Every summer resident dreams of extending the strawberry consumption season. This tasty and healthy berry is always useful on the table and is good in preparations. Not long ago, a variety appeared in Germany that is ready to make this dream come true. We are talking about the Malvina strawberry variety. Created in 2010 by German breeder Peter Stoppel, this berry ends the strawberry season of single-fruiting strawberry varieties, and ends it with brilliance, since Malvina strawberries are surprisingly good not only in appearance, but also in taste.
Reviews from summer residents about her are only enthusiastic, and to find out more about her, let’s look at her photo and read the description of the Malvina strawberry variety.
Features of the variety
- Ripens very late. Depending on the growing region, fruiting can begin from late June to mid-July.
- The fruiting period is extended and can range from 2 to 3 weeks depending on the weather. In hot and sunny summers, delicious berries will ripen faster.
- The shape of the berries is very beautiful, slightly reminiscent of a heart, and the color is special. At the stage of technical maturity, it is no different from other varieties, but when fully ripe it becomes rich and has a cherry hue. In a word, this berry cannot be confused with any other.
- The taste of Malvina strawberries is beyond praise.It is quite worthy in technical ripeness, and when fully ripe, the berry becomes sweet and acquires a rich taste. On a nine-point scale, tasters rated it 6.3 points. The aroma is strong, reminiscent of wild strawberries.
- The weight of the berries is considerable. At the first collection it can reach 35 grams. The yield is not very high, up to 800 g can be collected from a bush, but good agricultural technology allows you to increase this figure to 1 kg - this is a good result.
- The berry is dense and at the same time juicy, but does not wrinkle or flow, which is quite rare for strawberries with such a good taste. This is a commercial variety that tolerates transportation well over long distances. To prevent Malvina strawberries from spoiling during transportation, pick the berries at the stage of technical ripeness.
- In Malvina strawberries, a small amount of berries - about 3% - can produce small leaves. This is not a disease, but a genetic trait that is quite rare.
- The plant itself can be given the following characteristics: very powerful, with well-developed leaves and a large number of horns. These bushes are pleasant to admire - at a height of 50 cm they can have a diameter of 60 cm.
- The peduncles of this variety are located below the leaves, so the berries are securely hidden from the sun's rays and do not bake in the heat. The flowers are quite large, bisexual, therefore, this strawberry does not need a pollinator, it is the only one of all later varieties. To prevent the berries from getting dirty and hurting, the ground under the bushes should be mulched with straw, or better yet, with pine needles.
- Malvina has good resistance to diseases and pests. But it is better to treat it against thrips and weevils.She can get Verticillium and Fusarium wilt, so preventive treatments against diseases caused by fungal microorganisms are mandatory. Select the right predecessors for Malvina strawberries and weed the beds on time - this reduces the risk of disease.
- This variety has average frost resistance. In regions with cold and little snow winters, the plantation will have to be covered with straw or spruce branches for the winter.
If there is not enough snow, shovel it from other beds.
Like most varieties of strawberries, this variety has its own characteristics in care and planting.
Landing
Such powerful bushes require a considerable area of nutrition for their development and fruiting. Therefore, the planting pattern will differ from the generally accepted one. Between plants you need to leave at least 60 cm, and the row from the row should be at a distance of 70 cm. Of course, such bushes take up a lot of space, but the variety is worth it.
The planting time will also differ from that usual for other varieties of strawberries. For Malvina, spring planting is preferable. In the first year, the harvest will not be abundant, but by the second year, having grown up to 8 horns over the summer, the strawberries will give a large number of large and beautiful berries. Due to the nature of fruiting, autumn planting is postponed to the end of August - the time when strawberries begin to lay next year's harvest. Early frosts may prevent young strawberry seedlings from completely taking root, which can result in autumn plantings freezing in winter.
Powerful Malvina plants remove a lot of nitrogen from the soil.
Care
Proper care is an important component of obtaining a full harvest.
Feeding
This strawberry does not tolerate nitrogen deficiency well. To compensate for it, you can make 2 foliar feedings per season with a solution of nitrogen fertilizer, for example, ammonium nitrate with a concentration 2 times less than for root feeding. They should be carried out during the period of growth of leaves and extension of flower stalks.
In the first case, the leaves may get burned, and in the second, the fertilizer simply does not have time to be absorbed.
For Malvina strawberries, organic fertilizers with the addition of ash and superphosphate are preferable. Nitrogen is released from organic matter gradually. This allows you to maintain its sufficient concentration for a long time.
Strawberries also need potassium just as much as nitrogen. You can feed it with a potassium fertilizer that does not contain chlorine, such as potassium sulfate. This feeding is carried out at the beginning of the growing season. An alternative option is feeding with ash in dry form or in the form of a solution. In addition to potassium, ash contains many microelements that plants need for successful growth. Advice! After dry fertilizing, the beds need to be loosened and watered.
Watering
Malvina needs moisture more than other varieties to develop well and obtain a full harvest. If it is deficient, the berries may have a bitter taste. Therefore, watering, especially during dry periods, is mandatory for it.
The dark color of the material can lead to drying out of the root system, which is undesirable for Malvina.
All features of the variety are shown in the video:
Conclusion
Late-ripening strawberries of the Malvina variety will extend the season of consumption of this healthy berry. Thanks to its excellent taste, it will become the most favorite variety on the strawberry plantation.
