Content
A gardener who decides to take up garden strawberries tries to choose a variety that is distinguished by an early and abundant harvest, good immunity and unpretentiousness. Of course, choosing a plant is not so easy, you need to know the description, characteristics and see a photo with strawberries. No less important are the reviews of gardeners who are seriously involved in culture.
The article will present the Lambada strawberry in all its glory. This is a variety of Italian selection, which was discovered in 1982. Russians grow strawberries or garden strawberries not only in the open field, but also in greenhouses. Having learned the peculiarities of bushes and berries, gardeners will be able to make a choice.
Description of the variety
Strawberry Lambada is a representative of the very early varieties of garden berries. Fruiting, depending on the growing region, begins in the middle or last days of May. The plant is unpretentious to care for, does not require daily attention to itself.
Garden strawberry bushes are tall, spreading. Unlike other varieties of strawberries, there are few leaves. They are bright green in color. Strawberry flower stalks are powerful, high. The flowering is abundant, which often surprises gardeners who for the first time grow the Lambada variety of garden strawberries. Just look at the photo, what large snow-white flowers with yellow centers. They attract bees.
The berries are large, the average weight of each is about 40 grams. The shape of the fruit is round-conical, not always the same. Ripe strawberries turn bright red.
Exactly the same color and strawberry pulp. There are no voids or white blotches on the cut. The berries taste sweet, almost without acidity. The aroma of Lambada fruit is truly strawberry.
Characteristic
According to the description, reviews of gardeners and the photos presented in the article, the Lambada strawberry variety has a lot of advantages.
pros
- Early maturity. The fruits ripen early, they are all practically the same size, flowering and fruiting are extended.
- Versatility of application. The fruits of the variety are tasty not only fresh. Strawberries are used to prepare compotes, preserves, and jams. Frozen strawberries are well stored, while the beneficial and taste properties are not lost.
- Frost resistance. Plants can withstand temperatures up to -30 degrees without complete shelter. When grown in harsher conditions, strawberries need to be wrapped.
- Disease resistance. A variety of garden strawberries with the sonorous name Lambada has good immunity. In particular, it practically does not suffer from trochanteric wilting, rot of the heart, brown rot and white spot.
- Productivity. This figure is not that high, but strawberries are still appreciated by gardeners for their excellent taste and large fruits, which significantly reduces labor costs during harvesting.
- Reproduction. It is not difficult to get new strawberry bushes to fill the plantation, since a lot of mustaches are formed.
Minuses
There are disadvantages, albeit insignificant, which is why gardeners are not going to refuse from strawberries of Italian selection for so many years of cultivation, even in defiance of newfangled varieties and hybrids.
What can be attributed to the cons:
- The Lambada variety is poorly stored, and it is difficult to transport berries: the presentation is lost. That is why the berries need to be processed as quickly as possible.
- The presence of a large number of mustaches complicates the care a little, since they have to be constantly cut off during the growing season. Although such an increase is valuable for reproduction.
Breeding features
The Lambada strawberry variety is propagated by seeds and mustaches. According to gardeners' reviews and the recommendations of specialists, planting in 2-3 years requires rejuvenation. It is seed reproduction that makes it possible to obtain planting material that is distinguished by strength and health.
Seed method
The seeds of the variety can be purchased from specialized firms, for example: Garden and Vegetable Garden, Becker, Siberian Gardens.
Seed propagation of strawberries has its own difficulties: the seed emerges for a long time. If you do not stratify, then the Lambada strawberry variety, according to gardeners, may not grow at all. Seeds are prepared for planting within a month. They are mixed with sand and placed in a refrigerator.
Sowing strawberry seeds is done in late January or early February. It is not recommended to deepen the seed: the seeds are simply laid out on the surface of the wet soil. The box is covered with glass and placed in a warm, up to 25 degrees, room.
After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is not removed, but only slightly opened. When 2-3 true leaves appear, Lambada strawberry seedlings dive. The work must be done carefully so as not to damage the filamentous root system.
Experienced gardeners are advised to grow seedlings in peat tablets, then when transplanting garden strawberries will not experience stress.
Transplanting strawberries to a permanent place is carried out in the spring, when the air warms up enough. Planting care is traditional.
Mustache reproduction
The Lambada variety, judging by the description, reviews of gardeners and the photo above, is famous for its own planting material. Whiskers are formed in large quantities during the growing season, so the excess must be removed.
Rosettes formed on the bushes can root themselves. You need to choose those that are closer to the mother bush. Soil is poured under them or transferred to a nursery for building up a root mass. The mustache is planted in the fall.
Planting strawberries
The process of planting strawberries is an important moment in the formation of a berry plantation. Success depends on adhering to certain rules.
Place and soil
According to the description and reviews of gardeners who have been dealing with the Italian variety for several years, the plant grows well in an openwork shade. But in this case, one cannot count on a decent harvest. Therefore, a sunny place, protected from the wind, is chosen for the garden.
Lambada strawberries on loamy soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction give good returns. Although other soils are also suitable, the main thing is that they have enough nutrients. The strawberry variety is picky about light, breathable soils.
Seedling preparation
When using home planting material, the sockets do not require special preparation. If the seedlings were purchased from the hands or came by mail (most often they are with an open root system), they are soaked for disinfection in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes, then washed with clean water.
When planting, the seedling heart is not buried, it should be above the surface of the earth. Be sure to squeeze the soil to remove air pockets from under the roots. The distance between the bushes of Lambada strawberries is at least 35-40 cm, since they do not grow much.
Watering should be abundant and only at the root. Watering strawberries of any kind, including Lambada, is not recommended over the leaves. Immediately, the soil is mulched with any available material: peat chips, humus, straw or rotted sawdust.
The first version of mulch oxidizes the soil, and the second one works to build up green mass and stops the formation of peduncles.
Strawberry propagation, secrets:
Care features
To obtain a good harvest, the plant does not make any special requirements for care. Activities for growing Lambada strawberry varieties are traditional:
- Weeding, loosening of the soil is carried out regularly.
- Watering the bushes should be done sparingly, but overdrying the topsoil should not be allowed. When garden strawberries begin to bloom, you need to water less often so as not to provoke fungal diseases. Only warm water is used for irrigation.
- Top dressing is carried out several times per season, but at the time of ripening, mineral fertilizers are not used. The plant responds well to organics: infusions of mullein, chicken droppings, green grass and nettle. Feeding with a solution of wood ash is also a good option. Not only root, but also foliar dressings are welcome, since some of the microelements are well absorbed by the Lambada strawberry variety through the leaf blades.
- With regard to diseases, according to the gardeners' reviews and the description given by the originators of the variety, garden strawberries are resistant to many of them, due to their high immunity. But preventive measures should not be neglected anyway. Of the pests, birds and slugs are the problem.
- When the crop is harvested, the leaves are cut from the bushes, trying not to touch the growing point, the plantings are fed, the strawberries are prepared for wintering. During this period, it is advisable to treat the ridges with Bordeaux liquid (2%).
- If the temperature in the growing region is below -30 degrees, planting strawberries is covered with spruce branches.
