Description and characteristics of the strawberry variety Crown, cultivation and care
Repairing varieties of berry crops have gained popularity due to their positive qualities. All summer long everyone wishes to enjoy delicious Crown strawberries. Despite the fact that the variety was bred by Dutch breeders, it takes root well in the middle lane and gives high yields of berries.
Description and characteristics of the Crown
Strawberries are bushes with large concave leaves. Fruits ripen on powerful peduncles. At the same time, the stems do not fall down under their weight. The peculiarities of culture are not only decorative appearance, but also unpretentiousness in care.
Breeding history
A hybrid appeared in the 70s of the XX century. Dutch breeders worked on its breeding. By crossing Tamella and Induka strawberry varieties, we got a wonderful plant. From the parents it received the best taste, resistance to weather disasters.
Growing region
The resulting strawberry variety is zoned for areas with a temperate climate. The bushes can withstand temperatures below 20 degrees.
You can grow it in the south. There, the bushes will bear fruit throughout the growing season. Hence the popularity of the remontant strawberry among gardeners.
Bushes
The bushes of a perennial plant reach a height of 20-25 centimeters. The strawberry root system is a perennial rhizome in the form of a modified stem with skeletal roots and small roots that penetrate the ground to a depth of 20 centimeters. To the side of the mother bush, the roots go 10-20 centimeters.
On the short main stem, short lateral ones are formed. They branch out to form a bush shape. The trifoliate large leaves of the Crown are colored green. During the summer, they are replaced up to 2 times.
Flowers and berries
On the upper part of the shoot are buds that give flower stalks. From the apical bud, clusters of flowers and fruits are formed. The more top buds the Korona strawberry has, the higher the berry yield.
White petals of flowers fall off, in their place berries with seeds are formed. They are distinguished by:
- dark red color;
- oval-conical shape;
- weight up to 25-30 grams;
- juicy pulp with a balanced sugar and acid content;
- strawberry flavor;
- smooth, shiny surface.
From the buds in the lower part of the bush, antennae are formed, which are necessary for the propagation of a garden plant.
Strawberry yield
Gardeners choose Crown because during the summer you can collect up to a kilogram of tasty, large berries from 1 plant. The variety is also grown on an industrial scale. Farmers harvest about 12-14 tons of fruits from 1 hectare of field.
Transportability
The juicy pulp of the fruit is so tender that it just melts in your mouth. But it is difficult to transport such a berry. On the way, she will crumple, release the juice. Therefore, it is necessary to collect unripe fruits in order to bring them to the market.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
More than 40 years have passed since the strawberry Corona appeared. But gardeners continue to give preference to the remontant species. And all this is due to the fact that the hybrid:
- ripens early;
- gives consistently high yields;
- grows successfully in any region;
- resistant to low temperatures.
Among the disadvantages is that strawberries are only suitable for fresh consumption. You cannot make jams or preserves from it. It quickly loses its shape, spreads. Therefore, it is difficult to transport the berry over long distances. Also, the culture is susceptible to fungal infections.
How to grow strawberries correctly
To enjoy delicious strawberries, you need to prepare a site for berry culture. The terms and rules for planting plants in open ground are observed.
Preparation of planting material
Seedlings are used for planting strawberry plantations with:
- a fibrous root system 5 centimeters long;
- 3-4 leaves;
- a healthy central kidney.
If the roots are long, then they are shortened to 5-7 centimeters.
Landing dates
It is best to plant Korona strawberries from early to mid-May, depending on the region. You can plant in August, until mid-September. Seedlings planted in the morning or evening, in cloudy weather, take root well.
Preparing the beds
The place for the culture is chosen with fertile, weed-free soils. Better if it is loamy black soil. Slopes in arid regions are suitable for planting north-western, northern, northeastern.
If you plan to plant in the spring, then you need to dig up the site in the fall to a depth of 27-30 centimeters. Before planting, the site is cultivated 15-18 centimeters deep.
Before digging, up to half a bucket of rotted manure per square meter of plantation must be brought in. A mixture of 2-3 kilograms of humus and 30-50 grams of superphosphate is also suitable.Used for planting strawberries between the rows of currants or fruit trees.
Planting strawberries
The strawberry yield depends on the distance between the bushes. It is necessary to plant bushes with an interval of 30-40 centimeters. And between the rows leave 80-90 centimeters. The holes are dug by hand, placing the seedlings there to a depth of 10 centimeters. The roots should not bend, and the central bud is at ground level. Holding the seedling with one hand, sprinkle the earth with the other to the level of the heart. It remains to slightly compact the soil and water the strawberries, spending 0.5-1 liter of water on the plant.
It is necessary to shade the plantation for 3-4 days with straw, dry grass, needles. The aisles are also mulched with a layer of 6-8 centimeters. 2 days after planting, check the position of the central kidney. If it is covered, then the earth is raked off.
Strawberry care rules
It is necessary to care for the Korona variety in the same way as for other types of remontant strawberries. Although the culture is hygrophilous, it does not tolerate stagnant water. Plants are highly demanding for food, but an excess of nitrogenous substances in the soil leads to strong vegetative growth to the detriment of fruiting.
Necessary feeding
Fertilization is carried out according to the scheme:
- For the first time in the spring, you need 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and 15 grams of superphosphate per 1 square meter of planting. Dry fertilizers can be embedded in the ground with a hoe or a shovel, liquid fertilizers are prepared by dilution in a bucket of water.
- Before the flowers appear, the bushes are watered with a solution of mullein at a concentration of 1: 6 or bird droppings - 1:20.
- Replace organics with mineral mixtures of 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and potassium salt per square meter.
- After picking the berries, you need to feed them with an aqueous solution of 20 grams of superphosphate and 8 each of ammonium nitrate and potassium salt. Fertilizers promote the formation of flower buds.
- In autumn it is necessary to feed poor soils with potassium-phosphorus fats. They are applied dry in the aisles.
- In the 3rd year of the plantation's life, an additional 2 kilograms of humus is added per square meter, embedded to a depth of 10-25 centimeters.
Top dressing is combined with soil loosening, which is carried out 4-5 times per season.
Watering
It is necessary to moisten the planting of the Crown strawberry in the first year after planting from 4 to 6 times per summer. 2-3 buckets of water are poured per square meter of the plantation. After watering, the soil should be loosened. Helps to moisten the area with snow retention, which is arranged with currant wings or shields.
Then you need to water the plants more abundantly: 1-2 times before flowering, up to 3 times during the ripening of berries and after harvesting. On sandy soils, the frequency of watering increases. For the earth to be well saturated with moisture, you need 3-4 buckets of water per square meter.
Preparing for winter
Strawberry shelter is a must in areas with cold winters. To do this, in November, when the soil is frozen, the bushes are completely covered with brushwood, straw, spruce branches, dry tops of potatoes or tomatoes. The coating layer should be 8-10 centimeters. In the spring it is removed, using for mulching the beds.
Disease and pest control methods
Of the diseases, fungal infections are most often affected by strawberries. They appear as spots on the leaves. They fight spotting by spraying with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. Processing is needed 2-3 times during the growing season... The first time the procedure is performed when the buds are exposed. Then it is repeated every 3 weeks.
Of the pests, spider mites, aphids, and weevils attack strawberries. You need to fight parasites with insecticidal agents. From the folk they use tobacco broth, infusion of onion peels.
Reproduction methods
Like all berry crops, strawberries are propagated in different ways. The most difficult one is by seeds. Many gardeners use the vegetative method.
Seeds
Crown is grown by seeds through seedlings. The seeds are so small that they are laid out on the surface of the nutritious soil, sprinkled lightly with earth. Then press the planting with glass. Regularly airing and watering, sprouts are expected to appear. As soon as they come out, put the containers in the sun. After the first true leaf, the seedlings dive. And with 3-4 real leaves, strawberries can be planted in open ground.
Mustache
It is easier to propagate the culture in a vegetative way. Mustache comes from healthy and strong bushes. As soon as rosettes of leaves are formed on them, they are pressed into the soil. Then watered. After rooting the rosettes, the seedling is separated from the mother bush. You can transplant young bushes to a new location.
Dividing the bush
A two-year-old strawberry is dug up and the bush is divided so that each part is a rosette of leaves. In addition, each part should have fibrous roots. Having cleared them of damage, the bushes are planted in a permanent place.
Features of fruiting Crown
The Korona strawberry is prized for its excellent berry taste. It is difficult to keep these juicy fruits. Therefore, they are collected in the early morning in a container with holes. This will allow excess juice to flow out without stagnating in the cup.
A feature of the fruiting of the hybrid is that every year the berries become smaller. Therefore, it is necessary to renew the strawberry plantation every 4-5 years.
