Description of the remontant strawberry variety Mara de Bois, cultivation and propagation

Remontant varieties of garden strawberries have long become the most popular among summer residents, because they bear fruit at least 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; growing this variety of strawberries is a pleasure.

Description and characteristics of Mara de Bois strawberries

Strawberry Mara de Bois is characterized by fruits of an elongated conical shape. The flesh is rich red, the core of the berry is white. The pulp is juicy and 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 most favorable region for growing this variety will be the south. In the spring months, the yield of the hybrid is the 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 at the same level with the foliage and, as they ripen, lie on the ground. Another feature of the variety is that even the mustache bears fruit during the growing season. The productivity is high, even from one bush you can collect a lot of berries. The plant bears fruit from May to October. In a greenhouse, fruiting can last up to 8 months. The yield of the bushes lasts 3 years, then it declines.

The Mara de Bois variety is suitable for growing not only in greenhouses and open ground, but also on a balcony or loggia.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Description of the benefits of the Mara de Bois strawberry variety:

• High yield.
• Taste qualities of ripe berries.
• Duration of fruiting.
• Possibility to grow at home.
• Compact, medium-leafed bush.
• Good transportability over short distances.
• It is distinguished by its immunity to powdery mildew.

Among the disadvantages are:

• High yields are observed only for 3 years, then they decline.
• Does not tolerate heat well.
• Difficulties in reproduction due to the formation of a small number of whiskers.
• Bushes are susceptible to leaf spot development.
• In severe frosts, bushes may die.

The Mara de Bois variety is a European variety, suitable for regions where winters are mild and warm. In the central regions, and especially in the north, strawberry beds will have to be covered before the onset of cold weather. Otherwise the bushes may die

Subtleties of cultivation

Although remontant strawberries are very different in characteristics from ordinary 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 need to choose the most favorable location. Garden strawberries are demanding in terms of growing conditions, and the Mara de Bois variety is no exception. First of all, the beds should be made in open sunny areas. Bushes should be in the sun most of the day for good yield. In the southern regions, where the sun is scorching, seedlings should be planted in partial shade. For example, under the canopy of trees.

It is best to make beds on a hill. Strawberries do not grow well in waterlogged soil and near groundwater.

The most favorable period for planting garden strawberry seedlings is autumn or spring.

In autumn, bushes are planted in August-September. In spring - at the end of April. If flower stalks appear on plants during late autumn planting, they need to be cut off so that the bushes can grow a root system. You need to cut off the first flower stalks, even if they appear in the spring.

Selection of planting material

Only healthy seedlings with no signs of damage are suitable for planting. The leaves should be a rich green hue, without spots or holes. The root system is well developed, the roots are elastic and not dried out.

When purchasing 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 technology is no different from planting conventional varieties. The soil for the beds begins to be prepared several weeks before the intended planting. The soil is dug up, all weeds are removed and rotted manure is added. Then they make beds and dig holes about 40 cm deep.

Planting process:

• Seedlings are planted 3 weeks after adding manure to the soil.
• The distance between holes is left up to 50 cm, the distance between rows is 60 cm.
• Place the seedling in the hole and straighten the roots.
• Fill the hole with soil and lightly compact it.
• Pour generously with warm water.

After planting, the beds are covered with agrofibre or warm cloth at night. This will protect strawberries from sudden frosts, which often occur in the spring after warm weather sets in.

Berry care

To increase productivity, garden strawberries need to be constantly looked after. Minimal maintenance includes watering, fertilizing and removing weeds from the site.

Rules for watering and tillage

During the growing season, strawberries need abundant watering. For irrigation, only warm water is used. It is worth watering the beds in the evening to prevent burns on the leaves. Fertilizers are applied to the soil 3-4 times per season. In the first half of spring, organic fertilizers and nitrogen are added to the soil. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers promote active growth.

After inflorescences and ovaries begin to appear on the bushes, phosphorus and potassium are added to the substrate. Such fertilizers not only increase yields, but also improve the taste of berries.Among 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 growing garden strawberries. First of all, the soil will always be sufficiently moist. A layer of mulch also prevents weeds from appearing. Peat, sawdust, and straw are used as mulch. The layer must be at least 15 cm.

Trimming leaves and tendrils

There is still debate among gardeners about whether strawberries should be pruned in autumn or spring. Many people prefer to completely cut off the leafy part in the fall, arguing that all the nutrients go into the rhizome. But this method has a significant drawback - in the spring, instead of accumulating nutrients for fruiting, the bushes increase their leaf mass. Because of this, the timing of fruiting is shifted.

In spring, it is especially not recommended to cut off foliage. It is best to remove dry and damaged leaves in the fall and leave everything else. The whiskers can be cut off during fruiting. During flowering they should not be touched.

Preparing for winter

Before the onset of cold weather, all dry and damaged leaves, as well as mustaches, are cut off from strawberry bushes. Then the beds are covered with spruce branches or dense agrofibre.

Possible diseases and pests

Common strawberry diseases include:

• Fusarium wilt of the bush. The foliage begins to turn brown and dry out. It is impossible to cure the disease. If signs of fusarium wilt appear, the bushes will have to be dug up and burned.
• Gray rot.With gray rot, the berries begin to become moldy as they ripen. The disease appears if there is humid weather outside for a long time. As a preventive measure, before fruiting begins, the bushes are treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or a weak solution of iodine.
• White spotting. Appears in the form of small brown spots. As the disease progresses, the spots become larger and the leaves die. To destroy fungal spores, the beds are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

Among insects, slugs often appear on strawberries. You have to collect them manually, or plant marigolds in 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.

In the same way, aphids on bushes are destroyed. Spraying with a soap solution is carried out twice - before flowering and during the formation of ovaries.

Breeding rules

The Mara de Bois variety produces few whiskers, so this method of propagation is not the most effective. Another way is to divide the bush. An adult bush is cut into several parts with a shovel and planted.

You can also try to propagate strawberries by seeds, but this is a time-consuming and also not the most effective method. To plant beds, it is best to purchase ready-made seedlings from trusted sellers.

Collection and storage

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 become 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 long, even in the refrigerator.

The collected fruits are stored in the refrigerator. The lower the temperature, the longer the berries will remain fresh. The optimal storage temperature is from +4 to +6 degrees. It is better if the strawberries lie in one layer. This way it will stay fresh longer. You can increase the shelf life by freezing the berries or grinding them with sugar.