Description varieties and cultivation of strawberries "Vityaz"

Many summer residents and farmers of Russia love to plant strawberries on their plots - after all, this berry is equally good both in fresh form and as part of various desserts, and as a basis for jam, jams, fruit drinks and compotes. And in order to get a good harvest, you need to choose the right variety for the conditions of your plot. Therefore it is worth considering the description of the variety of strawberries "Vityaz", the nuances of cultivation and reviews of gardeners.

Strawberry "Vityaz" was developed at the Kokinsky point of the Institute of Horticulture and Nursery by a research team led by a senior researcher, doctor of agricultural sciences, professor of the Bryansk Agricultural Academy Aitzhanova Svetlana Dmitrievna. Strawberry cultivars “Festival Chamomile” and “Surprise Olympiad” were selected as the source for crossing. In 1998, this garden strawberry passed state tests, and since 1999 it has entered the State Register, in which it has been zoned for the Central Region of the Russian Federation.

Garden strawberries "Vityaz" characterized by semi-sprawling bushes of medium height, growing in a flat-round shape. Their lashes are densely covered with bright green leaves of a concave shape, the blistering of which is weakly expressed. When flowering at the leaf level, compact inflorescences are formed with small flowers, the number of which is usually up to 9 per bush.

Vityaz is characterized by a very wide range of possible fruit mass - from 9 to 40 g with an expected average weight of about 25 g. Berries of this variety have a rounded conical shape (their width is always greater than the length), bright red skin and red orange pulp. The seeds on them are slightly impressed relative to the surface of the fruit, while having a yellow color and an average size.

The sugar content in fruits is about 9%, which corresponds to the average level for strawberries. But the acidity of "Vityaz" is slightly higher than the average and is 1.2%, so 100 g of this product contains a lot of vitamin C, namely: 60 mg. The variety is characterized by a pleasant sweet taste with a slight sourness. This allows you to recommend this kind of strawberry for making jam, stewed fruit and desserts, involving the addition of sugar. However, the taste of "Vityaz" is not so sour as to not recommend using it fresh.

The industrial yield of this variety is usually not less than 103 centners per hectare, which means that at least one kilogram of fragrant fruits can be collected from a square meter of beds of this strawberry. In this case, the fecundity of a single bush can reach 400 grams.

Like other varieties of strawberries, "Vityaz" has both advantages and disadvantages.

In addition to decent yield and good taste, different "Vityaz" and resistance to frost down to extreme. As well as the variety is resistant to common fungal diseases of strawberries, especially verticillium, spotting (both brown and white), as well as various types of powdery mildew. In addition, this variety is very resistant to the invasions of such a dangerous pest, like strawberry mite.

Another important advantage of this variety over many other varieties of garden strawberries - good appearance and excellent transportability due to the high density of fruits. This means that farmers can safely supply this strawberry to the markets, without fear that it will flow or become confused when transporting large quantities. Yes, and freeze this strawberry is experiencing better than many other varieties.

In addition to the sourness, which is rather a subjective, rather than objective, defect of the variety, it should be noted that Vityaz refers to non-repairable strawberry varieties - and therefore, having reaped the harvest, you can not count on re-flowering this season. Another drawback that can significantly complicate the breeding of this variety without the use of special agricultural techniques is the relatively low number of antennae formed by the bushes.

For the garden where you plan to grow Vityaz, you need to choose a well-lit, but safe place from the wind. If possible, avoid planting this variety in highly saline soils.The ideal for this variety is considered to be neutral loamy soil. In terms of crop rotation, strawberries can not be planted on the beds, which were previously grown carrots, onions, parsley or tulips.

Approximately 2 months before planting the crop should be applied to the planned bed complex or potash fertilizers. Before planting, seedlings need to be cleaned of dirt and dried roots, and then dunk in potassium permanganate for 5-10 minutes (but in no case longer). After that they need to be rinsed in cold water.

Planted seedlings should be in the wells, while It is important that the upper bud of the bush be approximately at ground level. It is best to land in cloudy weather or in the evening.

To solve the problem of low rate of reproduction of bushes, you can select the mother liquor - a separate bed where strawberries will be grown for later transplantation. To increase the intensity of the formation of antennae, you need to remove the ovary of flowers in the mother liquor immediately after the appearance.

Caring for "Vityaz" differs little from agricultural technology in the cultivation of most other varieties of strawberries. The most important thing is abundant and regular watering (at the rate of half a liter of water per bush), because due to the deep bedding of the roots (up to 25 cm) this variety likes a lot of moisture. Insufficient watering can lead to a decrease in yield, and to the destruction of the bushes.

Up to 8 times per season, you can loosen the soil in the garden, and the loosening depth should be no more than 2 centimeters. Antennae from bushes should be cut no more than every 12 days - otherwise the intensity of their formation increases. At the end of fruiting, remove some of the leaves. The same procedure should be carried out after wintering.

Despite the high winter hardiness, if in winter the temperature reaches -8 ° C and there is no snow, then it is recommended to cover the Vityaz bushes. With snow, this strawberry calmly freezes to -35 ° C.

In their reviews, all gardeners confirm the high yield and excellent winter hardiness of the Vityaz, as well as its disease resistance. However, sometimes some types of rot and blotch still hit his bushes. Most gardeners note the unpretentiousness of the variety - when grown in suitable soil in most cases they managed to do without dressings and treatments against pests or diseases.

You will learn more about how to grow strawberries in the following video.