Black Prince strawberry: description and cultivation technology

Young and promising strawberries "Black Prince" is increasingly found in the plots.Why it has become so popular, we learn from the description of the variety, which is presented in this article.

The variety of garden strawberries with the beautiful name “Black Prince” is becoming popular among domestic summer residents. Although in everyday life it is often called strawberries, but, like the famous variety "Victoria", it is a completely home-grown variety of large-fruited garden strawberries. This is a monoecious sun-loving plants, pollination occurs inside one bush. Strawberries, on the other hand, are dioecious crops with poor yields, so they are rarely planted in plots. The presence of heterogeneous bushes makes pollination difficult.

"Black Prince" was launched recently by Italian breeders in the city of Cesena. This berry got its name for its burgundy color. Dark color they add black bones on the surface, so from a distance the berries look almost black.

Bushes of this variety are powerful, spreading, with a strong root system. The leaves are green, medium size, slightly corrugated, with a glossy surface. On the long stems of the bush a large number of ovaries form. In the period of ripening under the weight of the berries, they tend to the ground. The fruits have the shape of a cone, reach a weight of 50 grams and by the end of the season do not become shallow, therefore from one bush per season they can be collected up to 1.5 kg.

There are several main advantages of the “Black Prince”:

• a plant of this variety is able to successfully bear fruit in one place for about seven years, and the yield only increases with time, and the fruits do not become less;
• with age, the bushes produce less and less whiskers, so the older the bed, the less care is required;
• the variety is considered to be frost-resistant: it easily tolerates winter frosts down to -25 ° C and spring frosts, therefore it is suitable for a temperate continental climate.

"Black Prince" refers to the early varieties. The flowering phase occurs in May, and the first fruits ripen in mid-June. Fruiting variety until late autumn. This yield is associated with the ability to continuously form new ovaries.

In addition to excellent taste, the berry of this variety is juicy and dense. They have no internal voids, so the harvest tolerates transportation.

As disadvantages of the variety can be noted poor tolerance of drought. But with the proper organization of irrigation it will be good to bear fruit in arid climates. Due to the small number of whiskers, there may be a shortage of planting material. The variety is easily attacked by a strawberry mite and is unstable to the disease of white spot.

The Black Prince strawberry has a sweet taste with a slight sourness. Berries can be consumed fresh: they contain a large amount of vitamins and useful trace elements. Jams, jams, compotes and all kinds of desserts are fragrant and tasty.

In order for the Black Prince wild strawberry to grow well and successfully bear fruit, it is necessary to choose a suitable site for it. The place should be sunny and at the same time protected from strong winds. Without protection from the wind in winter, snow cover will blow off the beds and the plant will freeze quickly.

Light sandy soil or forest gray will be suitable soil for strawberries. The “Black Prince” will not grow on hard and sour soils, because the root system will quickly rot, even if there is drainage.

The site should not be located in a valley or on a slope. In the first case, excess water will accumulate on the garden bed. In the second case, the water will drain, wash out the upper layers, and will not have time to be absorbed. Groundwater should be located at a depth of at least 70 cm.

A suitable place for planting will be the land on which cereals and legumes were grown.It is also good to plant strawberries after onions, carrots, beets, radishes and greens. But in the place of potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes or cabbage plant strawberries are not worth it. It is also recommended to give up close proximity to these cultures. Good neighbors for the "Prince" will be cereals and legumes. The sharp smell of garlic, onions, marigolds and nasturtiums will also help scare off pests.

Planting strawberries can be made in the fall and spring. Each summer resident chooses a convenient time. At spring planting, the air should already warm up to + 15 ° C, usually it happens in May. Autumn planting is recommended from August to October, so that young bushes have at least a month to strengthen. As a planting material can be used seedlings or strawberry seeds. The desired seedlings can be purchased in special stores for crop production or in the nursery. This method is easier, faster and more suitable for beginners. After purchasing the seedlings can immediately be planted on the prepared garden bed.

If the site already has a "Black Prince", then this simplifies the task, because you can multiply the plant with a mustache. To do this, select the strongest sockets closest to the main bush.

Planting seeds more laborious and suitable for experienced gardeners. Seeds need to pre-soak. For their rapid germination, you can use "Appin". After that, the seeds are placed in prepared soil, 2–3 pieces in one well. The container must be closed and placed in a warm place before germination. This process will take about 2 weeks, during this period the seeds only need watering and ventilation. After the appearance of the first leaves, strawberry shoots are transplanted into separate cups and transferred to a sunny place.

The bed for strawberries must be prepared in advance. Two to three weeks before planting, the land in the area needs to be dug along with fertilizers to a depth of about 20 cm. At the same time, all weeds are removed. If the soil contains a lot of clay, then it is recommended to add river sand at the rate of 2 buckets per square meter. With a high content of sand or peat, the soil must be dug up with sawdust and humus. Dolomite flour is added to reduce acidity.

A mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulfate is evenly distributed over the entire surface. Proportions must be strictly followed according to the instructions on the package. After that, the soil needs to be dug up again and left to completely dissolve all fertilizers. If the disembarkation is done immediately, then the roots of the Black Prince can simply burn.

The optimum width for the bed is 80 cm. Since the bushes of the Black Prince greatly expand, they need a lot of space, so the distance between adjacent bushes should be at least 40 centimeters, and the distance between the beds - 50 centimeters. This scheme will provide ease of care for the plant and its comfortable existence. After the bed is ready, strawberries are planted. It is recommended to do this in the evening when the sun is no longer so active.

According to the scheme, holes are formed 15 centimeters deep and 20 centimeters in diameter. The wells need to be watered and let the water soak. Young bushes "Black Prince" should be carefully placed in the hole, straighten the roots and cover with earth. It is important that the “heart” (as the growth point is called) remain 1–2 centimeters above the ground. Next, the soil near the bushes must be carefully compacted and watered again.

Like any plant on the site, "Black Prince" will grow and give a bountiful harvest only with proper care. To do this, the plant must be watered, fed, loosened the soil, weed control, diseases and pests.

Strawberries of this variety are moisture-loving and do not tolerate even a short-term drought. Therefore, it needs regular watering, especially immediately after planting and during flowering. During this period, you need to water every day in the evening. At the same time, it is not necessary to “flood” the plant: an excess of moisture can provoke root rot and disease.

After the formation of fruits, watering must be reduced to once a week, otherwise the berries will be watery and quickly deteriorate.

After watering the soil around the bushes need to gently loosen. This will prevent the formation of a crust on the ground surface, and the root system will not remain without air. In the process of loosening you can immediately get rid of weeds.

This procedure is performed twice per season. Soon after planting the soil around the young bushes need to sprinkle with sawdust, dry weeds and waste from grain crops. This layer of mulch retains moisture in the soil and at the same time prevents the accumulation of moisture on the surface. This is especially important during the period of fruiting - the risk of rotting berries is reduced.

The second time the mulch is applied after harvesting. This extra layer helps to keep warm and protect the roots from frost.

Fertilization is performed several times:

• in early spring, before the beginning of the growing season, strawberries need to be fed with ammonium nitrate or urea at the rate of 20 grams per square meter;
• at the time of bud formation, superphosphate is added to feed (40 grams per square meter);
• when the fruit ripens it is necessary to make complex mineral fertilizers ("Agricola", "Berry"), the proportions must be observed strictly according to the instructions on the package.

In order for all the vital forces of strawberries to form and ripen fruits, it is necessary to get rid of excess whiskers in time. In addition, they quickly multiply throughout the garden and take nutrients from the soil.

Strawberry mite and white spot are considered to be the worst enemies of the “Black Prince”. It's easy to see them.

• With the advent of the mite, the leaves of the plant begin to frown, dry and turn yellow. On the leaves you can find white scurf. From the tick saves karbofos or colloidal sulfur. A solution is prepared for processing: 8 grams of substance per 10 liters of water.
• White spotting appears, as a rule, from an overabundance of moisture. Therefore, first of all, you need to settle the watering. As a preventive measure, Bordeaux fluid treatment can be done. The disease first manifests itself as red spots on the leaves, then their center turns white and holes appear. You can get rid of spotting with the help of Antracol (15 grams per 10 liters of water) or Ridomil-gold (25 grams per 10 liters of water).

In addition, the Black Prince variety may be affected by verticillus and common aphids.

• Verticillosis can be cured only with a minor injury. To do this, use a 0.2% solution of "Fundazol." In case of severe damage, strawberry bushes will have to be destroyed. As a preventive measure against this disease, before planting, the roots of a plant can be deceived in “Gumat potassium” or “Agat 25K”.
• When the aphid invades, strawberry bushes should be sprayed with garlic or soapy water (60 grams per liter). To prepare the garlic solution, the teeth are squeezed out, and the resulting juice is mixed with water. You can add onion juice to the solution. If the amount of aphids is insignificant, then you can get rid of it with your hands.

After harvesting, you need to remove the old layer of mulch, thoroughly weed the soil from weeds, loosen, feed with humus or biohumus, and spruce the bushes a little. Closer to the frosts, the bed is recommended to be covered with coniferous branches or spunbond.

With proper care, strawberries "Black Prince" will long delight the tasty and abundant harvest.

Domestic gardeners have noted the good resistance of strawberries "Black Prince" to diseases and frosts. Everyone likes the unusual appearance and great taste of berries, so that the variety is in great demand in the markets.

In contrast to the "Victoria" among the advantages distinguish good transportability and the ability to be stored for a long time.

In the next video you will find a brief review of the Black Prince strawberry variety.