Content
Domestic breeders presented gardeners with many interesting plants, including the Solovushka strawberry, a description, photo and reviews of which will be presented in the article. The variety is relatively young, but is in great demand among Russians.
Breeding history
The authorship belongs to breeders from Bryansk. SD Aitzhanova, a scientist at the Bryansk Agricultural Academy, has created many drought-resistant and frost-resistant strawberry varieties. The Solovushka variety was obtained more than 10 years ago, but so far it has not passed the variety test and has not been included in the State Register.
But in the regions, the plant is happily grown. Gardeners who live in harsh conditions are especially satisfied, where the thermometer in winter drops below -30 degrees. Planting Solovushka strawberries perfectly tolerate frosts and delight with a harvest of delicious berries.
Description
The decision to grow a new strawberry variety is not easy. It is imperative to get acquainted with the description, characteristic features of the bush and berries.
Bushes
Bushes of the remontant strawberry variety Solovushka are distinguished by strong growth. They are compact, rounded, with a large number of rich green leaves, and they grow already in the first year after planting.
The Nightingale has 7-9 thin, long peduncles with numerous buds on each bush of the first year of life. On two-year-old bushes up to 20 pieces. They are spreading, located below the foliage. Due to the subtlety, flower stalks cannot hold ripening berries, so it is advisable to mulch the beds.
Abundant formation on the plantings of the first year, it is during this period that you need to breed Solovushka strawberries. In subsequent years, little mustache is formed.
Berries
The shape of large, up to 50 g, round-conical berries. Moreover, the berries of the first wave are almost twice as large as the next ones. The fruits of the Solovushka variety are deep red, shiny. Achenes are yellow, medium in size, located almost on the surface of the berry.
The pulp is juicy, bright red, not too dense, but not watery either. There are strawberries with an empty center, as in the picture below.
With abundant watering or during the season of prolonged rains, looseness and wateriness appear in the berries. This nuance must be taken into account when growing Solovushka strawberries.
The berries are sweet, with a balanced taste, aromatic, like wild strawberries.
Yield
Nightingale strawberry is a fruitful plant. 500-600 g per bush is the norm for the first year. In the second and third years, the berries become larger, you can remove up to 1000 grams. Fruiting is long, but ripening of "waves" is amicable.
Transportability
As for transportability and keeping quality, these indicators for the Solovushka strawberry variety are average. The berries must be processed immediately.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
In addition to the description and characteristics when choosing a strawberry variety, it is important to consider the positive and negative aspects of the culture.The Nightingale has more advantages than disadvantages, they are all indicated in the table.
pros | Minuses |
Medium ripening, the first berries are harvested in June | Insufficient density of berries, sometimes the presence of voids |
Amicable maturation | Dependence of strawberries on weather conditions |
Transportability and keeping quality are average | Chopping berries towards the end of the season |
Versatility of use | Insufficient immunity to gray rot and diseases of the root system |
High frost resistance. According to gardeners, strawberries do not freeze at temperatures below -30 degrees |
|
High immunity to spots, powdery mildew, spider mites |
|
The variety is widely used in the creation of productive varieties as a parent form. |
|
Interesting information about the remontant strawberry variety Solovushka:
Reproduction methods
The nightingale, like other varieties of strawberries, is propagated in different ways:
- seeds;
- mustache;
- dividing the bush.
Mustache
As noted in the description, the abundant formation of whiskers in the Solovushka variety is observed in the first year after planting. Therefore, do not miss the moment. The mustache takes root well on its own, but it is best to plant the rosettes in separate cups and place them next to the mother bushes.
By dividing the bush
Already in the first year, strawberry bushes of the Solovushka variety are suitable for reproduction. Delenki are chosen with the presence of hearts and a good root system. Saplings are planted on a prepared bed and watered well.
Growing from seeds
Seed propagation of strawberries Nightingale is possible, varietal qualities are preserved. But growing seedlings at home is not so easy:
- seeds sprout hard and for a long time;
- seed stratification is required;
- seedlings need to be highlighted, since in February, March, natural light is insufficient.
Landing
The best time for planting strawberries in open ground is April, May. The repairing variety Solovushka begins to bear fruit in the first year after planting. To do this, you need to use high-quality planting material, follow the recommendations of specialists regarding agricultural cultivation techniques.
When planting, special attention must be paid to the heart: it must not be buried. The photo shows how to plant strawberries correctly.
How to choose seedlings
Strawberry seedlings must be of high quality. They should have the following indicators:
- strong stem, green growth point;
- 3 to 5 green leaves;
- sufficient thickness of the root collar;
- light roots not shorter than 7 cm;
- absence of signs of diseases and pests.
Site selection and soil preparation
A well-lit area with neutral or slightly acidic soil is suitable for planting strawberries. Salt marshes, acidic soils and wetlands are not the best choice for arranging strawberry beds.
The composition of the soil needs light. If there is none on the site, you can improve the structure by adding river sand, low-lying peat humus. If there is initially a lot of sand in the soil, then you need to add clay.
Fertilizer is applied before digging the site. 1-2 buckets of compost, 50 grams of mineral fertilizers and 1-2 liters of wood ash are added per square meter.
Landing scheme
Plants can be planted in one or two lines. The distance between the seedlings is 40-50 cm, but 30-35 cm is possible. The row spacing is at least 50 cm. According to the rules of agricultural technology, no more than 4 plants are located in one square place.
Care
Caring for the Solovushka variety is no more difficult than for other representatives of the culture.
Spring period
After the snow melts, the shelter is removed from the beds, old leaves are removed and dried bushes are removed. If the root system is bare, it is covered with earth, but the growing point must remain above the surface.
Then the plantings are loosened to a depth of no more than 5 cm, and water-charging irrigation is carried out.
Watering and mulching
Warm water is used for irrigation. The ground under the bushes should be moist, but not damp. Water the strawberries at the root, trying not to get on the leaves, flower stalks and berries.
The beds are best mulched to keep the berries moist and clean. Agrofibre, sawdust, straw, pine needles or cardboard are used as mulch.
Top dressing
Timely feeding of strawberries Nightingale allows you to get a bountiful harvest of large sweet berries. In different periods of the growing season, certain organic or mineral fertilizers are needed.
Preparing for winter
In the southern regions of Russia, it is enough just to cover the strawberry beds with ordinary straw, as in the photo. In more severe climatic conditions, capital protection from frost will be required, despite the winter hardiness of the Solovushka variety.
Diseases and methods of struggle
Pests and ways to deal with them
Features of growing in pots
Variety Nightingale remontant, suitable as a pot culture.
Conclusion
Growing strawberries of the Solovushka variety is possible even for beginners. The main thing is to get acquainted with agricultural standards and adhere to them.
