Strawberries are the favorite berry of both children and adults. Breeders have grown many varieties of it, different in taste, aroma, color, and ripening time. Strawberries of the Rumba variety were bred by Dutch specialists and are widely used for their positive qualities. Further information about the advantages and disadvantages, characteristics of cultivation, rules of care, methods of reproduction, as well as the collection and storage of Rumba.
Description of Rumba strawberry and its characteristics
Strawberry Rumba is a bush with widely branched dark green leaves and large fruits. The weight of one dark red berry varies between 25-35 grams. The first fruits that appear on the bush have a conical shape, the subsequent ones are round-conical. The root system is fibrous and abundant, which helps withstand moderate frosts.
Strawberries begin to bear fruit in early June. Rumba strawberries are sweet, with a slight sourness. They have a pleasant aroma and a long strawberry aftertaste. The life cycle of the bush is 3-4 years.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive aspects of the Rumba variety include:
- early ripening;
- high yield (up to 400 grams of berries are harvested from a bush);
- frost resistance;
- dense structure of berries;
- ease of care;
- the ability of the variety to grow berries of the same size throughout the entire fruiting period.
The negative qualities of Rumba strawberries include:
- wateriness of berries after rain;
- change in taste in damp weather;
- poor resistance to diseases.
Note! Under unfavorable conditions, the aroma, taste and consistency of the berries change.
Features of growing a plant
Garden strawberries are planted in holes so that their core is at ground level. A low planting promotes rotting and death of bushes, a high planting promotes freezing in winter.
Boarding time
Rumba strawberries are planted on the plot in spring or autumn. The earlier the crop is planted, the better it will take root before the onset of heat or frost. In spring, the procedure is performed in April, in autumn - in early September.
Soil and site
The area for planting garden strawberries is selected to be well-lit by the sun and ventilated.The site is prepared long before the crop is planted: it is cleared of weeds, dug up, and organic matter is added to it at the rate of 3 buckets per 1 m². Strawberries will grow best on light loam or sandy loam with the addition of fertilizer.
Boarding procedure
Before planting strawberry bushes on the site, the root system must be soaked in a solution prepared from the following components:
- 30 grams of copper sulfate;
- 10 liters of water.
The procedure will serve as disinfection and also prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases. In addition, before planting, the lower leaves are removed, leaving no more than 4 on the bush. If the root system is more than 10 centimeters, it is trimmed.
At a distance of 35 centimeters, shallow holes are dug into which water is poured. The root system is located strictly in the center of the hole, straightened out, and covered with earth. The soil is slightly compacted, watered and mulched.
Rules of care
Strawberries need to be looked after throughout the season: watered, removed weeds, fertilized, and replanted as the bush grows. So that the berries have a marketable appearance and do not get dirty after watering or rain, the soil under the bushes can be sprinkled with sawdust.
Fertilizer application
The crop needs fertilizing for abundant fruiting, as well as a favorable winter. Garden strawberries especially need potassium: it helps increase sugar content and maintain the density of the berry. Fertilize strawberries in spring, summer and autumn.
Before carrying out the procedure, water the soil with plain water.
Watering
With the onset of warm weather, garden strawberries are watered abundantly. Further irrigation is carried out as necessary: the soil should not dry out completely, but should not be wet all the time.Until flowers appear on the bushes, you can irrigate the soil by sprinkling; with the beginning of flowering, only from a hose at the root.
Transfer
After 3-4 years, Rumba’s bushes grow and it needs replanting. Before carrying out the procedure, the bed is dug up and the following fertilizers are added to it:
- 10 kilograms of humus;
- 50 grams of potassium salt;
- 100 grams of superphosphate.
The number of components is calculated for 1 m² of bed. The transplantation procedure can be done in spring or autumn.
Diseases, pests and ways to combat them
Rumba strawberries can be susceptible to various fungal and viral infections. Most often this happens due to weakened immunity of the bushes due to improper care. To prevent diseases, you need to carry out the following procedures:
- In spring, remove old mulch.
- Plant plants without allowing them to become crowded.
- Remove weeds that can carry pathogenic microorganisms and pests.
- Moisten the soil moderately: due to excess moisture, the root system begins to rot.
- Periodically inspect the plantings, removing yellow and dry leaves, as well as weakened bushes.
In addition, bushes in the spring should be sprayed with insecticides and fungicides for prevention. In the inter-rows you can sow plants whose smell is not tolerated by many pests, for example, marigolds and marigolds. To improve the health of the land, green manure is sown in the place where strawberries are supposed to grow.
Important! Strawberries cannot be planted after raspberries, cruciferous and nightshade family.
Reproduction of the variety
Strawberries are propagated by division, layering, and seeds. To divide a bush, it is dug up, carefully divided into parts, and each section is planted in a separate hole.To propagate a mustache culture, you need to perform the following steps:
- sprinkle peat and sawdust between the rows;
- pin the first order mustache to the substrate;
- care for them in the same way as adult plants.
Grown-up young plants are separated from the mother plant in the fall and planted in a permanent place. In the spring they will give their first harvest.
Strawberries are propagated by seeds as follows:
- seeds are soaked in a solution of any growth enhancer;
- the container is filled with loose soil, on the surface of which small strawberry seeds spill;
- the seed material is sprayed with water from a spray bottle, the container is covered with glass;
- After 2-3 leaves appear, young plants are planted in peat pots.
After about a month, the seedlings along with the container are planted on the site.
Harvesting and storage
Strawberries are harvested every morning after the dew has dried. If left on the bush, it can quickly become overripe. The berries intended for storage are collected with the stalk. When processing a large area, to make the work easier, you can immediately sort the strawberries into different containers.
To ensure that the berries are well preserved for several days, lay them in no more than 2-3 layers. If it is intended to be frozen, it must be placed in the freezer on the same day. First, the strawberries are frozen in one layer, then poured into a bag in which they are stored and used as needed throughout the winter.
