Content
Strawberry Arosa, according to the description, reviews from gardeners and photos sent by them, is a promising variety for growing not only in garden plots, but also on large plantations. This is a medium-ripening commercial variety that produces a record harvest of tasty, sweet berries.
Breeding history
Strawberries Arosa or Arosa (some sources indicate this name) are products of Italian selection. The mid-season variety was bred in Italy at the experimental station CIV. To obtain a new variety, breeders crossed the variety Marmolada and American strawberry Chandler.
Description
Bushes
Strawberry bushes of the Arosa variety, according to descriptions and reviews, are small with spreading leaves. The leaf blades are light green, slightly wrinkled. Pubescence is present along the edge of the leaf and on the petioles. Strawberry bushes grow quickly.
Peduncles are located above the foliage. The flowers are large, cup-shaped with a corolla. The formation of whiskers in the Arosa strawberry is average, but it is quite enough for propagation of the variety.
Berries
The fruits of the Arosa variety are orange-red, shiny, round-conical in shape, as in the photo below. The weight of one berry is up to 30 grams. The strawberry variety also has its own record holders, reaching a weight of 45 grams.
Scallops are sometimes observed on the first fruits (you can see them in the photo), all the rest are just regular in shape. There are seeds on the surface of the berries, they are slightly pressed in and are almost on the surface.
Gardeners in reviews note that sometimes the tips of berries at technical ripeness are not colored. This is not surprising, it’s just that the parent strawberry, Marmolada, had this feature. In fact, the berries of the Arosa variety are ripe and tasty, with sweet juicy pulp and a wine aftertaste.
There are up to 10 inflorescences on one plant, each of which blooms up to a dozen flowers. If agricultural practices are followed, up to 220 centners of delicious, aromatic berries of the Arosa variety are harvested from one hectare.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
It is not for nothing that the Arosa variety of strawberries is popular among summer residents and large agricultural producers. The product of Italian selection has a lot of advantages, but there are practically no disadvantages.
| Advantages | Flaws |
| First berry picking in mid-June, no harvest loss | With a lack of moisture, the berries become smaller and lose their taste. |
| Winter hardiness.In the southern regions they manage without shelter | Uneven ripening of berries: a new portion is harvested after a week. Although this factor is an advantage for many gardeners |
| High productivity – up to 220 c/ha | |
| Possibility of growing in open, protected ground and in pots | |
| Excellent taste properties | |
| Transportability | |
| Good resistance to many diseases |
Reproduction methods
Experienced gardeners who are serious about strawberries monitor the bushes and rejuvenate the plantings in a timely manner. There are several ways to propagate a garden plant, and all of them are suitable for the Arosa strawberry variety.
Usami
Arosa strawberry bushes, according to descriptions and reviews from gardeners, do not produce a large number of mustaches. But the sockets on them turn out to be strong and viable. It is best to select several mother bushes and tear off the flower stalks from them. The mustache takes root on its own, although you can add soil. When the rosettes produce good roots, they are cut off from the mother bush and planted in a new place (see photo).
Dividing the bush
The bushes of the Arosa variety are powerful and grow quickly, so strawberries of Italian selection can be propagated by dividing the bush into several parts.
Growing from seeds
Propagation of strawberries of the Arosa variety by seeds, according to gardeners, is a completely acceptable procedure. It is worth noting that this method of obtaining seedlings is quite difficult and painstaking. Special rules and agricultural practices must be observed.
Seed production technique and stratification
It is not necessary to buy Arosa strawberry seeds in the store. You can collect them yourself from ripe berries. To do this, cut off the skin along with the seeds and lay it out on a napkin in the sun to dry.
When the pulp dries, you need to gently knead the dry crusts between your palms, then winnow. The resulting seed material is placed in paper bags and stored in a cool place.
The seeds of the Arosa strawberry variety are difficult to germinate, therefore they require special preparation - stratification. It can be done in different ways:
- Place the soaked seeds in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for 3-4 days.
- Place snow on the prepared soil and place strawberry seeds on top. Keep the container in the refrigerator so that the snow melts slowly. When the snow melts, the water will pull the seed along with it. It manages to stratify and produces vigorous shoots.
Sowing time
To obtain high-quality seedlings of the Arosa strawberry variety, seed sowing should begin at the end of January, beginning of February. During this time, the plants have time to gain strength, powerful strawberry bushes of the Arosa variety grow, which begin to bear fruit in the summer.
Sowing in peat tablets
It is convenient to grow strawberry seedlings in peat tablets. First, the tablets are soaked in warm water. When it swells, an Arosa strawberry seed is placed in the hole in the middle directly on the surface. Cover the top with film. Here they are, the sprouts, in the photo.
Sowing in the soil
For sowing, plastic containers are used, which are filled with nutrient soil. It is treated with a hot solution of manganese. The seeds are laid out on top and covered with glass or film.
The shelter is opened slightly every day to ventilate the plantings.
Picking sprouts
Arosa strawberry seedlings grow slowly. Plants with 3-4 leaves dive.The soil is selected the same as when sowing seeds. You need to work carefully so as not to break the shoots. After picking, the strawberry seedlings are placed in a well-lit window. It is more convenient to work with plants grown in peat tablets, since the plants do not experience shock from replanting.
Why don't the seeds germinate?
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to wait for garden strawberries and strawberries to sprout. Most often the reason:
- in incorrect stratification;
- in deep seeding;
- in overdrying or excessive moisture of the soil;
- in low-quality (expired) seed material.
Landing
Arosa strawberry seedlings, like other varieties of this crop, are planted in open ground in early May. If there is a threat of return frosts, shelter must be provided.
How to choose seedlings
The future harvest of aromatic berries depends on the quality of planting material. Strawberry seedlings ready for planting should have at least 5 leaves and a good root system. If any signs of disease are found on the plants, the seedlings are discarded.
If the seedlings were received by mail, then before planting they are soaked in water for a day and planted the next day.
Site selection and soil preparation
Arosa strawberries are planted in an open, well-lit area with fertile neutral soil.
The ridges are dug up and removed weeds and water with warm (about 15 degrees) water. It is better to plant strawberries after legumes, garlic, celery, carrots and onions.
Planting scheme
Strawberry bushes of the Arosa variety are compact, although tall.They are planted in one or two lines, depending on the area. The spacing between plants is 35 cm. When planting in two lines, the row spacing should be from 30 to 40 cm. This is what the beds with strawberries look like in the photo.
Care
At different stages of the growing season, the Arosa variety requires special care. This applies to watering, loosening, fertilizing and protecting plants from diseases and pests.
Care in spring
- After the snow melts from the garden bed, remove dry leaves and be sure to burn them.
- When strawberries of the Arosa variety begin to move away from wintering, replace the dead plants.
- Water the plantings.
- Loosen the rows.
- Spray with drugs against diseases and pests, and also feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
Watering and mulching
Water the beds with Arosa strawberries only when necessary, since heavy moisture has a negative effect on the root system. For irrigation, use water at least 15 degrees. Immediately after the procedure, the soil is loosened shallowly.
It is best to use drip irrigation; it is especially relevant when growing Arosa strawberries on large plantations. It is not advisable to water with a hose, since the pressure of water washes away the soil and exposes the roots.
Moisture is retained in the soil for a long time if it is mulched. Straw, rotted sawdust, peat, and black film can be used as mulch.
Fertilizing by month
| Month | Feeding options |
| April (after snow melts) | Nitrogen-containing fertilizers |
| May |
|
| June | Stir 100 grams of ash in a bucket of water and water the bushes at the root. |
| Aug. Sept |
|
Spring feeding of strawberries with “complex fertilizer”:
Preparing for winter
With the onset of cold weather, strawberries of the Arosa variety are pruned, leaving at least 4 cm of leaf length, as in the photo. They are destroyed after harvesting. If the root system is exposed, it is sprinkled with humus.
Strawberries of Italian selection are considered a winter-hardy variety. In the southern regions, you can generally do without shelter for the winter. In more severe conditions, agrospan can be thrown over the plantings and reliable shelter can be provided.
Diseases and control methods
| Diseases | What to do |
| Gray rot | Spray strawberries during budding with Euparen, Plarise or Alirin B. Traditional methods of control include infusions of garlic and wood ash. |
| Brown spot | Treatment of strawberry plantation with Nitrophen. |
| White spot | Treatment of plantings before flowering with Bordeaux mixture. Spraying with iodine solution before flowering. |
| Powdery mildew | Treatment with fungicides and copper-containing preparations. Watering plants with solutions of whey, iodine, potassium permanganate. |
| Brown spot | Treatment of plantings with Nitrafen, Bordeaux mixture, Ordan. Spraying strawberries with ash and kefir. |
| Late blight | Treatment with iodine solution, garlic infusions, potassium permanganate. |
Pests and ways to combat them
| Pests | Actions |
| Weevil | Remove old mulch, sprinkle plantings with tansy, wormwood, red hot pepper |
| Strawberry mite | In spring, pour hot water (+60 degrees) over the bush and soil. Treat the plantings with onion peel infusion or chemicals. |
| Nematode | Removing diseased plants with a clod of earth, planting calendula in the beds. |
| Leaf beetle, sawfly, leaf roller, aphid, whitefly | Infusion of ash, use of pesticides, biological pesticides. |
| Slugs | Make traps, collect by hand |
| Birds | Cover the plantings with a protective net |
Harvest and storage
If Arosa strawberries are intended for storage and transportation, then they are harvested two days before full ripening. You need to pick the berries with a tail and green caps. Harvesting is done early in the morning after the dew has dried on a sunny day. You can work in the evening before sunset so that the sun's rays do not hit the berries.
Store strawberries in plastic containers in one row in a cool room.
Features of growing in pots
As noted in the description, strawberries of the Arosa variety can be grown in protected ground.This makes it possible to plant seedlings from Italian breeders in pots and get a harvest of delicious berries indoors.
Conclusion
The Italian variety of strawberries can be grown in many regions of Russia. The main thing is to follow agricultural practices. And then there will be tasty and healthy berries on your table.
