Content
Strawberries or garden strawberries, as it is correctly called, is one of the most famous and sought-after crops among Russian gardeners. There are many varieties of this berry, but of them, the Daryonka variety can be distinguished - early, well adapted to various conditions of the country and fruitful.
Breeding history
The strawberry variety Darenka was bred by the breeder I. I. Bogdanova at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Parental forms for her were chosen Festivalnaya varieties and Rusanovka.
Description
Daryonka is an early variety of non-remontant strawberries. It has erect, medium-sized bushes, with large and wide, slightly wrinkled and densely pubescent leaves that slightly bend and tilt downward. The petioles of the leaves are medium. The flowers of the strawberry variety Darenka are bisexual, at the same time blooming, white, located on numerous compact peduncles, strong, not lodging, rising above the leaves. Whiskers are light red in color, medium in thickness, formed in moderate quantities.
Daryonka's berries ripen amicably, they are large (from 8 g), of a classic blunt-conical shape, but with a pronounced neck and a smooth shiny dark red skin. Seeds are few in number, slightly immersed in the pulp. The berries come off easily during picking, the cups are also separated from the berries without problems.
Darenka berries are sweet, with a slight sourness. Tasting taste assessment of this variety - 4.4 points out of 5 possible... The flesh of the berries is tender, fleshy, pronounced aroma. Despite their softness, the berries can withstand transportation in specially prepared packaging. The yield of the variety is high, there is no periodicity in fruiting. From 1 bush, you can collect 1.2-1.5 kg of tasty and juicy berries.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Like every variety of strawberries, the Daryonka variety has its pros and cons.
Advantages of the variety | Disadvantages of the variety |
| Not a remontant variety, therefore, in 1 season, it will be possible to get only 1 harvest of berries. |
As you can see, the Daryonka variety has much more advantages than disadvantages, which suggests that this is a variety that deserves to take its place in any garden area.
Reproduction methods
Like other varieties of strawberries, Darenka reproduces with a mustache and dividing bushes, you can also grow it from seeds. The choice of method depends on the capabilities and personal preferences of the gardener.
Mustache
In order to propagate strawberries with a mustache, the healthiest and most prolific young (no older than 2-3 years) bushes should be noted, and the next year, when their mustaches grow, dig in them without tearing them off the mother plants. You need to take for reproduction only mustache of the first order, and not subsequent orders and the largest. At the end of summer, when they take root, they need to be dug up and transplanted into new beds. You can do this in the spring.
By dividing the bush
When transplanting, young strawberry plants Daryonka can be divided into parts and each planted separately. It is necessary to divide carefully and so that a vegetative bud remains on each piece.
Growing from seeds
Another way that can be used to propagate Darenka strawberries is to grow them from seeds. It can be divided into several stages.
Seed preparation for sowing
Before proceeding with planting seeds, they need to be prepared: germinate in wet tissue and stratify at low positive temperatures. These agrotechnical measures will help the seeds germinate faster, become stronger and harder.
Sowing time
Darenka's seeds can be sown already in February-March, then small plants will have time to grow from them by the time it gets completely warmer. You can sow seeds earlier, but in this case they will have to be highlighted.
Sowing in peat tablets
You can grow strawberry seeds not only in the soil, but also in peat tablets. Before sowing, the tablets must be placed in a tray, filled with warm water, and when they swell, sow 1-3 seeds in the center of each of them.
Sowing into soil
The easiest way to grow Darenka strawberries is in containers filled with fertile soil. Sowing it is very simple - just put the seeds on a moistened surface, cover with foil and put in a warm and bright place.
Picking sprouts
When young strawberry plants have 3 leaves, they must be transplanted into individual containers of sufficient volume (at least 5 by 5 cm). A pick is carried out in order to plant plants that are sown too densely and provide them with the necessary space for growth.
Why seeds don't germinate
Strawberry seeds generally take a long and difficult time to germinate, and if they have not been prepared, this process may take a long time. Or they will lack warmth and light, so when growing seedlings from seeds, this must be monitored.
Landing
The seedlings of the Daryonka variety obtained on your farm or purchased will need to be planted in the ground. Here's how to do it.
How to choose seedlings
Good strawberry seedlings should be large, healthy, with a well-developed root system, with rich green leaves. Sluggish, sick and frail seedlings are not suitable for planting.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is better to choose a place on the plot for Darenka strawberries that is sunny, warm, protected from winds and drafts. As for the soil, any type of soil is suitable for this culture, but still it is better if it is a fertile, loose, airy soil. Sour soils are not suitable for strawberries.
Landing scheme
In order for strawberry plants to thrive and bear fruit well, each of them must have a sufficient feeding area. Therefore, you need to plant seedlings at a distance. at least 50 cm apart.
Care
You need to take care of Darenka strawberries in the same way as for plants of other varieties, that is, water, fertilize, and treat diseases.
Spring period
In the spring, as soon as it gets warmer, you need to remove the mulch from the bushes, which protected them in winter. If it gets colder, cover the strawberries with plastic wrap.
Watering and mulching
Both newly planted plants and mature bushes need to be watered so that they can show everything they are capable of. To retain moisture, it is better to mulch the soil around them.
Top dressing by month
The timing of feeding strawberry plants depends on their age. Young bushes planted in autumn can only be fed with mineral fertilizers.
Top dressing | Young strawberry | Adult strawberry |
First feeding | In April, with the beginning of the formation of peduncles | In April, with the appearance of young foliage |
Second feeding |
| In May, before flowering |
Third feeding |
| In May-June, when the fruits begin to form |
Preparing for winter
Although the Daryonka strawberry is winter-hardy, in cold regions it needs to be covered, especially young plants. This should be done when the first frost comes.
Diseases and methods of struggle
The grown plants of this variety can be affected by diseases, so gardeners who decide to grow Darenka need to know what she is sick with and how to deal with it.
Disease | How and what to fight |
White, gray rot | Preventive measures and treatment of infected bushes with fungicides |
Black rot | Remove infected berries and burn them |
Root rot | Dig up and burn diseased bushes, treat the soil with fungicides |
Late blight rot | Compliance with cultivation techniques, treatment of land and seedlings with fungicides |
Powdery mildew | Transplant strawberries to a new place, disinfect the soil |
Fusarium wilting | At the initial stage of infection, treat the bushes with fungicides |
White, black spots | Treat bushes with copper preparations, remove severely affected |
Brown spot | After harvesting, treat the plants with Phytosporin |
Pests and ways to deal with them
Strawberries can be attacked by many pests, for example, weevils, strawberry leaf beetles and mites, spider mites, May beetle larvae, bear, aphids, nematodes, tobacco thrips, slugs, bronze and whitefly can attack it. They harm the bushes and can destroy a significant part of the crop, therefore, agricultural chemistry and folk remedies are used to combat them.
Features of growing in pots
In addition to the traditional cultivation in the garden, you can try to grow this variety of strawberries using new, but already quite popular technology - in pots. Growing berries by this method has its own characteristics, which must be found out about those gardeners who decide to use it.
Conclusion
Daryonka is an interesting variety of early ripening strawberries, which is distinguished by its yield and excellent berry taste. At the same time, he is unpretentious, manages with standard care. If everything is done correctly, Darenka plants will delight the gardener with a harvest of delicious and very fragrant fruits.
