Content
Strawberries or garden strawberries, as they are correctly called, are one of the most famous and sought-after crops among Russian gardeners. There are many varieties of this berry, but Of these, the Darenka variety can be distinguished – early, well adapted to various conditions of the country and productive.
Breeding history
The strawberry variety Darenka was bred by breeder I. I. Bogdanova at the Sverdlovsk horticulture breeding station. The parent forms for it were chosen Festival varieties and Rusanovka.
Description
Darenka is an early variety of non-remontant strawberry. It has erect, medium-sized bushes, with large and wide, slightly wrinkled and densely pubescent leaves that bend slightly and bend downwards. The petioles of the leaves are medium.The flowers of the Darenka strawberry variety are bisexual, simultaneously blooming, white, located on numerous compact peduncles, strong, non-lodging, rising above the leaves. The mustache is light red in color, medium in thickness, and is formed in moderate quantities.
Darenka's berries ripen at the same time, they are large (from 8 g), a classic blunt-conical shape, but with a pronounced neck and smooth shiny skin of a dark red color. The seeds are few in number, slightly embedded in the pulp. The berries come off easily when picked, and the cups are separated from the berries without any problems.
Darenka berries are sweet, with a slight sourness. Tasting assessment of the taste of this variety - 4.4 points out of 5 possible. The pulp of the berries is tender, fleshy, and has a pronounced aroma. Despite their softness, the berries can withstand transportation in specially prepared packaging. The yield of the variety is high; there is no periodicity in fruiting. From 1 bush you can collect 1.2-1.5 kg of tasty and juicy berries.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Like every variety of strawberry, the Darenka variety has its pros and cons.
Advantages of the variety | Disadvantages of the variety |
| It is not a remontant variety, so in 1 season you will be able to get only 1 harvest of berries. |
As you can see, the Darenka variety has much more advantages than disadvantages, which suggests that this is a variety that is worthy of taking its place in any garden plot.
Reproduction methods
Like other varieties of strawberries, Darenka reproduces by mustaches and division of bushes; you can also grow it from seeds. The choice of method depends on the capabilities and personal preferences of the gardener.
Usami
In order to propagate strawberries with mustaches, you need to mark the healthiest and most fertile young (no older than 2-3 years) bushes, and the next year, when they grow mustaches, dig them in without tearing them off from the mother plants. Need to take for reproduction only a mustache of the first order, and not the next orders and the largest. At the end of summer, when they take root, they need to be dug up and transplanted to new beds. You can do this in the spring.
Dividing the bush
When transplanting, young Darenka strawberry plants can be divided into parts and each planted separately. You need to divide carefully and so that a vegetative bud remains on each piece.
Growing from seeds
Another method that can be used to propagate Darenka strawberries is to grow them from seeds. It can be divided into several stages.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Before you start planting seeds, they need to be prepared: germinate in damp tissue and stratify at low positive temperatures. These agrotechnical measures will help the seeds germinate faster, become stronger and more hardened.
Sowing time
You can sow Darenka seeds already in February-March, then small plants will have time to grow from them by the time it gets completely warmer. You can sow seeds earlier, but in this case they will have to be illuminated.
Sowing in peat tablets
You can grow strawberry seeds not only in soil, but also in peat tablets. Before sowing, the tablets need to be placed in a tray, filled with warm water, and when they swell, sow 1-3 seeds in the center of each of them.
Sowing in the soil
The easiest way to grow Darenka strawberries is in containers filled with fertile soil. Sowing it is very simple - just put the seeds on a moistened surface, cover with film and place in a warm and bright place.
Picking sprouts
When young strawberry plants have 3 leaves, they must be transplanted into individual containers of sufficient volume (at least 5 by 5 cm). Picking is carried out in order to plant plants that are sown too densely and provide them with the necessary space for growth.
Why don't the seeds germinate?
Strawberry seeds generally take a long time and difficult to germinate, and if they were not prepared, then this process may drag on. Or they will not have enough heat and light, so when growing seedlings from seeds you need to monitor this.
Landing
Seedlings of the Darenka variety obtained on your farm or purchased will need to be planted in the ground. Here's how to do it.
How to choose seedlings
Good strawberry seedlings should be large, healthy, with a well-developed root system, and rich green leaves. Sluggish, sick and frail seedlings are not suitable for planting.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is better to choose a place on the plot for Darenka strawberries that is sunny, warm, protected from winds and drafts. As for the soil, any type of soil is suitable for this crop, but it is still better if it is fertile, loose, airy soil. Acidic soils are not suitable for strawberries.
Planting scheme
In order for strawberry plants to feel normal and bear fruit well, each of them must have a sufficient feeding area. Therefore, seedlings need to be planted at a distance at least 50 cm from each other.
Care
You need to care for Darenka variety strawberries in the same way as plants of other varieties, that is, water, fertilize, and treat them against diseases.
Spring period
In the spring, as soon as it gets warmer, you need to remove the mulch from the bushes that protected them in winter. If it gets colder, you can cover the strawberries with film.
Watering and mulching
Both newly planted plants and mature bushes need to be watered so that they can show all that they are capable of. To retain moisture, it is better to mulch the soil around them.
Fertilizing by month
The timing of feeding strawberry plants depends on their age. Young bushes planted in autumn can be fed only with mineral fertilizers.
Feeding | Young strawberry | Adult strawberry |
First feeding | In April, with the beginning of the formation of flower stalks | In April, with the appearance of young foliage |
Second feeding |
| In May, before flowering |
Third feeding |
| In May-June, when the fruits begin to form |
Preparing for winter
Although the Darenka variety strawberries are winter-hardy, in cold regions they need to be covered, especially young plants. This should be done when the first frost occurs.
Diseases and control methods
Cultivated plants of this variety can be affected by diseases, so gardeners who decide to grow Darenka need to know what causes it and how to deal with it.
Disease | How and with what to fight |
White, gray rot | Preventive measures and treatment of infected bushes with fungicides |
Black rot | Remove infected berries and burn them |
Root rot | Dig up and burn diseased bushes, treat the soil with fungicides |
Late blight rot | Compliance with agricultural cultivation techniques, treatment of land and seedlings with fungicides |
Powdery mildew | Transplant the strawberries to a new place, disinfect the soil |
Fusarium wilt | At the initial stage of infection, treat the bushes with fungicides |
White, black spotting | Treat bushes with copper preparations, remove severely affected ones |
Brown spot | After harvesting, treat plants with Fitosporin |
Pests and ways to combat them
Strawberries can be affected by many pests, for example, weevils, strawberry leaf beetles and mites, spider mites, chafer larvae, mole crickets, aphids, nematodes, tobacco thrips, slugs, bronze beetles and whiteflies. They cause harm to bushes and can destroy a significant part of the crop, so agrochemicals and folk remedies are used to combat them.
Features of growing in pots
In addition to traditional cultivation in garden beds, you can try growing strawberries of this variety using a new, but already quite popular technology - in pots. Growing berries using this method has its own characteristics, which should be known to those gardeners who decide to use it.
Conclusion
Darenka is an interesting variety of early-ripening strawberries, which is distinguished by its yield and excellent taste of the berries. At the same time, he is unpretentious and requires standard care. If everything is done correctly, Darenka plants will delight the gardener with a harvest of tasty and very aromatic fruits.
Reviews from gardeners
