When do strawberries ripen?

Strawberries are considered to be one of the most delicious and fragrant delicacies among the many garden and forest berries. But this southern heat-loving plant requires special care and knowledge of growing technology. Therefore, when planning to start a strawberry plantation, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with all the nuances of agricultural technology in advance.

In the process of studying the characteristics of this culture, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in different sources strawberries may be called strawberry. In fact, this is its real botanical name. However, in the usual everyday life, we call a large garden berry a strawberry, and one that grows in the forest is called strawberry. It is much smaller than the garden one, it has a different taste and is especially fragrant.

The strawberry period is in the first half of the summer. Terms of ripening vary depending on several factors.

• Growing region. For this heat-loving plant is very important climate, plenty of sun, warm and dry weather. Therefore, in different regions of a huge country, the ripening time of strawberries will vary.
• Variety. Strawberries are divided into two types: regular (with one fruiting period per season) and remontant (multiple fruiting).
• The method of cultivation. There are differences in the maturity between planting in open ground, greenhouse cultivation and wild growth.

To understand the abundance of factors, it is necessary to consider in more detail each of them.

Strawberry varieties, classified as a normal variety, bear fruit once per season, are characterized by abundant mustache formation and weigh an average of 25-50 g. maternal bushes.

In terms of ripening common varieties are:

• early - 2-3 decade of May;
• mid-early - early June;
• medium - mid-June;
• late - the beginning of July.

On the bags of strawberry seeds must indicate the type of ripening. In this case, you can purchase different varieties and provide yourself with a crop from mid-May to July inclusive.

The repair strawberry derived by breeders, that is capable of flowering and fruiting several times in a season, quickly gained popularity among gardeners.

Its main advantages include:

• wavy ripening during the summer;
• high yield, 2-3 times higher than the yield of ordinary varieties;
• lack of whiskers, which facilitates weeding and does not allow the bushes to block the aisles between the rows.

The disadvantages of the remontant strawberry include the shorter term plant productivity - they need to be updated every two years. And also this type of berry requires more fertilizers for high-quality fruit filling.

The fruitfulness of the strawberry repair covers all three summer months. The first wave begins in June, the second - in July, and in the third wave the strawberry will ripen in August. When the weather is favorable and there is no heavy rain, remontant varieties can bear fruit until frost.

Wild strawberries have their fruiting dates - they bear fruit once per season during the month. It is useful to know, so as not to miss a hike in the forest for fragrant berries. It is even better if the summer cottage is located close to the strawberry fields or the forest, known for its berry fields.

Fruiting meadow (or field) strawberries in central Russia begins in mid-June and ends in July. Forest strawberries ripen about a week later than meadow grass due to the amount of sunlight limited by trees.

As noted above, the climate of the area in which it grows affects the timing of ripening strawberries. In the vast territory of our country, climatic zones can vary dramatically, so the strawberry crop ripens in different periods with a difference of up to a month or more. The southern regions begin to pick strawberries at the end of May, while the northern ones wait for the harvest only by July.

Consider the three points of the conditional triangle on the map of Russia, in order to better navigate the approximate time of strawberry ripening at the place of its growth.

Strawberries are successfully grown even in the northern regions of the country, including in the Urals. However, climatic features of the area require compliance with certain rules.

For example, for cold zones, it is recommended to plant strawberries from autumn, more precisely, in late August - early September. Bushes will have time to settle down in the warm land, take root and calmly winter. But the landing in the spring has certain risks - a sudden frost can ruin the unrooted plant.

Repair grades are also great for the Urals. In this case, the berry can be harvested from the end of spring, when it gives about a third of the entire seasonal crop, until the very end of August.

For obvious reasons, the southern regions are the most favorable for growing strawberries. Early spring, fertile soil, hot sun make it possible to get excellent harvest on an industrial scale.

If the weather does not fail, then the Krasnodar strawberry appears on the shelves of stores already in the first decade of May. These are early ripe varieties. Toward the end of May, the middle-ripening season ripens, followed by the middle and late ones. The period of fruiting lasts until the beginning of July, if we are talking about common varieties of garden strawberries. And remontant berry in the southern sunny climate can be harvested from early spring to the very frost.

The central zone of Russia is famous for its unstable summer and frequent rains in its first half. In this regard, the ripening time of strawberries behind the usual for a few weeks. The harvest is ripening by mid-June, and if the weather is cool and overcast, then closer to the end of the month. In the Moscow region, fruiting strawberries lasts for 3-4 weeks, capturing all of July, which, as a rule, is warm and sunny.

Thus, the growing fruits will not be on the ground during the rain and will not rot, because it is difficult to keep track of each berry, and it is especially pitiful to lose the harvest when there is so little.

Some gardeners grow strawberries in greenhouses in order to move the ripening period to an earlier period. However, closer to the end of the summer in the greenhouse, strawberries are at risk of overheating - it may be too stuffy and humid for the atmosphere under the polycarbonate. This, in turn, will not keep waiting for various fungal diseases.

The best option for ripening earlier planting strawberries in greenhouses under lutrasil. With the onset of heat on the bed allotted for strawberries, arcs are set and covered with non-woven material.

The space closed by lutrasil warms up faster under the spring sun and allows the soil to thaw, so that the plants will start a growing season earlier.

Ukryvna material can remain above the bed all season - he protect planting from heavy rain, reduce the risk of rotting berries and protect from sudden frosts. Under it, the strawberry feels good and ripens perfectly, but during the flowering day it is necessary to throw back the covering canopy. This is done so that beneficial insects can pollinate strawberry inflorescences.

Another effective way to accelerate fruiting is hiding between rows of black opaque canvas. The dark surface will attract the sun's rays - the soil warms up quickly. The shoots of young weeds under the material simply burn, which is an additional advantage.

After the top layer of the earth thaws, it is necessary to cut dry leaves, and to remove the mulch, laid in the fall, from the roots - wet old mulch will delay the heating of the soil and push back the fruiting period.

The list of methods for obtaining early harvest also includes timely planned watering, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, loosening the row spacing to ensure access of oxygen to the roots. Do not forget about prophylactic agents against fungal diseases and insect pests.

Video about the timing of flowering strawberries, you can see below.