Content
Among the strawberry varieties there are those that are loved by many gardeners. Choose your favorite varieties for their merits. For strawberries it is:
- taste;
- aroma;
- nutritional properties;
- ease of care;
- resistance to adverse factors during transportation, to the effects of parasites and diseases.
Which of these characteristics distinguishes the strawberry variety “Tsarina”? After all, it is not without reason that this variety of garden strawberry received such a name. The garden strawberry variety “Tsarina” was developed in Russia, more precisely, in the Bryansk region. The ancestors were two well-known varieties - Venta and Red Gauntlet, and the Russian breeder Svetlana Aitzhanova was able to combine their qualities. The topic of our article will be the wonderful strawberry “Tsarina”, description of the variety, photos, reviews from gardeners.
Characteristics of the variety
To understand the benefits of the Tsarina strawberry, it is advisable to grow the variety in the region in which it was bred. For Russian gardeners this is a real gift. Garden strawberries “Tsarina” tolerate cold winters so well that they have far surpassed their ancestors in this indicator. During a snowy winter, this variety is not afraid of frosts down to -40°C. If a snowless winter threatens, you will have to cover the strawberry beds with spruce branches, leaves or covering material.
The variety of garden strawberries “Tsarina” belongs to the average ripening period.This makes it possible to obtain berries of wonderful taste a little later than usual. Garden cocktail is the main advantage. After all, early varieties of strawberries bear fruit earlier than other crops. And the “Tsarina” strawberries give a harvest when other berries are also ripe. Preparations, fresh fruit salads, aromatic juices - this is why gardeners love this variety.
What characteristics allowed strawberries of the Tsarina variety to take priority among other names? Large fruit, fairly stable harvest, berries with a dessert taste and aroma of wild strawberries - this is an incomplete list of the advantages of strawberries. The description of the plant should begin with its appearance:
- Bushes. Medium size, medium foliage, semi-spreading.
- Flowers. Bisexual, white, peduncles located at the foliage level or below. Leaves. Smooth, without edges, of a dim green hue. The ends have blunt teeth.
- Berries. Very symmetrical, regular shape. The first fruits are much larger than the subsequent ones. Juicy and tasty.
The main advantages of the “Tsaritsa” strawberry include good frost resistance. However, in the hot season the variety also shows good endurance. It is important not to forget to water the beds abundantly, because the “Tsarina” garden strawberries are very demanding when it comes to watering. It is better to stick to a specific schedule that is suitable for the climatic conditions of your region.
Resistance to diseases and pests. This indicator is very important for any variety of garden strawberries. “Tsarina” does not suffer from fungal diseases and copes well with ticks and slugs.
Strawberry “Tsarina” is a short-day plant, so it will lay fruit buds for the next harvest at the end of summer. At this time, the sweltering heat will subside, the air will cool a little, and the evenings will become cooler.
Nuances of growing varieties in the garden
You need to start with choosing high-quality planting material. Garden strawberries “Tsarina” propagate by mustaches, but it is better to purchase the first seedlings at a nursery or breeding point. In this case, you can be sure that the strawberry seedlings correspond to the variety type and are grown taking into account all the requirements of agricultural technology. Select seedlings in special containers with a closed root system. This will allow strawberries of the “Tsaritsa” variety to easily endure transportation and transplantation.
The planting site should be chosen in advance so that the purchased strawberry seedlings of the “Tsarina” variety have somewhere to place. What requirements does the variety make for its place of residence? It should be:
- flat without hills or valleys;
- constantly illuminated by the sun;
- with good ventilation of the beds;
- without the close proximity of tall buildings or plants, as well as nightshade crops.
For the successful cultivation of the strawberry variety “Tsarina”, light loamy soil, which must be fertile, is best suited. If you have poor soil, take measures to improve it. Garden strawberries “Tsarina” need to provide drainage on heavy and clay soils and add sand for digging. And for sandy ones per 1 sq. per meter of area you will need 2 buckets of mullein (humus), a tablespoon of wood ash and 50 grams of urea.Add all components when digging up the area for strawberry beds in the autumn.
You can plant Tsarina strawberry seedlings both in spring (April) and autumn (late September). Gardeners are more inclined to spring planting. The seedlings quickly take root and develop. This is due to the length of daylight hours and soil processes. In autumn, daylight hours are shorter, microorganisms in the soil reduce their activity, so it is more difficult for seedlings to take root. Autumn planting of “Tsaritsa” garden strawberries is not encouraged in any region. In a favorable warm climate, seedlings immediately begin to grow, even without having time to take root properly. Winter temperatures will kill weak roots. In cooler climates, the first early frosts will damage the roots.
Once the bed and seedlings are ready, it’s time to start planting the “Tsarina” variety of strawberries. You can use two methods - tape or in holes.
With the tape method, a groove is laid 15 cm deep. The width of the groove is no more than 40 cm. Strawberry seedlings are placed along the groove at intervals of 20 cm.
Be sure to straighten the roots and sprinkle the bush with soil. An important condition is that you cannot sprinkle the central bud; it must rise above ground level. The plant is immediately watered and mulched. To mulch strawberry beds, straw, dry mown grass, and sawdust (wood) are used. Layer thickness from 5 mm to 10 mm depending on the material.
Planting into holes is carried out in the same order, only instead of a groove, separate holes are made for each strawberry seedling.
When the strawberry variety “Tsaritsa” is already growing on your site, it can be propagated vegetatively.
A training video demonstrates how to do this correctly:
Caring for garden strawberries of the “Tsaritsa” variety after planting includes standard agricultural technology requirements - watering, feeding, protection from pests and diseases, weeding the beds, removing excess tendrils, mulching. The last point is extremely important. Properly selected mulch will protect the plantings from drying out the soil and help keep the berries clean. Summer residents especially note the method of growing strawberries of the “Tsaritsa” variety under agrofibre.
Basic rules of care
Let's start with watering. Garden strawberries are very demanding when it comes to watering. The “Tsaritsa” variety is considered drought-resistant, but this does not mean that the plant will survive without additional moisture. The exception is years with a rhythmic alternation of rainy and sunny days. Also, in a region with high humidity, you can water the bushes much less often. Excessive moisture leads to the rapid spread of fungal infections.
In dry and hot climates, Tsarina strawberries are watered regularly and abundantly. The interval between two waterings is maintained no more than 10 days. The main stages of bush growth, during which the berry needs water:
- when the bushes bloom;
- when fruits set and form;
- when they fill and ripen.
The soil should be saturated with moisture to a depth of 25 cm, so 2-3 buckets of water are poured onto one bush. At other times, drip irrigation will be sufficient, every 3 weeks.
Strawberry bushes are fed using organic and mineral compounds.
An overdose of nutrients is as undesirable as their absence.If you fertilized the soil well when preparing the beds, then you need to start feeding the berries from the third year of life.
The berries are collected after the dew has disappeared. They ripen unevenly. During harvesting, all ripe fruits are picked. During fruiting, up to 60 large berries are obtained from one bush of the “Tsaritsa” variety.
Another important stage is the protection of plants during frosty winters with little snow.
The ridges are covered in early November with available material - sawdust, straw, spruce branches, paper, covering material. In areas with strong winds, the shelter must be fixed. Experienced summer residents place rotted manure, peat or compost under the covering material. This serves as additional heating and nutrition for the root system of the “Tsaritsa” strawberry.
Reviews
To fully become familiar with the benefits of the “Tsarina” variety of strawberries, you need to find out the opinions and reviews of gardeners on whose plot this variety is already growing.
The “Tsarina” planted with a mustache in the fall does not bloom this year, the bushes are powerful and do not get sick. What is the reason? This has not happened; we have been growing this variety for several years.
Good afternoon.
There may be several reasons for the lack of flowering of strawberries. Let's list the main ones:
• Failure to comply with planting deadlines. The optimal time is mid to late August. At worst, early September. If you plant strawberries later, you shouldn’t expect them to bloom in the spring. It will bloom only next year.
• Lack/excess of nutrients. Strawberries react especially sharply to excess nitrogen. It begins to fatten, flowering is either very sparse or completely absent.
• Violation of planting rules, such as: incorrect choice of location (strawberries love the sun), incorrect planting depth.
• Climatic conditions. In frosty winter or spring, during return frosts, the so-called “hearts” of strawberries can freeze out.