Characteristics and description of Salsa strawberries, planting and care
Strawberry Salsa is one of the most common and unpretentious varieties. It takes some effort to enjoy these juicy and tasty berries in the summer. This is important not only for Salsa, but also for other varieties of strawberries. To get a good harvest of this berry, you need to know how to care for it - from choosing bushes for planting and preparing the soil to harvesting.
Description and characteristics of strawberry salsa
Salsa strawberry variety - late. Brought it in the Netherlands, 1988. He has a good yield, unpretentious. Strawberries are tall, erect. Her mustache is strong, they grow in large volume. The foliage is light green, the flowers and anthers are large.
The yield of Salsa is large, the fruits are large, their peel is thin, bright red. The pulp of the fruit is light pink in color, of moderate density, fleshy, secretes a lot of juice. The fruits can be eaten fresh, as well as for making something sweet or for freezing.
The berry can only be transported over short distances - it is poorly stored. By weight, the fruits can reach 25-35 grams, some can weigh 50 grams. The yield reaches about 1 kilogram from one bush. The variety is highly resistant to powdery mildew, verticillary wilt, susceptible to late blight, gray rot is also very harmful to the plant. The approximate fruiting time is 3-4 years.
Description of strawberry Salsa: strawberry bushes are tall and strong. The leaves are light green, the stalks are tall. Fruits are voluminous, red in color, rounded-conical or aligned.
Negative and positive aspects
Positive sides:
- high-yielding variety;
- late maturity variety resistant to frost;
- tolerates various weather conditions;
- the presence of immunity to diseases - verticillium and powdery mildew are not dangerous for this variety;
- large fruits.
Ripe berries have a pleasant smell, characteristic shine, rich, pleasant taste. With good care, fruits can weigh, on average, 35-37 grams. Also, strawberries contain vitamins, enriched with minerals and trace elements. The fruits can be consumed not only canned, but also fresh. Heat treatment and freezing of the product do not violate their useful properties.
Negative sides:
- fruits are not adapted for long-distance transportation, but are quite suitable for sale in the local market;
- the variety is not resistant to chlorosis.
Features of growing varieties
In order for this variety to grow well, bring a harvest, you need to choose the right place for planting it.
Choice of time and place
Strawberry Salsa can grow and yield well in any soil. But despite this, the yield depends entirely on fertilization.A good harvest can be expected in the country, where the soil is light or medium, and has an acidity of 5.0-6.5 pH.
When preparing a site for planting, organic matter is added to the soil - on average, 5-6 kilograms, and mineral fertilizers - on average, 40 grams per 1 square meter.
Preparation of planting material
For planting, you need to select bushes with developed roots so that there are more than 7-10 branches. The terrestrial part should contain 2-3 young, developed leaves. Before planting, you can roll the roots in a mixture of soil with peat or humus at the rate of 0.5 part of humus (vermicompost, peat) and 0.5 part of black soil or clay.
It is necessary to prepare a mixture, the density of which resembles the consistency of sour cream. Next, the seedlings are placed in a box covered with polyethylene, and sent to the basement for a couple of days, where the temperature is + 3- + 5 degrees. To prevent the seedlings from drying out, they are also covered with polyethylene on top.
Landing technology
Plants need to be planted in prepared soil, which settles after digging. An experienced gardener will be able to correctly determine the time to plant a crop. The most suitable is August.
You don't need to plant often. There should be a distance of 30 centimeters between the plants, and up to 40 centimeters between the rows. For one square meter, on average, there are 4 bushes. Due to this planting, the plant is well ventilated, moisture does not stagnate, does not have dampness and warms up well.
Nuances of culture care
Proper care is needed to get a good strawberry harvest. It includes:
- watering;
- weeding;
- loosening;
- mulching;
- top dressing.
Site selection
Strawberry is an unpretentious plant that grows on different soil. But for a good harvest, obtaining excellent taste, increasing resistance to diseases, a soil is needed that is most suitable for the life of the plant. Such soils include: sandy, sandy loam, light, fertile. The least suitable are peat and sod-podzolic ones.
Groundwater should be located no deeper than 70 centimeters. In areas with a higher groundwater level, it is advisable to drain the soil or raise the beds. Growing strawberries in the lowlands is not advisable. The PH of the soil should be 5.0-6.6. If the acidity level in the soil is minimal, the gardener carries out liming of the soil.
Site preparation for planting
In autumn, the territory is dug up for landing on a shovel bayonet. In the spring, before planting the berries, the soil is loosened by 15 centimeters. Next, the presence of a harmful neighborhood is checked, especially in those places where there are many dense bushes and fresh dung heaps. If "harmful" tenants are found, the territory is treated with ammonia water. Weed grasses are destroyed with herbicides.
Boarding time
Planting time depends on the climate. In spring, strawberries are planted after the ground has received enough heat. Autumn - from August to September.
Watering, weeding and loosening the soil
Watering: within 2 weeks after planting, the land is watered every day, then - once every 2 days. Then watering is carried out depending on the weather.
Weeding is very important to Salsa. The soil must be periodically loosened so that the plant develops well and does not overgrow with weeds. It is also important to loosen the soil immediately after planting.
Mulching strawberries
In some regions, there is no snow in winter, so the ground freezes over. To prevent the strawberries from freezing, the soil must be mulched around the bush itself during preparation for wintering.For this, straw manure is used, applied in a layer of 5-7 centimeters.
Mulching prevents the soil from drying out. Laying mulch between rows of strawberries helps protect the rhizomes. In the south, in the summer, the plant suffers from extreme heat. Therefore, many gardeners from spring sow sorghum backstage between the rows. It also helps to increase the yield of this variety. You can mulch Salsa with needles, sawdust, straw.
Fertilization
When feeding, fertilize the plant should be applied no closer than 5 centimeters from it. Remember:
- Enough 4 dressings: 14 days after the Salsa was planted, superphosphate (30) grams are diluted in 10 liters of water, wood ash is 0.5 cups.
- When the plant blooms: the mullein is diluted in water 1: 6; chicken droppings - 1:20. All this is insisted for 7 days. Ash is also added - 0.5 cups.
- Mullein + water (soaked) 1: 6 + ash (0.5 cups) + superphosphate (50 grams) + 20 liters of water.
- Mullein is bred in a ratio of 1: 6, chicken droppings - 1:20. It is insisted for a week. Ash is also added.
Treatment against diseases and pests
Strawberry pests are:
- raspberry-strawberry weevil;
- strawberry mite;
- stem and strawberry nematode;
- root weevils.
Diseases:
- gray rot;
- powdery mildew;
- white spot;
- root rot;
- witch's broom.
Treating a plant with chemicals from these pests should not be done often. Processing time: spring-autumn.
- Spring. Plant residues, dead and dried leaves, dead plants are removed. Next, the soil is loosened, fertilizer is added. Strawberries are not always treated against pests, only when the plant requires it.
- Fall. After the harvest is harvested, the bushes are examined. Immediately weed out bad, diseased and damaged plants. If the strawberry is affected by a nematode, the entire berry must be eliminated. The plants are burned, and the soil is spilled with a solution of ferrous sulfate. Concentration - 5%.
Also, you do not need to give the earth mite a chance to overwinter under the snow. If there are no chemicals on hand, you can use a solution of onion peels. You need 200 grams of husk per bucket of water. Insist 3-4 days.
There are more popular solutions and methods for processing strawberries:
- ammonia;
- iodine;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- Bordeaux liquid;
- boric acid;
- ash;
- hot water;
- Fire.
Here are the main options for protecting against pests and diseases.
Salsa variety propagation
Strawberries can reproduce in two ways: by a mustache, by dividing the bush.
- Mustache. This is the most common way. Reproduction takes place as follows: on the formed whiskers, sockets and a root system are formed for a certain time. After thoroughly strengthening the roots, the shoot dries up and separates from the mother.
- By division. In this way, only healthy plants reproduce. Before dividing, the bushes are examined for pests and diseases. Reproduction in this way is done in 2-4 years. You can get 5-15 plants from one bush. Each bush should have a "heart" and several roots. The best time for this type of breeding is August.
These are the most popular breeding methods. With the correct implementation of all recommendations, the harvest will be abundant.
Collection and storage rules for strawberries
Every gardener knows how to pick and store strawberries correctly.
Harvesting is done a few days before the berries are fully ripe. Due to this, it can be stored for up to 2 days. If the grown strawberries are being stored, frequent and abundant watering is not desirable. Harvesting is best in the morning, after the dew has dried, or before the sun rises. When collecting, crumpled and spoiled fruits should not get into the basket.
Storage.The harvest is placed in wooden or plastic boxes, lined with paper or cloth along the bottom. Strawberries are stacked in one layer. The berry is stored at a temperature from 0 to +20 From 3-4 days. If from +20 C - 1 day. If stored at home, then the container should be made of glass or plastic. You cannot rinse the berries before storage.
With proper collection and storage, you can enjoy juicy berries for a long time.
