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A garden plot without a strawberry bed is an extremely rare occurrence. This berry is especially popular among gardeners. Breeders have developed many of its varieties and hybrids. Every year, promising new products with improved characteristics appear. These include the Primi strawberry. They began to grow it quite recently, but the first experiments in fruit nurseries and garden plots confirm the varietal characteristics declared by the breeders, primarily large-fruited and excellent taste.
When the strawberry Primi was bred
The Premy strawberry was bred in Italy by specialists from the Consortium of Italian Nurseries CIV (Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti). Among his successful achievements are the Clery and Elsanta varieties, which are well known to Russian gardeners.
This organization, highly respected by breeders all over the world, with a half-century history, specializes in breeding new varieties and producing certified “mother” plants.It is valued for its consistently high quality and commitment to constantly updating its assortment.
The joint venture includes three of the largest Italian nurseries - Vivai Mazzoni, Salvi Vivai and Tagliani Vivai. In the first of them, the Primi strawberry was created. Since 2018, the variety has been tested at sites in various regions of Russia, and two years later it went on sale. It has not yet been included in the State Register, but has passed certification successfully.
Description of the Primi strawberry variety and characteristics
The varietal characteristics of the Primi strawberry declared by the originator look like something incredible. For obvious reasons, there is no extensive practice of growing it in different regions of Russia yet, but the first experiments of amateur gardeners largely confirm the numerous advantages of the variety.
Characteristics of fruits, taste
The average weight of a Primi berry is 25-40 g. According to breeders, in optimal conditions and with proper care, their weight can reach 70-100 g, but such figures are unlikely to be achievable for amateur gardeners. The fruits are one-dimensional, there are no very small berries on the bushes.
The shape is elongated-conical, the largest specimens are comb-shaped. The skin has a glossy sheen, evenly colored dark scarlet or cherry. The pulp is bright red, dense, but juicy and tender.
The taste of Primi strawberries is very sweet, but not bland, with a subtle sourness. Professional tasters rated it 4.5 points out of a possible five.
Ripe berries have a very pleasant “nutmeg” aroma, typical of wild strawberries, light and unobtrusive
To ripen such fruits, powerful plants are needed.Therefore, Primi’s strawberry bushes are tall, with a developed root system, but relatively compact and slightly spreading. The foliage is medium, the leaves are large, dark green.
Ripening time
Primi – mid-early strawberry. The first “wave” of the harvest occurs on the tenth day of June. Fruiting lasts for about a month. Its uniformity is noted. The latter fruits do not become smaller; they are characterized by the same size and shape as the first ones.
When compared with the varieties of this producer well known to Russian gardeners, Primi strawberries ripen 3-4 days later than Clery and 5-7 days earlier than Elsanta.
Strawberry yield Primi
On average, an adult Primi bush produces 1-1.5 kg of berries per season. Breeders have declared higher figures - 2.5-3 kg, but for this the plants require ideal or close to ideal conditions.
The productivity of Primi strawberries depends on many factors: first of all, the climate and the quality of care
Growing regions, frost resistance
Strawberry Primi is a variety specially created for cultivation in temperate climates. Breeders have declared it as the most suitable for cultivation in the countries of continental and Eastern Europe and the European part of Russia. This ensures cold resistance down to -25 ºС.
However, according to the originator, the variety has the ability to adapt to the effects of adverse environmental factors. Therefore, it is very likely that it will “take root” in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.Of course, in the local climate, the Primi strawberry will require careful shelter for the winter. And you can’t expect record high yields and large fruits obtained in optimal conditions.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Strawberry Primi has good immunity. This applies to all diseases typical of the culture. Pests also do not show much interest in it, even if they attack bushes of other varieties growing nearby.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The strawberry variety Primi has many undeniable advantages:
- Early dates of fruiting and its “extension”. The latter ensures high productivity.
- Uniformity and presentability of fruits. This is one of the most significant factors for those who grow strawberries for sale. Such berries are definitely not a shame to serve on the table.
- High yield. By planting Primi strawberries, you can save space in your garden bed. This is important for owners of standard “six hundred square meters”.
- Excellent taste and aroma. These characteristics are confirmed even by professional tasters. Moreover, the typically “strawberry” smell persists even after heat treatment.
- Versatility of purpose. The berries are suitable both for fresh consumption and for any homemade preparations. You can also use them as a filling for baked goods or freeze them.
- Pulp density. This provides Primi with very good shelf life for strawberries (up to five days) and transportability. During transportation, the berries do not wrinkle and do not lose their presentation.
- Good immunity.Particularly noted is the resistance of the Primi strawberry when grown in test plots to various types of spotting, mold, root rot and strawberry mite.
- Inconsistency in care. It includes only standard agrotechnical measures necessary for any variety of strawberries.
- Sufficient cold resistance for central Russia. Primi also tolerates return frosts well: the bushes quickly recover, and this does not affect the harvest of the current season in any way.
- Drought resistance. Strawberries, of course, will not disappear during a short-term drought, and the berries do not become smaller. But it is still better to provide it with regular watering.
Strawberry Primi is suitable for those who grow berries for sale and for “individual use”
The following points are noted as disadvantages of strawberry Primi:
- In the first two seasons after planting, record harvests cannot be expected. Fruiting will be abundant only in the third season.
- Plantings need regular updating. It is recommended to “rejuvenate” them once every four years. Although, according to the originator, with proper care, this variety can produce abundant harvests for 5-6 years.
- Strawberries Primi need to be regularly fed with high-quality fertilizers. This is logical: high yields and large berries greatly deplete the bushes.
Reproduction methods
Strawberry Primi is a hybrid. Therefore, trying to grow new plants from seeds is pointless: the “offspring” will not inherit the varietal characteristics of the “parent”. In any case, such a labor-intensive method is not popular among gardeners.
Primi is propagated using methods typical for most varieties of strawberries - rooting “whiskers” and dividing the bush. There aren’t many “whiskers” on it, but enough. There will be no shortage of planting material.
Only adult (from three years old) bushes are suitable for division; each resulting fragment must have at least one rosette and roots
Planting and care
Since Primi strawberries are intended for growing in temperate climates, it is best to plant them in the spring. Despite good frost resistance, in the fall the seedlings may not have time to adapt to new living conditions and take root. Then they definitely won't survive the winter. There is also a real risk of being late with planting: the first frosts sometimes come suddenly and are disastrous for young seedlings.
The following requirements apply to the planting site for Primi strawberries:
- Good lighting, but without direct sunlight during the hottest time of the day. During this period, it is advisable to provide the plantings with “openwork” partial shade.
- Protection from cold drafts and north wind.
- The site should be flat; a place closer to the top of a gentle hill would also be suitable. Steep slopes and lowlands are immediately excluded.
- The soil is nutritious, but light (loam or sandy loam), with a neutral pH.
- Groundwater located at least 60 cm below the surface of the earth.
What care do plants require:
- Watering. Should be regular, but moderate. This variety does not like excessive soil moisture. If it is hot outside and there is no rain, Primi strawberries are watered every 2-3 days. The norm for an adult plant is 4-5 liters. The ideal option is drip irrigation.Sprinkling will not work (drops of water fall on flowers, ovaries, ripening berries).
- Fertilizer application. Strawberries Primi are fed four times a season: at the very beginning of the active growing season, in the budding phase, at the end of fruiting and in the last ten days of August. It is best to use complex store-bought fertilizers designed specifically for strawberries. The variety also responds well to natural organic matter, but such fertilizing is not able to provide the plants with all the macro- and microelements they need in the required volumes, and the lifespan of the bushes is reduced.
In the spring, fertilizing containing nitrogen is applied, then to ripen the fruits and prepare for winter, plants require phosphorus and potassium
The good immunity of the Primi strawberry allows you to do without preventive treatments with fungicides and insecticides during the season. Gardeners who still want to play it safe can use folk remedies:
- planting marigolds, garlic, other herbs and plants with a pungent odor around the perimeter of the bed;
- scattering dry mustard and sifted wood ash over the soil surface;
- replacing regular water for irrigation once every 1.5-2 weeks with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Strawberry beds are often mulched with straw, which explains its English name – strawberry
Preparing for winter
When grown in the south of Russia, in a subtropical climate, the Primi strawberry does not need special shelter.In the middle zone, especially if a harsh winter with little snow is expected, in the fall, after all the necessary sanitary measures (pruning, removal of all plant and other debris), the base of the bushes is mulched with humus or peat. The entire bed is covered with spruce branches, sawdust, fallen leaves, dry grass, and straw.
Cover it on top with any covering material in 2-3 layers. As soon as enough snow has fallen, the bed is thrown from above. During the winter, it is advisable to “renew” the snowdrift several times, while simultaneously breaking the hard crust of crust on the surface. Otherwise, plants that do not receive enough oxygen may die.
In the spring, the cover from the beds with strawberries is removed as soon as the thaw begins, otherwise the roots of the plants become overheated and they die
Conclusion
Bred in Italy, the Primi strawberry is designed specifically for growing in temperate climates. The variety is completely new, so it cannot yet boast of widespread popularity among Russian gardeners, but it has all the prerequisites for this. The berry very successfully combines excellent taste, presentable appearance and large size of the fruit with the “vitality” of the plant, which has good immunity and is not capricious in care. Judging by the reviews and photos of gardeners, the description of the Primi strawberry variety given by the breeders is quite true. Of course, the variety also has disadvantages, but they are much fewer than the advantages.
Reviews from gardeners about the Primi variety strawberries
