Description and characteristics of the Kiss Nellis strawberry variety, cultivation and reproduction
Combining the beauty of strawberry beds with a rich harvest of fragrant berries is the goal of a gardener. It is not so easy to choose a variety of garden strawberries - there are too many choices. The long-lived Kiss Nellis strawberry is a great option for lovers of large fruits. Planting does not need to be renewed for 6-8 years, and the weight of one berry can reach 100 grams!
Description of the variety
Kiss Nellis is a new large-fruited fruitful variety of garden strawberries. Bred in 2014 by German breeders, a descendant of the famous Gigantella Maxim. The berry is winter-hardy and does not require additional shelters. Kiss Nellis is ideal for commercial cultivation, with increased keeping quality and transportability of fresh fruit.
Plant characteristics
Kiss Nellis is classified as a titanium variety: it is durable, with a high yield, and has a stable immunity to diseases.
Description of the Kiss Nellis strawberry variety:
- Average ripening period.
- Not a remontant variety, bears fruit once a year.
- Large fruits weighing up to 100 g of truncated-conical shape.
- The color of ripe fruits is maroon.
- Does not require transplants for 6-7 years.
- Creates powerful, spreading bushes.
- Productivity up to 1.5 kg per plant.
- Moderate sweetness, pleasant aroma, soft strawberry.
- A variety of universal use.
Strawberries of this variety are not capricious, suitable for beginner gardeners. By following the basic rules of plant care, you can get a truly impressive harvest of giant berries.
Pros and cons of large-fruited Kiss Nellis strawberries
The garden strawberry variety Kiss Nellis has practically no drawbacks.
Main advantages:
- High productivity.
- Good transportability of ripe fruits.
- The longevity of plantings, you do not need to frequently update and change the bushes.
- It adequately endures spring frosts and hibernates without shelter.
- Strong immunity.
- Large-fruited.
It seems that German breeders have created the perfect berry. But you can still highlight the small disadvantages of the variety:
- Plantings can thicken over time, it is necessary to trim the mustache in time and observe the distance between the bushes while planting seedlings in the ground.
- With insufficient watering or drought, the berries become smaller.
- The soil for plants must be saturated with organic and mineral substances, the variety depends on the quality of the soil.
The giant strawberry Kiss Nelis amazes with its berries.To grow a fruit weighing 100-150 g, gardeners resort to a little trick: they pinch off several flowers on the peduncle, leaving 2-3 ovaries. This will reduce the overall yield per bush, but it will be possible to see and taste the berry the size of a child's palm.
How to plant correctly
The key to the success of growing this strawberry variety is the correct agricultural technology. It is necessary to observe the row of plantings, the deepening of the bush and the rate of organic and mineral fertilizers.
When and where to plant
Protected from gusts of wind, the sunny area is a good place for planting strawberry beds. Loam and sand are the perfect soil combination for Kiss Nellis. But even for this type of soil, it is recommended to apply large quantities of organic and mineral fertilizers.
The best time for planting seedlings is the first decade of May - the standard seasonal time for planting garden strawberries.
The choice of planting material
In order to fulfill the expectations of the declared advantages of the large-fruited Kiss Nellis strawberry variety, it is necessary to carefully choose the planting material.
Basic requirements for seedlings:
- Healthy appearance: leaves are bright, rich in color, there are no spots and damage on the plant.
- Developed root system, while the optimal root length of a strawberry bush is 10 cm.
- The bush should consist of 2-3 fully formed branches.
Kiss Nellis is one of the most ambitious and popular garden strawberries. Unscrupulous sellers often pass off other plants for it. It is necessary to take this factor into account and buy seedlings from trusted suppliers or grow them from seeds yourself.
Planting process
Planting seedlings should be carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather. The beds must be prepared. The planting process includes the following steps:
- Plowing the soil to a depth of 30 cm. It is necessary to apply fertilizers: organic additives - manure and humus, mineral fertilizers - superphosphate and wood ash.
- For the convenience of watering, one bed includes two or three rows of bushes. The optimal distance between the beds is 80 cm. It is recommended to leave a gap of 30-40 cm between the bushes, the variety forms sprawling bushes, which, if not controlled, can create a "jungle" over time.
- Fertilizers can also be applied directly to the hole by mixing them with the main soil. The plant is placed in the groove gently, straightening the roots. The soil is compacted with a palm, and sprinkled on top with a nutritious loose mixture of peat and sand.
Important! The growth points of the bush planted in the ground should be above the soil surface.After planting seedlings in the ground, each bush must be watered. Protect the plants from the scorching sun rays for the next 2-3 days.
How to properly care
The system of care for strawberry plantations includes: regular watering, application of organic and mineral fertilizers, weeding and loosening of beds, mulching.
How to water properly
With a lack of moisture in the soil, strawberries begin to shrink, and with an excess of moisture, plants run the risk of catching gray fruit rot or other fungal diseases. Kiss Nellis handles excess moisture on its own. The plant uses excess water for the growth of succulent stems and leaves. With a lack of liquid, the variety begins to shrink, losing one of its main advantages - large-fruited.
Plants should be watered regularly and abundantly, once a week is enough. The water should be warm, you can use drip irrigation. The procedure is carried out in the evening or early in the morning, when there is no scorching sun rays that can burn plant leaves.
Fertilization
Fertilizers for strawberries are applied in three stages:
- Before planting seedlings in the ground.
- As an additional food during flowering and fruiting.
- "Before winter" as an additional aid to plant immunity in the cold season.
The main organic fertilizers include rotted manure, peat, humus. Of the mineral fertilizers, azofoska strawberries, wood ash and urea are required. The last option should not be carried away, urea provokes excessive leaf growth in garden strawberries, which are genetically highly developed in Kiss Nellis, all the energy of the plant is directed to the growth of foliage - the fruits become smaller, their size decreases.
Loosening, weeding and mulching strawberries
Mulching and weeding are preventive measures aimed at controlling weeds in strawberry beds. Their regularity saves moisture in the soil and reduces the amount of watering. As mulch, sawdust, straw, needles are used.
The last component helps to fight pests and fungal diseases: an unpleasant smell and resin fumes scare away insects and disinfect the soil.
Important! A feature of the Kiss Nellis variety is excessively thickened bushes, it is necessary to pinch off additional shoots, leaves and whiskers in a timely manner.
It is convenient to combine this step of leaving with weeding and loosening. It is recommended to leave mulch for the winter, it serves as an additional shelter for plants during the frost period.
Protecting plants from pests and diseases
Strawberries of the Kiss Nellis variety have a pronounced immunity, strong and elastic peduncles do not allow fruits to touch the ground, this feature protects the berries from putrefactive bacteria and fungi. But preventive treatment of plants must be carried out.
You can use pesticides, but if the farmer wants to get an environmentally friendly crop, then it is better to use folk remedies.
An aqueous solution of iodine and brilliant green is a decades-old method of combating plant infectious diseases. They are natural antiseptics and do not harm ripe fruits. Strawberries can be watered with a solution and spray the leaves at the rate of 10 drops of brilliant green and 5 drops of iodine per 10 liters of water. Prevention is sufficient to carry out once every 2-3 weeks.
Growing garden strawberries
Kiss Nellis is bred in three ways:
- dividing the bush;
- with a mustache;
- seeds.
Usami Kiss Nellis divorces simply: 4-5 shoots are rooted next to the mother bush. As soon as the "kids" develop their own root system, the mustache is cut off. Then young bushes are transplanted to the main beds.
Dividing a bush is another easy way to grow strawberries. In the fall, before preparing the strawberry beds for winter, the healthiest and most fruitful bushes with a good root system and medium foliage are selected. Such bushes can be divided into 2-3 seedlings and planted on new plantations.
Seed propagation is a rather laborious method. The farmer creates strawberry seedlings with his own hands. At the beginning of March, seed is sown in small boxes, after 10 days shoots appear, which are transplanted into individual cups at the stage of three leaves. When the plant gains strength, in May it is planted in open ground. Such strawberries begin to bear fruit the next year.
Cleaning and storing strawberries
Kiss Nellis is a successful commercial strawberry cultivar. The berries have good keeping quality and transportability. It is recommended to store strawberries in wooden boxes or wicker baskets so that the berries are ventilated. It is necessary to avoid exposure to sunlight, the fruits will quickly give juice. Before transportation, the berries are sorted, rotten and overripe fruits are removed. Strawberries for transportation and storage must not be peeled of sepals and stalks.
Kiss Nellis is a beautiful large-fruited strawberry variety with a pleasant aroma and excellent taste characteristics.Record-breaking berries can surprise even experienced gardeners. The variety is unpretentious, suitable for beginners. Observing systematic care, you can achieve bountiful harvests already in the first year of strawberry cultivation.
