Strawberry Borovitskaya

At the mere mention of strawberries, the unusually pleasant taste of summer and the sweet aroma of berries immediately comes to mind. It’s a pity that strawberries bear fruit only a couple of weeks a year, because they are considered one of the most delicious garden berries. Recently, remontant varieties of garden crops, capable of producing several harvests per season, have become increasingly popular, but not every owner wants to get involved with this new product. To prolong the enjoyment of fresh berries, gardeners grow varieties with different ripening periods. One of the most late species is the Borovitskaya strawberry, which ripens only towards the end of July. This late-ripening variety has a big plus - the excellent taste of the berries, but it also has its disadvantages.

A detailed description of the Borovitskaya strawberry variety, photos of bushes and berries, as well as reviews of gardeners who grow it on their plots can be easily found in this article. It also provides brief instructions for growing late-ripening garden strawberries and some tricks for caring for them.

Characteristics of late strawberries

The Borovitskaya variety was selected in Russia by crossing two famous and beloved species by gardeners: Nadezhda and Redgauntlet. Received a late-ripening variety is included in the State Register and recommended for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka and Far Eastern regions.

Full description of the Borovitsky variety:

• medium-sized strawberry bushes, erect, spreading;
• the shoots are well leafy, many rosettes are formed on the bushes;
• leaves are large, dark green, wrinkled;
• the inflorescences are large, located above the leaves, so the berries do not fall on the ground;
• Borovitskaya strawberry flowers are bisexual, which means that the variety does not require additional pollinators;
• the peduncles on the bushes are long and thick, covered with small fluff;
• The variety has good berry set;
• Borovitskaya strawberries produce large fruits - the average weight of berries is 40 grams;
• the shape of the berries is correct - a blunt cone with a wide base;
• there is absolutely no neck on the fruit;
• the first large berries may have an irregular shape, they often grow together, voids form inside such strawberries, berries weighing less than 30 grams do not form voids, are leveled, beautiful;
• the color of unripe berries is brick-red, fully ripe strawberries acquire a cherry-red hue;
• the pulp is light red in color, has a dense consistency, but contains a lot of juice;
• The taste of Borovitskaya strawberries is very pleasant - sweet with a barely noticeable sourness;
• the aroma is strong, leaving a fruity trail;
• the tasting rating of strawberries of this variety is four points;
• the content of sugars, acids and vitamins is balanced;
• the yield of the Borovitsky variety is high or average (depending on care);
• About 0.5 kg of berries are usually harvested from one bush;
• the variety has immunity to root rot, wilt and average resistance to gray rot;
• The frost resistance of strawberries is very good - bushes covered only with a layer of snow can withstand down to -35 degrees;
• The purpose of the fruit is universal - Borovitskaya strawberries are considered dessert, so they are good fresh; the berries also make delicious preserves, jams and marmalade.

Pros and cons of garden strawberries

The Borovitskaya strawberry variety cannot be called commercial or industrial, but it is perfect for private cultivation in small gardens and summer cottages.

This garden strawberry has many advantages, such as:

• late ripening periods, allowing you to extend the “strawberry season” and enjoy the fresh taste of berries in mid-summer;
• late flowering, not endangered during the period of return frosts;
• abundant formation of ovaries, friendly ripening of berries;
• resistance to various climatic conditions: drought, high temperature, high humidity;
• good frost resistance;
• quite decent yield;
• pleasant taste of strawberries and beautiful appearance of the berries (not counting the first harvest);
• immunity to putrefactive and bacterial diseases.

Not all gardeners leave positive reviews about Borovitskaya strawberries; many do not like its disadvantages, including:

• non-industrial yield, due to which Borovitskaya is not grown for commercial purposes;
• at the stage of full ripeness, the berries become very soft and juicy, unsuitable for transportation;
• unripe strawberries are too sour, their taste is far from dessert.

Landing rules

It is customary to plant strawberries in the middle zone in spring or autumn. But with such planting, the first harvest is lost - garden strawberries will begin to bear fruit only after a year. In order for fruit buds to form as early as possible, it is recommended to plant strawberry seedlings at the end of summer or at the very beginning of autumn.

The optimal planting scheme for Borovitskaya is as follows - 25-30 cm between adjacent bushes, about 70-80 cm between rows. Experienced gardeners recommend planting in two lines - this makes it easier to care for strawberries and harvest. If the bushes will be covered for the winter (relevant for the North and regions with snowless winters), Borovitskaya strawberries are planted in 3-4 rows in order to subsequently cover the entire area with agrofibre or other material.

For a good start, Borovitskaya needs high-quality fertilizing, so both humus and a mineral complex should be added to the planting holes at once, mixing fertilizers with the soil.

How to care for strawberries

A photo of ripe berries of the Borovitskaya variety will not leave anyone indifferent: the strawberries are very large, cherry-red, glossy, even. In order for the harvest to please with abundance and quality, the gardener will have to work hard - the large-fruited late variety loves good care.

The stages of caring for strawberry beds should be as follows:

1. The most important thing is feeding. Like any large berry, Borovitskaya needs careful nutrition. In addition to the initial fertilizer at the planting stage, the beds are fed at least three times each season. In early spring, as soon as the snow melts and the earth warms up at least a little, ammonia fertilizers are applied. It can be a primitive nitroammophoska or a more expensive complex fertilizer - there is not much difference. At the flowering stage of strawberries, foliar fertilizers are needed - these are complexes diluted in water with a small portion of nitrogen and a good portion of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. During the ovary period, foliar spraying of the bushes with the same fertilizers is repeated, focusing on the mineral components and reducing the amount of nitrogen. At the end of the season, after the last harvest, a mineral complex is added to the soil and humus is scattered around the strawberry bushes. Such feeding is needed to restore the strength of large-fruited strawberries and stimulate yields next year.
   
2. The Borovitsky variety tolerates drought well, but this strawberry also needs water. Strawberry beds should be watered regularly; special attention is paid to the bushes during the flowering period. In order not to provoke infection of strawberries with gray mold, water the plants at the root, trying not to wet the leaves and berries.
3. Borovitsky strawberries are resistant to diseases and pests, but it is better to treat them with preventative agents.This can be either a special chemical composition or one of the traditional methods (wood ash powder, laundry soap solution, etc.).
4. Any weeds contribute to the proliferation of infections in strawberry bushes, so the grass should be removed regularly. The beds themselves are loosened and weeded after each watering. To make life easier, gardeners can mulch their strawberry rows with peat, straw or sawdust.
   
5. Many gardeners mow strawberry tops before the onset of winter cold. In the case of Borovitskaya, this should not be done - all the forces of the plants will be spent on restoring green mass. It is quite enough to walk through the rows and clear the bushes of dry, diseased leaves, rake out debris from them, and remove weeds.
6. Frost-resistant Borovitsky strawberries, as a rule, are not covered for the winter. If this is still necessary, it is better to use pine needles or agrofibre - viruses and bacteria do not multiply in these materials. As soon as snow falls, it needs to be collected in the strawberry beds, trying to create a shelter about 20 cm thick.
7. Propagating the Borovitsky variety is easy and cheap - strawberries produce a lot of mustaches, which take root well, creating many rosettes.
   

Review

Conclusion

The old domestic variety of garden strawberries is not suitable for industrial cultivation, but Borovitskaya strawberries are good for private farms and dachas near Moscow.

This berry is loved for its excellent taste, excellent frost resistance and unpretentiousness. In order for the harvest to be high and the fruits to be large, it is necessary to generously feed the beds and at least occasionally water them.

Recommended Posts

Fertilizers for remontant strawberries

Growing strawberries in PVC pipes

Growing strawberries under agrofibre

Strawberry Monterey

Strawberries for Siberia: description of the variety with photographs

How to care for strawberries in the spring at the dacha

Strawberry San Andreas

How to fertilize strawberries in the fall