Description and characteristics of the strawberry variety Roxana, planting and care

Strawberry of the Italian selection Roxana is a medium-fruited productive variety that has taken root well in the beds of Russian gardeners. Suitable for industrial cultivation. It is characterized by high productivity and endurance. It is not difficult to grow Roxana on a personal plot; it is enough to follow agricultural practices and prevent pests and infections.

Description and characteristics of the Roxana variety

The variety has been grown in Russian garden beds for more than twenty years. Roxana is a non-repairing type of strawberry with a medium-late ripening period. The bulk of the harvest is formed in early autumn. The variety is grown both in greenhouses and greenhouses, and in closed ground.

Characteristics and description of the variety:

• The berries ripen in the shape of a cone, the top of which bifurcates. Because of this feature, Roxana’s fruits are often compared to an “unopened tulip.”
• The fruits are glossy, smooth with pronounced superficial yellow seeds.
• The bush is vigorous, compact, and has medium foliage.
• Productivity is up to 1.5 kg of berries per bush per season.
• Excellent transportability of ripe fruits.
• Universal purpose of the variety.
• Lasting immunity.

The variety tolerates winters without shelter at temperatures not lower than -20 ⁰C, therefore, in central Russia it is recommended to cover strawberry plantings for the winter using covering material.

Advantages and disadvantages of strawberries

The Italian variety of aromatic strawberries is loved by Russian gardeners for the piquant shape of the fruit, productivity and excellent transportability of ripe berries. The main advantages of the variety include:

• Genetic resistance to powdery mildew.
• Taste: balanced sweet and sour taste with a slight bitterness and a pronounced aroma.
• Harmonious ripening of fruits.
• Transportability and keeping quality of fruits.
• Suitable for commercial cultivation.
• Participant of the berry conveyor belt: when the early varieties stop bearing fruit, Roxana pleases the gardeners with the first harvest.

An amazing feature of the variety is the ability of ripe fruits to hang on the bushes for a week without losing the elasticity of the berries and deteriorating their taste.

The variety has practically no disadvantages.Negative characteristics include:

• Requirement for watering and application of mineral fertilizers.
• Does not tolerate temperatures above +35 ⁰WITH.
• Average winter hardiness, requires additional shelter for the winter.

Note: The main disadvantage of the variety is considered to be the lodging of flower stalks to the ground during fruit ripening; the berries become vulnerable to fungal diseases. It is recommended to cover the bushes with mulch made from sawdust or straw or plant the plants on agrofabric.

Large berries ripen in the first harvest. In subsequent years, the berries become smaller, and it is recommended to replant the plantings.

Disembarkation dates and rules

Planting seedlings in the soil of strawberries of the Italian variety Roxana can be done both in spring and autumn. The best time to create a good root system is August.

The holes are made shallow, 20-25 cm is enough. A mixture of organic fertilizers and sand is added. The roots of the plant are carefully straightened and sprinkled with soil, compacting the soil on top with the palm of your hand. Then each bush must be watered at the root with warm water. You can add a little urea and wood ash to the hole or sprinkle it on top of the soil, slightly loosening it.

Selecting a location and soil requirements

Roxana is suitable for growing indoors and outdoors. The site for strawberry plantings is chosen on a hill. A small shadow is allowed. The soil must be nutritious; acidic soils containing limestone are not suitable.

Preparation of seedlings

For planting in the ground, it is important to select the correct seedling material. Bushes must be healthy:

• The leaves are brightly colored, dark green.
• There are no spots on the stems or leaves.
• The root system is sufficiently formed.

Roots that are too long are cut off.The day before planting seedlings in the ground, water each pot of plants generously.

Planting scheme

Traditional planting pattern for Roxana: 30 cm between bushes, 35 cm between rows. Italian strawberries form bushes that are not too spreading; plants can be planted in three rows.

In closed ground, Roxana seedlings are planted on agrofabric; this reduces the contact of ripe berries with the soil and minimizes the likelihood of fruit rot.

In addition, the fruits always remain clean, which is especially important for their subsequent transportation for commercial purposes.

How to care

Caring for strawberry plantings of the Roxana variety is traditional: watering, loosening, removing weeds, applying fertilizers. It is necessary to pay attention to the procedure for preparing plants for the winter; strawberries need shelter during the cold season.

Trimming

Spring pruning is a sanitary treatment of strawberry beds after winter. Old leaves are removed from the plantings along with the pests that overwintered on them. The bushes receive more daylight, and a kind of ventilation of the root system occurs. Metabolic processes in the plant are accelerated and the growth rate increases. Using a rake or hoe, loosen the soil, and use pruning shears to trim off diseased, dried leaves and shoots.

Important! Do not trim healthy leaves and young plant buds.

After the “spring transformation” procedure, the berries are watered and fed. Subsequently, the berries will ripen faster, which will certainly please gardeners.

Preventative spraying

Strawberries must be sprayed before flowering. Plants need a protective barrier during this period; future fruits are being laid, and the plant is most vulnerable to diseases, as it devotes all its energy to the set of ovaries.

Folk remedies include potassium permanganate or an aqueous solution of brilliant green with iodine. Natural natural antiseptics are bactericidal preparations that have been tested for decades. When cultivating strawberries on an industrial scale, chemical treatments are used.

Spray at temperatures below -18 ⁰C and above +30 ⁰Not recommended, plant leaves may get burned.

Feeding

The application of mineral and organic fertilizers is an important stage in caring for Roxana strawberries. Fertilizers can be applied using a drip irrigation system, spray the leaves manually, or water at the root. In spring, plants are supported by the application of nitrogenous fertilizers. Proven recipe: 20 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water. The bushes are watered at the root; it is not advisable to get it on the leaves.

The next feeding is a water solution of bird droppings or infused cow pats. It is enough to dilute 1 kg of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. During the period of flowering and fruit set, berry bushes are fed with an aqueous solution of wood ash: 1 glass of ash per 10 liters of water.

After the last harvest, plants need fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus. Always after applying fertilizers, it is recommended to loosen the soil and sprinkle the bushes with humus.

Watering

Roxana is picky about watering. This procedure must be carried out frequently, but do not allow the soil to become waterlogged and moisture to stagnate at the roots of the plants. Water for irrigation should be clean and warm, the optimal temperature is +20 ⁰C. Mulch retains moisture in the soil; if it is present in the beds, there is no need for frequent watering.

Moisturizing is done after harvesting, in the morning or evening.Excess moisture in the soil leads to rotting and disease of berries, and lack of moisture leads to reduced yield and reduced fruit size. Before watering, the gardener must assess the degree of soil moisture.

Loosening

Regular loosening will help improve oxygen access to the roots and activate metabolic processes between the soil and plants. In the rows, the soil is loosened to a depth of 10 cm, at the roots of plants, directly under the bush - to 3 cm.

The root system of strawberries is located close to the surface of the beds. After loosening, the bushes are hilled and sprinkled with humus.

Shelter

Roxana has average winter hardiness. The variety can withstand frosts not lower than -20 ⁰C, it is recommended to close strawberries for the winter using film covers or textile covering material. You can use spruce branches and straw. In regions with little snow in winter, the Italian strawberry variety may freeze.

Cover the berries after preliminary preparation of the berries for winter: loosening, removing weeds and fertilizing.

Disease and pest control

Breeders at the genetic level protected the variety from powdery mildew. The plant’s immunity is strong, but this does not mean that strawberries are not sick. Anthracnose or black spot is a dangerous disease that often plagues Roxana. This disease is fungal and occurs in conditions of high humidity. Prevention of anthracnose involves spraying plants in the spring with Bordeaux mixture.

Protection against diseases consists of timely and regular inspection of plants for diseases. Diseases identified at the initial stage are easily treated and do not affect productivity in any way.

Strawberry propagation Roxana

The strawberry variety Roxana is propagated by mustaches.The whisker formation of the Italian variety is average. 2-3 daughter bushes are buried next to the plant, and the remaining tendrils are cut off. In autumn, strong young plants are transplanted into permanent beds.

The transplanted bushes need shelter from the sun and watering for the first few days. Feeding of young plants is carried out in the fall, during the preparation of seedlings for winter.

Collection and storage of the variety

The transportability of Roxana fruits is excellent. Ripe fruits can remain on the bushes for up to a week without changing their taste characteristics. The berries do not give juice and do not lose their shape.

The collected fruits are stored in fruit boxes, wicker baskets in a dark, cool place. It is important to provide ventilation in containers with harvested crops. Roxana fruits can be frozen and canned whole. Italian variety strawberries are suitable for decorating desserts. After defrosting, it retains the entire set of vitamins and nutrients.

Italian berries will decorate strawberry beds. High yield is combined with the unpretentiousness of the variety. A novice gardener can grow Roxana. In industrial greenhouses, the berry can bear fruit throughout the year. The fruits retain their presentation for a long time and do not lose their taste.