Content
Strawberries are one of the most popular berries among gardeners and are very diverse. Breeders annually bring out new "improved" varieties and hybrids with improved characteristics. Among them is the strawberry Sensation, which is recognized as very promising by both experts and amateur gardeners.
Breeding history
Strawberry Sensation is one of the latest achievements of breeders from the Netherlands. The originator is the world famous company Flevo Berry B.V., which specializes not only in this, but also in other berry crops. New strawberries appeared on the European and Russian markets in 2016. It has not yet entered the national State Register of Breeding Achievements.
Sensation was the first variety created under the Flevo Berry program. The goal of the breeders is a series of medium-ripening hybrids suitable for industrial scale production, capable of producing bountiful yields even with a lack of sunlight.
By the way, "Sensation" is not quite the correct name. Initially, it was planned to name the new strawberry variety Sunsation (a kind of "mix" of the English words "sun" and "sensation"). But it turned out that the breeders from the Netherlands were already ahead of the specialists of another brand. Therefore, we had to rename it to Sonsation.
In Russian, this name was supposed to sound like "Sonsation", but those who "promoted" the new strawberry variety on the domestic market did not pay attention (by accident or deliberately, for the sake of harmony of pronunciation) to the "wrong" letter. As a result, the name Sensation quickly and successfully “stuck” among Russian gardeners.
When creating the Sensation strawberry, breeders, as it were, "took as a sample" the well-known variety Sonata
Description and characteristics of the strawberry variety Sensation
The sensation is not a remontant strawberry variety of neutral daylight hours. According to the originators, it is extremely versatile - suitable for planting not only in open beds, but also for year-round cultivation in greenhouses. Good yields of strawberries A sensation also gives a sensation when cultivated in an ampelous version, in hydroponics, in film tunnels.
Her bushes are powerful, tall (35-40 cm), but rather compact, medium spreading, densely leafy. Not too many whiskers are formed, but enough for reproduction. Peduncles are relatively strong, multi-primordial, do not rise above the level of leaves, often numb under the weight of berries.
Characteristics of fruits, taste
The first fruits of the Sensation strawberry have a comb-like shape and weigh up to 50-60 g. The main harvest "becomes smaller" up to 25-35 g. The shape of the berries changes to round-conical or heart-shaped. Judging by the photos and reviews of gardeners, the Sensation strawberry is quite consistent with the description of the variety given by the originator.
The peel of the berries is thin, bright scarlet, shiny, as if oiled. Depending on growing conditions and weather, a pinkish or orange undertone sometimes appears in the spring. Strawberry color The sensation is even, without a white spot at the stalk. Seeds are small, yellowish-pink, superficial.
The pulp is medium-dense, fleshy, very juicy and tender, white-pink in color. On bushes obtained by propagation with a mustache, in the first season, small voids are often present in the berries. Strawberry Sensation has a pronounced "strawberry" aroma.
Her taste is very balanced - not fresh-sweet, but with a light refreshing "pineapple" sourness. Professional tasters detect notes of raspberry and peach in it and in the aftertaste. Officially, the taste of the strawberry Sensation is rated at 5.5-5.9 points (with a maximum of nine points), but almost everyone who has tried the berries believes that this criterion is unfairly underestimated.
Strawberry pulp Sensation with such a bright skin seems pale, but this is a feature of the variety
Strawberries are mostly consumed fresh. Berries are also suitable for decorating desserts, they are used as a filling for baking. Fruits can be frozen, processed into jams, preserves.
Ripening terms, yield and keeping quality
Ripening periods for strawberries Sensation are average. The harvest begins towards the end of the first half of June. In warm southern regions with a subtropical climate, the variety can be regarded as medium early. The berries are removed at the very beginning of summer. Fruiting lasts for at least three weeks, more often for a month.
During the season, 1-1.8 kg of berries are removed from the bush at the age of 2-3 years. This "spread" is due to different climatic conditions. Extensive experience in cultivating strawberries There is no sensation yet, so it is difficult to determine the average indicators. Breeders believe that compared to the well-known Sonata and Elsanta, this variety yields 20-25% more berries.
Extended fruiting of strawberries Sensation amateur gardeners are often considered a plus, for professional farmers it is a minus
The almost complete absence of barren flowers clearly contributes to a consistently high yield. The variety is self-pollinated, flowers are bisexual, with high-quality pollen. Therefore, fruit ovaries form actively, even if in spring the weather is not very suitable for the "work" of pollinating insects.
Low density of strawberry pulp Sensation determines its relatively low transportability. Berries wrinkle even when transported over short distances. Therefore, despite the fact that the originator positions the variety as commercial, its suitability for cultivation on an industrial scale is highly questionable.
Growing regions, frost resistance
Cold hardiness of strawberries Sensation, according to the originator, is sufficient for cultivation without shelter in temperate climates. But the experience of Russian gardeners shows that it is distinguished by its endurance and the ability to adapt to the unfavorable features of the climate of the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.
Provided that the strawberries are sheltered, Sensation overwinters in these regions without prejudice to itself. She rarely suffers from recurrent spring frosts. With a slight freezing, the bushes quickly recover.
Of course, in less than optimal climatic conditions, the strawberry Sensation needs more careful care. And you can not count on record harvests.
Strawberry branches and ovaries Sensation rarely suffer from exposure to low temperatures
Disease and pest resistance
The minimum cultivation experience does not yet allow to objectively judge the stability of strawberries. Sensation to pathogenic microflora and pests. She certainly does not have an "innate" immunity to any diseases. But, according to breeders, it is not affected by diseases and insects more often than other popular varieties. And almost never suffers from gray and root rot.Gardeners who grow Sensation strawberries in their backyards note that they are often attacked by thrips and are susceptible to late blight.
Benefits of the variety
The fact that the strawberry Sensation may soon become very popular among amateur gardeners is indicated by the following advantages:
- the possibility of cultivation in different ways;
- relative not capriciousness in leaving;
- consistently high yield, extended fruiting in time;
- frost resistance sufficient for a temperate climate (central Russia) and resistance to return spring cold;
- the ability to withstand heat and short-term drought without compromising the quality of the fruit;
- generally good immunity;
- simplicity of reproduction, high survival rate of planting material;
- undemanding to the quality of the substrate (strawberry Sensation bears fruit even in heavy soil);
- one-dimensionality and attractive appearance of berries;
- excellent taste of strawberries, almost complete versatility of its purpose.
Presentability of strawberries Sensation is definitely one of the important factors determining the choice of a gardener in favor of this variety.
There is conflicting information as to whether the harvest depends on the weather in spring and summer. According to most gardeners, the quality of the berries does not change with an abundance of precipitation. Even if it rains frequently, the Sensation strawberry remains sweet. But in cool, cloudy weather, it loses its aroma, becomes watery, more voids appear in the pulp.
Disadvantages of Strawberry Sensation
Disadvantages of strawberry Sensation are also available:
- low transportability;
- tendency to damage by late blight and thrips;
- problems with the separation of ripe berries from the fruit (soft pulp is strongly wrinkled);
- the need to update plantings relatively often (once every three years).
The relative disadvantages of sensation strawberries are the presence of voids in individual berries and unsuitability for whole-fruit canning. But the first drawback is typical only for fruits harvested in the season after planting, and not all gardeners make strawberry compotes.
Reproduction methods
This is not to say that sensation strawberry bushes form a lot of mustaches, but planting material is not a shortage. This method of reproduction is provided by nature itself, so new specimens take root easily.
To get seedlings, you need to mark in advance several completely healthy, abundantly fruiting 2-3-year-old bushes. In the spring, all peduncles are cut off on them, preventing buds from forming. When the mustache begins to form, 5-8 pieces of the most powerful and developed ones are left. The highest quality planting material is the outlet closest to the bush. But, as a rule, they use the second one too.
The resulting rosettes of leaves with roots that have grown to 1-1.5 cm in length are "pinned" to the ground with pieces of wire or planted in plastic, peat cups. In the second half of August or at the beginning of September, new rosettes of the Sensation strawberry are separated from the mother plant and transferred to the chosen place.
Do not be "greedy" and leave too many daughter outlets: they will turn out to be weak and underdeveloped
Planting and leaving
The originator positions the sensation strawberry variety as cold-, drought- and heat-resistant, capable of producing good yields in a substrate of different quality and undemanding in care. Therefore, its cultivation is within the power of even not too experienced gardeners. Agrotechnology for plants requires mostly standard, but still there are some nuances.
Sensation strawberry bushes are quite compact. But they categorically cannot stand crowding in the garden. Therefore, when planting, a minimum of 35-40 cm is left between them, keeping row spacings about 50 cm wide. No more than four bushes are planted per 1 m² in open ground.
With "crowding" in the garden, the risk of developing strawberries rarely increases. Sensation of fungal and other diseases
Bountiful harvests of Strawberry Sensation strongly deplete the plants. Therefore, they need higher doses of fertilizers. Top dressing is applied four times per season:
- in the budding phase;
- after picking the first berries;
- 3-4 weeks after the end of fruiting;
- in mid-September, in preparation for winter.
The bushes of the Sensation are fed exclusively with store-bought complex fertilizers designed specifically for strawberries. The originator notes the special sensitivity of plants to magnesium deficiency in soil. With its shortage, the growth of green mass is very slow, the yield decreases sharply.
To maintain the fertility of the substrate, it is necessary to distribute humus or rotted compost over the garden bed every 2-3 years in the spring. Enough 5-7 l / m².
Buying fertilizer for the Sensation strawberry, you must definitely study the
Strawberries A sensation, if it is warm outside and there is no rain, they are watered every 3-4 days. The norm for an adult plant is 2-3 liters of water. The preferred method of watering, in which drops of water do not fall on leaves, flowers and berries.
The sensation has a very negative attitude to the neighborhood with weeds. Therefore, it is advisable to mulch the garden. Mulch not only prevents them from germinating, but also allows you to increase the intervals between watering, less often to loosen the soil. A hard crust does not form on its surface, this provides oxygen access to the roots.
The most dangerous disease for strawberries Sensation disease is late blight. It is characterized by both forms of development - chronic and transient. In the first case, the plant can live for another year or two, but the peduncles are deformed, the leaves curl and turn gray, very few berries ripen on them, they are practically tasteless. Such plants can still be saved by treating them with fungicides.
Rapid late blight is much more dangerous. The plants affected by it wither and dry up in a few days. If removed from the soil, you can see rotten black-brown roots.
To prevent the disease at the beginning and at the end of the growing season, as well as in summer, if damp, cool weather sets in for a long time, Sensation strawberry bushes and the soil in the garden are sprayed with a solution of any copper-containing preparation.
Bushes affected by transient late blight are removed from the garden as quickly as possible, the soil in this place is disinfected
Thrips are quite effective at scaring off any pungent odors. Therefore, onions, garlic, any spicy herbs are planted in the garden bed with Sensation strawberries and in the aisles. The pests themselves look like small black "sticks". The areas of tissue affected by them change color to yellowish-beige, dry out. To control thrips, use any universal insecticide (best of all of biological origin).
Thrips feed on plant sap, and many garden crops suffer from them.
Preparing for winter
Whether strawberries need a shelter for Sensation is determined based on a long-term weather forecast for the winter. Most gardeners, even living in temperate climates, prefer to play it safe.
Before covering the Sensation strawberry, the bed is cleaned of plant and other debris, the mulch layer is renewed, bringing its thickness to 6-8 cm, or the soil is covered with spruce branches. It is advisable to sprinkle humus with a small mound to the bases of the bushes. Further, arcs are installed above the landings and any covering material that passes air is pulled on them in 2-3 layers.
Humus is a kind of "insulation" for strawberry roots
Conclusion
Strawberry Sensation was originally conceived by breeders as a variety intended for cultivation on an industrial scale.But the experience of growing on personal backyard plots shows: she has all the prerequisites to become popular among amateur gardeners. Relative ease of care, ease of reproduction and general endurance are very successfully complemented by good yield, outstanding taste and presentability of the berries.
