Content
Strawberry Zenga Zengana was bred in 1954 by German scientists. Over time, it became widespread in personal gardens and farm plantations due to its high yield and excellent taste.
The variety is well adapted to the Russian climate, is frost-resistant and unpretentious. Below is a description of the variety, photos, reviews of Zenga Zengana strawberries.
Description of the variety
Zenga Zengana is a variety that can bear fruit in short daylight hours. Fruit buds are laid when the day lasts up to 12 hours.
The variety blooms with 14 hours of daylight. After flowering, the strawberry crop ripens within a month. The variety is characterized by late ripening, since fruiting occurs in mid-June.
Characteristics of the bush
The external characteristics of the variety are as follows:
- tall bush with a large number of medium-sized leaves;
- weak tendency to form a mustache;
- the location of the flowers is at the level of the leaves or slightly lower.
Features of berries
The description of Zenga Zengan strawberry is as follows:
- average weight of berries – 10 g;
- the first specimens reach 40 g, as fruiting progresses the berries become smaller;
- deep red berries;
- with increased exposure to the sun, strawberries turn dark red;
- dense juicy pulp;
- uniform coloring of the berries of the variety;
- cone-shaped, expanding at the stalk;
- pleasant sweet and sour taste;
- bright strawberry aroma;
- yield up to 1.5 kg from one bush of the variety.
According to the description of Zenga Zengana strawberries, its fruits are suitable for various types of processing: freezing, drying, making jam or compote.
Boarding order
Strawberries are planted in early spring or autumn. It is recommended to purchase seedlings of the variety from specialized centers or nurseries. The variety is propagated by means of a mustache or by dividing the bush. After choosing a planting site, you need to fertilize the soil, and then begin planting work.
Choosing a suitable location
Strawberry Zenga Zengana prefers small slopes located on the southwestern side of the site. In such areas, the crop ripens much faster. Lowlands and areas prone to flooding in spring are not suitable for planting.
The variety grows best on light chernozem soils. A few weeks before planting, the soil is dug up and removed. weeds and plant remains. If the groundwater level is high (less than 60 cm), you need to build high beds.
Heavy clay soils should be fertilized with peat, sand and compost. A universal fertilizer for the variety is a mixture of wood ash and mullein.For each square meter of beds you can add superphosphate (100 g), potassium salt (60 g) and humus (10 kg).
Carrying out planting work
For planting, choose plants that have powerful roots more than 7 cm long and at least 5 formed leaves. The root system of the seedlings must first be placed in a growth stimulator.
Strawberries are planted at intervals of 20 cm. After 30 cm, a second row is formed. The two-line planting scheme assumes that the next two rows need to be done every 70 cm. This planting method is considered the best for the variety, since the plants are ensured normal development without unnecessary thickening.
In the beds, holes are dug 15 cm deep, in which a small mound is formed. Seedlings of the variety are placed on it, the roots of which are carefully straightened. The strawberry seedling is covered with soil, compacted a little and watered abundantly.
Rules of care
The Zenga Zengana variety requires standard care, which includes watering, fertilizing and autumn treatment. If this order is followed, the productivity and resistance of strawberries to external factors increases.
Watering strawberries
Strawberry Zenga Zengana does not tolerate prolonged drought and lack of moisture. Under such conditions, a significant reduction in yield occurs.
After planting, the plants are watered every day for the next 2 weeks. Then longer intervals of 1-2 days are made between procedures.
Strawberries of this variety respond well to abundant watering, which occurs rarely, rather than to constant addition of moisture in small quantities.Plants are watered at the root in the morning or evening. The water must first settle and warm up in the sun.
During the flowering and fruiting period, soil moisture must be maintained at a level of up to 80%. After harvesting, watering will allow the variety to form flower buds for the following year.
Fertilizer application
Organic or mineral substances are used to fertilize strawberries. Feeding begins in the autumn by adding humus or rotted manure. These components can be used instead of mulch.
Before the berry blossoms bloom, potassium-based solutions are prepared (potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, wood ash). With their help, the taste of the berries of the variety is improved. Fertilizer is applied when watering the plantings.
In autumn, phosphorus fertilizers (ammophos, diammophos, superphosphate) should be applied. They will increase the yield of the berry garden next year.
Autumn care
With proper autumn care, the Zenga Zengana strawberry will survive the winter well:
- dry, excess and damaged leaves must be trimmed;
- the soil between the bushes should be loosened to a depth of 10 cm;
- plants are hilled up to protect the root system with an additional layer of soil;
- Peat or straw is used to mulch the soil;
- After applying phosphorus fertilizers, the strawberries are watered.
Protection against diseases
The Zenga Zengana variety is the least resistant to gray rot and spotting. However, this variety of strawberry is rarely affected by powdery mildew, verticillium and root diseases. According to reviews of Zenga Zengana strawberries, the variety is also resistant to major pests: strawberry mite, whitefly, leaf beetle, and aphid.
To protect strawberries from diseases, it is recommended to follow the rules of plant care. It is especially important to avoid high humidity, which promotes the spread of fungal spores.
Gray rot
With gray rot, the lesion covers the berries in the form of a layer of mycelium, which spreads spores around. The causative agents of this disease live in the soil and on plant debris and survive frosts in winter and drought in summer.
Any variety of strawberry is susceptible to gray rot, especially in the absence of access to sunlight, dense plantings and high humidity.
To prevent the disease, plants are treated with copper oxychloride or fungicides. The work is carried out before the beginning of the growing season.
Leaf spot
Strawberry blight appears as purple spots on the leaves that turn brown over time. As a result, between August and October, foliage dies off, which negatively affects the winter hardiness and yield of strawberries.
When signs of disease appear, strawberries are treated with chlorine chloride or Bordeaux mixture with a concentration of 1%. Affected plants cannot be treated. They are dug up and destroyed to avoid further spread of the disease.
To prevent spotting, you need to spray strawberries with Fitosporin, remove old castings and keep the area clean. Plants are fed with potassium and phosphorus, which increase their immunity.
Reviews from gardeners
Conclusion
Zenga Zengana is a common variety adapted for cultivation in Russian conditions. Strawberries are distinguished by high yield, sweet and sour taste and pleasant aroma. The variety is susceptible to fungal diseases, especially in high humidity. Caring for strawberries includes standard procedures: watering, fertilizing, treatment for diseases and autumn pruning.
