Strawberry "Elsanta": characteristic varieties, planting and care

The most delicious garden berries, the first appearance of which is eagerly awaited by adults and children, is strawberry.To date, there are many varieties of this crop, but Elsanta is very popular among them. This strawberry is distinguished by its high yield, simple care, and is excellent for growing in different climatic zones.

Strawberry "Elsanta" is an early medium grade, but if it is planted in areas with fertile land and regularly irrigated, the bushes will be large and branched. The leaves of the plant are painted in light green color, slightly lowered and concave, with pronounced ribbing. Their middle is round, and the edges are sharp and wide.

Strawberry shoots are thick, flower stalks form at the level of foliage and consist of many bisexual white and sprawling flowers. Cups in inflorescences of simple form, they are not very long and are placed horizontally.

Bushes of this culture form a few outlets and antennae, which facilitates care. With one bush for the season, you can collect up to 1.5 kg of fruit. If you plant a plot of 1 ha, you can safely count on a harvest of up to 74 centners. In addition, strawberries can bear fruit for a long period. As for the berries, garden strawberries form wide coconic fruits of slightly rounded shape. They are small in size, scarlet in color with a slight sheen.

The main characteristic of the "Elsanta" variety is that its berries not only have an appetizing appearance, but are also rated for taste in 5 points. Despite the average size of the fruits, they can weigh up to 45 grams. The strawberry flesh is sweet and dense, so it tolerates transportation well.

This variety is also characterized highly resistant to various viral and fungal diseases. The culture is undemanding in care and does not need additional feeding with mineral fertilizers. The only drawback of "Elsanta" is the instability to frost and drought.

Such strawberries can be planted both in greenhouses and in open soil, while it is desirable to plant in the southern regions and the middle belt of the country.

For planting strawberries the most suitable time is autumn, while planting is best at the end of September. You should not plan it in the spring, as it will not give a good result, and the bushes will turn out weak, underdeveloped with small berries. The same applies to summer, if transplanted seedlings in hot weather, they quickly fade and not take root.

Before you start planting plants, you need to choose the seedlings, they must meet the following requirements: be pure-grade, have a standard size and have no signs of damage by pests or diseases.

For planting it is necessary to choose plants with a strong root system and healthy leaves of dark green color. Large seedlings with brown roots and many horns are considered old and unsuitable for cultivation. It is undesirable to purchase bushes with large foliage, they most often grew in greenhouse conditions and were “overnourished” with nitrogen. Once with the planting issue is resolved, you need to determine the place on the site.

For Elsanta strawberries, the following crops are considered bad predecessors and neighbors: sunflower, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, and fennel. It is not desirable that the beds were placed near the cherry, raspberry, gooseberry, because these plants are often subjected to such a disease as verticillias.

The bad friends for garden strawberries are the cultures of the nightshade and pumpkin families. Peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers and squashes can become carriers of various infections and viruses, as well as provoke microscopic pests on the beds.An ideal place for strawberries will be the site where oats or mustards were previously grown. Garlic is considered to be a useful “neighbor” for the culture, it will be able to scare away not only dangerous insects, but also protect bushes from diseases. This variety can be propagated in three ways:

• whiskers;
• seeds;
• division of the bush.

Since strawberries grown from hybrid seeds often lack the property of the parent variety, this technique is rarely used. If you still managed to find high-quality and licensed seeds, then you can experiment and grow seedlings from them. The development of sprouts, as a rule, takes 2 months.

The simplest and most common type of transplantation is reproduction with antennae and rosettes. If large-scale reproduction is planned, then in the first year it is advisable to plant uterine plants in the uncomfortable ground, cutting off all flower stalks and shoots.

As for planting by dividing the roots, it is ideal for the variety "Elsanta", since the plant usually forms few antennae and rosettes. The landing process is as follows.

• The first step is to choose a three-year-old plant with a good root system and large leaves. It is dug out in the fall and divided into even parts, each of which must have an intact process with several leaves. It is impossible to clean, wash and cut the roots.
• Then the plot itself is prepared, the soil is carefully dug up, breaking up lumps and loosening an uneven surface. Also throughout the territory you need to make cleaning from the remnants of other plants and weeds. Next, the area is poured with water or ammonia solution, give time to dry, re-loosen and proceed to the direct landing. To do this, dig holes up to a depth of 20 cm, they make nitrogen and organic fertilizers, you can also use compost and humus, observing the dosage of 3 kg per 1 m2. Good for feeding phosphate and potassium chloride.
• Each well is poured abundantly with water, a seedling is put into it, the root length of which should not exceed 25 cm. The shrub must be placed vertically, any deviations to the side are not allowed. Then the plant is covered with soil, it is easily tamped and re-watered. In order to further protect the crop from weeds, it is recommended to perform mulching using dry larch, sawdust, straw, or pine needles. In this case, it is desirable to pour the mulch in advance with boiling water, this will remove the larvae of parasites and spores of fungal diseases.
• Beds need to be formed in two rows, 30 × 30 cm in size. During a bush planting, a distance of 20 cm is made between the seedlings, and between the rows at 40 cm. Sometimes the technique of two-line tape 80 cm long and 30 × 30 cm in size is used.

Growing any culture is considered a time consuming process. Despite the fact that the strawberry "Elsanta" is unpretentious in the care, it still needs to be watered and treated from pests and diseases in a timely manner. This variety is not resistant to drought, so the plant requires abundant watering. In the first month after transplanting seedlings, “water procedures” should be carried out daily, then they can be gradually reduced to one watering per week. If the summer is hot and without rain, the culture is watered once every 4 days. Per 1 m2 should be consumed up to 10 liters of water.

Due to the lack of moisture, strawberries will start to fade, and its excess can lead to the fact that the berries become tasteless and lose flavor. To ensure a normal level of humidity, should constantly monitor the condition of the top layer of soil, it should always be wet. For growing crops in greenhouse conditions and areas where the hot climate prevails, it is recommended to use drip irrigation. Regardless of the method of irrigation, water should be carried out directly to the roots and not fall on the fruitful or flowering plant.

A huge role in the care of garden strawberries is played by loosening the earth and cleaning it from weeds. Such work should be carried out at least once a week. As for feeding, experienced gardeners argue that this variety is capable of producing a high yield without fertilizing, the excess of which can be harmful. Fertilizing consisting of mineral and organic fertilizers is recommended to be carried out at the end of September, when the culture ends the second period of fruiting.

In addition, you can make nitrogen-containing trace elements and urea in the spring after the snow melts and the weather becomes stable. Nutrients need to be scattered between the rows and then water the soil well, dry soil and excess fertilizer can lead to strawberry foliage damage by various diseases.

In order for Elsanta to endure the winter well, it must be prepared for the cold weather by doing the following:

• pruning foliage;
• removal from the beds of plants affected by fungal diseases;
• spraying the bushes to protect against pests;
• abundant watering and mulching with dry leaves, grass and peat;
• Shelter site special film of natural material, synthetics are not recommended, because through it will be bad to get air and strawberries will rot.

However, many gardeners believe that the grade "Elsanta" can not be cut in the fall, because it can upset the balance in the leaves, which provide additional protection for the kidneys from frost.

Other gardeners, on the contrary, argue that such pruning is beneficial for the plant and stimulates yield in the next season.

Strawberry "Elsanta" is very popular among summer residents and gardeners, because it is highly resistant to diseases. In this case, improper care and excess moisture can cause a root damage in the culture, since it is considered the most sensitive. Most often the roots suffer from fungus and rot.

In order to prevent this, in the greenhouses it is necessary to sterilize the land in a timely manner, this cannot be done on open ground. therefore open areas should not be overmoistened and control the dosage of fertilizers, it will protect the soil from the reproduction of parasites.

Strawberry bushes tend to suffer from powdery mildew and late blight. In these diseases, the stems are covered with white bloom, leaves curl upwards, if preventive actions are not carried out promptly, the plant dies.

Therefore recommended regularly remove the old tops, clean the beds from the affected bushes, carry out mulching and weeding. It is also desirable to spray the culture with such preparations as nitrogen, Bordeaux liquid and soap-copper emulsion, at least twice a season.

Today, strawberries are represented by a huge variety selection, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the Elsanta variety is in great demand among gardeners. He received many positive reviews due to his unpretentious care and resistance to disease. In addition, this type of culture is mid-season, which means that by the end of June each family can pamper themselves with fresh and healthy berries. Due to the fact that the bushes are formed with few sockets and whiskers, their care is simplified.

Among the main advantages of "Elsanta" gardeners also noted the high taste of the fruit. They have a delicate aroma and light acidity, they are well tolerated in transportation, they are well stored and suitable for use both in fresh form and in blanks.From the berries of this sort of housewife prefer to prepare compotes, jams and jams. You can freeze this strawberry for the winter.

Review the strawberry varieties "Olbia" and "Elsanta", see the following video.