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The Dutch variety Vicoda was nicknamed by gardeners a noble strawberry. The culture adapts to difficult climatic conditions without ceasing to bear large fruits. Strawberry Vicoda tolerates frosty winters and hot summers, only during drought requires abundant watering.
Main characteristics
Considering the description of the Vicoda strawberry variety, photos, reviews, first it is worth dwelling on the characteristics of the culture. Dutch breeders in the process of crossing received strawberries with excellent taste. A powerful lush bush grows of medium height. Strong shoots are able to hold berries with an average weight of 50–70 g. The Vicoda variety was called noble for a reason. The first fruits grow with a mass of about 120 g.
Despite its gigantic size, the inside of the berry is dense. The pulp is juicy, tender with a cherry flavor. When eating strawberries, acid is clearly felt, but there is also enough sweetness. The berry is spherical. On large fruits, ribbing with irregularities is observed. Vicoda is considered late variety... Cleaning starts at the end of July.
Distinctive features of the variety
To get to know the Vicoda strawberry variety better, it is worth considering the distinctive features:
- The first large fruits rarely grow immediately evenly. Usually the berry is flattened. There are double fruits. By the time of ripening, many berries are able to restore the spherical shape characteristic of the variety.
- The readiness of strawberries for harvesting is indicated by the white color of the tip against the background of bright red pulp. The berry is easily detached from the sepal and in this state it can be stored or transported without losing its presentation.
- The aroma of ripe cherries is felt not only when the berry is eaten. A pleasant smell stands over a clearing with ripe strawberries.
- The variety is not affected by putrefactive bacteria. Spots rarely appear on the leaves.
Advantages highlight the superiority of Vicoda strawberries over other varieties:
- the bush brings about 1 kg of berries per season;
- strawberries do not freeze in winter, even with a weak shelter;
- large fruits are not friable, which allows you to use strawberries in culinary dishes, for freezing, juicing, preservation.
The disadvantage is the requirement for free space for growing Vicoda. To get a high yield of large berries, the bushes are planted far from each other, which is problematic in small areas. Another disadvantage is the violation of the consistency of the berry when exposed to extreme heat.
Preparation of soil and seedlings
According to gardeners, Vicoda strawberries love medium acidity soil. Optimally bring the pH to a value of 5–6.5. The purchased seedlings are in no hurry to send them to the garden. First, the plants are hardened by taking them outside during the day. If the seedlings are planted under a film, it is enough to keep them in a cool place for at least two days. Hardening will help the Vicoda variety to adapt more quickly to the external environment.
When preparing new Vicoda seedlings, do not rush to uproot all the old strawberries. Only part of the bushes are removed from the garden in a checkerboard pattern. You should get a scheme according to which young Vicoda is surrounded by old strawberries. Large bushes with wide foliage will protect new plantings from the wind.
Garden bed preparation rules
Before planting strawberries of the Vicoda variety, you need to properly prepare the garden.The rules are simple and there are only four of them:
- A bed for spring planting of Vikoda strawberries is prepared in the fall. The process involves digging up the soil and applying organic fertilizers: humus, manure or compost. For an autumn planting, the garden bed is dug up in a month or at least two weeks.
- Strawberries don't like extreme heat, but Vicoda loves the sun. To improve the taste and accelerate the ripening of berries, the garden bed is broken on the sunny side of the site.
- Vicoda loves feeding. It is especially important to apply fertilizers to obtain large berries. Organic components are added at the rate of 5 kg per 1 m2 beds. Mineral fertilizer is enough for about 40 g.
- Vicoda strawberries like frequent weeding and are afraid weeds... The soil in the garden bed is kept loose so that oxygen can flow to the roots.
Compliance with simple rules for preparing and caring for the garden will help to grow a good strawberry harvest.
Planting and growing rules
Before the start of planting, the seedlings are once again subjected to a thorough examination. Only strong plants are selected, and all weak ones are thrown away. Productive strawberry seedlings are determined by the following criteria:
- the minimum root collar thickness is 7 mm;
- the bush has an intact upper bud and at least three full leaves;
- fibrous root system about 7 cm long.
Prepared Vikoda seedlings are planted according to the following rules:
- Strawberries are planted at least one month before the expected frost. The term cannot be shortened. The seedlings should have time to take root and take root well.
- For planting the Vicoda strawberry variety, they choose a cloudy but warm day. It is difficult for plants to take root in sunny weather. Strawberries will need to be shaded by installing additional shelters.
- The strawberry bed is laid out in rows. Row spacing is at least 40 cm. Holes for each bush are dug at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
- Before planting a seedling, the soil inside the hole is moistened with water. The fossa is made wide so that the root system is freely located. Sprinkle the strawberry seedling with earth to the level of the root collar. This is the point of growth for strawberries and should be above the ground.
- After planting the seedling, the ground around the bush is lightly pressed with your hand. The plant is watered abundantly, and after absorbing water, the soil inside the hole is mulched with humus.
Variety Vicoda favorably accepts watering. A lot of water is required during the formation of the berries.
Features of variety care
Considering the description of the strawberry variety Vicoda, photos, reviews of gardeners, it is worth paying attention to the rules for caring for the culture. Often the simplest mistakes lead to the death of an entire strawberry plantation.
Spring work
In spring, strawberries need a quick start to growth. The first rule of care is frequent loosening of the soil and timely watering. Vicoda loves water. The intensity of irrigation is regulated according to weather conditions, but at least 1-2 times a week.
Top dressing is carried out every spring month. In March, the bushes are poured with a solution of chicken manure. However, you cannot overdo it with nitrogen. The solution is prepared from a glass of droppings infused for three days in 10 liters of water. 0.5 l of liquid is poured under each plant.
Mineral complexes are introduced from the beginning of April. Use a mixture of nitrate with ammophos 1: 2 or prepare a solution from a glass of wood ash and 10 liters of water. Organic feeding is organized in May. Dissolve two glasses of manure in 10 liters of water. Each bush is watered with 1 liter of liquid under the root. Dry manure can be simply scattered on the ground.
Summer work
Summer care is associated with regular watering up to four times a week, weeding from weeds, adding sand around the bushes during the formation of berries. Before each flowering, fertilizing with sulfates is applied. After harvesting the berries, Vicoda is fertilized with an ash solution.
Autumn works
Before the onset of frost in the fall, Vicoda is watered a maximum of two times a week. Along with the water, top dressing is added. It is undesirable to use fresh manure at this time of the year. The garden bed will become infected with parasites.
In autumn, foliage is cut from the bushes, extra mustache. The roots washed with water are sprinkled with earth. Closer to frost, the beds are mulched with fallen leaves, straw, or covered with needles. For the winter, the plantings are covered with spruce or pine branches. The needles keep the snow well, forming a warm blanket over the strawberries.
Harvest
Ripe strawberries are quite tender. Harvesting and preserving crops is sometimes more difficult than growing. It is better to pick berries for storage a few days before they are fully ripe. At this time, the nose of the fruit is still white with a greenish tint. Plucked berries will ripen, thereby extending the shelf life.
It is advisable to sort the fruits during harvesting. Large berries are juicy and do not go for storage. It is better to eat or process them right away. Small fruits are harvested for storage.
Vicoda berries are well separated from the stalk and stored well in this form. However, this method cannot be called the best. Harvest will last longer with whole stalks. Time for harvesting is allocated in the morning after the dew dries. In the evening, strawberries are picked before sunset.
The picked berries are stored in boxes in one layer. The bottom of the container is covered with paper. After picking berries and packing in boxes, it is advisable to cool the strawberries faster to a temperature from 0 to +2aboutC. Quickly chilled crops will stay in the refrigerator for up to four days.
In the video, a gardening company talks about growing strawberries:
Testimonials
It is better to help you learn about the strawberry variety Vikoda, reviews of gardeners.
I planted 6 Victoria bushes. In the first year of planting, one peduncle with small berries. But I liked the taste of the berry and left hoping for improvement. But the third year, not a single berry. The bushes are powerful, well-groomed. The place is sunny and well maintained. What is the reason is not clear.