Strawberries remain one of the most popular garden plants, and the variety of varieties of this crop causes slight dizziness. Which one to choose? After all, I want him to be the best. Regiment variety will appeal to both literal and figurative sense of the word not only amateur gardeners, but also to farmers who grow strawberries for sale. The plant is not picky, and with due attention - very generous.
History of Strawberry Shelf
Dutch strawberry varieties have always been famous for their high yield and good quality berries. Strawberry Shelf is no exception. The shelf that appeared as a result of crossing Unduka and Sivetta varieties has been used for many years as an industrial variety. But progress does not stand still - breeders present new varieties that supersede already tested and tested ones. This does not mean that the Regiment's strawberries are losing ground. On the contrary, for the past 4 decades, the variety has been successfully grown in farm and private gardens.
Strawberry Regiment for 4 decades does not lose popularity
The shelf has proven itself in the Baltic countries, Ukraine, Belarus, and in the middle zone of Russia. It can be grown in cooler regions, but in this case a winter shelter will be a prerequisite.
Grade description
The shelf’s bush is low, only 12 cm, but because of its good leafy appearance it looks powerful. The leaves do not grow sprawling, which is why the plant has a compact appearance. The leaf blade is bright green, with a slightly glossy surface with a serrated edge. Petioles slightly pubescent. Among 3-lobed leaves, 4-5-lobed leaves are sometimes found. The root system of the bush is powerful. Peduncles grow flush with leaves. At first they grow directly, but under the weight of the ripening fruits they are gradually leaning toward the ground. The flowers are large, white.
The shelf blooms with white flowers located on sturdy peduncles
The berries have a very beautiful shape, resembling a cone with a blunt tip. The fruits are large, their weight on average is 30-40 g, but the first ripe berries are even larger - 50-60 g. The pulp is colored pink, which becomes lighter closer to the middle, there are no cavities and voids inside the berry. The skin is thin, shiny, dark red.
The berries of the Strawberry Shelf have a beautiful appearance, but by the end of the fruiting they are smaller
Strawberry Shelf is appreciated for great taste. Sweet notes are slightly diluted with acidity. The highlight of the variety is a caramel aftertaste and a delicate aroma. Tasting score - 4.3 points out of 5 possible.
Culture characteristic
- The shelf belongs to grades with an average ripening period. Harvest ripened in the second decade of June, when the wave of the first strawberry passed. The fruiting period is long.
- Productivity cannot be called excellent, but boldly - very good. From 1 m2 collect up to 1.5 kg of berries. One bush during the growing season brings 400-500 g. Subject to agronomic standards, this indicator increases.
- With regard to frost resistance, problems can occur when the temperature drops to -200C. But in the shelter, the strawberries will calmly survive the frost.
- The shelf is famous for its drought tolerance, it adapts perfectly to high temperatures.
- Powdery mildew, gray rot, kidney mites, strawberries are not terrible. Danger for the variety are diseases of the root system and verticillosis.
- Sowing is very intense. Therefore, in order to leave the fruit bearing fruit, the sockets are cut off. Leave only the right amount of planting material for updating the beds.
- Due to the dense consistency of the pulp and the skin that is resistant to damage, the Shelf perfectly tolerates transportation.
A feature of the variety is its rapid degeneration. The life cycle of the bush lasts 4 years. The most productive years are the 1st and 2nd. Then the berry is very small. To get decent crops, you need to replace the old bushes with new ones.
Table: advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | disadvantages |
| Pretty good yield. | Requires frequent updates. |
| Excellent quality and taste of berries. | Does not tolerate thickening of landings. |
| Frost and drought tolerance. | Has increased urination. |
| Excellent transportability | |
| The ability to withstand diseases and pests. |
Strawberry Shelf belongs to the varieties that perfectly tolerate transportation
Video: Shelf Variety Strawberry
Landing
The rich strawberry crop of the Regiment can be obtained only by following a series of rules when planting.
Seat selection
To please the berries with a sweet taste, strawberries should be planted only in the sunniest areas. Ideally, they should be south or southwest. Preferably a flat place, but a slight slope is allowed.
In the shade, a strawberry will grow and throw out a mustache, but flower buds will not be laid, therefore, fruiting will not come in due time.
It is advisable that dense bushes or a low fence protect the strawberries from the cold northern streams. But at the same time, the site should be purged with a gentle breeze. This will help protect the planting from fungal infections.
The place to plant strawberries should be very bright
Lowlands where cold air accumulates and stagnates water are not suitable. Groundwater level - no closer than 60-80 cm to the surface. The best soils for strawberries are dark gray forest soils, chernozems, loams and sandstones.
Categorically discard saline, calcareous, or wetlands. If there are no others, try growing strawberries in high beds.
Planting material
Properly selected planting material is the key to a high yield. When choosing seedlings, pay attention to the following points:
- the root should be well developed - branched and fibrous, at least 7 cm long;
- the outlet consists of 3-4 leaves;
- leaves are bright green, without signs of disease and damage by pests;
- the heart is not withered or rotten;
- the root neck is powerful, 0.5 cm in diameter, without spots and signs of rot.
Strawberry seedlings should have a powerful fibrous root and healthy leaves
Planting material is best purchased in garden centers, where they are engaged in the cultivation of high-quality seedlings. A properly packaged root system will not dry out, and you will not be deceived with a variety.
Landing time
For strawberries, the shelf is more suitable for summer-autumn planting. It is held from late August to early September. It is still very warm at this time, but there are no more high temperatures that can quickly dry out the soil and destroy seedlings. In addition, the strawberries planted during this period will have time to lay fruit buds and will delight juicy berries for the next season.
But in regions with a cold autumn, planting can be delayed until spring. The end of April - the beginning of May is the most suitable period. Landed in warmed up to 10aboutWith soil, strawberries will quickly start to grow.
Landing a shelf is preferable in the summer-autumn period
Soil preparation
If you plan to engage in planting closer to the fall, then a month before this you need to prepare the site. For spring planting, you need to do in the fall to clear and dig a place for strawberries. But no matter what time the landing is planned, the action plan should be one.
- Strawberries love clean soils, so the site is carefully cleaned from the remains of vegetation.
- Dig the earth 30 cm deep. It is at such a distance that the strawberry root can go.
- For digging make nutrients per 1 m2: rotted manure or compost - 6-8 kg, potash fertilizers - up to 30 g, superphosphate - from 60 to 100 g.
- Before planting, the site is leveled, previously loosening the topsoil.
Spread the soil evenly over the surface of the fertilizer and dig deeply
Crop rotation
It turns out that neighboring crops or predecessors can affect strawberry productivity. Strawberries grow remarkably after dill, parsley, radish, carrots and legumes. Garlic planted between the beds will help scare away the pests. But planting strawberry bushes after tomatoes, eggplant, pepper and potatoes (or in the immediate vicinity) is not worth it.
What scheme for landing to choose
For a Shelf, a 2- or 3-line layout is more suitable. With this planting, plant care and harvesting are greatly facilitated. The distance between the bushes must be maintained at least 35 cm. Between the rows leave a space of about 50-60 cm.
Strawberries are planted in 2 or 3 rows
Step-by-step landing description
For convenience, use a cord with which to outline future beds. In order not to measure the distance between the bushes each time, take a stick with a length of 35 cm and use it to mark the landing sites along the cord.
- To seedlings do not experience stress, for planting, select a cloudy day or evening time.
- Dig a hole 25x25 cm in size. The roots should freely enter the recess.
- If nutrients have not been added before, add them to each well and mix well with the ground so as not to burn the roots.
- Spill water in each hole.
- Too overgrown roots, shorten to 7 cm.
- With one hand, hold the bush in such a position that the heart is flush with the soil. Use your other hand to fill the ground into the recess. Lightly compact the soil around the bush.
- After planting, gently pull on the leaves. Properly planted strawberries should not be pulled out of the soil.
- Water the planting again. After waiting for the complete absorption of moisture, mulch the soil under the bushes and in the aisles.
Strawberry bush heart should be on par with soil
When planting, be careful to keep the roots vertically down. The heart should be located strictly on the soil level. If the planting is too deep, the heart will fill up with earth and decay, and with a shallow one, the roots will quickly begin to bare and dry out, which can lead to the death of the plant.
Video: proper strawberry planting
Landing care
In order for the berry to please its taste and size, the strawberries must be properly looked after. There is nothing complicated about this, but you should not neglect the rules.
Watering
The shelf can easily tolerate dry periods, but in this case there can be no talk of a quality crop. There will be few berries, they will not please the size, and taste too - sourness will prevail. In order for the variety to show its capabilities, the soil in the plantings must be in a moderately moist state. Especially this is required by spring plantings. If in summer the temperature inexorably creeps up, you will have to water almost every day until the plants take root.
Strawberry bushes planted in autumn begin to be watered at the end of April. Irrigation frequency - 1 time per week, water norm - 30 l per 1 m2. In late summer - early autumn, the frequency of irrigation is reduced by almost half.
The most important periods of watering for strawberries:
- during the formation of ovaries;
- at the time of pouring berries;
- in the second half of summer, when there is a process of laying flower buds.
You can water with a hose, directing it to the aisle. It’s not worth pouring directly under the bush, as the roots can be exposed, and the bush will die. For watering, try using warm water. You need to moisten the earth early in the morning or in the evening.
The most effective and economical is drip irrigation. It allows you to evenly moisten the desired areas with moisture and saves water. With this method of watering, the roots do not suffer, and the water does not fall into the center of the outlet.
Drip irrigation of strawberries allows you to evenly moisten the desired areas with moisture and saves water
Weeding and cultivation
Pure strawberry does not like weeds. Therefore, for the Shelf weeding is included in one of the care points. By removing weeds, especially perennial grasses, you remove strawberry competitors for nutrients and sunlight. In addition, reduce thickening. But weeding should be done very carefully. In the aisles, the grass can simply be pulled out, and if the weed has sprouted between the roots of the strawberry, it is better to cut it with secateurs. In the period of fruit setting, strawberries should not be disturbed, so postpone weeding.
Loosening helps maintain normal gas and heat transfer in the roots. The procedure is carried out the day after watering. This activity helps maintain proper soil moisture and eradicates weeds.
Shelf loves when the soil around it is kept clean.
Mulching
To facilitate the care of strawberries, experienced gardeners use mulch - straw, sawdust, coniferous spruce branches. It allows you to slow down the evaporation of moisture in the plantings, reduce the frequency of weeding, and the berries, without touching the surface of the earth, remain clean and rot less often.
Mulched Strawberries Have Clean and Healthy Berries
Fertilizer use
Top dressing affects many aspects of plant development, helps to improve the quality of berries and maintain the health of strawberries before the upcoming cold. If during the planting period the soil was filled with all the necessary elements, then in the coming season the Regiment does not need to be fed - an excess of fertilizers can turn into negative consequences.
The following fertilizers must be applied in the spring of next year:
- 15 g of ammonium nitrate;
- 30 g of superphosphate;
- 10 g of potassium salt.
To improve fruit set and increase their weight, it is useful to carry out foliar dressings with microelements (2 g of boron, zinc and manganese per 10 l of water). Processing is carried out in the evening to avoid burns of leaf plates.
The shelf is very fond of organics. It is natural ingredients that seasoned gardeners prefer to make in the autumn season.
- As liquid top dressing solutions of bird droppings and manure are perfect. But they must be used with extreme care so as not to burn the roots. Manure is bred with water in a proportion of 1:10, and bird droppings - 1:20. Top dressing is carried out only on moistened earth, trying not to fall on the leaves.
- Leaf humus is considered one of the most successful top dressing for strawberries. Abundantly sprinkling with a mixture of beds, you will not only provide the bushes with the necessary nutrition, but also protect the roots from freezing in the winter.
- After autumn pruning of old leaves, evenly sprinkle strawberry plantings with ash. In this feeding, there is a lot of phosphorus so necessary for the root system of a plant.
After fruiting, the shelf needs to be pampered with organic fertilizers.
Autumn chores and preparing strawberries for the winter
In autumn, a time comes no less significant for strawberries than spring awakening. The plant must be properly prepared for the rest period.
- Conduct a thorough inspection of the strawberry plantation.
- Trim all old dried or diseased leaves, remove the remaining fruits and poorly rooted mustache.
- Treat planting from diseases and pests.
- Loosen and clear the soil of the remaining weed grass.
- Apply the necessary fertilizer.
The shelf tolerates frosts well to -150C, and if enough snow forms in winter, it will withstand temperatures up to -200FROM. But in the absence of snow, strawberries need to be taken care of. To warm the bushes are covered with dry grass, leaf litter, spruce branches. Covering material can also be used.
So that in the spring, strawberries begin to grow faster and the crop ripens earlier, arcs of wire are installed over the bed and they are covered with agrofibre. In warmer regions, one layer is enough; in cooler regions, a two-layer shelter will be needed.
Shelter made of agrofibre not only protects strawberries from frost, but also allows you to get an earlier harvest
Diseases and Pests
Having a good immunity, the Regiment's strawberries perfectly resists powdery mildew and gray rot, from which berries of other varieties often suffer, especially with high humidity.The variety is also resistant to the tick mite. But besides these diseases and pests, there are others. Therefore, only preventive measures will help to avoid a big disaster. If the problem manifests itself, the measures taken will help to cope with it.
Table: Diseases and Pests in Planting Shelves
| Diseases and pests | Symptoms | Control measures | Prevention |
| Verticillosis | This disease is fungal in nature. The bush stops developing, becomes small, lethargic. Leaves fall, become smaller, chlorosis appears on them. Then the rosette and roots die. The disease can be both protracted and fulminant. |
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| Anthracnose | Initially appears on the leaves in the form of small gray spots with a purple border. Merging, spots cover the stem. This leads to tissue cracking and drying out. Then the disease affects the green berries, they dry up and die. Anthracnose initially marks the ripened fruits with watery spots, which then darken. |
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| Rhizoctonia (black root rot) | The disease begins with young roots, which turn black, and then become brittle and brittle. The plant weakens, which negatively affects fruiting. Rising up from the roots, the rot hits the outlet. The bush turns brown, dries, it is easy to pull out of the soil. | The disease is not cured. The affected bush will have to be removed and burned. The land on which it grew, you need to shed a weak solution of potassium permanganate. |
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| Strawberry nematode | Settled in the axils of the leaves and buds, laying eggs there. Strawberries weaken, the bush becomes squat, peduncles thickened and short. Petioles are thinning and reddening, leaves are deformed, covered with dark spots. The fruits do not ripen, often the berries are completely absent. | It is recommended to use highly toxic drugs Mercaptophos or Phosphamide in the form of a 0.02% solution every 3-5 days. But it will be better to dig and destroy the infected bush. |
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| Raspberry strawberry weevil | Eats the largest buds, depriving the crop of almost 80%. It is easy to calculate by dried and broken stalks and dried buds. | If characteristic symptoms are found, use Actellik, Corsair, Metaphos or Karbofos (according to instructions). |
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| Whitefly strawberry | A miniature butterfly lays eggs on the underside of a leaf. Larvae, attached to the leaf surface, begin to actively suck juices. As a result, the leaves curl, yellow spots and secretions appear on them, similar to sugar grains. A weakened plant is easily affected by fungal infections. | Before flowering and after picking berries, karate or Nurell-D is used. Use in accordance with the instructions. The drugs are toxic. |
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Photo gallery: how to identify diseases and pests of strawberries
- Verticillosis kills strawberries
- On berries, anthracnose appears as spots.
- Rhizoctoniosis initially affects the roots, and then the rest of the plant
- Roots affected by a nematode are not able to provide plant nutrition
- Raspberry-strawberry weevil eats buds
- Whitefly loves shaded areas and settles on the back of the leaf
Harvesting
Strawberry is a delicate and delicate berry. Therefore, before harvesting, you need to immediately prepare a suitable container so that you do not later shift the fruits. So that the berry does not crumple, use small containers, for example, birch bog carts, wicker baskets or cardboard boxes. Stack only in 2-3 layers.
You need to collect strawberries in small containers
Choose only ripened fruits that are evenly colored. You need to pick strawberries with a sepals and a tail to prevent juice from flowing out. When collecting, immediately sort. Set aside a slightly damaged berry for processing; whole and strong ones can lie down a little. Do not leave rotten fruits on the bush, but immediately put them in separate containers and destroy them after collection.
Harvesting is necessary only in dry weather, in the early morning or evening. If the berries are covered with dew, it is best to spread them in a thin layer in a cool place and allow to dry.
In no case should you wash the berries intended for storage. Do not store strawberries in plastic. It does not let air in, and the berries quickly mold. Properly picked fruits Shelves feel great in the refrigerator. There they can lie for almost a week. Freezing involves longer storage. Before it is necessary to sort out, rinse and dry the berries. Then the fruits spread out on a wide dish are subjected to rapid freezing. After that, the finished product is packaged in small bags and sent to the freezer.
Fruits Shelves are great for making jam, jam, confiture and compote. For lovers of natural taste, you can advise strawberries, grated with sugar. In this form, trace elements and vitamins are stored, which in winter will support the body.
From the Shelf you get wonderful aromatic jam
Gardeners reviews
I liked the shelf. The first berries were bigger and bigger, but now it rains, maybe that's why the taste is a little different. Growing up the first year, let's see what happens next.
Lara//www.tomat-pomidor.com/newforum/index.php/topic,154.740.html?SESSID=s3eainm8di2aj1g9ffpqc02tm1
And the Regiment is also in my favorites. The berry is medium sized. But so beautiful !!! All lined, brownish red, with shine. High productivity and very much in demand among buyers. When selling, the Regiment first leaves, although Lord and Juan lie next to them, whose berries are three times as large. Like plants of this variety - powerful, strong and healthy.
Mila//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=7542&page=6
My shelf takes first place, Fun - second, Bounty - third, Polk’s berries are sweet as sugar, just an amazing variety.
Tamara//forum.tvoysad.ru/viewtopic.php?t=7585&start=320
The shelf is really a delicious (sweet) variety, but here one of the first late blight fell ill with me, the first picking of the berry was successful, and by the second the whole berry was already hit. White spotting is also affected if not treated. Yes, and productivity in my climate is not surprised (Primorsky Territory). The next year I didn’t leave, I’ve already cleaned it, there are more interesting varieties, and even more resistant to diseases.
Forest//forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=6499&start=165
This year the shelf pleased me - the berries are large and very sweet. Planted last fall. I will propagate it and Tsarskoye Selo.
Veronica//www.tomat-pomidor.com/newforum/index.php/topic,154.740.html?SESSID=s3eainm8di2aj1g9ffpqc02tm1
Having gained confidence among gardeners, the Regiment for several decades has not lost ground. The variety is very easy to care for. In addition, strawberries have sufficient resistance to one of the most common berry ailments - gray rot. And this means that the berries will have excellent quality. Another advantage of the Shelf is the versatility of the fruit. Strawberry is good both in fresh form and in harvesting.
