Description and characteristics of the Cinderella strawberry variety, planting and care
Both children and adults adore the juicy and delicious strawberries. Most summer cottages are planted with this fruit crop, since it is better to taste a product grown with your own hand than purchased in a store. Strawberries of the Cinderella variety are one of the most successful species, which, in terms of taste, are most similar to wild strawberries. Many summer residents prefer this particular variety, planting and caring for which have their own characteristics.
Content
Description and characteristics of Cinderella strawberries
The late-ripening Cinderella strawberry variety was first bred in Russia as a result of long-term work with the Festivalnaya and Zenga Zengana varieties. The resulting look is the personification of the best qualities of their parents. The plant is in the form of a vigorous, moderately spreading bush that forms a small number of whiskers, which complicates reproduction. The main feature of the Cinderella strawberry variety is the ability to observe the next wave of fruiting after the first ripening.
The plant has large leaves of a dark green color. Inflorescences set low on strong and dense peduncles capable of withstanding heavy berries. And large flowers consist of five white petals. The fruit itself weighs up to 20 g on average, but the first harvest can be much larger. The shape of the berry is smoothly rounded, conical, without a neck. The fleshy pulp has a red-orange hue, sweet and sour pleasant taste, multifaceted bright aroma and density.
Fruiting begins in July and lasts until autumn.
The advantages and disadvantages of culture
If we compare the Cinderella strawberries with other crops, then it differs significantly from them in a number of advantages, thanks to which it earned its place in the garden:
- excellent taste and pleasant aroma;
- good transportability;
- resistance to temperature extremes;
- high commercial qualities;
- impressive seed germination and productivity;
- undemanding and unpretentiousness;
- renovation and long fruiting period.
Among the disadvantages of the Cinderella strawberry variety are:
- a small number of mustaches, which makes vegetative reproduction more difficult;
- the likelihood of being damaged by gray mold;
- intolerance to fertilizers that contain chlorine;
- requires frequent transplants and cannot stay in one place for more than 4 years.
The advantages of Cinderella strawberries far exceed the disadvantages, which explains its popularity among experienced gardeners.
The subtleties of growing garden strawberries
Growing strawberries of the Cinderella variety is not difficult, but still has several nuances that you should definitely familiarize yourself with.
Sowing time
Sowing in open ground is carried out in March or April. The temperature in this case should be about 23 degrees, and the duration of daylight hours should not be less than 12-14 hours. The first shoots will show themselves after a month.
How to choose seedlings
When choosing Cinderella strawberry seedlings, you should pay attention to the appearance of the plant. First of all, the leaves should be bright and clean. The presence of dark spots and pallor in color indicate that the seedling is affected by fungal diseases. Shriveled leaves signal the presence of a strawberry mite. An annual shoot must exceed 70 cm, the number of leaves must be at least 3 pcs. Only after choosing a healthy seedling do they boldly start planting.
Landing scheme
In the autumn period, the soil where it is planned to plant Cinderella strawberries must be prepared:
- enrich with calcium using lime;
- dig a shovel deep into the bayonet;
- remove all weeds and destroy the larvae;
- pour water in the ratio of 1 bucket per 1 m2;
- disinfect by copiously treating with copper sulfate.
For planting Cinderella strawberries, medium loamy soil is best suited. Do not plant the plant on sandy soil..
There are several methods for planting crops in open ground:
- One line. The gap between seedlings should be from 15 cm, and between rows from 40 cm. This method is characterized by high yields, even with long-term use of the site without transplants.
- Chess. The seedlings are placed at a distance of 50 cm from each other, the width of the gaps between the rows is 50 cm. In relation to each other, the rows are shifted by 25 cm. This will avoid many diseases.
How to properly care for your culture
Proper care of Cinderella strawberries consists in performing the necessary operations and techniques that help to increase productivity, improve the quality of berries.
Spring care
As soon as the snow melts, it is worth starting to prepare a bed of Cinderella strawberries for the new season. For this:
- thoroughly clean the beds from last year's layer of mulch;
- get rid of dead leaves and antennae;
- qualitatively loosen the soil;
- remove dried bushes and plant others in the same place;
- for preventive purposes, treat plants with special pest control agents;
- fertilize.
If there are bare roots, which is a common problem with strawberries after wintering, carefully sprinkle them with a small layer of soil.
Watering and feeding
To maximize the yield, water the plant regularly. 10 days after planting, the seedlings are irrigated with water at least 2-3 times every 6-7 days. In the future, it is recommended to use the sprinkling method.
To reduce watering, resort to mulching.
Use straw, sawdust or foliage as a mulch. The layer thickness should be between 4 and 7 cm.
The issue of systematic fertilization is controversial, since strawberries are considered sensitive to high concentrations of salt, so you should not oversaturate the soil with various fertilizers and resort to them in extreme cases. But the plant needs to get a sufficient amount of minerals from the soil. For this, weeds are promptly disposed of, which abundantly absorb all inorganic substances. A little manure, compost or straw is added periodically.
Preparing for winter
Preparation for winter begins in October without fail. For a normal winter experience, Cinderella strawberries need:
- the introduction of superphosphate, which will have a good effect on the frost resistance of the culture and saturate the soil with nutrients until spring;
- applying a thick layer of humus or sawdust mulch;
- carrying out preventive pruning of dry, fungal or infected leaves, using scissors or pruning shears in order to avoid damage to the root system.
With the correct and timely preparation of strawberries for wintering, you can be sure that all the bushes will cope well with frost and will delight you next season.
Diseases and methods of struggle
The main diseases of the Cinderella variety include:
| Disease | Control measures |
| Gray rot | Use mulch, prevent pruning, use drip irrigation |
| Powdery mildew | Treat with a sulfur-based colloidal solution, get rid of the affected vegetative parts of the plant |
| Leaf spot | Treat with appropriate pesticides and 1% Bordeaux liquid |
| Late blight | Eliminate waterlogging of the soil, instantly eliminate diseased specimens, treat the area with a benlate suspension |
| Verticillary wilting | Burn the affected bushes, disinfect the soil with iron sulfate |
If you notice the disease in time and start treating it, then it will not last long and will not affect the quality of the crop.
Pests and ways to combat them
More often than diseases, Cinderella strawberries can be disturbed by such dangerous pests as spider mites, nematodes, strawberry leaf beetle, weevil. It is recommended to use appropriate insecticides to control them. It is almost impossible to get rid of nematodes, so the plants are removed and strawberries are not planted in this area for 5 years.
Reproduction
Cinderella strawberries can be propagated vegetatively: with the help of a mustache or by dividing a bush, and also diluted in a generative way using seeds.
Seeds
Growing Cinderella strawberries from seeds is often practiced, although the process is quite laborious, but its main advantage is high germination. Carefully separate the seeds from the berries with a small knife and leave in the fresh air for 2 days to dry. After that, with the onset of a favorable time, start sowing.
Dividing the bush
A young bush has only one growth point in the form of a heart, and in the future their number increases. This makes it possible to dig up a bush and divide it into several parts depending on the number of hearts and transplant it to a new place.
Mustache
The variety produces a small number of shoots, which complicates the process. Separate the mustache from the mother's body and transplant to a new bed.
Harvesting and storage
Strawberries are harvested 2 days before they are fully ripe, in the morning or before sunset. For long-term storage, freeze the berries. Otherwise refrigerate to 0 degrees and refrigerate for no more than 4 days in a plastic container.
The correct planting of Cinderella strawberries and compliance with all care rules will not remain unsuccessful and will certainly manifest themselves in a harvest of high quality and quantity. The collected berries will amaze everyone around you with their unforgettable taste, as well as delight with their attractive appearance and inviting aroma.
