Description of the remontant strawberry variety Mara de Bois, cultivation and reproduction
Repairing varieties of garden strawberries have long become the most popular among summer residents, because they bear fruit from 2 times in one season. One of these fruitful hybrids is the Mara de Bois strawberry variety. This variety has a huge number of advantages, it is a pleasure to grow this strawberry variety.
Description and characteristics of strawberries Mara de Bois
The Mara de Bois strawberry is characterized by its elongated conical fruit. The pulp is rich red, the core of the berry is white. The pulp is juicy, sweet. A characteristic feature of this variety is the pronounced strawberry aroma of the fruit. With proper care, the berries can grow up to 30 g. Moreover, in spring and autumn they are usually larger than in summer, so the south will be the most favorable region for growing this variety. In the spring months, the yield of the hybrid is at its highest.
The bushes of the plant are small, the rhizome is medium in size. Peduncles are short. The plant produces a small number of rosettes. The berries are located on the same level with the foliage and, as they ripen, lie on the ground. Another feature of the variety is that even a mustache bear fruit during the growing season. The yield is high, even from one bush you can collect many berries. The plant bears fruit from May to October. In a greenhouse, fruiting can take up to 8 months. The productivity of the bushes is 3 years, then it declines.
The Mara de Bois varieties are suitable for growing not only in a greenhouse and open field, but also on a balcony or loggia.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Description of the advantages of the Mara de Bois strawberry variety:
- High productivity.
- Taste qualities of ripe berries.
- Duration of fruiting.
- The ability to grow at home.
- Compact, medium leafy bush.
- Good transportability over short distances.
- Differs in the presence of immunity to powdery mildew.
Among the disadvantages are:
- High yield is observed only for 3 years, then it declines.
- Poorly tolerates heat.
- Difficulty in reproduction due to the formation of a small number of whiskers.
- Bushes are prone to the development of leaf spot.
- In severe frosts, bushes may die.
Mara de Bois is a European variety, suitable for regions where winters are mild and warm. In the central regions, and even more so in the north, before the onset of cold weather, strawberry beds will have to be covered. Otherwise, the bushes may die.
The subtleties of growing
Although the repair strawberries are very different in characteristics from the usual varieties, their care is practically the same. Except for some aspects related to pruning. Otherwise, caring for the Mara de Bois variety is quite easy and simple.
When and where to plant
Before planting seedlings in open ground, you must choose the most favorable place. Garden strawberries are demanding on growing conditions, and the Mara de Bois varieties are no exception. First of all, the beds should be done in open sunny areas. The bushes should be in the sun most of the day for good yields. In the southern regions, where the sun is scorching, it is worth planting seedlings in partial shade. For example, under the crown of trees.
It is best to make beds on a hill. Strawberries grow poorly on waterlogged soil and near groundwater.
The most favorable period for planting garden strawberry seedlings is autumn or spring.
In autumn, the bushes are planted in August-September. In the spring - at the end of April. If peduncles appear on the plants during late autumn planting, they must be cut off so that the bushes can build up the root system. It is necessary to cut off the first peduncles, even if they appear in the spring.
The choice of planting material
Only healthy seedlings are suitable for planting, without signs of damage. The leaves should be of a rich green hue, without spots and holes. The root system is well developed, the roots are elastic, not dried out.
When buying strawberry seedlings, gardeners should pay attention to the number of leaves. There must be at least three of them. The root collar of healthy seedlings is powerful, about 0.5 cm in diameter.
Strawberry planting technology
Planting remontant strawberries Mara de Bois by technology is no different from planting conventional varieties. The soil for the beds begins to be prepared a few weeks before the intended planting. The soil is dug up, all weeds are removed and rotted manure is introduced. Then they make beds and dig holes about 40 cm deep.
Planting process:
- Seedlings are planted 3 weeks after the introduction of manure into the ground.
- The distance between the holes is left up to 50 cm, the distance between the rows is 60 cm.
- Put a seedling in the hole, straighten the roots.
- Cover the hole with soil and tamp lightly.
- Sprinkle with plenty of warm water.
After planting, the beds are covered overnight with agrofibre or warm cloth. This will protect the strawberries from sudden frosts, which often occur in spring after warm weather.
Berry care
To increase productivity, garden strawberries need to be constantly looked after. The minimum maintenance includes watering, fertilizing and removing weeds from the site.
Watering and soil cultivation rules
During the growing season, strawberries need abundant watering. Only warm water is used for irrigation. It is worth watering the beds in the evening so that burns do not appear on the leaves. Fertilizers are applied to the soil 3-4 times per season. In the first half of spring, organic fertilizing and nitrogen are introduced into the soil. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers promote active growth.
After inflorescences and ovaries began to appear on the bushes, phosphorus and potassium are added to the substrate. Such fertilizers not only increase the yield, but also improve the taste of the berries. From organic fertilizers, dolomite flour, wood ash, compost, rotted manure and bird droppings are added to the soil. Before the onset of cold weather, the soil in the strawberry beds is mixed with manure.
Mulching
Mulching the soil in strawberry beds will solve several problems with the cultivation of garden strawberries at once. First of all, the soil will always be sufficiently moist. Also a layer of mulch prevents weeds. Peat, sawdust, straw are used as mulch. The layer must be at least 15 cm.
Pruning leaves and tendrils
There are still controversies among gardeners - you need to cut strawberries in autumn or spring. Many people prefer to completely cut off the deciduous part in the fall, arguing that all the nutrients go to the rhizome. But this method has a significant disadvantage - in the spring, instead of accumulating nutrients for fruiting, the bushes grow deciduous mass. Because of this, the timing of fruiting is shifted.
In the spring, it is all the more not recommended to cut the foliage. It is best to remove dry and damaged leaves in the fall, and leave the rest. The whiskers can be cut off during fruiting. Do not touch them during flowering.
Preparation for wintering
Before the onset of cold weather, all dry and damaged leaves, as well as a mustache, are cut off from strawberry bushes. Then the beds are covered with spruce branches or dense agrofibre.
Potential diseases and pests
Common diseases in strawberries include:
- Fusarium wilting of the bush. The foliage begins to turn brown and dry out. It is impossible to cure the disease. If there are signs of Fusarium wilting, then the bushes will have to be dug up and burned.
- Gray rot. With gray rot, the berries begin to mold during ripening. A disease appears if the weather is wet for a long time. As a prophylaxis, the bushes are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or a weak solution of iodine before fruiting.
- White spot. It appears as small brown spots. As the disease progresses, the spots grow larger and the leaves die off. To kill fungal spores, the beds are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
Among insects, slugs often appear on strawberries. You have to collect them manually, or plant marigolds in the beds. The smell of these flowers repels many insects.
Another pest is the weevil. It can be destroyed by spraying with a solution of laundry soap.
Aphids on the bushes are destroyed in the same way. Spraying with soapy water is carried out twice - before flowering and during the formation of ovaries.
Breeding rules
The Mara de Bois cultivar produces few mustaches, so this breeding method is not the most efficient. Another way is to divide the bush. An adult bush is cut into several pieces with a shovel and planted.
You can also try to propagate strawberries by seed, but this is a lengthy and also not the most effective method. For planting beds, it is best to purchase ready-made seedlings from trusted sellers.
Collection and storage
The harvest of the remontant strawberry variety Mara de Bois is harvested throughout the fruiting season, starting at the end of May. You need to remove the berries as they turn red. Due to the short peduncles, ripe berries lie on the ground, and this leads to the fact that they quickly grow moldy. Harvest early in the morning or in the evening after sunset, when it is cool outside. If you pick garden strawberries in the heat, they will not be stored for a long time, even in the refrigerator.
The collected fruits are stored in the refrigerator. The lower the temperature, the longer the berries will stay fresh. The optimum storage temperature is from +4 to +6 degrees. It is better if the strawberries are in one layer. This will keep it fresh longer. You can increase the shelf life by freezing the berries or rubbing them with sugar.
