulching with sawdust with a layer of 5 cm. If you decide to plant Victoria on a covering material, secure it to the bed before planting the plants and make holes in the places where the garden bushes will grow. strawberries
Caring for autumn-planted Victoria
This is not to say that it requires any intricate actions. In dry weather, watering is required; loosening the soil around the bushes and weeding is also necessary. Regarding after care autumn planting, then it is important to take care of protecting the plants from frost. Don't rush when the first ones start autumn frosts, give Victoria the opportunity to experience them for herself, to harden herself in some way. When the temperature drops to -6°C, you can cover the plants, for example, cover them autumn leaves layer of 15 cm. Be sure to remove the cover in early spring so that the plants do not wither and die.
Everyone at their dacha has large-fruited garden strawberries; we call them Victoria in honor of one of the most famous varieties of garden strawberries - Victoria.
When we feel spring approaching, we often ask ourselves the question: how to care for Victoria - it would seem that everything is tried and true, but everyone cares for Victoria differently.
- to his own, trying to do everything as much as possible to increase the harvest and at the same time for
making work easier.
How to care for Victoria in spring
By mid-April, the snow completely disappears from the garden strawberry beds. Time to wake up! We do it like this:
- I never start caring for Victoria by trimming old leaves. I'll wait. when the heart comes to life, the old leaves will help and protect from returning frosts.
- I definitely spill the soil around the bushes with a solution. copper sulfate, very weak (2%), so as not to burn the emerging buds - leaves and not to accumulate excess copper in the soil. It is even better to use a solution of phytosporin to combat a possible fungal disease, which is environmentally safe and will protect against known fungal and bacterial diseases.
- The awakening bushes are still filled with melted snow. You won’t be able to eat on your own, since the ground is still cold and food is not available. In order for the leaves to start growing faster, you need to use nitrogen fertilizers. You can take urea and complex fertilizers.
- If the plants were treated with phytosporin, it means they have already added organic fertilizer; After two weeks, this treatment must be repeated. Fitosporin is a humic fertilizer containing live bacteria Bacillus subtillis.
- Now. When the strawberries, Victoria, finally woke up, the leaves began to grow, I cut off the old ones with scissors, and removed the dead bushes that had not woken up.
I begin to gradually remove the emerging weeds, slightly loosening the soil. Since the fall, my beds have been mulched with pine litter. This saved the seedlings from frost and left the soil loose.
Of course, weeds will grow through such mulch, but the resulting berries will be healthy, and the number of cases of gray rot is minimal. The emerging fruits lie on a surface that is well permeable to moisture and air.
When flower buds appear, I feed the plants with a solution of boric acid. I dissolve two grams in 10 liters of water and spray each bush thoroughly. There will be more berries and they will be sweeter.
Caring for Victoria does not end there. During fruit setting and filling, the plantation must be watered abundantly. I reduce watering. when the berries ripen and the summer is not hot.
The berries have been picked! Children and adults are happy, the jam is made and frozen.
Strawberry - Victoria begins to prepare for laying next year's fruit. Let's help her.
How to care for garden strawberries in July - August
The entire harvest is usually harvested at the end of July. Victoria of the branch has a mustache, with the help of which it reproduces. At this time, the first two rosettes, when they grow 4-6 leaves, can be removed from the mother (you can read about this in my other article).
- In August you need to cut off the old leaves. It is better to do this at the beginning of the month so that the plant is well prepared and strengthened for winter. I don’t cut out all the leaves, I leave them fresh, green, untouched by diseases and pests. My neighbor in the garden cuts off all the leaves. I have not noticed a difference in the harvest and wintering. By the end of August, fresh, healthy foliage will emerge.
- I water the beds well, this is important for planting flower buds next year.
- Victoria loves it very much potash fertilizers. At the beginning of August, I sprinkle ash around the bushes, then water them. You can also prepare an extract from ash. To do this, pour boiling water over a glass of ash and leave for a day. The strained solution is diluted in a bucket of water and poured into a half-liter jar per bush.
Autumn care
In the fall, garden strawberries continue to prepare for winter. What events are held:
- Thorough watering, especially if autumn is dry.
- Removal of emerging weeds, shallow loosening.
- Fertilizing with superphosphate and potassium sulfate 2:1, sprinkle the soil, water from a watering can.
- I mulch with either pine needles or moss. This is necessary for a good overwintering and protects against rot the next year. I collect moss near swamps all summer and dry it.
- When the Victoria plantation has existed for quite a long time, I begin to notice that bushes with small unsweetened berries grow irregular shape, some of them do not bloom at all or form barren flowers. Experts explained to me that these are “pendants” and “bangmutki”; they grow from the seeds of unharvested, fallen fruits. Since strawberries from seeds do not inherit the characteristics of their parents, weeds can grow that are aggressive and must be destroyed.
Closer to winter, in October, for better wintering I throw cut phlox stems onto the beds. Heleniums. other plants for better snow retention.
As can be seen from the above, caring for Victoria is quite labor-intensive, but by devoting some of your time to it, you will enjoy a fragrant, sweet, wonderful harvest.
Fragrant, juicy, incredibly tasty and everyone’s favorite wild strawberries and garden strawberries, also known as Victoria, are the adoration of all gardeners. It is called this sweet name because of the first variety, which was called Victoria. How to care for berries so that the beds produce as much harvest as possible? Follow the recommendations, and the reward will not be long in coming.
Victoria Landing
The plant should be planted on a flat piece of land, while maintaining a slight slope to the west. The place where sweet Victoria will grow should be well protected from the wind, because in winter time it may well blow away the snow from the beds, then the plant will freeze and die. It is advisable to choose sandy loam soil rich in humus. Victoria should be planted in spring or autumn. In the first case, the soil is prepared in the fall, in the second - in June. Soil preparation includes the addition of fertilizers (20 grams, 20 grams of KCl, 25 grams of superphosphate, and humus in the amount of 6 kg per 1 square meter). How to care for Victoria comfortably? Bushes need to be planted in the most even rows, looking like ridges maximum height 10 cm. The maximum distance between them should be 70 cm, and between plants - 30 cm.
Propagation of garden strawberries
In mid-summer, Victoria grows antennae, with the help of which she reproduces. They contain important nodes that will give rise to roots and leaves in the future. Gardeners consider 2-3 rosettes located near the mother plant to be of higher quality. As soon as 4-6 leaves appear on the rosette, it must be disconnected from the mother plant and transplanted to permanent place. Already in next year daughter bushes will give a fairly good harvest of berries. How to care for young Victoria so that she gets accustomed? Excellent survival rate will be ensured by holes the size of a fist, where young rosettes should be planted immediately.
Caring for Victoria
Garden strawberries have high care requirements. It needs to be watered frequently or some work must be done to preserve moisture. For example, mulch, loosen the soil, remove various weeds and cover the plant with snow. How to care for Victoria so that the harvest is richer? Water the bushes 10 times during the season, and after the end of the season, the beds need to be mulched with straw, shavings or dry moss. This way the berries will be reliably protected from gray rot. During the process, it is important to ensure that the leaves do not become covered. Mulching should be done for the first time in mid-autumn. The second time, you should mulch with grain production waste or peat, spreading a layer of 5-8 cm. In addition, weeds should not be allowed to grow on the plantings, because they take away moisture, nutrition and light. How to care for Victoria after harvest? The soil around the plants needs to be loosened and if the roots are exposed, the bush also helps to obtain a better harvest from the garden). Victoria is extremely useful for our body, because it improves the process of hematopoiesis, increases overall performance and endurance. Be healthy!
Gardeners often wonder when to replant Victoria. Should I do this in the fall or is it better to wait until the new season and divide the overgrown bush in the spring? You can find answers to these and other questions in our article.
When is Victoria transplanted: general concepts
Strawberries produce growth every year. New leaves, tendrils and peduncles appear during its formation. Growth stops only in the fourth year of the plant’s life. This often results in lower yields. To maintain fruiting in full force, you should take care of a new strawberry plantation. When is the best time to replant Victoria? Usually this process takes place in the spring (before flowering time) or early autumn. For propagation, young rosettes formed on long shoots are used. They grow from the mother bush. It is best to take rosettes from a plant no older than three years. After the young shoot takes root, it can be planted in a new place. For a good harvest, the best time is in the fall. During the winter the bushes will have time to get stronger and take root in a new place. If your plan cannot be accomplished, then reschedule the transplant until spring. The yield will be slightly lower, but you definitely won’t be left without berries in the summer. In spring, you can start replanting as early as April. Of course, you need to navigate the weather conditions of the region.
Selecting a location
When transplanting Victoria, it is best to choose a well-lit place. Make sure there are no shadows from trees. It is desirable that the soil is slightly acidic and loamy. If the place is swampy, you will have to do drainage. On acidic soils liming should be carried out. A place where legumes used to grow is well suited for planting. It is not recommended to use soil after planting cucumbers and representatives. A couple of months before planting, you need to prepare the soil. The ground should be dug up and cleared of weeds. When digging, add a little humus, you can also scatter superphosphate. You need to water the prepared area the day before planting Victoria.
Technology
When Victoria is transplanted, they play a huge role weather. It's best to do this in cloudy weather so that the hot sun does not burn the leaves. Dig rooted young plants out of the ground and remove the vines on which the rosettes grow. Shake the soil off the roots and pinch them a quarter of the way. When Victoria is replanted, its roots are usually dipped in a mixture of clay, water and manure. Holes for young plant It is best to do it at a distance of 30 cm from each other. Between the rows you should retreat about 70 cm. Make sure that the landing point is at ground level and not higher. After transplanting, Victoria needs to be watered and the soil sprinkled with peat. Regular sawdust will also work. You can use special mulching material, which is left on the garden bed for the winter.