Strawberry “Divnaya”: variety description and growing tips

The strawberry variety “Marvelous” is well known to the Russian summer resident.Due to its high adaptation qualities, the culture is well acclimatized on impoverished barren soils and can be grown in many regions of the country.

Strawberry “Divnaya” appeared as a result of selection work carried out by G. A. Alexandrova, who in the late 80s of the last century bred this variety. As mother plants, individuals of the Festival and Holiday varieties, distinguished by large fruits and unusual strawberry flavor, were taken. In 2008, the variety underwent successful variety trials, was entered in the state register and recommended for cultivation in private farms and on farm plantations.

Strawberry “Divnaya” belongs to the very early ripening varieties, due to which the first fruits appear already in the last decade of May - early June. The plant is represented by sparse erect shrubs with strong stems and a large number of whiskers. Leaf cover rather abundant. Large leaves have a slightly wrinkled surface and are distinguished by their large size and complete lack of an edge.

The formation is very intense and occurs during the entire vegetative season. If you let this process run its course and do not regulate the appearance and growth of the whiskers, then the culture will entangle everything around and will not allow the neighboring plants to fully develop.

Peduncles are present on the bushes in large numbers and are located at the level of leaf plates. This feature allows the berries to be at a sufficient distance from the ground and not to touch it when ripe. Large culture flowers are bisexual. This greatly simplifies the care of the plant and does not require additional pollination activities.

Berries differ dull-conical shape and a complete lack of cervical sepal. This makes it a little difficult to remove it from ripe berries and gives the fruit an unusual “finger” appearance. A feature of the variety is the ability of berries to change their forms under the influence of external conditions.

It should be noted that The largest are the berries of the first harvest, in addition, they are distinguished by a flattened shape. In the following crops, the size of the berries is slightly reduced, and their surface becomes smooth and shiny. “Marvelous” is considered to be a rather large-fruited variety: the average weight of the berries is 25 g, and the fruits of the first crop often reach a mass of 35-40 g. The berries are bright red in color, and when overripening they become cherry-colored. The number of seeds is average, they are yellow and planted shallowly. The flesh of the berries is quite juicy and dense, with no voids and coarse internal fibers.

The peel of the fruit is firm and elastic, due to which the berries tolerate long-term storage and transportation. The taste of strawberries strongly resembles wild strawberries, which is why it is very popular among summer residents. “Divnoy” berries are distinguished by a high sugar content, which can reach 5.9% of the total mass, as well as a large amount of ascorbic acid. This composition gives the fruit a pleasant sweet-sour taste and allows them to be widely used for the preparation of various desserts.

Another feature of the brand is pretty uneven ripening of the crop. Therefore, a large number of fruits cannot be obtained at the same time. Despite this, the crop has a high yield and is able to produce from one bush up to 1.2 kg of berries. With industrial cultivation and professional care, it is often possible to collect up to 150 c / ha. Strawberry “Divnaya” is a table variety and is widely used both for fresh consumption and for making jam, jams and compotes.

The high popularity and a large number of positive reviews about the strawberry “Marvelous” are due to next to the undeniable advantages of this variety.

1. Good frost resistance allows not to take measures to shelter the culture in the winter. With a stable snow cover, the plant is able to withstand temperatures up to -25 degrees.
2. High resistance to dry periods allows you to grow strawberries in the southern regions of the country or in the dacha plots in which the owners do not live regularly. The variety does not require the constant presence of a person and can get along with rare irrigation.
3. The wonderful strawberry taste of the fruits and the good preservation of the harvest make the variety even more popular.
4. Due to intensive sedimentation, the variety is quite simple in reproduction.
5. The plant has good immunity and is not susceptible to verticillus disease and gray mold.

Before you start planting strawberries, you should determine the site. Despite unpretentiousness, the culture does not like impoverished and barren soils. Check the suitability of the site for growing strawberries can be on the external grounds. For example, the growth of coltsfoot and horse sorrel suggests that the soil is quite clay and heavy. Such land requires the addition of sand mixtures and peat. The presence of white clover will indicate depletion and depletion of the soil, and nettle and woodlouse will indicate an excess of nitrogen compounds.

Whatever the soil, it should be fertilized a little. It is better if this procedure will be carried out six months before landing. If the activities are held in the spring, then you need to know that from the time of fertilization to the beginning of the planting of seedlings should take at least two weeks. Fertilize the soil can be using compost or cowshed. The amount of fertilizer is calculated for each plot individually and depends on soil fertility and the size of the plantation.

After preparing the site, you can proceed to the selection of seedlings, the purchase of which should pay particular attention to the appearance of seedlings. Plants with spotting, faded leaves or dry roots should not be bought. Before planting, it is recommended to soak the root system in any growth promoter. This will contribute to better survival of the shoot and significantly accelerate the appearance of root processes.

The planting scheme of strawberry “Divnaya” is no different from the planting patterns of other varieties and amounts to 4 bushes per square meter. At the same time, the distance between neighboring bushes and rows should not be less than 30 cm. It is recommended to plant shoots in the last days of May, as with a later planting the plants will not have time to get stronger and will spend the winter in a weakened state.

After all the shoots have been planted, the ground around the stem is mulched using fallen leaves or straw.This will prevent intense evaporation of moisture and will contribute to its preservation in the root zone. Immediately after planting, the bushes are recommended to shed liberally with a solution of ammonium nitrate. To do this, dilute about 20 g of the substance in a bucket of warm water. Water the plants with this solution can be within two weeks. If the young shoots already have buds, then the harvest can be expected next year, and in case of their absence - in two years.

Despite its unpretentiousness, strawberries need careful and regular care. The most important condition for obtaining a rich harvest is regular watering, which should be carried out at least twice a week. You can water the plants using both the drip method and the traditional method, pouring out a liter of water under each root.

Due to the low resistance of green mass and flowers to frosts, it is recommended to cover the plants with agrofiber for the night or use the technology of film tunnels for growing the culture. It is also necessary to control the accumulation and regularly trim extra mustache. Otherwise, the plant will entangle itself and confuse everything around.

An important stage of care is fertilization, which is produced in several passes. The first time the plants are fertilized with nitrogenous compounds during planting. The second time the bushes feed up during the flowering period, using complex mineral supplements with a high content of iron, magnesium and manganese.

Good results are obtained by root and foliar treatment of the bushes "Sudarushkoy" and "Ryazanochka." The essence of the root treatment is that the solution with fertilizers is poured at the root of the plant, and with the non-root method, the above-ground part of the bush is sprayed with a spray gun. The third time fertilizers are applied in the fall, falling asleep bushes with a thick layer of humus.

The final stage of strawberry care is preparing the culture for the winter. To do this, in early September, the bushes are cut, and the beds are cleared of fallen leaves and weeds. In early October, plantations are fertilized with a mullein or complex supplements. At the end of the month, the beds are shifted with a layer of straw 5 cm thick, and with a possible lowering of winter temperatures below 25 degrees, they are additionally covered with agrofibre.

The strawberry variety “Divnaya” is in high demand among gardeners, who note the overall unpretentiousness and good adaptation of the species to adverse conditions. The ability of the plant to develop normally and give a good harvest even with poor and irregular watering is noted. Many owners of dacha plots refused to grow other varieties after they met with “Divnaya”.

Attention is paid to the excellent taste and abundance of berries on the bushes, which distinguishes the variety from other horticultural crops. Of the minuses, the wateriness of the berries growing in the marshy and waterlogged areas, as well as a slight decrease in the size of the fruit when growing a culture in shaded places, is noted.

Review of strawberry "Marvelous", see the following video.