Strawberry is one of the most beloved delicacies of both children and adults.
The appearance of these red berries symbolizes the beginning of summer, holidays and vacations.
Despite the fact that in some stores this product can be purchased at any time of the year, most people understand that this is not a strawberry, but the result of the work of the chemical industry.
Therefore, gardeners are trying to grow their own bushes in order to get a huge harvest, freeze some of the berries, and in the winter to indulge themselves with dumplings or strawberry pies.
The most famous variety of garden strawberries (strawberries) is the Queen Elizabeth variety.
In general, these "Korolev" two - "Queen Elizabeth I" and "Queen Elizabeth II". The second variety is almost identical to the first, but there is one key difference between them. The second "Queen" is a remontnaya strawberry, that is, its bushes bear fruit almost all the time, starting in spring and ending in the beginning of autumn. But the first “Queen” needs a certain length of daylight for fruiting, that is, the plants will form fruits until a certain moment, until the length of the daylight reaches a certain milestone.
The first "Queen Elizabeth" still remains a very popular variety, even with an improved version of herself. Bushes are very powerful, as for strawberries, the leaves are large, light green in color.
In the fruiting bushes step when the length of the day reaches 8 hours, and the duration of this process is approximately a month. Plants form a lot of whiskerswith which the strawberry itself multiplies, the flower stalks form standing, are located approximately at the same level with the leaves.
The fruits are very large and beautiful, with a dense structure, glossy surface and typical strawberry shape. Most fruits are almost identical in appearance and weight.
If you properly care for the bushes, then they can give such a harvest, each berry in which will reach 40 g!
If the temperature in the summer is not very high, then the fruits increase in size even more and can catch an apple in average weight - this is about 100 g. As for taste, then it is simply gorgeous, dessert.
The flesh has a delicious aroma, red in color, very juicy and dense. Productivity is very highIn the spring, you can collect 1 kg of berries from a single plant.
The first fruits can be removed from the garden at the beginning of June, and if the weather is favorable enough, even earlier.
The frost resistance of this variety is at a height, but the bushes for the winter will still have to be covered so that the autumn flower stalks do not die under low temperatures.
It is necessary to remember that the transplantation of bushes should be done preferably in a year, because the quality of the fruit depends on the plant's age: the longer the bush stays in the garden, the worse the harvest will be from it.
The only disadvantage of this variety is that it loses to its follower - the second “Queen”. The second "Queen" fruits 2 - 3 times, due to this, the yield will be much higher.
About the features of planting varieties
There is a lot of time for planting strawberry seedlings. It is best to drift seedlings in the period from July to August, so that the plants can fully take root in the open field. If it is not possible to prikopat strawberries in this period, then this can be done in early spring and autumn, about 15 to 20 days before the onset of frost.
Seedlings can be bought, you can also grow it yourself from seed or mustache. In principle, the procedure for growing seedlings is the same as for other crops. Strawberry seedlings need a lot of light, heat and moisture in the air, so you should take care of this in advance.
Need constantly maintain water balance in the soil, so that the roots of young bushes do not feel the lack of water. After 20-25 days, the first shoots should appear in the boxes with the planted seeds.
After sprouting the container with them needs to be put either on the south or east side of the apartment. If there is no such possibility, then artificial lighting with special fitolamps is quite suitable.
The air temperature around the seedlings should be at + 20 + 25 ̊С. Picks should be done after the first true leaflets grow on the stem. Moreover, the seedlings should be transplanted in such a capacity that the interval between two growths is approximately 2-3 cm.
After the fifth leaf is formed, it will be possible to drop the seedlings. This moment should approximately coincide in the last days of May. It is necessary to drop in according to this scheme: 60 cm - the distance between adjacent beds, 15 cm - the distance between adjacent bushes.
You can also plant strawberries differently, namely in 2 happy bushes on the same bed.
That is, the bed will consist of two rows, the spacing between which should be about 30 cm, the distance between plants 15 - 20 cm, and adjacent lines should be separated from each other by 60 cm.
When planting in the spring or autumn is recommended to use the second scheme. If you plan to drift seedlings in the summer, then you need to do this, following the first scheme.
Care tips for Queen Elizabeth
For strawberries, soil moisture is very important, so in summer, in hot weather, watering should be done daily. Before the plants begin to bloom, you can apply the rain method of watering.
After the beginning of flowering, water will need to be poured into the furrows so that no drops will fall on the fruits and shoots. It is also desirable to mulch the land with sawdust to limit the growth of weeds.
After ten to twelve days, you will need to check the beds for seedling survival. Those seedlings that could not get used to the open field will need to be removed, and in their place to plant new ones.
Fertilizers can be applied both during planting and throughout the entire period of growth of the bush. In the first case during the year it will not be necessary to feed the bushes.If not, then in the spring it will be necessary to saturate the earth with the whole spectrum of mineral fertilizers, that is, with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
After you take the crop from the bushes, the preparatory process begins. For this you will need feed bushes nystrofoskoy, and later to shelter from bad weather and falling temperatures.
The most common diseases of strawberry are late blight and powdery mildew. If you do not take action in time, then there is a risk that the harvest will suffer greatly, and you will not get the expected effect.
To prevent powdery mildew infection or to cure the bushes, it will be necessary to treat the plants with a colloidal solution of sulfur or fungicides.
Late blight occurs when there is an excess of moisture in the soil, and also in the event that the planting material was initially bad. Therefore, if you notice bad gray leaves on your strawberries, you will immediately need to drain the ground using a drainage system.
With a systematic approach to growing strawberries, no problems should arise.
The more you work with these plants, the more experience you will have.Therefore, do not extinguish and safely plant the bushes of this magnificent berry on your site.
