Content
Strawberries are one of the most popular berries among gardeners and are distinguished by their great variety. Breeders annually develop new “improved” varieties and hybrids with improved characteristics. These include the Sensation strawberry, which is recognized as very promising by both experts and amateur gardeners.
History of selection
Strawberry Sensation is one of the latest achievements of breeders from the Netherlands. The originator is the world famous company Flevo Berry B.V., specializing not only in this, but also in other berry crops. New strawberries appeared on the European and Russian markets in 2016. It has not yet been included in the domestic State Register of Selection Achievements.
Sensation was the first variety created under the Flevo Berry program.The breeders' goal is a series of hybrids of medium maturity, suitable for cultivation on an industrial scale, capable of producing abundant harvests even with a lack of sunlight.
By the way, “Sensation” is not quite the correct name. Initially, it was planned to name the new strawberry variety Sunsation (a kind of “mix” of the English words “sun” and “sensation”). But it turned out that breeders from the Netherlands were already ahead of specialists from another brand. So we had to rename it Sonsation.
In Russian, this name should have sounded like “Sonsation,” but those who “promoted” the new variety of strawberries on the domestic market did not pay attention (accidentally or intentionally, for the sake of harmonious pronunciation) to the “wrong” letter. As a result, the name Sensation quickly and successfully “took root” among Russian gardeners.
Breeders, creating the Sensation strawberry, seemed to “take as a model” the well-known Sonata variety
Description and characteristics of the strawberry variety Sensation
Sensation is a non-remontant variety of day-neutral strawberries. According to the originators, it is extremely versatile - suitable for planting not only in open beds, but also for year-round cultivation in greenhouses. Strawberries Sensation also produces good yields when cultivated in the hanging form, in hydroponics, or in film tunnels.
Its bushes are powerful, tall (35-40 cm), but quite compact, medium spreading, densely leafy. Not too many whiskers are formed, but enough for reproduction. The flower stalks are relatively strong, multi-primed, do not rise above the level of the leaves, and often droop under the weight of the berries.
Characteristics of fruits, taste
The first fruits of the Sensation strawberry are comb-shaped and weigh up to 50-60 g. The main harvest “shrinks” to 25-35 g. The shape of the berries changes to round-conical or heart-shaped. Judging by the photos and reviews from gardeners, the strawberries Sensation fully correspond to the description of the variety given by the originator.
The skin of the berries is thin, bright scarlet, shiny, as if smeared with oil. Depending on growing conditions and weather, a pinkish or orange undertone sometimes appears in spring. The color of the Strawberry Sensation is even, without a white spot at the stalk. The seeds are small, yellowish-pink, superficial.
The pulp is medium-dense, fleshy, very juicy and tender, white-pink in color. On bushes obtained by propagation by mustaches, in the first season there are often small voids in the berries. Strawberry Sensation has a distinct “strawberry” aroma.
Its taste is very balanced - not blandly sweet, but with a light refreshing “pineapple” sourness. Professional tasters detect notes of raspberry and peach in it and in the aftertaste. Officially, the taste of strawberries Sensation is rated at 5.5-5.9 points (with a maximum of nine points), but almost everyone who has tried the berries believes that this criterion is unfairly underestimated.
Strawberry pulp Sensation with such a bright skin seems pale, but this is a feature of the variety
Strawberries are consumed mainly fresh. The berries are also suitable for decorating desserts and are used as a filling for baked goods. The fruits can be frozen and processed into jams and preserves.
Ripening time, yield and keeping quality
The ripening period for Sensation strawberries is average.The harvest begins towards the end of the first half of June. In warm southern regions with a subtropical climate, the variety can be regarded as mid-early. The berries are harvested at the very beginning of summer. Fruiting lasts for at least three weeks, more often for a month.
During the season, 1-1.8 kg of berries are harvested from a bush at the age of 2-3 years. This “scatter” is explained by different climatic conditions. There is no extensive experience in cultivating Sensation strawberries yet, so the average indicators are difficult to determine. Breeders believe that compared to Sonata and Elsanta, which are well known to gardeners, this variety produces 20-25% more berries.
Extended fruiting of strawberries The sensation is often considered a plus by amateur gardeners, but for professional farmers it is a minus
The almost complete absence of barren flowers clearly contributes to the consistently high yield. The variety is self-pollinating, the flowers are bisexual, with high-quality pollen. Therefore, fruit ovaries are actively formed, even if in the spring the weather is not very suitable for the “work” of pollinating insects.
The low density of the Sensation strawberry pulp determines its relatively low transportability. Berries wrinkle even when transported over short distances. Therefore, despite the fact that the originator positions the variety as commercial, its suitability for cultivation on an industrial scale is highly questionable.
Growing regions, frost resistance
The cold resistance of the Sensation strawberry, according to the originator, is sufficient for cultivation without shelter in a temperate climate.But the experience of Russian gardeners shows that it is distinguished by its endurance and ability to adapt to the unfavorable climate of the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.
Provided shelter, strawberries Sensatsia overwinter in these regions without harm. It rarely suffers from recurring spring frosts. With slight freezing, the bushes quickly recover.
Of course, in climatic conditions that are far from optimal, the Sensation strawberry needs more careful care. And you can’t count on record harvests.
Strawberry branches and ovaries Sensation rarely suffer from exposure to low temperatures
Resistance to diseases and pests
Minimal growing experience does not yet allow us to objectively judge the resistance of Sensation strawberries to pathogenic microflora and pests. She definitely does not have “innate” immunity to any diseases. But, according to breeders, it is affected by diseases and insects no more often than other popular varieties. And it almost never suffers from gray and root rot. Gardeners who grow Sensation strawberries in their garden plots note that they are often attacked by thrips and are susceptible to late blight.
Advantages of the variety
The fact that strawberries Sensation may soon become very popular among amateur gardeners is indicated by the following advantages:
- possibility of cultivation in different ways;
- relative ease of care;
- consistently high productivity, fruiting extended over time;
- frost resistance and resistance to returning spring colds sufficient for a temperate climate (central Russia);
- ability to tolerate heat and short drought without compromising the quality of the fruit;
- generally good immunity;
- ease of reproduction, high survival rate of planting material;
- undemanding to the quality of the substrate (strawberry Sensation bears fruit even in heavy soil);
- one-dimensionality and attractive appearance of the berries;
- excellent taste of strawberries, almost complete versatility of its purpose.
The presentability of the Sensation strawberry is clearly one of the important factors determining a gardener’s choice in favor of this variety.
There is conflicting information regarding whether the harvest depends on the weather in spring and summer. According to most gardeners, the quality of berries does not change with abundant rainfall. Even if it rains often, Sensation strawberries remain sweet. But in cool, cloudy weather, it loses its aroma, becomes watery, and more voids appear in the pulp.
Disadvantages of strawberries Sensation
Strawberries Sensation also have disadvantages:
- low transportability;
- prone to late blight and thrips;
- problems with separating ripe berries from the fruit (the soft pulp is very wrinkled);
- the need to renew plantings relatively often (every three years).
The relative disadvantages of Sensation strawberries are the presence of voids in individual berries and their unsuitability for whole-fruit canning. But the first drawback is typical only for fruits collected during the season after planting, and not all gardeners make strawberry compotes.
Reproduction methods
It cannot be said that Sensation strawberry bushes form a lot of mustaches, but planting material is not in short supply. This method of reproduction is provided by nature itself, so new specimens take root easily.
To obtain seedlings, you need to select in advance several completely healthy, abundantly fruiting 2-3-year-old bushes. In spring, all flower stalks are cut off, preventing buds from forming. When mustaches begin to form, leave 5-8 of the most powerful and developed ones. The highest quality planting material is the rosette closest to the bush. But, as a rule, they use the second one too.
The resulting rosettes of leaves with roots that have grown to 1-1.5 cm in length are “pinned” to the ground with pieces of wire or planted in plastic peat cups. In the second half of August or early September, new rosettes of Sensation strawberries are separated from the mother plant and transferred to the chosen location.
Don’t be “greedy” and leave too many daughter rosettes: they will turn out weak and underdeveloped
Planting and care
The originator positions the strawberry variety Sensation as cold-, drought- and heat-resistant, capable of producing good yields in substrates of varying quality and undemanding in care. Therefore, even inexperienced gardeners can cultivate it. Plants require mostly standard agricultural technology, but there are still some nuances.
Sensation strawberry bushes are quite compact. But they absolutely cannot stand crowded conditions in the garden. Therefore, when planting, leave a minimum of 35-40 cm between them, maintaining row spacing of about 50 cm wide. No more than four bushes are planted per 1 m² in open ground.
When the garden is “crowded,” the risk of developing fungal and other diseases in strawberries rarely increases.
Abundant harvests of Sensation strawberries greatly deplete the plants.Therefore, they need increased doses of fertilizers. Feeding is applied four times per season:
- in the bud formation phase;
- after picking the first berries;
- 3-4 weeks after the end of fruiting;
- in mid-September, in preparation for winter.
Sensation bushes are fed exclusively with store-bought complex fertilizers designed specifically for strawberries. The originator notes the special sensitivity of plants to magnesium deficiency in the soil. If there is a shortage of it, the growth of green mass is very slow, and the yield decreases sharply.
To maintain the fertility of the substrate, it is necessary to distribute humus or rotted compost over the garden bed once every 2-3 years in the spring. 5-7 l/m² is enough.
When buying fertilizers for strawberries Sensation, you should definitely study the composition
Strawberries Sensation, if it’s warm outside and there’s no rain, water them once every 3-4 days. The norm for an adult plant is 2-3 liters of water. The preferred watering method is one in which drops of water do not fall on leaves, flowers and berries.
Strawberry Sensation has a very negative attitude towards weeds. Therefore, it is advisable to mulch the bed. Mulch not only prevents them from germinating, but also allows you to increase the intervals between waterings and loosen the soil less often. A hard crust does not form on its surface, this ensures oxygen access to the roots.
The most dangerous disease for Sensation strawberries is late blight. It is characterized by both forms of development - chronic and transient. In the first case, the plant can live for another year or two, but the flower stalks are deformed, the leaves curl and turn gray, very few berries ripen on them, they are almost tasteless.Such plants can still be saved by treating them with fungicides.
Transient late blight is much more dangerous. Plants affected by it wither and dry out within a few days. If you remove them from the soil, you can see rotted black-brown roots.
To prevent the disease at the beginning and end of the growing season, as well as in the summer, if damp, cool weather persists for a long time, Sensation strawberry bushes and the soil in the garden are sprayed with a solution of any copper-containing preparation.
Bushes affected by transient late blight are removed from the garden bed as quickly as possible, and the soil in this area is disinfected
Thrips are quite effectively repelled by any strong odors. Therefore, onions, garlic, and any herbs are planted in the bed with Sensation strawberries and between the rows. The pests themselves look like small black “sticks”. The areas of tissue affected by them change color to yellowish-beige and dry out. To combat thrips, use any universal insecticides (preferably of biological origin).
Thrips feed on plant sap and affect many garden crops.
Preparing for winter
Whether the Sensation strawberry needs shelter is determined based on the long-term weather forecast for the winter. Most gardeners, even living in temperate climates, prefer to play it safe.
Before covering the Sensation strawberries, the bed is cleared of plant and other debris, the layer of mulch is renewed, bringing its thickness to 6-8 cm, or the soil is covered with spruce branches. It is advisable to add humus to the base of the bushes in a small mound.Next, arcs are installed over the plantings and any air-permeable covering material is pulled over them in 2-3 layers.
Humus is a kind of “insulation” for strawberry roots
Conclusion
Strawberry Sensation was originally conceived by breeders as a variety intended for cultivation on an industrial scale. But the experience of growing on personal plots shows that it has all the prerequisites to become popular among amateur gardeners. The relative ease of care, ease of propagation and general hardiness are very successfully complemented by good yield, outstanding taste and presentability of the berries.
