Content
Elan, a high-yielding strawberry variety, was appreciated by many gardeners from the best side. By its origin, the culture is a hybrid. It is successfully grown in open and closed ground, as well as in vertical beds. The novelty of the Dutch selection of Elan strawberries is distinguished by a long fruiting period, which lasts until the onset of frost.
Dutch hybrid characteristics
Getting acquainted with the description of the Elan strawberry variety, photos, reviews, it is worth noting the origin. The culture is the brainchild of Dutch breeders. For domestic gardeners, the hybrid is new, but has already spread to all regions with a warm climate.
The popularity of the culture has brought positive characteristics. Elan F1 will give birth to strawberries from early June to late autumn, until night frosts hit. Powerful bushes throw out a large number of whiskers, thanks to which many rosettes with peduncles are formed. The berries are set large, with an average weight of 30-60 g. The hybrid is grown in an open, closed way and even in flower pots. In the greenhouse repair strawberry Elan produces more crops than outside. The growing season also increases. Adaptation to closed cultivation allows Elan to be planted in heated greenhouses in cold regions. The best planting scheme is considered to be 5-6 seedlings per 1 m2.
The hybrid does not require much maintenance. The standard procedures used for all strawberries are in demand: weeding, watering, feeding, trimming the mustache. With a closed cultivation method, the yield per bush per season reaches 2 kg. In the open field, the indicator is less - up to 1.5 kg. The berries grow in a conical shape. Ripe pulp is dense, juicy, becomes red and has a pronounced strawberry aroma.
Positive and negative qualities of the hybrid
There are rarely bad reviews about Elan's remontant strawberry, which indicates the absence of significant shortcomings. The positive features include:
- stable and high yield;
- excellent taste and pleasant aroma;
- a long period of fruiting, which can continue in a heated greenhouse until December;
- Elan bushes thrive in low light;
- the hybrid is resistant to damage by pathogens of fungal and bacterial diseases;
- with open cultivation, the Elan strawberry variety can withstand severe winters and summer temperature fluctuations;
- remontant strawberries do not require special care, they grow in one place for 3 years, and then they are transplanted so that the berries are not chopped;
- Elan strawberries are versatile and suitable for all types of processing, decorating confectionery, freezing.
To the disadvantage of the Elan variety, gardeners attribute the obligatory procedures of abundant feeding in the fall. Long-term fruiting depletes the bushes. If strawberries do not replenish the lost nutrients, then in winter, weak plants will freeze out. The remaining bushes in the spring will bring a poor harvest.
Planting seedlings
You can propagate the Elan variety with a mustache, purchased seedlings, dividing a bush or using a seed method. The first three options are easier.If you managed to get only seeds, then you will have to grow seedlings of remontant strawberries on your own:
- Sowing strawberry seeds is similar to the process for other garden crops. The boxes are filled with a substrate from garden soil and humus. You can buy ready-made soil. Sowing seeds of the Elan hybrid is carried out in rows. From above, the grains are crushed with soil and river sand. Watering is carried out with a spray. The boxes with the seeded seeds of the hybrid are covered with foil and sent to a warm room.
- After the mass germination of crops, the boxes are opened. After a couple of days, the air temperature is lowered to +18aboutFROM.
- A month later, the grown seedlings of the Elan hybrid dive into the cups, where they will grow until they are planted in the garden.
On an open bed, strawberry seedlings of the Elan variety are planted in early May, when the weather is warm. With the greenhouse method of growing, they adhere to the early dates of planting. Hybrid Elan, like all strawberries, loves areas well-lit by the sun, ventilated, but without drafts. The maximum permissible groundwater level is 80 cm. If the layers are higher, Elan seedlings may get wet. The acidity index of the soil before planting is adjusted to 5.7–6.2.
A bed for Elan strawberry seedlings is prepared in the fall or a month before planting. The site is cleared of weeds. The earth is dug onto the bayonet of a shovel simultaneously with the introduction of organic and mineral fertilizers. On the bed, rows are marked with a row spacing of 50 cm.Every 30 cm, a hole is dug. The seedling is removed from the cup, and, together with a lump of earth, is lowered into the hole. After backfilling, the soil around the bush is pressed by hand, and then watered with warm water.
Features of growing and care
Unpretentious care does not mean that the Elan variety will grow and bear fruit well on its own. To get a good harvest, you need to perform simple steps:
- moist, but not swampy soil is maintained in the garden to ensure good growth of the bush and pouring berries;
- in the spring, mulching of the soil is carried out, which allows you to retain moisture and prevents the flowers from touching the ground;
- all the first flowers on newly planted seedlings are plucked;
- a maximum of 5 whiskers are left on each bush, and all the rest are cut off;
- do not allow overgrowing of the beds, otherwise the yield will decrease, and the berries will grow small;
- cutting off excess foliage allows you to direct nutrients to the development of berries;
- the autumn transplantation of seedlings is performed before the onset of frost, so that the strawberries take root and endure wintering;
- top dressing is applied in spring and summer, but the most necessary one is in autumn, when the plant needs to recuperate after prolonged fruiting;
- organic and mineral complexes are used for feeding, but you cannot overdo it with the dosage, otherwise juicy foliage will grow instead of tasty berries;
- for the winter, a bed of Elan strawberries is covered with mulch, spruce branches or agrofibre.
If Elan strawberries are grown in a closed way, remember to ventilate the greenhouse, maintain the temperature and provide artificial lighting.
Pest control and preventive measures
According to reviews and descriptions, Elan strawberries are resistant to diseases, but the culture is not immune from the epidemic. Mass infection of the fungus is observed in rainy summers. The whole plant is affected: foliage, berries, stems, roots. During an epidemic, there is a threat of brown spot disease, fusarium wilt. Powdery mildew is a great danger. Ants, ticks, weevils and other harmful insects bring additional damage to the crop.
Strawberry diseases can be avoided if preventive measures are taken in a timely manner:
- After wintering, the top layer of the earth is changed on the garden bed.Since autumn, harmful insects hide in the ground, and with the onset of heat, they begin to wake up and eat young shoots of strawberries.
- The land around the bushes is loosened after each watering. Weeding helps to get rid of weeds and increases oxygen supply to the roots.
- Damaged leaves, peduncles and berries are cut off. Remove excess mustache.
- Watering is done regularly, but does not allow waterlogging of the beds. From oversaturation with moisture, the berries and the strawberry root system will rot.
- Strawberry plantations are sprayed with prophylactic drugs. Ash is used to fight parasites.
Prevention helps to avoid contamination of strawberries even in the event of an epidemic.
Layered growing method
In small areas, you can grow a lot of strawberries in high beds. The most popular are the tiered structures in the form of a pyramid. Boxes of different sizes are filled with soil and stacked on top of each other. With such success, you can use flower pots or build a pyramid of boards.
The Elan hybrid grows on a high pyramid no worse than on a garden bed. Harvesting becomes easier for the gardener. The berries are always clean, as there is no possibility of contact with the ground. To organize watering, gardeners equip a drip system. It is inconvenient to water the upper tiers with a watering can. For the winter, the pyramid is wrapped in two layers of dense agrofibre. Bushes with soil from above are covered with mulch. A good result is obtained if the side walls are insulated with foam when making the pyramid. Thermal insulation in winter will prevent the soil from freezing, and in summer it will protect it from excessive heating by the sun.
A tiered bed with strawberries can replace a beautiful flower garden and decorate the yard. The pyramid looks spectacular all summer, hung with red berries. Marigolds can be planted between the bushes. Flowers will decorate the garden and protect the strawberries from nematodes. A couple of undersized sage bushes are planted near the pyramid. On the upper tier of the pyramid, you can plant a marshmallow bush to shade the strawberries from the scorching rays of the sun.
Testimonials
Gardeners leave a lot of reviews about Elan's strawberries, and now we will consider the most interesting of them.
