Content
Strawberry Florida Beauty is a new American variety. It is distinguished by very tasty and beautiful berries with pronounced sweetness. Suitable for fresh consumption and for all kinds of preparations. Good keeping quality and transportability allow fruits to be transported over long distances.
History of selection
Strawberry Florida Beauty, bred in the USA at the University of Florida and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The variety was successfully tested in 2015–2016. in central and western Florida. Received patents PP20,363 and PP25,574.
The variety appeared in Russia in 2019. The novelty immediately spread to different regions. Florida Beauty strawberries are a day-neutral variety - you can get 2-3 harvests per season. The variety is not included in the Russian register of breeding achievements.
Description of Florida Beauty strawberry variety and characteristics
Strawberry Florida Beauty is little known in the Russian Federation.The variety has good winter hardiness, so it can be grown in regions with different climatic conditions. The culture is resistant to a number of diseases.
Characteristics of fruits, taste
Florida Beauty strawberries produce attractive bright red berries. The shape is regular, conical, the color is uniform, the skin is shiny. It is thanks to this that the variety got its name (translated from English as “Beauty of Florida”).
All berries are large (including the last harvest), average weight is 50 g. The taste is balanced, dessert, with delicate sourness and pronounced sweetness. The pulp is juicy, without voids, the consistency is dense.
Ripening time, yield and keeping quality
Florida Beauty is an early ripening strawberry: flowering begins at the end of May, ripening occurs in the last ten days of June. The main wave of fruiting occurs in the first summer month. The originator claims the ability to harvest 3-4 times per season. In the conditions of central Russia, 2 collections seem possible, in the southern regions - 3 waves.
The yield is high - from 1 to 1.5 kg is harvested from one bush. All fruits are suitable for transportation; they can be stored in the refrigerator or in a cool room for up to seven days.
Florida Beauty variety has high yield
Growing regions, frost resistance
The originator claims that strawberries are highly winter-hardy. But in Russia, the Florida Beauty variety has not been grown for long enough. Therefore, you can choose the middle zone, the Black Earth Region, the Volga region and the south as territories. You can try planting bushes in other regions, for example, in the North-West and the Urals.
In regions with cold winters, it is advisable to cultivate the crop under a film - thanks to this, maximum yield can be achieved.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The sustainability of Florida Beauty strawberries is quite good. There is immunity to root rot and phytosporosis. The crop tolerates anthracnose to a lesser extent. The variety is not resistant enough to berry rot. It is affected by powdery mildew, therefore it requires mandatory preventive treatments, which are carried out in May-June, i.e. before the formation of berries. You can use any effective fungicide:
- Bordeaux mixture;
- "Signum";
- "Horus";
- "Fitosporin";
- "Teldur";
- "Maxim" and others.
Florida Beauty strawberry bushes can suffer from slugs, weevils, aphids, spider mites and other pests. They need to be fought with folk remedies, for example, insect repellents are treated with solutions:
- tobacco dust;
- wood ash with soap;
- garlic cloves;
- onion peel;
- mustard powder.
During the fruiting period, treatment can only be carried out with biological preparations, for example:
- "Fitoverm";
- "Vertimek";
- "Bitoxibacillin."
In extreme cases, chemical insecticides are used, for example, Akarin, Karbofos, Inta-Vir, Aktara and others. Berries can be picked only 3–5 days after processing.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Strawberry Florida Beauty is a new variety, but some gardeners have already appreciated its benefits. The bushes produce very tasty and large berries with a glossy surface. If agricultural practices are followed, the yield reaches 1.5 kg per plant.
Florida Beauty strawberries are large and regular in shape
Pros:
- excellent taste with pronounced sweetness;
- high yield in 2–3 waves;
- large berries;
- attractive presentation;
- good immunity;
- transportability;
- keeping quality up to 7 days.
Minuses:
- bushes produce too many whiskers;
- In the northern regions, yields are low.
Reproduction methods
The main method of propagation of the Florida Beauty variety is by rooting the mustache. The plant produces many shoots. As soon as they appear in early summer, they can be immediately cut off and planted in moist, fertile and light soil to a depth of 3-4 cm.
Adult bushes can and should be divided - the procedure is repeated every 3 years. This allows you to obtain new seedlings and maintain high yields. Dividing begins at the end of May or in the last days of August, after harvesting.
Florida Beauty strawberry bushes are dug up and placed in jars with settled water. After a few hours, the roots are separated by cutting off the tangled hairs with a knife. Then the seedlings are transferred to a new place and watered. With the onset of the first frost (below 0 degrees), carefully mulch and cover with agrofibre or other materials.
Planting and care
In the case of the Florida Beauty variety, three planting dates are allowed:
- at the end of April or at the beginning of May, as soon as the soil warms up;
- in the last ten days of July;
- from August 20 to 31 or in the first ten days of September, 1–1.5 months before frost.
The requirements for the site are standard - it must be completely open and well lit. The landing site is chosen not in a lowland, but on a slight hill. If possible, the site should be protected from strong winds.A suitable soil type is loamy or sandy loam with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction (pH from 5 to 7). The land should be light and fertile. A month before planting, it needs to be prepared by adding a bucket of humus and 200 g of ash per 1 m2. If the soil is clayey, then add 500–800 g of sawdust or sand to the same area.
Standard landing pattern:
- placement order: checkerboard;
- the interval between bushes is 30 cm;
- spacing between rows 50 cm;
- the orientation of the beds is in the north-south direction.
If the weather is cloudy, then work in the garden can be carried out during the daytime. Immediately after this, the soil must be mulched with sawdust, straw, agrofibre or other material.
When planting, it is recommended to leave the root collar flush with the surface, and also ensure that the roots do not break.
Agricultural technology for growing Florida Beauty strawberries includes several important rules, the observance of which directly affects the yield:
- Water regularly, starting from mid-April until the second half of September. It is necessary to ensure that the soil remains moderately moist to the depth of the little finger (5 cm).
- Loosening (especially after watering and rain) and weeding are carried out regularly.
- In May and June, a lot of mustaches appear - they need to be trimmed, but not immediately, but as they grow. Strong rosettes are left for reproduction.
Fertilizing is applied 4 times per season - the scheme is described in the table.
Term | Development phase | Necessary fertilizer |
April 1–10 | The beginning of active growth | 2 kg of manure per bucket of water is infused for 3 days, measure 0.5 liters per bucket; water 1 liter of this solution per bush |
May 20–31 | Appearance of flower stalks | Potassium nitrate (10 g per 10 l): 0.5 l of solution per bush |
July 1–15 | End of the first wave of maturation | Mullein (1:10) with superphosphate (50 g per 10 l) and wood ash (100 g per 10 l): 1 l of solution per bush |
August 20–31 | The last harvest | 250 g of ash per 10 l: 1 l of solution per bush |
Preparing for winter
To grow healthy and tasty Florida Beauty strawberries, as in the description of the variety and in the photo, summer residents in reviews recommend insulating the plantings for the winter. If in the south it is enough to cut off old leaves and lay a small layer of mulch at the end of November, then in other regions it is necessary to create a full-fledged shelter.
Insulation of Florida Beauty strawberries with agrofibre creates an optimal microclimate in winter
When the first frosts occur (slightly below 0 °C), change the layer of mulch - sawdust, small chips or spruce branches work well. Then they are covered with spunbond or other material.
Conclusion
Strawberry Florida Beauty is a new American variety that lovers of sweet berries will surely appreciate. Characterized by good yield and winter hardiness. The berries are large and marketable, so you can grow them both for yourself and for sale.
Reviews of Florida Beauty strawberries
