Description of strawberry variety Elvira, planting, cultivation and propagation

Strawberries, or more correctly garden strawberries, are one of the favorite berries of Russians. On their plots they grow different varieties of berries, which differ in yield, size and type of fruit, as well as ripening time. Relatively new varieties for Russia include Elvira strawberries, which came to us from Holland. This species was popular among European farmers and was also loved by Russian gardeners.

Description and characteristics

What are the features of this strawberry variety, named by a beautiful female name? For clarity, the main characteristics are presented in the table.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Why do they love Elvira strawberries and what are the advantages of this variety:

• First of all, this is productivity. Under the most favorable conditions, more than a kilogram of berries can be collected from one bush per season. Typically, the average harvest is from 600 to 900 grams.
• An important characteristic for growing in Russia is frost resistance. Garden strawberries of this variety can overwinter down to a temperature of -20, and with additional shelter they can withstand even more severe frosts.
• Resistance to fungal diseases. Any summer resident who has garden strawberries on his property has encountered gray rot on the fruits or brown spots on the leaves. These are manifestations of fungal diseases that infect plants and destroy crops. Strawberry Elvira is resistant to fungal diseases, and this applies to all parts of the plant - berries, leaves, roots.
• Early maturation. The berries turn red already at the end of May - beginning of June when grown in open ground, and if the bushes are planted in greenhouses, the harvest can be obtained even earlier.
• Length of the harvest season. The fruits do not all ripen at the same time, but one at a time, which allows you to enjoy freshly picked berries for as long as possible.
• Versatility. The variety is suitable for both amateur gardeners for cultivation on their own plots, and farmers for production for sale on an industrial scale. Plants are grown both in open ground and in greenhouses.
• Storage and transportation. Thanks to the non-loose pulp without voids and dense skin, the berry is well stored and can withstand transportation, which makes it suitable for growing for commercial purposes.
• Usage. The fruits of this variety can be eaten fresh, frozen, used as a filling for pies and a base for desserts. The berries are suitable for making preserves, marmalade, marmalade, compotes, fruit drinks and even liqueurs.
• Shade tolerance. Bushes can and should be planted in shaded areas. Direct sunlight is even harmful to the plant.

What characteristic features of the Elvira variety can be classified as disadvantages:

• This variety, like any other type of garden strawberry, requires constant care. In order for the bushes to enjoy a bountiful harvest, they need to be watered and loosened almost every day.
• Plants planted in open sunny areas can burn if they are not protected from direct rays during the hottest time of the day.

The subtleties of growing strawberries Elvira

To get the maximum yield from each bush, you must adhere to the rules that are most suitable for a given variety. There are several points to pay attention to.

When is the best time to plant new bushes?

Plants can be planted both in autumn and spring. It is convenient to plant in the fall, since the beds can be prepared throughout the summer season.Young bushes planted in autumn under favorable conditions will produce the same harvest as adult plants next summer. Young bushes planted in the spring will give a good harvest only the next year.

Preparation of planting material

The most competent way is propagation by rosettes, more about it. To avoid degeneration of the variety, it is important to choose the right rosettes for further propagation. First, a mother plant is determined to obtain planting material. It should be a strong bush, the leaves, stems and tendrils of which are not affected by diseases and pests. To make the bean formation more intense, the peduncles are removed. Several rosettes can take root on each tendril, but for propagation, those located closest to the mother plant are taken.

Before planting, seedlings are carefully checked. Weak plants, as well as seedlings with damaged leaves and roots, are discarded. It is easier to eliminate non-viable material at this stage.

If these nuances are observed, the characteristics of the variety will be preserved and a good harvest will be obtained.

How and where to plant?

What factors should you pay attention to when choosing a landing site:

• The area should be slightly shaded - direct sunlight can burn the plants. Beds that are illuminated in the morning and remain in the shade during the hottest times are well suited. If there is no natural shade, the bushes must be protected from the sun during the daytime.
• The variety is unpretentious in terms of site humidity. Since the root system of the plant is slightly susceptible to rot, moist soils and lowlands are suitable for setting up beds.
• Soil fertility does not play a big role for these unpretentious plants.Despite this, to obtain a good harvest, you will need to pay special attention to proper and timely fertilizing if the soil is poor.

How to plant prepared seedlings correctly?

The seedlings are placed in a prepared, well-moistened hole. The root system must be carefully straightened. The more water in the hole, the better the roots will be distributed. Having covered the roots with soil, the soil is gently patted down for better adhesion and elimination of excess air. The growth point cannot be covered.

The holes are placed at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other, the distance between the rows is at least 30 cm. There are staggered planting patterns, but this arrangement is less convenient for drip irrigation.

After planting in open ground, the soil can be mulched with sawdust or other suitable material.

How to care

To achieve maximum productivity, we must not forget about the rules of plant care.

Feeding

Throughout the season, fertilizing is applied repeatedly. It is recommended to adhere to the following order in terms of application timing and types of fertilizers:

• Before landing. Mineral and organic fertilizers are used when preparing beds for planting rosettes. Humus or compost, as well as wood ash, are added under the holes.
• Two weeks after landing. In order to help the bush grow green mass, use nitrogen fertilizers or ammonia.
• During flowering and fruit formation, the plant needs phosphorus and potassium. At this stage, nitrogenous compounds are avoided so as not to provoke the growth of green mass.
• When preparing strawberries for wintering, the plants are again fed with phosphorus-containing fertilizers.

Watering, weeding, loosening

Despite the unpretentiousness of the Elvira variety, the main maintenance requirement is almost daily watering and loosening.Water the plant at the root. After irrigation, the soil is loosened to a depth of no more than 10 cm so as not to damage the roots. Loosening helps saturate the soil with oxygen, prevents moisture evaporation, and helps eliminate small weeds.

Weeding of beds is required as needed. It is important to remove weeds in a timely manner so that they do not interfere with the growth of cultivated plants and do not contribute to the spread of diseases and pests.

Trimming

Fruit-bearing plants need to remove all tendrils to improve fruit formation and, accordingly, obtain maximum yield. If you leave the mustache, the plant will grow, and the bed will take on a sloppy and neglected appearance. Bushes selected for propagation, on the contrary, have their flower stalks removed. At the same time, the plant forms strong tendrils capable of producing rosettes that are promising for preserving the best characteristics of the variety.

Mulching

Mulching is required to retain moisture in the soil, prevent the growth of weeds, and in winter it saves plantings from freezing. Also in some cases it is used to improve the survival rate of plantings and to combat diseases. Sawdust, humus, and straw are most often used as mulch.

Shelter for the winter

Strawberry Elvira winters well down to -18 degrees without additional shelter. If there is little snow in the region and the frost is severe, it is necessary to cover the bushes either with natural material (usually spruce branches, straw, tops are used) or with special agricultural coverings with the production of an auxiliary frame.

Diseases

According to foreign and Russian experts, the variety is resistant to brown leaf spot and strawberry mite damage, sensitive to powdery mildew, moderately susceptible to late blight (red) root rot, relatively resistant to gray fruit rot and verticillium wilt, and neutral to anthracnose.

Pests

The variety is considered to be less susceptible to pests typical of garden strawberries. However, the berries can be damaged or completely destroyed by birds or wasps. Methods of dealing with them are standard.

Types of reproduction

Strawberries are propagated in the following ways:

• seeds;
• dividing the uterine bush;
• mustache

The last method is the most correct.

Harvesting and storage rules

The berries ripen in stages, starting in late spring - early summer. They are collected as they ripen. The collected fruits are stored for a long time, subject to the rules standard for garden strawberries.

When a new variety is developed, they try to improve its characteristics, adapt it to climatic conditions, and make it more attractive to those who will grow it and those who will consume the final product. Despite the fact that the Elvira strawberry variety was bred in the Netherlands, the Russians also liked it. No wonder gardeners affectionately call the variety Elechka.