Description and characteristics of the Pandora strawberry variety, cultivation and care

Bright and juicy strawberries not only have an excellent taste, but also contain microelements, rich in acids, antioxidants, and pectins. Strawberries begin to ripen at the end of May, the last berries are harvested in June. After garden strawberries, currants and gooseberries will ripen, and although the fruits of the bushes are very useful for humans, they cannot replace the taste of bright red berries. Pandora strawberries have a lot of advantages, but the variety attracted summer residents not with its high yield, not with its giant fruits, but with its late ripening period.

Description of strawberries

The Moling Pandora hybrid was obtained by crossing the Ananassa garden strawberry with the Fragia variety. Low bushes are densely covered with shiny leaves. Round berries are laid on thin peduncles, which when ripe acquire:

• cherry color;
• forest aroma;
• weight up to 60 g.

The surface of the fruit, slightly flattened on the sides, is covered with small seeds. The juicy pulp of garden strawberries delights with a sweet taste with a barely noticeable sourness. During transportation, strawberries produced in England are not deformed and do not leak juice.

Characteristics of Pandora

The description of the variety states that the berries ripen in July; from one bush, 300 to 400 g of garden strawberries are picked. The hybrid of English origin tolerates frosts well and even in temperate climates does not need to be covered for the winter. Pandora is valued for its resistance to bacterial infection. Strawberries rarely suffer:

• from powdery mildew;
• verticillium;
• brown spot.

The variety is affected by rot if the weather is damp for a long time. The bushes bloom when the frosts have already subsided; the ovary does not fall off from the cold. Pandora is not a remontant variety and is harvested only once per season. In hot weather, the berries of the hybrid become smaller, and the plant produces few runners.

Main positive and negative aspects

Of great importance for gardeners is that the hybrid is resistant to powdery mildew and is rarely affected by mites. The advantages of Pandora strawberries include:

• high productivity;
• presentable appearance of berries;
• bright taste and large size of fruits;
• excellent transportability.

The hybrid has its negative sides. Strawberries have female flowers that lack stamens, which means that without pollinators, garden strawberries do not bear fruit well. The variety is affected by gray rot and brown spot.

Subtleties of growing a plant

To harvest a good harvest of large berries, Pandora strawberries need to be planted in fertile soil and follow the rules of agricultural technology.

Time and place

The hybrid variety does not tolerate drafts, is demanding on lighting, and feels comfortable in the sun. If water comes closer than a meter to the surface, the roots of the plant may die. A place for Pandora strawberries should be chosen on a small hill in the southwestern part of a summer cottage or suburban area. Strawberry bushes are planted in spring, summer or autumn. The soil is dug up in advance, leveled, freed from weeds, and organic matter is added.

Seedlings for planting

When buying strawberry bushes to grow in the country or in the yard, you need to carefully look at how they look and whether they have healthy roots. It is better to purchase planting material not on the market, but in a nursery, where the Pandora hybrid will not be confused with another variety.

Bushes with 3 leaves that are free of spots, stripes and creases are well accepted.

Landing Features

Strawberries are not placed in the place where peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins and zucchini grew last season. The Pandora variety, like these crops, is affected by root rot. The best predecessors for strawberries are green manure. A month before planting, the soil on the site is dug up and the following is added:

• compost or manure;
• superphosphate;
• potassium salt.

Fertilizers improve the structure of the soil and make it looser. In the first year, it is preferable to place strawberries according to a single-line scheme.Bushes are planted every 25 or 30 cm, a little less than a meter is left between rows, and the free space is filled with rooted rosettes of mustaches. Before the procedure, the plant is dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate and washed with water:

1. Dig holes and form a small mound at the bottom.
2. Place the bush, straightening the roots.
3. The bud is left above the surface of the earth.
4. The hole is filled with soil, compacted and irrigated with warm water, and covered with mulch.

To prevent Pandora from being affected by gray mold, you should not thicken the plantings or apply excessive amounts of fertilizers that contain nitrogen.

If there are strawberry mites in the area, the leaves of the plants are cut off.

How to properly care for crops

In order for the English hybrid to please you with a harvest of beautiful and sweet berries, you will have to take care of the strawberries.

Soil and fertilizers

Garden strawberries grow well in light, loose soil, which contains a little sand, and thrive on loam with an acidity of up to 7.

The development of strawberries is accelerated by the addition of mineral complexes, as well as humus or bird droppings diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 20–25. Organic matter is more often used in the spring and when transplanting bushes to another place.

The Pandora variety responds positively to fertilizing with fertilizers that contain:

• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• potassium.

Mineral complexes are added after picking the berries. Microelements are necessary for strawberries to form new buds and form roots.

Watering and humidity

In order for garden strawberries to grow, develop, and delight you with a high yield, it is worth installing a drip irrigation system. The roots of the plant are located close to the surface; the stream of water from the hose must be directed carefully.

Water strawberries once a week, and somewhat more often during the flowering period. In cloudy weather there is no need to moisturize.It is better to start the irrigation system early in the morning; during the day the water evaporates quickly.

Relation to temperature

Summer residents noticed that the Pandora variety, grown in hot climates, ripens small berries. Spots from sunburn often appear on fruits. In mid-latitudes in humid weather, strawberry shoots develop faster, which is not surprising, since the homeland of the hybrid variety is England, where it is damp and cool.

Loosening and weeding

The beds on which strawberries are planted should not be allowed to become overgrown with weeds. They need to be pulled out by the roots and fought from early spring until autumn. The soil is loosened after irrigation or rain.

Mulching

To reduce moisture evaporation, the soil under the bushes is covered with straw or peat mixed with sand. In recent years, gardeners have been using agrofibre or spandbond for mulching instead of organic matter. When using such materials, the berries do not touch the ground, do not get dirty on the sand, and ripen faster.

Methods of controlling diseases and pests

The danger for strawberries is represented by fungi, which, when multiplying, cause gray rot, powdery mildew, and various types of spotting. Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology helps reduce the likelihood of activation of pathogenic microorganisms.

If spores appear on the bushes, the affected stems and leaves are cut out, and the plantings are sprayed with fungicides. Processing can be performed only before the formation of flowers and after picking the berries. The Pandora strawberry is suffering from an invasion:

• aphids;
• weevils;
• spider mite.

To cope with pests, insecticides are used in the form of “Aktellika”, “Aktara”, “Bi-58”, “Inta-Vira”. Timely watering, prevention, and fertilizer help increase the hybrid's resistance to parasites and diseases.

Reproduction of the variety

Gardeners who liked Pandora rarely use seeds to propagate strawberries. The seed must be hardened for two weeks at 2 °C in a wet cloth and cotton wool, periodically moistened with water. In February, the substrate is poured into containers or cups and the seeds are laid out, slightly deepened into the soil with a match, covered with film and left in a well-lit place. After a while, the seedlings sprout, and when three leaves appear, the bushes dive into a new container. Grown strawberries are moved to the garden bed no earlier than the end of April.

It is much easier to propagate the variety by lateral shoots. The tendrils that the plant produces are sprinkled with earth. When they take root, which usually happens already in July, they are planted in the garden.

Mature plants from which many berries have been collected are divided into several parts so that each contains up to 3 leaves and an elongated root. In the fall, they dig holes and plant one bush at a time.

Difficulties in growing and recommendations

In order for the Pandora variety to please you with its harvest, you need to select strawberries that act as a pollinator. Next to the hybrid you need to plant Florence or Sophie strawberries, which bloom at the same time.

Pandora suffers from rot; to protect the bushes from infection, the soil under them is covered with straw or mulched with sawdust.

Harvesting and storing garden strawberries

In July, when the strawberries are ripe, the berries are picked off at the tail end and placed in a small basket or box in one layer. The work is carried out in dry weather. Garden strawberries are not stored for a long time; they stay in the refrigerator for a maximum of a week, do not lose their taste, and do not change their composition when frozen.