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Gardeners who grow garden strawberries on their plots take into account the size and taste characteristics of the berries when choosing a variety. Today you can choose strawberries with different fruit colors.
The Honey Summer strawberry variety is distinguished by its bright red-orange fruits. This plant was created by Russian breeders. A description of the variety, some characteristics, reviews from gardeners and photos of strawberries from domestic breeders can be found in the article.
Description
According to the description given by the authors of the variety, the Honey Summer strawberry is distinguished by its large fruit and super-early ripening period. This is a remontant plant.
When planting, the plants are given a lot of space, since the mustaches of garden strawberries of the Honey Summer variety are long. One bush requires an area of 0.7 square meters. You can grow bushes in a greenhouse, in open ground or in hanging flowerpots.
The plant is interesting because it has long brushes - up to 45 cm. It is this feature that is widely used by designers when creating original compositions. In potted culture, thanks to the long inflorescences, the plant looks like a hanging plant.
The berries are smooth, large, super-sweet with the aroma of wild strawberries. The shape of the fruit is an elongated heart. The pulp is juicy, dense, without voids. The photo shows all the signs of berries.
Characteristics of the variety
According to reviews from gardeners who grow Honey Summer strawberries, the plant has clear advantages compared to other early varieties:
- Remontant strawberries are day-neutral plants.
- A fast-growing plant produces a harvest already in the first summer after planting seedlings.
- Thanks to the continuous formation of peduncles, the crop is harvested twice per season.
- The yield is high; about a kilogram of sweet berries is collected from the bush.
- The variety's dense berries can be transported over long distances and retain their marketable appearance.
The Honey Summer strawberry is just taking root in the Russian expanses and has not been fully studied by gardeners, which may be why they don’t write about the variety’s shortcomings in reviews.
Reproduction
Garden strawberries reproduce in the same way as other representatives of the crop:
- seeds;
- mustache;
- dividing the root.
For beginner gardeners, the first method is not suitable, since the seeds germinate slowly. As a rule, they “sit” in the nursery for a month, or even two. Strawberry seeds of this variety are sold in many agricultural companies, for example, Siberian Garden, Gardens of Russia.
Strawberry seedlings
- Seeds are sown at the end of winter, in February and March. The soil should be loose, nutritious and breathable. When compiling the soil yourself, be sure to add sand. Before planting, the soil is disinfected with Fitosporin or a hot solution of potassium permanganate.
- Strawberry seeds are not buried, but distributed over the surface of the soil. An experienced gardener talks about how to sow strawberry seeds with snow stratification:
- The containers must be covered with glass or film and placed on a warm, well-lit window.
- When the first sprouts appear, the film is not removed, but slightly opened so that the greenhouse effect remains inside.
- Seedlings dive when 1-2 leaves appear. Subsequently, the plantings are carefully watered and fed with special fertilizers or organic matter. Seedlings with 5-6 leaves are planted in the ground.
Planting strawberries in the ground
For strawberries of any variety, choose a place on a hill so that groundwater does not come close. If the site is located in a lowland, then the seat is raised and drainage is laid at the bottom. Plants love the sun, so the bed should not be in the shade.
Before planting, the soil is well seasoned with humus, compost, and wood ash. If the soil is heavy, river sand is added to it. Will be removed during digging weeds, all the roots and prepare the holes. As a rule, Honey Summer garden strawberries are planted in one or two rows.
Today, many gardeners cover the soil with a special black film and grow strawberries under it. This option is convenient because there is no need for mulching, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Each strawberry bush of the Honey Summer variety, according to the description and reviews of gardeners, occupies a large area. That is why holes are made at a distance of 30 cm. Most often, strawberries are planted in a bed in two rows at a distance of 40 cm. The second row is placed after 60-70 cm. Seedlings or mustaches are planted in the center of the hole and sprinkled well with soil. The heart must be above the surface of the earth!
After planting, the plants are watered, and with the appearance of the first flower stalks, if the strawberries are grown simply in the garden bed, they are mulched with straw or dry grass.
The beds need to be rejuvenated after three years, since in the fourth summer the yield drops sharply. The whiskers on bushes intended for producing berries must be cut off, as they interfere with abundant fruiting.
If strawberries are propagated by dividing the bush, then choose the most productive plant, no older than three years. It must be healthy and strong. When dividing the root system, parts are selected so that each of them has a horn and a rosette with leaves and a heart.
Strawberry care
During the growing season, plants require regular watering, fertilizing, loosening and treatment against pests and diseases.
Today, many gardeners refuse mineral fertilizers. From organic matter, you can use infusions of mullein, chicken droppings, green grass or nettle, and wood ash.
The Honey Summer strawberry responds well to foliar feeding with ammonia (at the beginning of the growing season), boric acid, potassium permanganate or iodine.
When the first frosts begin, the leaves on the plants are cut off. Plantings are treated with Bordeaux mixture and covered for the winter.
The seeds actually germinate with difficulty (50-60%), but they reproduce very well and the seedlings overwinter well in the cellar