Strawberry is a perennial herbaceous (or woody semi-shrub) evergreen plant (with constant renewal of leaves) with a rhizome and a strongly shortened aerial branched, semi-lignified stem part located at the surface of the earth.

Perennial strawberry stems are characterized by dwarfism (sedimentary growth) caused by their extremely slow progressive growth in height. The annual growth of the strawberry stem does not exceed 1–2 cm, as a result of which very short internodes and dense arrangement of leaves in the form of rosettes are formed on it.

The number of branches in a bush varies considerably, depending on varietal characteristics and growing conditions. The power of flowering and productivity largely depend on the branching of the bushes.

Strawberry stems tend to be located in the ground layer, in an inclined or semi-recumbent position, and therefore, in 5-6-year-old plants, the stems usually do not rise above 10-15 cm from the soil surface.

Unlike other fruit and berry plants, strawberries do not have a pronounced dormant period. Her leaves do not fall off in the fall, but for the most part go green in the winter and die off gradually throughout the entire period of the plant's life.

The aerial part of the strawberry has three types of shoots, sharply differing from each other in biological functions (horns, pedicels, whiskers), and leaves.

Horns

The first type of shoots, called horns, includes shortened annual shoots 1-1.5 cm long. In the year of growth, each formed horn has an apical flower bud, a rosette of 3-7 leaves, lateral or air (in the leaf axils) buds, which, when pedicels form in favorable conditions, and adventitious roots at the base of the horn. From the apical and axillary buds of the upper leaves, pedicels are formed next year. After fruiting, the pedicels die off, and this ends the growth of this horn. The axillary buds of the lower leaves of the horn are vegetative. Further growth of the aerial part occurs due to the axillary buds, from which both horns and whiskers are formed.

The strawberry rosette at the time of rooting has only one horn. By autumn, a young plant can have 2-3 horns, a two-year-old - 5-9, a three-year-old - 8-16, and a 5-6-year-old plant - 25-40 horns. Subsequently, the growth of new horns occurs more slowly due to the aging of the plant. The degree of branching with a bush growing method is greater. By the number of horns formed, weak-, medium- and strongly branching varieties are distinguished.

After the horn bears fruit and a mustache will develop from the axillary buds of the lower leaves, and new horns will develop from the lateral buds of the middle leaves, the old horn, having lost all the leaves, turns into part of the rhizome. The number of horns is progressively increasing. The highest degree of horn formation, as well as the general shoot-forming ability, is observed in the first 1-3 years. The presence of a terminal (apical) kidney determines the sympodial nature of the growth of horns, when each subsequent year, growths are formed below and on the side of the terminal kidney, located not vertically, but at a certain angle.

The growth of shortened shoots - strawberry horns leads to the fact that increments each subsequent year appear below and on the side of the apical bud, and the rhizome and the shoots located on it - the horns are located not vertically, but at an angle, which facilitates its hilling with soil.

Pedicels

In strawberries and strawberries, generative organs are formed on pedicels, which are a modified shoot. Pedicels develop in early spring from flower buds - terminal (apical) buds and peri-apical buds located in the axils of the upper leaves.

Pedicels have 1–2 stem leaves and an inflorescence. They differ in the degree of branching, height and number of flowers, which depends on the variety and nutritional conditions of the plants. The number of flowers in a peduncle ranges from 3 to 30.

Pedicels are thick and thinner, rounded and fasciated (fused). It has been noticed that larger fruits develop on thicker and fasciated peduncles.

Peduncles in relation to the leaves of strawberries are placed in different ways. In some varieties, they are raised and located slightly above the level of the leaves of the bush, in others they are located at the level of the leaves, in others - below the level of the leaves. The latter are worse at keeping the fruits raised above the ground, which does not ensure their high commercial quality.

Inflorescences start when the length of the day decreases to 10–12 hours and the temperature at night drops to 5–8 ° C. The laying of additional inflorescences is also possible in the early spring period when growing strawberries under a film cover. After the snow has melted and the average temperature is above 5 ° C, strawberry growth resumes and pedicels appear after about 2–2.5 weeks.

Mustache

The third type of shoots is the whiskers, or ground stolons. These creeping, long, cord-like shoots are organs of vegetative reproduction. They are formed from vegetative buds. Whiskers mainly appear after strawberry fruiting. On young plants, they are formed earlier than on fruiting ones. They develop from the buds located in the axils of the lower leaves of the horn. Removal of pedicels (on uterine bushes) stimulates early formation.

The whiskers have long internodes and knots. Along the length of the creeping shoot, nodes are formed every 10–20 cm (depending on the variety). Rosettes of leaves and roots (new young plants) develop from some nodes, and branching shoots from others. On each even node (second, fourth, etc.), rosettes of leaves appear on its upper side, and roots appear on the lower side, which, under favorable conditions (with wet and loose soil), immediately take root. Thus, rosettes are always formed on an even node, and branches are formed from the first internodes.

As a result, young plants develop, which are used as planting material. From odd nodes (first, third, etc.), shoots (whiskers) of the second order develop, in which, just like in shoots of the first order, rosettes develop from even nodes, and from odd ones - branching shoots.

From the sinuses of the first bottom sheet of the outlet (provided that there is good nutrition), a mustache develops in turn, on which sockets and branches appear, in the same order as on the main lash. Thus, a carpet is obtained.

In branching and ampelous varieties of strawberries, the rosettes do not come into contact with the soil.

The number of whiskers and rosettes formed differs sharply depending on the variety, as well as agricultural technology. Rosettes are composed of leaves, buds and adventitious roots. 3-5 rosettes develop on one mustache, and 5-30 mustaches grow from one bush (their number depends on the variety, there are also "mustache" varieties). On ordinary bushes, if the pedicels are not cut off, from 4–5 to 10 lashes grow.

The rooted rosette has a shortened stem part, on which from 3 to 7 leaves are spirally located. Fibrous roots extend from its lower part.

You can increase the number of outlets from the bush by pinning the mustache in front of the future outlet, that is, you can help it take root. In this case, not only more, but also better rooted sockets are obtained.

The large assimilation ability of plants is not always a positive property of the variety, since as a result of this, the mother bushes are greatly depleted and their yield for the next year is sharply reduced. Studies have shown that the removal of nutrients from a unit area by a mustache significantly exceeds the removal of nutrients from a crop.

The first whiskers appear at the end of flowering (usually in mid-June), and generally regrowth begins after the end of fruiting and continues until the end of the growing season.

On a young plantation, they appear earlier and there are more of them. In plants of early ripening varieties, whiskers appear earlier, in late ripening varieties - later. Removal of peduncles stimulates early and more active formation of whiskers, which is important for mothers.

In hybrid plants, the formation of whiskers occurs much earlier, even before flowering (in plants 1.5–2 months of age). This feature of young hybrid plants to give whiskers at a young (before fruiting) age is essential for their use in vegetative hybridization.

Strawberry varieties differ among themselves and in the thickness of the mustache. A thick mustache is a sign of cultivars. In many cases, it is an indicator of the size of the berries. They also provide a good development of the rosettes formed from the whiskers, which is very important for obtaining high-quality planting material.

On fruit-bearing plantations, in hot dry weather (without irrigation), the rosettes take root weakly and live off the mother plants, depleting them, reducing winter hardiness and productivity.

Leaves

All three types of shoots carry a certain number of leaves. The leaves of the strawberry are trifoliate. They have a complex-lobed structure, the petioles are usually long, the leaves form a rosette on the horns and whiskers. On peduncles, they are less developed and are placed singly. They develop at annual increments of 7–15 pcs. on each stem.

Each leaf has a long (10–20 cm) petiole. Buds are formed in the axils of the leaves. In the spring, new leaves first appear, then inflorescences form, and overwintered leaves gradually die off (before flowering). The size of the leaves varies depending on the variety, the time of their development on the shoot and the living conditions of the plants.

The formation of new and the death of old leaves occurs throughout the season. However, there are two waves of active vegetative growth - in spring and autumn. The first wave of leaf growth occurs before flowering, the second after harvest. During the fruiting period, leaf growth slows down, but does not stop.

After the end of fruiting, in September – October, summer leaves partially die off and fall leaves grow back to replace them. Their growth stops at temperatures below 5 °.

Under favorable conditions, they hibernate under snow and then continue to grow until mid-spring. Leaves that form in early spring are usually larger and live 115–135 days. The leaves that form in summer are smaller and live for about 80–90 days. The mass dying off of summer leaves occurs in the autumn. Some of them go green in winter and die off in winter. The longest leaf lifespan is 200–250 days.

Leaves that form in late autumn and did not have time to fully develop before the onset of subzero temperatures winter in an underdeveloped state and continue their further development with the onset of spring temperatures above zero. These leaves are usually small and live until fruiting. Leaves overwintering in their embryonic state in the apical bud also develop in spring, but they are larger and their lifespan reaches 120–130 days.

In addition to the usual trifoliate leaves, strawberries have leaves that form in a flower bud. They grow on a peduncle, have a strongly altered shape and die off with the completion of fruiting.

The leaves of different varieties of strawberries are of different sizes, varying degrees of pubescence, serration and color. Larger leaves usually indicate larger berry sizes. The color of the leaf blade varies from light green to dark green. The length of the leaf petiole is essential. At the base of the leaf petiole there are stipules, which are also varied in size, shape and color.

If we exclude all kinds of external causes (illness, etc.), then we can conclude that the lifespan of leaves in strawberries is different and, depending on the time of their formation, varietal characteristics, ranges from 80 to 250 days. Under the influence of high temperatures and insufficient water supply, the vital activity of the leaves is sharply reduced. The leaves of the strawberry do not fall off, but die off, drying out on the bush.

The leaves formed on the horns, peduncles and whiskers overwinter, protecting (together with dead and fallen summer leaves, which are removed only in spring) the roots and buds of plants from freezing and carrying out the initial assimilation in the spring. The lifespan of these leaves can be 220–240 days.

In favorable conditions, the age of plants can reach 20 years or more.

Root system

The underground part of strawberry plants consists of a short and branched rhizome and roots. The root system of strawberries is branched and fibrous.

The massive formation of adventitious roots at the base of annual growths (horns) in the upper part of the rhizome determines the growth of roots from top to bottom and the location of their bulk at any age in the upper layers of the soil. The layer 20–25 cm deep contains about 90% of the roots. Only a small part of the roots penetrates to a depth of 40-60 cm. In some varieties ( Festivalnaya, Mascot, Zenga-Zengana and others), the roots penetrate to a depth of 70–80 cm, so they suffer less from drought. To the sides, 10-15 cm beyond the projection of the bush, also only a small part of the roots protrudes. By the end of July, some of the roots die off, and new roots begin to form.

The growth of the rhizome is due to the development of aboveground stems. Usually, from the third year of plant life, the rhizome in its lower part begins to gradually die off, along with it, part of the main root system dies off. This negatively affects the nutrition of the plants and, consequently, their productivity.

Strawberries are characterized by the longest - about 1 mm - root hairs. Their lifespan is from 18 to 320 days, depending on the period of their appearance.

The strawberry rhizome, which is a modified stem, also serves as a repository of reserve nutrients. It is covered with non-falling stipule scales; horns and adventitious roots are formed on the lateral part of the rhizome. The rhizome forms annual increments (in the upper part), gradually sinking into the soil. From 2-3 years after planting, the lower part of the rhizome begins to die off. The length of the living (not yet dead) part of the rhizomes at 4 years of age is about 8-10 cm (perennial reaches 13-15 cm) with a diameter of about 11.5 cm; the total length of the root system is 30–35 cm.

Strawberry roots, like leaves, actively grow in waves. In spring, the growth of strawberry roots begins at a root layer temperature of 7–8 ° C. The first wave is from spring to flowering. The second wave occurs after fruiting and ends in late autumn. The greatest growth of the root system is observed in the 2nd year after planting.

The root system is sensitive to excessive moisture, in places where water is retained for a long time in spring, the roots can rot and plants die.

The rhizome has, as is known, dormant (dormant) buds, formed in the axils of the leaves of the stem and giving, under certain conditions, new aboveground organs, at the base of which a new root system is formed.

Strawberries have very good regenerative properties. When plants lose their aboveground organs (mechanical damage or freezing of the stems, etc.), the dormant buds of the rhizome in the presence of moisture and freezing temperatures in the soil awaken and restore the lost aboveground organs.

In addition to dormant axillary buds, strawberries form adventitious buds on their rhizome, from which, if the aerial part of the plant is damaged or completely lost, new stems with a young root system can also develop. So, when cutting the stems of 3-5 years of age at the soil level, strawberries form new stems from the buds of the rhizome, and some plants develop ordinary, trifoliate leaves, characteristic of stage-old plants, while others - of the same type as in seed plants at the first stage of development, at first the leaves are single, not dissected, and only later - the leaves are trifoliate.

As a result of stem growth, annual increments rise above the soil surface, at the base of which young adventitious roots develop, a significant part of them becomes "airy" as they move away from the soil surface. The lack of moisture in the surface layer of the soil in summer usually leads to the drying out and death of a significant part of the newly formed roots, and in plants of 3-4 years of age, part of the main roots begins to die off. Such plants lack water and nutrients, which leads to weakening of plant growth, shredding of leaves and berries, and even their death.

After 3-4 years old parts of the rhizome begin to die off, the plant breaks up into separate parts - particulars. This phenomenon (particulation) is a natural way of vegetative propagation of strawberries.

Kidney

Strawberry buds begin to grow and develop from the meristematic tissue in the leaf sinuses. At an early stage of their development, all buds are qualitatively equivalent, but later, depending on the growing conditions of plants and the time of leaf formation, the buds are qualitatively differentiated. From some flower buds develop, from the second - stems, from the third - creeping shoots (whiskers). A significant part of the kidneys does not differentiate and remains in a dormant (dormant) state of the kidneys.

The nature of the differentiation of axillary buds depends on the time of their formation and the living conditions of plants during the growing season. From the buds that have developed in the spring, in most cases, a mustache is formed. The buds that appeared in summer differentiate into flower and growth buds (stem and whiskers). The buds that have developed in the fall remain dormant. By the end of the growing season, the stem, as a rule, finishes its growth and in the spring of the next year continues to develop, forming new growths. From the lateral buds of the apex of the stem, flower buds develop. This is how the development of buds in strawberries usually proceeds under normal living conditions, that is, resting buds usually do not develop and remain dormant.

And when the normal life of plants is disturbed as a result of the loss of individual organs (whiskers, stem), the development and differentiation of resting buds occurs in the direction of the restoration of the lost organs.

So, if a 2-3-year-old plant begins to systematically remove the whiskers (creeping shoots) from the very beginning of their growth, then the plants form them continuously, until the end of the growing season, and several times more creeping shoots are formed than is characteristic of the variety with normal growth conditions.

Only a certain lost plant organ can develop from the dormant stem buds. From the resting bud of the rhizome, not individual organs and parts of the plant develop, but its entire above-ground mass, all vegetative and generative organs, and, in addition, a new powerful root system is also formed. This can be observed in strawberry plants, the aboveground mass of which was mowed for their rejuvenation.

Of great interest is the study of the development and differentiation of flower buds in strawberries, since this is associated with the productivity of plants. Fertilizing, watering and removing the whiskers do not have a significant effect on changing the time for laying flower buds, but strongly affect their number.

Therefore, in the fall, during the differentiation (laying) of flower buds, plant nutrition and provision of moisture are of decisive importance. With a lack of moisture and poor plant care, very few flower buds are laid and the yield of plants in the next year decreases.

The development of flower buds in strawberries occurs in July – August. In the autumn period, only the laying of the organs of the fruit bud occurs, ending in a number of buds in early spring, when temperatures above zero.

The most important condition for the development of buds in the direction of flowers during this period of time is a sufficient supply of plants with nutrients and moisture, with moisture being the leading factor.

Therefore, a good agrotechnical maintenance of strawberry plantations during the harvesting period and especially after harvesting is the most important condition for ensuring the development of flower buds and a good harvest in the next year.

In remontant strawberry varieties, as you know, flower buds develop throughout the growing season, and they bear fruit from spring to late autumn.

Inflorescences and flowers

The strawberry inflorescence is a two- or three-membered semi-umbilical. The primary flower (the first to bloom) is the most strongly developed. The higher the next flowers are located on the branches of the inflorescence, and the later they bloom, the finer the berries are obtained from them. The inflorescence is very variable within the variety in terms of the degree of compactness, the number of pedicels and their length.

Due to this structure of the inflorescence, as well as the non-simultaneous development of pedicels in the bush, the flowering of strawberries is stretched over time. The flowering period, depending on the variety, ranges from 20 to 30 days. Flowering begins about 15 days after the appearance of the pedicels. The duration of flowering of one flower is from one to four days. Strawberry blooming is favored by weather with a temperature of 15–20 ° С. It takes about 30 days from the moment of pollination to ripening of the berries.

Strawberry flowers have five petals and sepals. The petals are white or light pink, depending on the variety. Flowers are variable in size, color and shape of petals, development of stamens, pollen sacs and pollen activity. Varieties with larger petals and flowers tend to develop larger berries.

Most strawberry varieties have bisexual flowers, they have normally developed pistils, stamens with pollen sacs and pollen (almost all industrial varieties). Only some varieties ( Mitse Schindler, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Abundant, Miracle of Keten, Late Kuban, Late Leopoldovskaya and others) have female (with underdeveloped stamens) flowers. To pollinate them, planting a pollinator variety is required (which, in terms of flowering time, coincides with a unisexual variety) - Saxon, Mysovka and etc.

The upper buds of each horn, especially the terminal (apical), are flower buds in favorable conditions and yield a harvest the next year. In unfavorable conditions, they remain vegetative, for example, after a dry summer or with late planting. The laying of flower buds begins in August, early varieties finish it on average by early September, medium-ripening varieties - by mid-September, late varieties - by the end of September or even in spring. In autumn, when the temperature at night is below 5–8 °, the setting of flower buds stops. Depending on the development of individual horns, the difference in the time of setting and the degree of development of flower buds within one bush reaches two weeks.

Plants are very sensitive to a lack of moisture during the period of flower-stalking.

For normal flowering, strawberries must go through a dormant period of 20-30 days at 0-5 ° C. Vegetative growth and flower formation resumes in spring when temperatures rise above 5 ° C. On average, peduncles appear after 2 weeks from the beginning of the growing season. Their number is very different and depends on the variety. High-yielding varieties, as a rule, have more of them on the bush. Also, there may be more or less flowers on the peduncle. There are significantly fewer of them in varieties Mysovka, Koralka and etc.

Flowering appears approximately 4 weeks after the beginning of the growing season and 2 weeks after the appearance of peduncles (usually in May, and in remontant and neutral day strawberries, in addition, in waves from July to November), and can last 2–4 weeks. Duration of flowering of one flower is usually 1–4 days.

Flowering begins at the sum of positive temperatures (above 5 °): for early varieties - 180-235 °, for varieties of the middle ripening period - 223-276 °, for late varieties - 255-353 ° (Yu. Katinskaya).

There is also a relationship between the flowering period and the ripening period of the berries. In this regard, it is possible, when breeding new, larger-fruited and early-ripening varieties, to conduct primary selection even before they ripen.

The flowering and ripening of berries on one bush does not occur simultaneously. The timing of flowering and ripening is influenced by a certain sequence of blooming. First, a flower of the 1st order appears, then 2 flowers of the 2nd order appear from the axils of the bracts of a flower of the 1st order, then 4 flowers of the 3rd order appear from the axils of the bracts of flowers of the 2nd order. Higher-order flowers are sterile in some varieties.

It takes 20-30 days from the moment of pollination to ripening of the berries.

Fruit and achenes

The fruit (berry) of the strawberry is false. It is formed from an overgrown receptacle in the form of a juicy and fleshy berry. Achenes (seeds) are located on the surface of the berry, submerged to a greater or lesser depth. The number of achenes (seeds) in one fruit, depending on its variety and size, ranges from 20 to 350 pcs.

The largest berry in the cluster is a berry of the 1st order, which is also sterile and important from the point of view of pomology (the science of describing varieties) - that is, it carries varietal characteristics. The size of the berries decreases in accordance with the branching order of the inflorescence (brush). When a flower of the 1st order dies, the berries of the 2nd order never reach the size characteristic of berries of the 1st order. From the point of view of yield, berries of the 2nd, 3rd and 1st orders (1-3 harvests) are important. Some varieties ( Saxon, Koralka, Abundant, North productive, Late from Pavlovsk and others) a sharp decrease in the size of berries (in the variety Koralka- from 6-10 g to 2.5 g) is a very negative property. Varieties such as Festivalnaya, Late Zagorya, New, Mysovka and others, are characterized by better uniformity of berries in all collections.

In terms of the size of the berries, strawberry varieties are very different from each other. Some varieties have very large berries (their weight reaches 50 g), for example, Cardinal, Dubrovsky spring, Zenith, Kulver, Desna, Bishop, Yuzhanka, Nastenka, Vesnyanka; in others, large (30-40 g) - Epic, Early dense; for the third, the average (15–20 g) - Marieva Maherauch) and, finally, the berries are small (3-5 g) - Russian woman.

The size of the berries varies greatly within the variety and depending on the growing conditions. With low agricultural technology and especially with a lack of moisture in the soil during the period of growth and development of fruits in the largest-fruited varieties of strawberries, the berries become smaller and the yield decreases sharply. With good care, when the plants are sufficiently supplied with nutrients and water, the average size of the berries increases and even the smallest varieties produce high yields.

The nature of the branching of the peduncles also has a significant effect on the size of the berries. Depending on where the peduncle starts branching and inflorescence formation, the size of the first and subsequent berries in the inflorescence may be greater or lesser. In cases where the branching of the inflorescence begins at its base, there is usually no sharp difference in size between the first and subsequent 2-3 berries. Such varieties develop much more large berries. But if the branching of the inflorescence begins in the upper part of the peduncle, at a height of 7-10 cm, then the first fruits are usually larger in size, and the subsequent ones are sharply reduced in size.

Berries in strawberries come in the most varied forms, with a neck ( Early dense, Cardinal) and without a neck ( Southerner, Exhibition, Alice). The variety usually has a certain shape of the berries, but there are varieties in which the shape of the first berries in the inflorescence differs significantly from the subsequent ones. Therefore, it is customary to use the first berries of the inflorescence when describing or defining a variety. This also applies to their size.

The pulp of the berry is different in color, consistency, taste and aroma in different varieties, and this is a very important sign for determining the variety. The dark red color of the pulp and juice, as well as the high density of the pulp, the berry is highly valued in varieties intended for technological processing. For varieties, the berries of which are intended for fresh consumption, the color of the pulp and juice is not significant. For technical varieties, it is also important that the berries contain a relatively large amount of acid. For dessert varieties, it is important that their berries contain a greater amount of sugar and their taste is sweet-sour. Aroma, high vitamin content and relatively high transportability of berries are mandatory in the characteristics of strawberries of all varieties.

In the process of berry ripening, achenes also ripen. Achenes can be located on the surface of berries ( Cardinal, Lviv early, Desna, Arnika, Nastenka), slightly submerged ( Southerner, Exhibition, Alice, Little Red Riding Hood), deeply depressed ( Mice Schindler).

The superficial arrangement of achenes increases the transportability of berries. The relationship between the density of the pulp and the placement of achenes was also noted: when the pulp is tender, loose, they deepen under the pressure of their mass. The superficial arrangement of achenes protects the skin of the berry from mechanical damage.

Without the development of achenes, the berry does not develop. With poor pollination, the berries are deformed in their development. The strawberry achenes themselves are not economically valuable, since the plant reproduces vegetatively. But they do matter for breeding new varieties.

Berries of strawberry plants within the variety ripen at the same time. Usually, their ripening lasts, depending on the variety and weather conditions, from 10-15 to 20-30 days. Non-simultaneous ripening of berries mainly depends on the structure of the inflorescences and the different development of peduncles on the bush.

The creation of large-fruited varieties with very amicable ripening of berries in the inflorescence (which makes it possible to significantly reduce the number of harvests and sharply increase labor productivity during harvesting) is one of the tasks of breeders. Currently, varieties have been created in which the first two harvests account for over 80% of ripe berries ( Blessed, Marieva Maherauh, Alaya).

The duration of fruiting depends on the variety (ripening period) and the weather. In warm weather in June, the berries fruiting lasts two weeks, with cool weather - it stretches for a month. A short period of fruiting (20-22 days) are, for example, varieties Mysovka, New, long period (25-30 days) - Zagoria Beauty, Abundant.

Light requirements

Strawberry is a light-loving plant. Under shading conditions, strawberries grow well and give many whiskers and rosettes, but bear fruit somewhat weaker, which is explained by the later and less intense laying of flower buds. The highest yields of strawberries can be obtained in well-lit places warmed by the sun. However, experiments have established that with a decrease in illumination by 15–20%, which is observed in proximity to shading plants, the yield does not decrease. So, a weak degree of shading of strawberries in the aisles of a young garden of 10–15 years of age almost does not reduce its productivity.

Moderate shading when grown in southern regions, where it suffers greatly from heat, winds and lack of moisture in the soil and air, on the contrary, contributes to the normal growth and fruiting of plants.

Towards daylight hours garden strawberry varieties are divided into short- and long-day. Most varieties of large-fruited strawberries belong to short-day ones. Their generative organs are actively formed under conditions of a short (10–12 hours) day and low (no higher than 15–17 °) temperatures.

Moisture requirements

The superficial location of the bulk of the root system makes the growth of strawberry plants highly dependent on the presence of moisture in the upper soil horizon. This often has a negative effect on plant growth and productivity, especially in southern regions where it can be difficult to provide plants with moisture.

Even in the Moscow region, in hot years, with irregular watering, strawberries were observed when, immediately after harvesting, almost all the leaves withered and wilted. Instead of the July-August rapid development of the mustache, there was a complete stop of their growth.

In strawberry plants, due to their age, the lower part of the rhizome, and with it part of the roots extending into deeper layers, dies off. Rooting is transferred with age of plants to the upper layers of the soil due to the development of roots from the base of annual increments and the upper part of the rhizome. Therefore, the water supply of such plants deteriorates, which leads to a decrease in productivity and their premature aging.

Acutely reacting to a lack of moisture, strawberry plants do not tolerate excessive moisture at all.

See also the Irrigation section.

Frost resistance

Of all berry crops, strawberries are the least hardy. The root system and leaves are especially sensitive to low temperatures. A short-term decrease in temperature in the root layer to minus 8 ° leads to severe damage to the roots and rhizomes. Hibernating leaves are severely damaged at minus 10 ° and die at minus 15–20 °; only horns can remain alive.

Plants transplanted in late autumn and insufficiently rooted before the onset of winter are unstable and freeze out in a snowless winter and significant frost.

Flowers and buds are very sensitive to frost. When a bud or flower is damaged by frost, the pistil turns black and dries up. With a slight frost damage to the ovary, the berry develops, but in an ugly shape.

In severe and snowless winters, not only leaves freeze on strawberry plants. Very often, they partially freeze or completely freeze flower buds and stems. Such plants, if they have preserved rhizomes, develop stems and leaves from dormant buds in the spring, but do not bear fruit this year.

Strawberry plants, provided with sufficient moisture and nutrients during the growing season and especially in the autumn, become more frost-resistant.

The ground nature of the strawberry plant growth and the short growing season contribute to its advance far north, where there is sufficient snow cover to protect the plants from freezing. The limiting factor in these conditions may be insufficient heat during the summer.

See also the section "Frost protection".

4. Strawberry varieties>

Biological and morphological characteristics of strawberries

The strawberry (Fragaria) belongs to the rosacea family (Rosaceae) and has 30 species that grow and are widespread in the northern hemisphere.

Plants are erect, leaves on thin petioles, light green, thin. Inflorescences are located at the same height as leaves with bisexual flowers. The fruits are very fragrant, oblong, bright red.

The species is widespread in the northern hemisphere, and in Europe - its alpine form. This type is most widely used in folk medicine for the procurement of medicinal raw materials.

Forest strawberry, or half moon(Fr. collina Ehrh.) (Fig. 1). Almost never found in culture. Distributed in the wild in Europe, Central Asia, Siberia. Grows on slopes, glades, depressions. Fruits are small, fragrant, yellowish-green, with a reddish top.

Eastern strawberries(Fr. orientalis Losinsk.) Distributed in the eastern part of our country, as well as in the north of China, Mongolia, Korea. Not found in culture. The procurement of raw materials is carried out on the rich natural light woodlands.

Musk strawberries(Fr. moschata Duch.). It is found in the wild almost throughout Europe. The fruits are small, but larger than those of the half-breeds, the flesh is whitish-yellow. Due to the high aromatic qualities of the fruit, musk strawberries are often called aromatic strawberries. Plants are mainly dioecious, there are varieties with bisexual flowers. In culture, it is not widely spread due to low yield.

Virginia strawberries(Fr. virginiana Mill.) (Fig. 2). Introduced to Europe in 1624 Distributed in North America. It was important as the initial form for obtaining large-fruited garden strawberries.

Rice. 2. Initial forms of large-fruited garden strawberry:

a - virgin strawberry; b - Chilean strawberry.

Plants are tall, thin, and form a lot of whiskers. Abundant fruiting. Leaves are green or dark green, of medium thickness with deeply toothed edges. Plants are dioecious, flowers are imperfect, inflorescences are low, placed below the leaves. Fruits up to 1.5 cm in diameter are light or dark red with white pulp and deeply submerged achenes, fragrant, sour.

Chilean strawberries(Fr. chiloensis Duch.) (Fig. 2). Distributed in the west of North and Central America. It was brought to Europe in 1714 and was also important as an initial form for obtaining large-fruited garden strawberries.

Plants are strong, short and spreading, forming many long pubescent whiskers. The leaves are powerful, dark green, shiny. Plants are predominantly dioecious, and bisexual individuals are also found. Inflorescences are multiflorous, in staminate and bisexual flowers are large, and in pistillate flowers are small.

Fruits of all wild species found in nature are the largest, up to 2 cm in diameter, dull red-brown color, round or oval, slightly aromatic, white pulp, dense.

It is used in breeding to improve the transportable qualities of berries, but hybrid seedlings are distinguished by low fertility.

Rice. 3. The structure of the strawberry bush:

1 - old roots; 2 - new growing roots of a young shortened stem; 3 - a young shortened stem of the horn; - inflorescence; 5 - leaves; 6 - mustache; 7 - apical generative kidney; 8 - unpaired node; 9 - the roots of the daughter plant; 10 - old horn in the rhizome.

The growth of strawberries, like other plants, according to the definition of K.M. Sytnik (1966), depends on the stages of ontogenesis, one of the manifestations of which he himself is. The interaction of plant organs is a manifestation of the integrity of the organism, the unity of its internal metabolic functions and anatomical and morphological structures. The formation of vegetative and generative organs is a single growth process. The result of the successive phases of differentiation of this process is the emergence of qualitatively new organs and organisms.

Strawberry plants can form low, medium and tall bushes; loose and spreading; dense, closed, erect (Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Habit of a strawberry bush:

a - low; b - medium; в - high; g - loose and spreading; d - dense, closed, erect.

The length of the strawberry stems (horns) is 1.5-2 cm. They grow from the lateral buds of medium leaves and end with a generative bud and a rosette of leaves. At the end of the growing season, the horn loses its leaves and becomes a rhizome, and a new horn and mustache are formed from its awakened buds during the growing season.

Strawberry plants are undersized, which has both positive and negative effects on the culture. On the one hand, this contributes to the formation of a specific microclimate in the surface area. Plants and soil warm up well in spring, higher humidity and carbon dioxide content are kept under the leaf cover, which activates the process of photosynthesis. In winter conditions, under a cover of snow, undersized strawberry plants tolerate low temperatures better than other fruit crops.

On the other hand, undersized strawberry stalks are poorly protected from high temperatures and dry winds in summer. The negative impact of this factor is especially typical for the southern regions of the country. In addition, in the spring, during the flowering period, the ground part of the strawberry is damaged by soil frosts. The short stature of the plant also leads to clogging of ripe berries and their deterioration when in contact with waterlogged soil.

The root system plays an important role in the life of the plant. It keeps it in the soil, provides it with water and mineral elements, and accumulates reserves of plastic substances. The root system is also capable of synthesizing amino acids, proteins, lipids, nucleoproteins and other organic substances. According to most scientists, there is a close relationship between the intensity of absorption of minerals by a plant and the power of its root system, especially on poor soils.

Rice. 5. Root system of a five-year-old horn in section

Annual growth develops roots at its base. The length of the roots and the depth of their penetration into the soil depends on the type of soil and planting density. The length of annual roots in sand reaches 201.6 cm, in unfertilized chernozem - 100.6, in fertilized - 82.8 cm (A.A. Ilyinsky, 1958).

With an increase in planting density, the roots penetrate deeper. The nature of the development of the root system depends on the depth of the pre-planting treatment. Its optimum depth is 20-30 cm. The bulk of the roots is located at a depth of 30 cm. The location of the bulk of the roots in the arable layer of the soil determines the weak drought resistance of strawberries. Being a moisture-loving plant, at the same time it reacts negatively to excess moisture. Even temporary stagnation of water can cause plants to soak, leaching nutrients from the soil. Sandy soils are watered more often, but at lower rates than heavy ones.

V.A.Kolesnikov (1974), A.S. Matvievsky (1980), P.V. Vereshchagin (1978) indicate the high demands of strawberries to the water regime for the survival of seedlings after planting and, in general, to obtain high yields.

According to V.M. Zhuli (1976), the shallow occurrence of strawberry roots requires maintaining the soil in a loose and clean state with a sufficient supply of nutrients and moisture. ID Dyachenko (1969), LN Rybalov (1979) note the beneficial effect of watering on the growth of strawberries.

The study of the water regime of the soil (T.S.Kelembet, V.S. Markovsky, 1970; N.V. Matvienko, 1980) showed that the pre-planting application of organic fertilizers improved its agrochemical properties and somewhat increased the moisture content.

G.V. Trusevich (1975), A.G. Reznichenko (1958), A.D. Burmistrov (1972) indicate that the shallow occurrence of the root system of strawberries leads to its freezing at a soil temperature of minus 10 ° C in the rhizome zone and to complete death with a decrease in temperature to minus 15-16 ° C.

There is a strict interdependence in the development of the root system and the aerial part of strawberries, which limits and stimulates the development of not only both systems as a whole, but also their constituent parts. This makes the spontaneous development of plants in space inconceivable (P.G. Shitt, 1958).

The condition of the plant is highly dependent on the development and activity of the leaves. “The leaf delivers the main, quantitatively and qualitatively, food of the plant, we can say that the very essence of plant life is expressed in the life of the leaf, that the plant is a leaf” (KA Timiryazev, 1940). VA Kolesnikov (1968 ) indicates that the faster and better the leaves develop on fruit and berry plants, the more they produce carbohydrates and other organic substances, the better the vital activity of the roots - the second laboratory of plants, the higher the yield and its quality. applying high doses of fertilizers.

The strawberry leaf is trifoliate and consists of three leaf blades attached to a long petiole. There are stipules at the base of the petioles. Each horn grows 10-15 leaves during the growing season.

By the nature of the surface, a sheet is distinguished as smooth, bumpy, bubbly; the shape of the middle leaf is round, elongated-oval and broadly oval; by the shape of the leaf edges - crenate, obtuse-toothed, sharp-toothed, acute-deep-toothed, overlapping sharp-toothed, overlapping obtuse-toothed (Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Morphological features of the strawberry leaf:

a - general view; b - by the nature of the surface: 1 - smooth; 2 - bumpy; 3 - bubbly; c - in the shape of the middle sheet: 1 - rounded; 2 - elongated oval; 3 - wide oval; d - by the shape of the edges: 1 - crenate; 2 - blunt-toothed; 3 - sharp-toothed; 4 - sharp-toothed; 5 - overlapping sharp-toothed; 6 - overlapping blunt-toothed.

A feature of strawberry plants is the presence of leaves of different ages on the bush. During the growing season, some of them die off, while new ones grow back. Strawberry leaves in different conditions live from 30 to 130 days. The life span of wintering leaves reaches 240 days (A.D. Burmistrov, 1972). R.D. Iskoldskaya (1940) found that the preservation of leaves in winter increases the yield of berries by 40-50%. For aging leaves, a weakening of all vital functions is characteristic. Leaf aging can be accelerated or slowed down both under the influence of external factors (light, nutrition, humidity, temperature), and with the help of cytokinins, gibberellins, auxins and growth inhibitors.

A high yield of strawberries forms when the optimum leaf area is reached. Despite the increase in the number of leaves with the age of strawberries, their area practically does not increase after the second year, and after the fourth year it noticeably decreases due to the predominance of small leaves. Leaves grown in spring and autumn are smaller than in the summer months (N.G. Kontsevoy, 1974). Leaves begin to grow at a temperature of 5-7 ° C, the growth of autumn leaves stops when the temperature drops from 5 ° C (A.D. Burmistrov, 1972). The term of the possible appearance of the first true leaf is 10-11 days after the snow melts at a temperature of 7.1-8 ° С. The yield is significantly influenced by the illumination of the leaves, the total leaf area per hectare. An adult, well-developed strawberry bush has 50 or more leaves.

Strawberry buds are located in the leaf axils. In the process of differentiation, they can turn into flower buds, give rise to stems (horns) or form creeping shoots - whiskers.

According to R. Benne (1978), the more lateral horns and peduncles on it, the greater the total yield per plant.

B.3.Chiryatieva (1965), D.A. Craig (1981) determined that the flower buds, from which the crop is formed, are laid in the fall, and not in the spring. Therefore, the size of the harvest depends on the timely implementation of the necessary agrotechnical measures.

As evidenced by the data of experiments, when applying large doses of fertilizers, plants form few peduncles and many leaves. With the introduction of optimal doses, the yield increases by 1.5-2 times.

Most often, fruit buds are damaged in late winter - early spring. Upon completion of deep dormancy, even short-term warming can cause the onset of active life of plants. As a result, even with a slight cold snap, the plants are damaged.

At the end of flowering, long thin shoots - whiskers are formed in the axils of spring leaves. There are especially many of them after picking berries, in the second half of summer. With an interval of 10-15 cm, nodes are located on them. Rosettes of leaves are formed on paired nodes, which subsequently take root and give rise to new plants.

Rice. 7. Types of strawberry inflorescences:

a - umbrella; b - dichasium.

At the Ukrainian Research Institute of Horticulture, breeders K.N. Kopan and V.P. Kopan have created promising forms of strawberry plants with an umbrella type of fruiting, which are of great importance for industrial culture. With this type of fruiting, simultaneous flowering of flowers on a peduncle and simultaneous ripening of berries are ensured. The harvest is harvested in one collection, labor productivity increases, and there are prospects for machine harvesting of berries.

Strawberry flowers are bisexual and dioecious (Fig. 8). Most varieties have bisexual flowers and are capable of self-pollination. The best results are obtained with cross-pollination.

Rice. 8. Types of strawberry flowers:

a - bisexual; b - female; c - male.

First, flowers of the first order bloom, they are the largest, from which the largest berries are subsequently formed. Then flowers of the second, third, fourth orders appear; with each order they are smaller, the berries from them are formed, respectively, of smaller sizes and later ripening.

The arrangement of petals on flowers is dense and loose (Fig. 9).

Rice. 9. Arrangement of strawberry petals:

a - dense; b - loose.

Sepals on flowers are distinguished between short and long, narrow and wide, dissected (Fig. 10).

Rice. 10. Types of strawberry sepals:

a - long and narrow; b - wide and short; c - dissected.

Strawberry flowering, according to Yu.K. Katinskaya, begins at a sum of effective temperatures of 180-230 ° C in early varieties, 223-276 - in middle ones, and 255-353 ° C - in late varieties.

There are many pistils on the flower, forming several fruits. The latter form prefabricated fruits. With self-pollination, a weaker set of fruitlets and the formation of many underdeveloped ugly fruits are observed.

Rice. 11. Shape of strawberries:

a - conical; b - blunt-conical; c - heart-shaped; g - rounded; d - spherical; e - reniform.

Rice. 12. Position of the cup on strawberries:

a - buried; b - sitting on the neck; c - sedentary.

Most varieties have tender juicy flesh with a color ranging from pale pink to dark red.

For industrial technologies, varieties are distinguished with simultaneous ripening of berries of equal size with dense pulp. Berries of such varieties are more suitable for machine harvesting, transportation over long distances, and are valuable technical raw materials for processing. Of particular value are the forms that are capable of keeping ripe berries on the plant for a long time without deteriorating their quality.

With age, strawberry plantings show later periods of flowering and ripening of berries, as well as a longer duration of these phases of development.

In regions with abundant, prolonged and intense solar radiation, there is a rapid onset and passage of phenological phases of development of strawberry plants.

Name

Fragaria vesca

Family

Pink (Rosaceae)

morphological features

A perennial herb with a thick creeping rhizome covered with brown stipules. Thin fibrous adventitious roots and long filamentous shoots, the so-called "whiskers", which take root in the nodes, extend from the rhizome. In places where the whiskers are rooted, rosettes of long-petiolized basal leaves develop and flowering stems emerge.

Basal leaves are ternary, leaves are sessile with large sharp teeth. The leaves are almost glabrous above, covered with silky hairs below.

The flowers are white, collected in few-flowered umbellate inflorescences emerging from the axils of simple, sometimes double, coarsely toothed ovoid leaves. The cups remain with the fruit.

The fruit is a multi-root formed from a growing receptacle that has grown together with a calyx, into the pulp of which small achenes are immersed. This fruit is often called "strawberry".

chemical composition

The leaves of the plant contain B vitamins, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, organic acids (citric, quinic, malic), sugars, traces of essential oils, flavonoids in an amount of up to 2% (mainly rutin), tannins (up to 9%), salts iron, manganese, cobalt.

which part is used

leaves, fruits

application

Water infusion of wild strawberry leaves is used as a diuretic for urolithiasis and gallstone diseases. Their use is also prescribed for diabetes and anemia.

flowering and fruiting times

blooms in May-June

Garden strawberries, or pineapple strawberries (Fragaria ananassa), have been grown since the 18th century in the gardens of many countries of the world. This wonderful berry first appeared in the Netherlands from spontaneous pollination of American Chilean and Virginia strawberries. We mistakenly have garden strawberries, or pineapple strawberries, often called strawberries.

Garden strawberry / strawberry / belongs to perennial herbaceous plants. Its bush has a highly branched (up to 20-40 branches), shortened (no higher than 10 cm) stem, a mass of trifoliate leaves on long petioles, peduncles and lateral cord-like shoots (ground stolons), which we call. Every year, new growths, low up to 15 cm, called horns, are formed on the strawberry stalk. Over the years, the number of horns on the plant increases. A young strawberry rosette has one horn, a year later - three horns, a biennial plant has up to nine, and a five-year-old plant has up to 40 horns. From the third year, the strawberry begins to disintegrate into separate parts of the "particular" with the help of which strawberries reproduce in natural conditions. This method of propagation of strawberries is called "particularization" and is used for propagation of musty strawberry varieties.

The root system of strawberries is fibrous. It represents a rhizome with adventitious roots. Some of the roots of strawberries lie at a depth of more than 20 cm (sometimes up to a meter), the other part in the upper layers of the soil. The roots of strawberries close to the surface live no more than 3 years, as they are located in drier soil layers and often freeze, dry out, die off. New roots of strawberries grow in the higher parts of the rhizome or at the base of the horns, that is, in the upper layers of the soil. Over the years, more and more strawberry roots are located at the surface of the soil, therefore, its frost resistance and drought resistance, which strawberries do not already differ, decrease. Freezing of the roots of strawberries without a snow cover occurs already at -7 degrees C, and at -15 degrees C, it freezes completely.

Strawberry leaves are trifoliate, located on high petioles. During the growing season, they change several times. But still, the strawberry leaves the winter with green leaves. With them, she comes out from under the snow. The change of leaves in strawberries occurs gradually, without pronounced leaf fall. On average, each of its leaves lives for about 2 months. Garden strawberry has 4 groups of leaves. In the axils of the first spring leaves, horns are formed with a bud at the end. In the future, inflorescences develop from these buds. At the end of fruiting, the first group of strawberry leaves dies off. The second leaves of the strawberry appear in early summer. From their axillary buds, filamentous shoots (ground stolons or whiskers) grow. The third group of leaves on strawberries immediately after harvest. These leaves give rise to either mustache or strawberry horns.

Wild strawberries: all about your favorite berry

The wintering leaves of strawberries form the fourth group of leaves and are formed in the fall. Horns are subsequently formed from their axillary buds. The strawberry leaves falling off during the growing season, like its other plant residues, should be removed from the site and burned so as not to accumulate possible diseases and pests on the plantings.

With the help of a mustache, strawberries reproduce. On one bush, there can be up to 30 of them. In turn, on each mustache, from 3 to 5 rosettes of leaves are formed, which are formed at the apical points of growth of the stem - hearts. Over time, adventitious aerial roots form on the rosettes, which soon take root. Unrooted sockets are fed by the mother plant, rooted sockets - by their own roots. Rosettes retain the varietal characteristics of strawberries and are used for its propagation. The first two rosettes, located closer to the mother plant, are the best for reproduction. It is easy to calculate that up to 60 outlets can form from one strawberry bush during the season.

Strawberry blossoms begin in mid or late May. Strawberries form a corymbose inflorescence of five to ten five-petalled white or slightly yellowish flowers. Most strawberry varieties have bisexual flowers with multiple stamens and pistils. They are pollinated with their own pollen by insects. Only a few strawberry varieties, in which the stamens are underdeveloped, require a partner for pollination - a variety with its own sex flowers. The lower flowers in the strawberry inflorescence are the first to bloom. The first, largest berries weighing up to 40 g are formed from them. Later, the upper flowers bloom. The berries formed from them are smaller, their weight is up to 15 g. Often, on a branch of strawberries, you can simultaneously see flowers, ripening berries and ripe berries.

It takes about a month from the beginning of flowering to picking berries from strawberries. After flowering, the juicy receptacle of strawberries grows very strongly and forms a false fruit, which we call a berry. The berry can be red, pink or white with reddish or white flesh. The true botanical fruits of strawberries are located on the surface of an overgrown receptacle (that is, on the surface of a year) and represent numerous brownish seeds - nuts. Some varieties of strawberries are propagated by such seeds. Most often they are used for breeding purposes.

Read more about garden strawberries:

Garden strawberries. Strawberry. /Beneficial features. / Care. / How to water and feed strawberries. / Diseases and pests. / Strawberry propagation. / Where and how to plant strawberries. / Planting strawberries. / Strawberry varieties. / Recipes from strawberries (or strawberries) in the winter.

Wild strawberry - Fragaria vesca L.

Family Rosaceae - Rosaceae

Popular name: strawberries.

Wild strawberry- a perennial herb up to 25 cm high. The stem is thin, pubescent. The leaves are trifoliate. Blooms in May - June. Flowers are yellow-white. Medicinal plant.

Found throughout Russia.

Medicinal raw materials- leaves and seedlings. Fruit harvested after full maturation. You can also use the rhizomes of the plant.

Chemical composition

In strawberry stems contains ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamins, sugars, organic acids, tannins, pectin, dyes, traces of alkaloids and other compounds.

Application

Wild strawberries used as a diaphoretic, diuretic and antifebrile agent. Strawberry leaf infusion(1:10) - with uterine bleeding, gout, kidney and urolithiasis, liver and spleen diseases. Decoction of leaves and berrieswild strawberries(1:10) is used internally for diarrhea, externally - in the form of compresses for bleeding wounds.

Short description... An infusion of wild strawberry leaves is used for uterine bleeding, kidney and urolithiasis, gout, liver and spleen diseases.

Veterinary clinics

Compound feeds and premixes for cattle. Application of Wild strawberries in veterinary medicine. Dry food for animals: cats, dogs, cows, goats. Grooming cosmetics for dogs. Flea and tick remedies, toys for dogs.

Construction of cowsheds.

Construction of houses in the countryside

Construction of wooden houses. Construction of tent hangars for agriculture. Construction of houses from laminated veneer lumber.

Descriptions of medicinal plants for animals

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Strawberries (garden strawberries) - agricultural technology, structure,
crop rotation, planting, varieties, seedlings

• Agrobiological features of strawberries (garden strawberries)

Strawberry (garden strawberry) is a perennial herbaceous evergreen with regular leaf renewal. Two waves of active leaf growth are observed - in spring at the beginning of the growing season and in summer after harvest. The greatest loss of leaves occurs in the period from late autumn to spring at low air temperatures and no snow cover. Under unfavorable conditions, only horns remain alive by spring.

The aerial part of the strawberry bush consists of annual horns with apical and axillary buds, leaves, peduncles, whiskers with rosettes. Root system strawberries are fibrous, branched. Consists of perennial rhizome, adventitious roots of the horn and lateral fibrous roots. The bulk of the roots (more than 80%) is located in the upper layers of the soil (up to 20-25 cm).

The structure of the strawberry bush (four years of age):
1 - annual horn; 2 - perennial rhizome; 3 - peduncle; 4 - sheet; 5 - mustache;
6 - socket; 7 - apical kidney; 8 - axillary kidney;
9 - lateral roots; 10 - adventitious roots of the horn.

• Strawberry varieties (garden strawberries)

Strawberry varieties (garden strawberries): Beauty Zagorya, Zarya

Strawberry varieties (garden strawberries): Ruby, Festivalnaya

Strawberry varieties (garden strawberries): Zenga zengana, Talisman

Most Popular Strawberry (Garden Strawberry): Ruby Pendant

• Crop rotations of strawberry (garden strawberry)

For intensive use of the area and obtaining high yields, it is necessary to apply crop rotation with the following alternation of cultures:
1. Early greens (radish, lettuce, dill), siderates+ planting strawberries (July 20 - August 1);
2. Strawberries of the first year of fruiting;
3. Strawberries of the second year of fruiting;
4. Strawberries of the third year of fruiting + green, green manure.

Mastering strawberry crop rotation by years of use.
The following crops can be used as predecessors:
green (radish, lettuce, spinach, dill), peas, beans, mustard, radish, turnips,
carrots, onions, garlic, celery, as well as corn, clover, tulips, daffodils.

In such a crop rotation, an area of ​​5-6 m2 is required annually for planting with a demand for strawberries of 15-18 kg (with an average yield of 1 kg / m2).

Fragaria vesca L. - Wild strawberry

Crop rotation area after two rotations (8 years) swap places. The plots are arranged so that the rows of strawberries are directed from south to north.

• Site and soil preparation

Well protected light areas with deeply cultivated, loose and breathable soil are suitable for strawberries. The site should be as flat as possible or with a slight slope (no more than 5 °). In swampy areas, diversion ditches are made, earth filling.

Strawberries are grown in all soils, but the best for it are medium loamy. Clay and sandy soils should be fertilized with manure, compost. It grows relatively well on soils where the pH is not lower than 5.0, but better on slightly acidic soils with a pH of 5.5-6.0.

Acidic soils (pH 5.0 and below) are limed, gradually increasing the depth of the arable horizon with the obligatory introduction of organic fertilizers (in the form of composts) or green fertilizers (incorporation of green manure crops). On soils where the pH is above 6.0, peat, gypsum, mineral fertilizers, and a weak solution of hydrochloric acid are applied.

Pre-planting preparation the soil includes: digging with a full bayonet of a shovel, sampling and removing rhizomes of perennial weeds, applying fertilizers evenly over the site, thorough leveling of the soil surface, marking the site.

In the soil, well cultivated and filled with fertilizers in previous years, additional fertilization should not be applied. On poor soils, the best predecessors of strawberries are green manure crops (mustard, phacelia, etc.), which are embedded in the soil during the flowering period; the same effect is obtained by the introduction of plant residues of young weeds, etc. All work on soil preparation must be completed 7-10 days before planting strawberries.

• Preplant soil mulching

Mulching soil increases the yield of strawberries by 30-35%, accelerates the ripening of berries by 3-5 days, reduces the defeat of berries by gray rot, preserves soil moisture. The soil can be mulched with various opaque materials: dark film, special seed-proof paper, roofing felt, etc.

Mulch material 60-120 cm wide is spread on a carefully prepared, leveled and well-moistened soil surface (it can be on low ridges). The edges of the mulch strip (10-15 cm) are fixed with soil or pinned with metal staples. Then holes 5-7 cm in diameter or cruciform incisions of the same length are made in the mulch in accordance with the accepted plant placement scheme.

Between the strips of mulch with plants, you can spread strips of roofing material 30-40 cm wide for the period from spring until the end of fruiting of strawberries (garden strawberries). This prevents weeds from growing in the aisles and reduces moisture evaporation from the soil surface. Mulch material can also be laid out under already planted plants.

• Dates and schemes for planting strawberries (garden strawberries)

Exists general rule: the earlier the plants are planted, the better the development and the larger the yield should be expected from them for the next year. Autumn planting of strawberries should be completed before September 5, otherwise there may be poor survival rate of seedlings, death in winter and a lot of thinning in the first year.

Single- and multi-line planting patterns are suitable for strawberries. To get seedlings, mother plants are planted in one- and two-line schemes. Such schemes are also used when laying a site without mulching the soil, when the seedlings take root in the aisles.

WITH uterine site receive planting material for only one year. In the next two years, berries can be grown on this site.

In the area intended for obtaining berries, plants are planted in a three- or five-line pattern. With this placement, the next year after the first harvest, the mid-row plants can be removed (cut) in order to provide better conditions for fruiting in subsequent years. In the vacated places, you can grow annual vegetable or flower crops as a sealant: radishes, head lettuce, turnips, cabbage, onions, garlic, tulips, etc.

Planting patterns for strawberries (garden strawberries)

For multi-line plantings, low-leaf varieties are better suited: Krasavitsa Zagorya, Early Macherauha, Redcoat, Redgontlet.

Densely leafy varieties prone to severe damage to berries gray mold(Zenga Zengana), should be placed with large distances between plants.

The quality of planting affects the survival rate and subsequent growth of plants. When planting in a hole (hole), the roots of the seedlings are lowered, straightened so that they do not stray into a ball and do not bend upwards. Then the roots are evenly distributed and the hole is filled up, compacting with soil in two or three steps, avoiding voids near the roots. In this case, you need to monitor the correct planting depth: the apical bud (heart) should be at the level of the soil surface.

Potted seedlings planting is easier: a pot is inserted into the hole, compacted with soil, observing the correct planting depth.

Planting strawberry seedlings (garden strawberries)

When using not quite developed (weak) seedlings, as well as for quickly obtaining multi-track bushes, it is possible to plant two or three plants in one nest.

It is best to plant strawberries in a cool time in cloudy and even rainy weather. When planting in hot, sunny weather, some of the leaves from the seedlings can be removed. Within 5-7 days after planting, it is advisable to shade the plants with various materials (burlap, newspapers, damp grass, etc.), water or spray more often with water. Immediately after planting, water should be used, spending a bucket of water for 10-15 bushes.

Read the continuation of the article "Strawberries (garden strawberries) - a vertical method of growing in a greenhouse, reproduction, pests, diseases" ↩

Return to the section "Fruits-berries-nuts" ↩

What surprises nature is preparing for people! However, fairy tales do not come out of nowhere, but they cannot be called naked truth either. But strawberries do have healing properties that help restore human memory.
Strawberries are often confused with strawberries. The difference between these plants is small, but still there. Strawberries are more productive, and the size of the berries is much smaller than that of strawberries. But on the other hand, strawberries taste and aroma of fruits are softer and softer.

Strawberries are dioecious plants due to the presence of "heterosexual" bushes: the formation of male and female flowers occurs separately from each other. For good fruiting of strawberries, with which this plant can please its owner, it is quite enough to pick up 1-2 male bushes for 4-6 female bushes.
Strawberry leaves are much larger than strawberry leaves: strongly corrugated (wrinkled, tightened), large-toothed, sawtooth, always above which are the peduncles. The plant itself is rather tall and large in structure, but its flowers are smaller than those of strawberries.
Strawberry, like its "cousin" sister, differs from other berry plants in the early ripening of fruits and their taste and aromatic qualities.

Morphological features of strawberries

In addition, it bears fruit quickly and multiplies easily. The root system, by its natural formation, belongs to the fibrous species and is a kind of "monopolist" in relation to the total mass of the entire plant - it occupies more than 70%.
The most favorable places for the growth of strawberries are flat soils not deprived of sunlight. This plant does not like very windy and dry weather. Therefore, before planting strawberries, a certain place is allocated for it on the garden plot, either protected by some buildings from the side of the prevailing winds, or deepened on a shovel bayonet and leveled. For this, the soil must be pre-prepared and constantly monitored so that over time a dry earth crust does not form on it and there is no stagnant water - this will adversely affect the life of the plant, since the process of natural gas exchange will be difficult, and strawberries like to "breathe".
Strawberries propagate with the help of the so-called "whiskers", shoots that emerge from the axillary lower lateral buds of the plant. After the leafy rosettes with small adventitious roots have formed on the "mustache", these shoots are carefully separated from the female plant with a sharp knife (or spatula) and used to form a new strawberry plantation.

It is not recommended to take shoots from old plantations - there will be a poor harvest in terms of quantity and quality. Best of all, the offspring of healthy "two-year-olds", which gave more yield, unlike all others, and which have fibrous roots on not too elongated "whiskers", located closer to the bush, will go for seedlings.
When transported to another site, prepared seedlings must be placed in plastic or cellophane bags with damp earth and must be additionally moistened by spraying with drinking water.
Strawberries are planted at a certain time, and after a year the plant is able to give its first harvest. As you know, it is not recommended to constantly "keep" strawberries in the same place of the personal plot: some bushes of this plant affected by various diseases, thanks to their roots, leave in the soil a kind of epicenter of the disease, which negatively affects the development and fruiting of the first-planted crop, and various kinds of pests over time, they begin to "get used" to the permanent location of the plant and often settle there.
Therefore, for the favorable growth of strawberries, the planting sites change every 3-4 years (or as the yield decreases). In the place where peas or early vegetables were planted last, which do not leave behind a large amount of "garbage" in the soil, unlike onions or cucumbers, you can freely transfer strawberries, and plant some other garden crop in its former place. With this interchangeable method of places, it is possible to "deceive" pests that adore certain crops and, over time, infecting plants with diseases.
In general, strawberries are unpretentious in choosing their place of residence - they grow "anywhere", but if sandstones and clay prevail in the soil on the garden plot, then it would be good to fertilize it with peat. And yet, of all types of soils, it prefers medium loamy. Strawberries do not settle in acidic soils, but if it just so happens that the land plot is mostly endowed with just this type of soil, then it must be "improved" for a strawberry culture.
Soil acidity is reduced in advance (one year before planting) by adding ground limestone to it: 450 g per 1 sq. M. landing area. In addition, over time, mineral fertilizers and fertilizers are introduced into the soil for strawberries: fresh manure, potassium chloride and superphosphate, which must be used when preparing sites for new plantations, regardless of the type of soil.
After preparing the most favorable place for proper growth and a good harvest, strawberries are planted in two ways: in arid places (in the open sun), they must be planted in deepened grooves, and in areas that do not dry out well in the spring, in low beds. The approximate distance between bushes in a row is a quarter of a meter, and between rows - at least 50 cm.
Seedlings are carefully placed in pre-dug holes, pressing to one edge so that you can use the free space and spread the roots. Then it is leveled and covered with earth. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the growth point of the individual branching of the strawberry stem peeks out slightly. After that, regardless of the moisture content of the soil, the seedlings are watered abundantly, allowing the roots to snuggle tightly against it as they penetrate deep into the water. And it remains only to fertilize the place deepened around the plant with a small layer of peat or manure.
It is best to plant strawberries in mid - late August in cloudy weather, when it is drizzling with light rain - it is more likely that there will be a good harvest next summer.
Delicious and juicy strawberries contain a rich diet of all kinds of nutrients useful for the human body. The quantitative content of citric, salicylic, malic and other acids depends mainly on the environment and weather conditions, as well as on the careful handling of the plant during its development, but however, it is never deprived of them.
The huge content of iron, manganese, iodine, fluorine, copper, zinc, carotene, vitamins of group B, C, PP and P-active substances in strawberry fruits has a positive effect on the human body with a general breakdown. By constantly eating strawberries, you can get rid of the appearance of kidney stones and stabilize the work of the urethra. With hypertension and vascular sclerosis, it is good to use the juice of the fruits of this unique plant. And if a patient with a stomach ulcer is constantly tormented by unbearable pains, fresh berries will undoubtedly help.
Against periodontal disease and other diseases of the oral cavity in folk medicine, it is recommended to use strawberry berry infusion. And if a disease of the body is associated with the appearance of various kinds of eczema and rashes on the skin, then strawberry juice is simply necessary.
It often happens in a family that a small child begins to be capricious in earnest, refusing the next portion of cottage cheese. What to do in this case? Punish? It would be much easier to add a couple of strawberries to the "hated" dish, and all problems would be solved within a few seconds. Plus, it's good to add crushed strawberries to freshly made tea - both enjoyable and healthy.
For a long time, strawberries were considered a love spell, in most cases acting flawlessly: an unfortunate girl, rejected by a good fellow, collected fragrant berries in a wicker basket and, with the help of an old healer grandmother, made a "love elixir" in the fresh air. The charmed drink was served to the table, and at that moment, when an unsuspecting young man brought a glass to his lips, the girl read out the learned prayer "about the secret of her heart and the torments of her soul." As a result, after a while the young man's family sent matchmakers.
But one very wealthy woman with the help of strawberries was able to identify the identity of the thieves who climbed into her house late at night, who, oddly enough, turned out to be the sons of her husband's best friends.
As the wife of the president of one of the well-known companies for the production of cosmetics, she, at her own request, repeatedly subjected her pretty face to all kinds of tests associated with a new release of a cream or lotion, the composition of which she sometimes had to "make" from various natural ingredients. And then one day one fine evening, when at a friendly meeting of a secular society this lady unexpectedly quarreled with her beloved and went home without waiting for the festive fireworks, two young people were admitted to the local clinic with a diagnosis of loss of speech. one and a fracture of both legs in the other.
And it happened because the offended woman at the words of her husband, about the aging of her skin due to the experiments performed, decided to prove the opposite to him. Returning home, she prepared another cream-mask for the face in a "draft version" and locked herself in the bathroom. After a while, for some reason, the lights were turned off, but the purposeful woman went to the kitchen for a candle and continued her occupation, not even paying any attention to the flashlight beam flickering on the second floor of her own house.
Finally, having decorated a white "piece" on her face with ripe and juicy slices of strawberries, the lady decided to read a little in order to have a good time with the applied mask. But suddenly strange sounds came to her ears from the floor above. Assuming that her husband returned from the party "good" and went straight to the bedroom, she went up the stairs.
Hearing the creak of the floorboards, the thieves hid at the secretary: they knew for sure that no one should be at home - everyone was at the party. But when they saw the light flickering in the darkness, they rushed to the open window, with a crash overturning a small table along the way. The woman screamed and grabbed the ax hanging on the carpet at the entrance. The fallen candle rolled to the side, and the tail of its flame lightly touched the bear's skin that was lying on the floor. That, in turn, instantly flashed, illuminating the figure of a woman dressed in a white shirt with a red and white face and a formidable weapon in her hands.
Out of surprise, one thief, who managed to climb through the window, unsuccessfully fell down, and the other simply froze in place, waiting for his death. After the woman recognized in the boyfriend who was standing by the window a person she knew, she did not call the police and immediately called the ambulance to help his friend. But, as it turned out later, medical assistance was useful to both of them - after all, this strawberry is a terrible thing!
As a cosmetic product, strawberry relieves fatigue and tension, gives the skin a fresh and healthy look. Many girls, who have been embarrassed by the appearance of freckles at certain times of the year since childhood, used strawberries to “destroy” “sun bunnies” on their faces. And this method quickly spread among the "fighters" for a clean and pleasant face.
But in order to use strawberries in food, cosmetic or medical directions, it is necessary to know the methods of its correct cultivation, collection, storage and constantly monitor in the process of plant development for the emerging changes associated with characteristic diseases of the culture, as well as learn how to deal with various types of pests.
The most common pests on strawberries are insects such as flower beetles, strawberry mites and slugs.
The flower beetle (or, as it is called in another way, the strawberry-raspberry weevil) grows in strawberries during its flowering and hides on the weeds growing nearby. If it is noticed that the strawberry buds that have withered or fallen at the moment of the very color are gnawed near the pedicels, then you can immediately draw a conclusion: a flower beetle has worked here.
You can fight it only by natural collection, shaking off the beetles on a moistened piece of sheet and destroying the weeds at the same time. By the way, the appearance of the beetle can be avoided by "observing" a decent planting distance between strawberries and raspberries.
Slugs, which reproduce in a humid environment, eat up the flesh of strawberries in small pits and thereby spoil the ripe fruits.
It is very easy to catch such pests. It is enough to create favorable living conditions for them: spread ordinary handkerchiefs, abundantly moistened with water, or wet grass bunches among the strawberry bushes, and then check the "traps" from time to time. The slugs caught on the "hook" are destroyed naturally, and the pests remaining among the plantation strawberry thickets are searched for by looking at the earthen lumps in sunny or hot weather - they hide in the shade or burrow in the surface of slugs and soil.
It will be more difficult with a strawberry (or strawberry) mite. There is no point in "catching" it - it is too small and inconspicuous. It feeds on the sap of the leaves of the plant, after which they become wrinkled and mottled brown. This immediately affects the natural growth of strawberries and the quality of the berries. In addition, the fruits become much smaller in size.
The dwelling of the strawberry mite is the base of the leaf petioles (in winter) and the leaves themselves on the back side (in spring). But you can fight him - he is not so elusive!
To do this, it is necessary to carefully process the strawberry plantation with an infusion of garlic and onions or a colloidal solution of sulfur powder with water: for 5 liters of warm water - 30 g of powder. If the visits to the tick are repeated, then after harvesting, it is necessary to resort to rejuvenating the strawberries and completely cut off the entire surface of the plant, then burn the leaves and stems.
Diseases of strawberries, which the plant most often get sick with, are gray rot and leaf spot.
The first of them appears due to improper handling and care of the plant. The presence of a large amount of moisture and oversaturation of nitrogen and organic fertilizers, which must be limited, lead to the appearance of a gray fluffy bloom on the surface of the leaves.
And leaf spot is a multi-species fungal disease, due to which the leaves of plants die. To avoid this, it is necessary to carry out the last operations, as in the case of a strawberry mite, only after "cutting" the plantation, spray all the cuttings remaining from the plant with a liquid consisting of a mixture: 150 g of quicklime, the same amount of copper sulphate and 5 liters of water.
But so that these troubles never happened, you need an eye and an eye for strawberries. Therefore, follow the advice of experts before inventing your own strawberry production methods.

Introduction

Strawberries are one of the most popular, widespread and widely cultivated berry crops. It is appreciated for the high quality of berries, their early ripening, quick entry into the season of marketable fruiting, high productivity, fast and easy reproduction.

Strawberry fruits have excellent taste and delicate aroma, are widely used fresh and processed for making preserves, jams, syrups, pies, etc. It finds application in the perfumery industry for the fragrance of soaps, creams, lipsticks. But before you can enjoy it, it must be grown and preserved.

The purpose of this course work is to consider the integrated protection of strawberries. Integrated plant protection is understood as a combination of biological, chemical, physical, agrotechnical and other methods against a complex of diseases in a specific ecological-geographical zone on a specific crop. Its purpose is to regulate the number of harmful species to an economically imperceptible size while maintaining the activity of natural beneficial organisms.

Integrated protection, to a greater extent than individual protective measures, contributes to the achievement of high economic indicators with the fullest observance of environmental requirements and a minimum negative impact on the environment.

Biological features

The structure of the strawberry bush

Strawberry is a perennial herb of the Rosaceae family, a berry culture. The strawberry bush consists of a perennial rhizome, annual horns with apical axillary buds, leaves, peduncles, whiskers with rosettes, etc.

Figure 1. The structure of the strawberry bush

The root system of strawberries is fibrous, branched, well developed (up to 60 - 62% of the total plant biomass). Consists of perennial rhizome, adventitious roots of the horn and lateral fibrous roots. Strawberry rhizome is a perennial modified stem, covered with non-falling stipules - scales. From the second or third year after planting strawberries, the lower part of the rhizome begins to die off. The older the rhizome, the smaller its apical growths and the weaker the root system.

The aerial part of the strawberry bush consists of annual horns with apical and axillary buds, leaves, peduncles, whiskers with rosettes. The leaf is complex, obtuse-toothed, usually trifoliate, but varieties with four and five leaves are found. The apical leaflet is ovate, on a short or long (depending on the variety) petiole, 2 lateral leaflets are sessile. Petioles of leaves in almost all varieties are pubescent; stipules are located in the lower part of the leaf, which differ in shape, color and size. During the growing season, plants have 2 waves of active leaf growth - in spring at the beginning of the growing season and in summer after harvest. A feature of strawberries is the lack of apical growth of the stem. From the apical flower bud in the spring, a peduncle with an inflorescence appears, which dies off after fruiting. New stems are formed as branches from the lateral buds. Their length is 0.5 - 1.5 cm. They are called horns. Each horn ends with a flower bud.

The aboveground system has 3 types of shoots, which differ greatly in their morphological characteristics and biological functions:

Horns (shortened annual shoots). Each formed horn has an apical bud (heart), a rosette of 3 - 7 leaves, lateral axillary buds, at the base of the growth - adventitious roots. Peduncles are formed from the apical and axillary buds of the upper leaves for the next year. Axillary leaf buds are often vegetative.

Whiskers (annual creeping shoots) are organs of vegetative reproduction. A young daughter plant (rosette) develops on the second internode of the mustache. From the axils of the first leaf of the rosette, a mustache develops again, which gives a daughter plant of the second order at the second internode, etc. A lot of plant nutrients are consumed for the formation of the mustache, which negatively affects the yield. Therefore, timely, 3-4 times during the growing season, removal of the whiskers increases winter hardiness and yield in the next year.

Peduncles that form in April from generative buds and live until the end of fruiting. On a flowering shoot, 1-2 stem leaves and an inflorescence appear. Most varieties have 4-12 peduncles on the bush, each having 4-10 flowers. The most favorable conditions for an increase in the number of horns are formed in the first 3 years of life of fruiting plantations.

The strawberry flowers are white, bisexual, but differ in stamens. In some varieties, the stamens are well developed, such flowers are called perfect, they can be pollinated with their own pollen. Varieties with underdeveloped stamens (Komsomolskaya Pravda, Chudo Ketena) require replanting of the pollinator variety. Strawberry flowering begins with the appearance of flowers of the first order, then subsequent ones (according to their location in the inflorescence). Strawberries bloom 25-30 days after the start of the growing season, flowering lasts 15-35 days. It takes about 30 days from the beginning of flowering to ripening of the berries.

The strawberry fruit is multi-nut. Its edible part is a strongly overgrown, colored, juicy, fleshy, sweet receptacle, on the surface of which, in the recesses, there are nuts formed from the ovaries of pistils. The size and weight of the berries depend on the variety, their location on the peduncle, the age and condition of the plants.

By the third or fourth year, the old parts of the rhizome begin to die off, the plant disintegrates into separate parts, particulars. This phenomenon was called particularization. Particulation is a natural way of vegetative propagation of strawberries.

Strawberry - erroneous name of garden strawberry. Both plants belong to the same genus Zemlyanka, but belong to different types: Strawberry -Fragaria moschata,strawberry - Fragaria ananassa Duch. ( F. grandiflora Ehrh.). Family - Pink ( Rosacea B. Juss.).

Since the name strawberry is more common among amateur gardeners, then in the article the dugout will be called strawberries.

Strawberry cultivation history

Strawberry bush structure

Strawberry- a perennial herb, about 20 cm high and up to 40 cm wide. It occupies an intermediate position between perennial herbaceous and semi-shrub forms.

Root system

The root system of strawberries consists of rhizomes and small fibrous roots. The largest number of living overgrowing roots are biennial and three-year-old plants. At the same time, in bushes aged two years and older, the root system consists, as it were, of two tiers: the lower one consists of the roots extending from the rhizome, the upper one is the adventitious roots extending from the branches of the stem - horns (see figure). The lower part of the rhizome gradually grows stiff and aging, and the suction root system located on it dies off. After that, the plants mainly feed on the adventitious roots. Large roots are covered with a cork layer; spare plastic substances are deposited in them.

The main mass of roots on podzolized soils lies at a depth of up to 25 cm, and only some of them penetrate 50 cm. Due to this feature, strawberries in summer, when the upper layers of the soil dry out, suffer from a lack of moisture and develop poorly. To prevent this danger, the soil must be kept loose and moist and fertilized systematically. Especially moisture and nutrients are needed in strawberries in early spring and after the end of fruiting, when there is an increased growth of new roots.

Stem

The stem is shortened, up to 12 cm in height. Very short lateral ramifications - horns - are formed on it. The development and growth of them and the bush as a whole goes from the center to the periphery (the youngest horns are closer to the periphery). The number of horns in the bush increases every year, reaching 40 pieces (in some varieties). From the apical bud of the horn, a peduncle is formed, which dies off after fruiting. In highly productive varieties, flower stalks are additionally formed from axillary buds of the upper leaves. The lower buds often remain vegetative, of which dormancy develops, on the second internodes of which daughter plants are formed - rosettes.

Horns grow very quickly in spring - May. In August, their growth slows down, and then stops altogether. From this time, the formation of flower buds of the future harvest begins. At the base of the newly formed horns, new roots appear, which are located above the rhizome. This explains the bulging of roots from the soil observed in strawberries. In connection with this feature, it is necessary to apply a special agrotechnical method - podkuchenie plants after harvesting. If this is not done, then a faster aging of the plant occurs, since the formation of new roots becomes limited, and the old ones continue to die off.

Drown (stolon)

Usopleti are cord-like shoots arising from the lateral buds of the stem. Since spring, they grow weakly, and after fruiting, their growth increases. There are nodes on the mustache, from which young plants develop with rosettes of leaves and primordia of roots. By touching the soil, new plants take root, especially in wet weather.

The formation of a mustache greatly weakens the mother plant of strawberries, since a lot of nutrients are spent on their formation (the weight of a mustache with rosettes from one bush is on average about 80 g). As a result, fewer flower buds are laid.

The number of whiskers in a bush is different and depends on the variety, age of the plantation and agricultural technology. On plants less than three years old, the whiskers are formed more and the rosettes are well developed. The number of whiskers increases significantly with strong soil moisture and the introduction of large doses of nitrogenous fertilizers.

By the end of summer, a root lobe forms at the base of the rosettes, that is, they take root and become independent plants, which, when separated from the mother bush, can be used as planting material. The mother bush can form 10 or more weeds and give over 40 rosettes by autumn.

Sheet

Strawberry leaves are trifoliate, growing on relatively long petioles. Their lifespan is 30-90 days. The leaves, formed in spring, actively die off after picking the berries. They are replaced by the so-called autumn leaves, which go into winter, and with a favorable overwintering continue their vital activity in the spring of the next year. The lifespan of such leaves can exceed 210 days.

Strawberries do not have a leaf fall period, like other fruit and berry plants, so they leave in winter with green leaves. In winter, some of them die off. Those leaves that have not finished growing in autumn continue to grow in spring, their plates increase in size, and the petiole also lengthens. But they die off quickly.

Flower

Strawberries bloom 35 days after the start of the growing season in April-May. There is an uneven opening of flowers, which is explained by the peculiarities of the structure of the flower race. Flowers in a peduncle from 1 to 30, depending on the variety and agricultural technology. The number of peduncles in a bush is different: from 3 to 25, or even more, and depends on the variety, age of the bush and agricultural technology. The duration of the flowering of the bush as a whole is 20-25 days, depending on the meteorological conditions. In hot dry weather, flowering is much faster than in cloudy. Blooming of one flower - 4-6 days.

The flowers are predominantly bisexual, self-pollinating, but there are varieties with same-sex female or functionally female flowers. These are Komsomolskaya Pravda, Tashkentskaya, Obilnaya, Miracle Ketena, Poznyaya Kuban, Pozdnyaya from Leopoldsgall, and others. Pollinator varieties should be added to such varieties when planting a plantation: Mysovka, Roshchinskaya, Saxonka. Plants of these varieties have bisexual flowers and bloom at the same time as unisexual strawberries. The varieties must match in terms of flowering time.

Peduncles are low, flowers are located at a height of up to 20 cm from the soil surface. Therefore, they sometimes die from frosts in the spring - more often in those areas where the temperature drops more than in the right-bank areas. At -2 ° C in the area of ​​flowers, they die, and at -4 ° C, buds die.

The peduncle is formed from the apical bud of the horn and dies off after fruiting. In highly productive varieties, flower stalks are additionally formed from axillary buds of the upper leaves.

Berry

The fruits are numerous achenes about 2 mm in size, pressed into the flesh of an overgrown receptacle of the berry. Fruit weight ranges from 5 to 50 g or more, the color is pink or red.

End of flowering - beginning of ripening period is 18-22 days. And from the beginning of the formation of buds until the berries are fully ripe, 35-42 days pass. Ripening lasts 30 days, depending on the variety, plantation age and meteorological conditions. The berries are removed in 1-2 days, as they ripen. In total, up to 12 training camps are held per season.

Strawberries can be set without the help of insects, as the wind carries pollen. However, practice has shown the importance of bees and other insects for pollination of strawberries.

Requirements for growing conditions

Strawberries are hygrophilous, but like most crops, damp and swampy soils are unsuitable for growing. Micro cavities where water stagnates are also unsuitable. Soil moisture content of 75-80% of the field moisture capacity is considered optimal.

Strawberries are light-requiring, but they do not like strong lighting (in the south of Russia) or long-term shading. When shaded, the plants grow poorly, get sick more often, bear little fruit, the berries have a more sour taste.

Winter hardiness of strawberries depends both on varietal characteristics and on the age of the plants and the level of agricultural technology. Young plants overwinter better than old ones, since in the latter the adventitious and carob roots are closer to the soil surface or partially protrude above it. As a rule, strawberries die in snowless winters when the temperature drops to -15 ... -18 ° С, but can tolerate temperatures even down to -25 ... -35 ° С if there is a snow cover of at least 20-30 cm. In Siberia and on Sakhalin, with a strong snow cover, strawberries do not die even at -40 ° C and below. The root system of plants without snow cover freezes or dies, usually when the temperature drops to -8 ° C.

Repaired varieties, due to a long fruiting period, are very demanding on soil and moisture. They should be grown under high agricultural technology.

Features of the growth and development of strawberries

The increased growth of strawberries begins in early spring and continues until the beginning of the ripening of the berries. During this period, leaves and peduncles grow rapidly, the roots branch strongly, overgrowing with suction roots. The number of leaves at this time reaches 60 per bush. During the first three to four weeks, they increase in size. During the fruiting period, their growth slows down, and in some varieties it completely stops, since nutrients in large quantities are spent on the formation of berries. By the end of fruiting, the leaves dry out. After harvest, new leaves begin to grow. Thus, strawberries have two periods of active leaf growth: in early spring and immediately after fruiting. In spring, regrowth occurs due to the reserves of plastic substances accumulated in the stems and roots since the fall of last year. After the formation of new leaves and roots, the plant develops due to the nutrients created in the current year.

The development of plants - the growth of roots, the formation of new and the death of old leaves, occurs during the entire growing season, but two waves of active growth are especially noted, during which the need of plants for nutrients and moisture increases. The first begins in early spring, when the length of the sowing day is 10-12 hours, and the soil warms up to a temperature of 7-8 ° C, and continues until the active growth of berries begins, and the second, after harvesting, until the formation of flower buds. Root growth in spring begins 8-10 days earlier than leaf growth, and is mainly due to storage substances deposited in the horns of the last year. At the time of the beginning of the growth of leaves and peduncles and the separation of buds, intensive formation of roots begins with a large number of suction root hairs, which serve as the main suppliers of mineral nutrients for plants.

Leaf formation in spring coincides with the development of fruiting organs. Strong overgrowth of leaves inhibits the growth of peduncles and flowers, reduces the yield and quality of berries, especially when dry weather sets in after flowering. The strong development of leaves is facilitated by excessive soil moisture in the spring and the introduction of a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers.

One of the common mistakes inexperienced gardeners make: by allowing the formation of a lush mass of leaves, they themselves, without realizing it, significantly reduce the yield.

During the fruiting period, the strawberry plant consumes more water than in any other period. After fruiting, strawberries enter a very important phase of development, preceding the laying of flower buds (for next year's harvest). At this time, the leaves grow vigorously, the stem branches out, forming new rosettes, from the base of which roots grow; mustache grows very quickly. In order for the bushes to grow better, the soil must be loosened and fertilized well.

As the age and branching of the stems increase, a disproportion is created between the aboveground and underground parts of the strawberry. There are more leaves than roots, which weakens the plant. Therefore, the older the bush, the more demanding it is to care for. With good care, the bush normally bears fruit for 5 years, and with poor care - no more than 3 years.

Strawberry flower buds begin to form about 30 days after fruiting - on average from mid-August. The number of flower buds depends on the strength of the branching of the stem and on the general condition of the bush. The better the bush is, the more buds are laid. The differentiation of fruit buds in early varieties of strawberries is completed by mid-September, late ones - by the end of September.

The conditions for the development of strawberries in the period after harvesting affect the winter hardiness of the bushes. The plant accumulates carbohydrates (starch, sugar), fats and proteins in the stems and roots, which contribute to better wintering. The more leaves at this time, the more nutrients will accumulate and the easier the bush will overwinter. In addition, the hardening of the plant affects winter hardiness when, before the onset of severe frosts, it is exposed to a temperature of minus 8 ° C. At the same time, in the plant, starch turns into sugar, the concentration of cell sap increases, and winter hardiness increases.

The oppression of plants in the post-harvest period (lack of moisture and nutrients) is the main reason for low yields and poor frost resistance of strawberries.

Strawberry is not a frost-resistant plant, but it winters well under the snow cover. Since its roots are shallow, it is demanding on the fertility and moisture of the topsoil. With appropriate agricultural technology, it develops well on a wide variety of soils and gives a high yield within 5 years. However, with age, the berries become much smaller. Therefore, you should limit yourself to getting 4 harvests.

A young rooted rosette has one horn, but in some varieties, 2-Z horns can form in the first year. Horns are formed unevenly over the years. If in the first year the plant, as a rule, forms only one horn, then the next year there will be 2-3 of them, in the third - 8-16 (the more strong horns are formed on the plant, the higher the yield will be). Then the rate of formation of horns is reduced, and the formation of kidneys on them weakens. This is due to the fact that new roots are formed at the base of the new horns, that is, the rhizome grows in the upper part, and the root system moves to the upper layers of the soil. The superficial occurrence of strawberry roots (most of them are located at a depth of 25-30 cm), especially in old plants, indicates high requirements for moisture and nutrients. Therefore, aging plants require more careful care.

Repairability

Reparability is the ability of plants to repeat or even multiple flowering and fruiting during one season due to a short dormancy period. Unlike ordinary strawberries, such strawberries lay flower buds in the second half of May when the length of daylight hours is 16-17 hours and the air temperature is above 17 ° C.

Remnant strawberries begin to bear fruit in June (along with common varieties) and continue to yield until late autumn. But at the same time, it has two periods of the most active fruiting: June-July and from the end of July to autumn.

Some varieties of strawberries

• Varieties bloom earlier than others: Kiev early # 2, Early Macherauch, Chernobrivka, Eternal Spring, Early dense, Corrado, Pearl, Talka, Kalinka, Commemorative, Lvovskaya early, Desna.
• Strawberry varieties with simultaneous berry ripening: Cardinal, Redcoat, Totem, Holiday, Ruby pendant, Sunrise.
• The most productive varieties are considered: Festivalnaya, Zenga Zengana, Bohemia, Gorella, Holiday, Harvest CGL, Fireworks, Ray VIR, Nadezhda, Redgontlit, Desnyanka, Cinderella, Purple, Relay, Commemorative, Epic, Eternal Spring, Carnival, Rus, Govorovskaya, Mom.
• The best remontant varieties of strawberries for growing in central Russia are the following: Sakhalin, Inexhaustible, Mahern, Ozark Byunti, Tribute, Tristar, Mount Everest, Brighton, Geneva (the last three varieties grow well in southern Russia). Of the semi-renovated varieties, the Cardinal, Eternal Vesna and Redgontlit varieties can be distinguished.
• The most winter-hardy varieties are: Bohemia, Eternal Spring, Russia, Kubenskaya, Festivalnaya, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Purple, Khibinskaya, Shedrai, Spasskaya, Severyanka, Relay, Makovka, Vesnyanka, Kalinka, Corrado, Zenit.
• Insufficient winter hardiness in the conditions of central Russia is shown by varieties: Gorella, Redgontlit, Holiday, Sunrise, Bogota, 50 years of October, Zenra Tigaiga, Zenga Zenga, Zengana Gigan.

Growing strawberries

(Shrubs and semi-shrubs)

• Govorova G.F. Strawberries / G.F. Govorova, D.N. Govorov. - M .: Publishing House of SMEs, 2003. - 160 p., Ill. ISBN 5-7578-0163-8
• Zvonarev N.M. Strawberries. Strawberry. Varieties, care, seasonal calendar. - M .: Tsentrpoligraf, 2010 .-- 128 p. ISBN: 978-5-9524-4823-0