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Experienced gardeners know that not all Dutch strawberry varieties "take root" in Russia, the reason for this is the great difference in climatic conditions. One of the exceptions to this rule is the Korona variety, a strawberry bred and patented in Holland more than forty years ago. Strawberry Crown tolerates frost well, and this is its main, but far from the only plus. Gardeners' reviews of the Dutch variety are mostly positive, so it definitely deserves the attention of both beginners and experienced summer residents.
A detailed description of the Crown strawberry variety, photos and reviews about it can be found in this article. And here is a step-by-step description of agricultural technology for those who want to start a berry with a royal name in their garden.
Characteristics of the variety
The fact that the variety has been successfully cultivated since 1972 testifies to a lot: gardeners prefer the Crown to more modern species, which means that strawberries have a lot of advantages.
The "parents" for Korona were the varieties Tamella and Induka, which endowed strawberries with the main advantage - the ability to withstand temperatures as low as -22 degrees. This allows you to successfully grow berries almost throughout the country. Only in the northernmost regions, the Crown strawberry needs shelter - here it is planted in hotbeds and greenhouses.
A more detailed description of the Korona variety:
- strawberries have a medium early ripening period - the berries ripen en masse in mid-June;
- extended fruiting - the gardener will be able to harvest fresh crops for several weeks;
- usually strawberries are propagated by tendrils, although seed and vegetative methods are also possible;
- the bushes are small in height, but powerful and spreading;
- leaves on the crown are strong, large, shiny;
- medium-sized berries - about 25 grams;
- the shape of the fruit is conical or heart-shaped;
- the color of the Crown is usual - deep red, closer to burgundy;
- the surface of strawberries is shiny, smooth;
- the taste of strawberries is very good: pronounced strawberry aroma, balanced content of sugars and acids, juiciness, meatiness;
- the yield is simply excellent - up to a kilogram of berries can be removed from the bush; on an industrial scale, farmers collect about 14 tons from each hectare;
- the Korona variety is resistant to spotted mosaic, is rarely affected by insects and other pests;
- strawberries are not covered for the winter, the only exceptions are the northern regions of the country.
The Korona strawberry is a versatile berry: it is very tasty fresh, excellent jams and jams are made from the fruits, alcoholic beverages are prepared, berries are used in the cosmetic industry.
Advantages and disadvantages
The variety has many strengths, otherwise it would have sunk into oblivion long ago and was forgotten by gardeners and summer residents. But the Crown also has its drawbacks, which you also need to know about before buying seedlings and growing a crop on your site.
Of the advantages of the garden strawberry Crown, it is worth noting:
- early ripening;
- excellent fruit taste;
- universal purpose;
- high productivity;
- unpretentiousness of culture;
- good frost resistance of the variety.
Of course, in the modern market you can find berries with a more exotic and attractive taste, but such strawberries are not suitable for making jams and jams, and does not guarantee consistently high yields.
Do not forget about the disadvantages of the Korona variety:
- berries have a very delicate pulp, so strawberries do not tolerate transportation and storage;
- fruits are not suitable for freezing;
- strawberries are susceptible to diseases such as gray rot, white spot.
Growing and care
This is not to say that the Korona strawberry is ideal for growing in the open field - like any thermophilic crop, it prefers the conditions of a greenhouse. but in most of the country, strawberries are perfectly grown in the beds, you just need to know how to plant the bushes correctly and how to care for them.
Planting strawberries
First, you need to choose a place where the strawberries will grow. Cereals and legumes are considered the best predecessors for garden strawberries, after which the earth remains loose and disinfected. It will be no worse if you plant strawberries on virgin soil - an untouched piece of land. Previously, the soil must be dug up or plowed with a walk-behind tractor.
In order for the Crown to withstand the summer heat and winter cold well, you need to choose a place protected from drafts and wind, with sufficient sunlight, but also with some protection from the scorching rays. It is in such areas that snow is well retained, and strawberries need it as a shelter from frost.
Garden strawberries are not very picky about the composition of the soil, but the yield will be much better if the soil on the site is loose, nutritious and moisture-intensive. Before planting, the soil must be fertilized with humus, mineral components (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus) must be added, and wood ash must be scattered over the area.
The best time for planting the Korona variety is considered the beginning of May and the period from the first ten days of August to the last days of September.
Planting work is best done in the evening or morning, optimally if the weather is cloudy. Strawberry seedlings should be strong and healthy: there are 4-5 leaves on each bush, the leaves are dense, shiny, the roots are not damaged, they reach a length of 7-10 cm.
The landing holes for the Corona are preliminarily prepared. The distance between them in a row should be at least 50 cm, in the aisles the gardener leaves as much space as he needs to fully care for the bushes. The wells are watered abundantly with water (a bucket for 20 holes) and proceed to planting. Already planted strawberries are watered again and the ground is mulched with peat or humus - this will protect against weeds and premature evaporation of water.
Strawberry garden care
The Korona strawberry variety cannot be called the most unpretentious - in order to collect a decent harvest, the gardener will have to work hard. But this strawberry is also not considered too capricious, because it rarely gets sick, it tolerates bad weather conditions well.
So, competent care for planting strawberries Crown is as follows:
- Top dressing. Abundant fertilization of strawberry beds is an important component of caring for them, because on a meager land, a good strawberry harvest will not work. Garden strawberries respond very well to feeding with organic matter (humus, wood ash, urea), but also loves mineral components (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium). For the entire warm season, the Crown needs to be fed three times: after budding, before flowering and after harvesting.
- The Korona variety has a lot of antennae.On the one hand, this is good, because strawberries will multiply quickly and easily. But, on the other hand, the beds will begin to thicken, which will lead to shrinking berries and a decrease in yield. To prevent this, The crown should be "trimmed" by trimming the mustache in late autumn after harvest.
- In the central and northern regions, the Korona variety should hibernate under cover. After the autumn pruning of the mustache, the bushes are sprinkled with wood ash or peat, you can use humus, sawdust, spruce branches. In the coldest areas, special non-woven or agrofibre is indispensable. It is not recommended to use as a shelter material that attracts rodents, which can retain moisture. As soon as the first snow falls, you need to collect it around the site and create mounds on the strawberry beds.
- Strawberry Corona is prone to gray mold and spotting. To avoid illness need to carry out preventionspraying the bushes with special chemicals. If infected bushes appear, they are urgently treated or removed to prevent infestation of all strawberries.
- Watering the Crown is a must, because with a lack of moisture, the taste of berries deteriorates, the fruits are deformed and small. The best watering method is drip irrigation. During the flowering period, any strawberries are watered more abundantly (about 20 liters per square meter), the rest of the time, 10 liters are enough. Water should not get on the leaves and berries, as this leads to the appearance of gray rot. The optimum water temperature for watering strawberries is 20 degrees.
- You can propagate the Korona strawberry variety in different ways: by seeds, mustaches, by dividing the bushes. The most popular method is mustache breeding. Antennae are recommended to be taken from two- or three-year-old bushes, they turn out to be the most productive.
There is nothing difficult in growing garden strawberries of the Korona variety, but the gardener will not have time to rest either: if you need a good harvest, you will have to work hard.
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Conclusion
Corona is an excellent strawberry variety suitable for private farms and summer cottages. The culture pleases with high and stable yields, large fruits with excellent taste and strong aroma.
With all the advantages, this garden strawberry has a small drawback - the berries drain quickly and are not suitable for storage and transportation.
