As a result of centuries-old selection, many varieties of garden strawberries were obtained, including long-term fruiting (repair). From this variety, it is not easy to choose the strawberry that is most suitable for the garden. The characteristics of the varieties are largely similar, but each has its own advantages. One of the favorites of recent years, gardeners call the variety Irma, combining high yield and excellent taste.
The history of growing strawberries Irma
Variety Irma is relatively young. It was bred at the end of the 20th century by Italian breeders; it began to be sold in European countries in 2003. In Russia, Irma has been known for a little over 10 years.
The variety of repair strawberry Irma gives a harvest several times a season
The variety was bred in Verona and adapted for cultivation in the highlands of Italy, where a mild and humid climate prevails. Therefore, the berry best shows its qualities with timely watering and a sufficient amount of heat.
Garden strawberries, which are usually called simply strawberries, are not related to the well-known wild berry. It appeared as a result of the spontaneous crossing of two American species - Chilean and Virgin strawberries.
Video: strawberry Irma - a favorite among the repair varieties
Description and characteristics of the variety
Irma is a remontant cultivar that bears fruit regardless of the length of daylight hours, 3-4 times per season. It belongs to the group of medium early varieties - the first berries appear in mid-June. Fruiting continues until the end of summer, and sometimes in autumn. The variety is distinguished by the following features:
- The bushes are medium-sized, erect, with well-developed roots. Mustache give a little.
- The foliage is dark green, not very thick.
- The berries are fleshy, large, shiny, bright red and a drop-shaped with a pointed tip. The weight of the fruit is 30-35 g (can reach 50 g).
- The taste of berries is dessert, sweet. In the middle of summer, the tasting qualities of fruits are improved compared to the early ones. Irma's pulp is juicy, sugary.
- The fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, useful trace elements and antioxidants.
- Berries are suitable both for fresh consumption, and for preservation, drying.
Large berries of Irma strawberry are distinguished by excellent taste and good transportability
This variety has several advantages, such as:
- high productivity;
- good keeping quality of berries;
- frost resistance;
- resistance to drought;
- immunity to strawberry mites;
- resistance to root rot.
Many gardeners note that in rainy weather cracks can appear on the berries of the Irma variety. This affects the appearance of strawberries, but does not affect its taste.
Video: Strawberry flowering Irma
Features of planting and growing
Like many other varieties of garden strawberries, Irma can be propagated in many ways. Most often used:
- seedling method;
- vegetative propagation (mustache rooting).
Growing seedlings
In a seedling method, strawberries are grown from seeds from February to May. Do this as follows:
- A mixture of soil is poured into suitable containers (50% turf land, 25% peat, 25% sand).
- Seeds are sown in containers and kept under a film until germination.
Seed containers are kept closed until sprouts appear.
- Seedlings are watered sparingly, the temperature is maintained at + 18-20 ° C.
- After the appearance of 2 real leaves, seedlings dive into separate cups.
Strawberry seedlings dive into separate cups after the appearance of 2 real leaves
- Plants are planted in the ground when 5 or more leaves appear.
Strawberry seedlings can be planted in open ground when it has 5 leaves
Mustache Reproduction
If you want to breed Irma with a mustache, then choose for this purpose the instances that have the best qualities. The breeding process is as follows:
- On the uterine bushes cut off all the peduncles.
- For reproduction from each mustache choose the 2 most powerful rosettes. They are rooted in separate cups, not separated from the mother bush.
- Plants are watered periodically, making sure that the soil does not dry out.
- When the bushes form a strong root system, they are planted in a permanent place.
Strawberry bushes separated from the mother plant are ready for planting
Strawberry planting
You can plant Irma in any climatic zone. For strawberry beds, it is better to choose sunny places, since in the shade the berries are very small. The most favorable predecessors on the site selected for strawberries are:
- salad;
- parsley;
- celery;
- sorrel;
- peas;
- Beans
- bush beans;
- radish;
- garlic;
- onion.
Good side by side with strawberries:
- grapes;
- sea buckthorn;
- apple trees;
- bearded iris;
- Turkish carnation;
- marigold;
- nasturtium.
Strawberries are planted as follows:
- The soil is first loosened and cleaned of residual roots of previous plants.
- They make beds about 1 meter wide.
- The distance between the seedlings of Irma should be approximately 0.5 m.
Wells for strawberries are made at a distance of 0.5 m from one another
- Wells are made with dimensions of 25 by 25 cm, and also with a depth of 25 cm.
- It is advisable to add top dressing to each well (mix a bucket of earth and compost, 2 cups of ash and 2 liters of vermicompost).
- Plant seedlings in the hole, placing the roots vertically. The apical bud of a seedling should remain slightly above ground level.
When planting strawberries, the apical bud should not be too deep or left too high
- After planting, the plants are watered and covered with mulch (sawdust, needles, grass). This layer should be thin.
- Until the plants get stronger, all the flower stalks are removed.
With a sparse isolated planting, strawberry yields will be higher.
Video: autumn strawberry planting
Plant care
To get a good strawberry crop, you need to constantly take care of the plantings. The following actions will help keep plants healthy:
- regular watering;
- loosening the soil in the rows of bushes, until fruiting begins (it is advisable to do this three times);
- timely weeding;
- removal of diseased, old, reddened leaves;
First of all, old and sick leaves are cut on strawberries
- top dressing with ash (you can also sprinkle it with leaves to protect against pests);
- removal of mustaches, so that all the forces of the plant are spent on fruiting, and not on reproduction;
- in the pre-winter period - pruning of mustaches and diseased leaves, mulching (best of all with humus, peat);
Straw is often used to mulch strawberry landings.
- updating strawberry plantings every 2-3 years.
In autumn, garden strawberries can be covered with a transparent film to prevent frost and rot.
Video: care for the maintenance of strawberries
Reviews
Two years ago I planted Irma and did not regret a minute: Irma is conical in shape, and very fragrant and sweet, and we eat until October, and how much jam we prepared!
Elenrudaeva//7dach.ru/SilVA/6-luchshih-remontantnyh-sortov-sadovoy-zemlyaniki-5774.html
Irma - in the summer the berry grows smaller, sick, there are many shortcomings.
Shcherbina//forum.vinograd.info/archive/index.php?t-2811-p-11.html
I planted Irma strawberries: both a good bush and flower stalks are high, and I planted in very strong heat and drought. Immediately watered twice a day, greatly pritenil. The bush began to let out a mustache, it bloomed, berries (many and large) started to appear, but the taste did not impress, the berries are hard, almost crack. Now it’s raining, it’s getting colder, the strawberries are blooming, there are more than 30 berries on two hands and the taste has completely changed - they have become soft, sweet and fragrant. And what does she need, the sun or the cool? No wonder they say they should try to grow strawberries in different conditions to impress. And I was going to push her mother-in-law. And I really like that the berries are the same size, there are no small ones at all.
Oksanka//www.sadiba.com.ua/forum/archive/index.php/t-1559-p-6.html
Strawberry Irma is a good choice for those who need a garden berry that bears fruit all summer. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology and take good care of it, then the result will not be long in coming. Tasty large fruits of Irma will be able to please the gardener in the first year of planting.
