Mustacheless Strawberries - Why Are They Good? Conditions And Care, Reproduction, Varieties. Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

If you do not yet have wild strawberries in your garden, it may be time to take a closer look at them and plant at least a couple of bushes. Why? Because it blooms all summer and all season is dressed up like a bride. Due to its high decorative effect, it is often used in garden design. In addition, the fruits of the beardless strawberry are very sweet and aromatic, and the harvest does not dry out until the very frost. And yet - it multiplies easily and is not at all affected by diseases … However, beardless strawberry varieties have their own secrets, which you need to know in order to harvest a high yield and not spend a lot of time on care.

Content:

• Features of wild strawberry
• Where to plant musty strawberries?
• Reproduction
• The most common varieties

Features of wild strawberry

Mustacheless strawberries are called so because they do not give a mustache. Usually it is a rather large, about 30–35 cm in diameter, spreading bush that quickly fills the distance around its axis with light green foliage. It begins to bloom as soon as the snow melts. It has many peduncles and bears fruit without interruption until the first frost.

The berry of such a strawberry is medium-sized, elongated, fragrant and in most cases very sweet. It is poured and ripens, thanks to its small size, quickly, which allows you to collect, if not every day, then in a day or two, for sure. It can be red, yellow or white. Not prone to shedding, and if not collected, it dries up on the bush. With good care for one season, it allows you to collect up to 1000 berries from one plant!

Such a strawberry was bred on the basis of the Alpine (growing in the Alps). And in Italy it is even grown as a production crop. It is still quite rare in our country. Firstly, because of the low popularity. Secondly, because of the small, albeit numerous, berries. However, those who love strawberries as such must have in their collection at least one variety and wild strawberries.

Where to plant musty strawberries?

Like any strawberry, the mustache loves well air and permeable soils, regular watering and high humidity. However, even with occasional watering, it develops well and constantly blooms. But the bush in such conditions does not reveal its potential, and the berry turns out to be dryish and not sweet.

Loves open sunny areas, but can tolerate light partial shade. Shows high winter hardiness. Does not get wet during winter thaws. Doesn't get sick. Not affected by ticks and nematodes. Reacts well to soil mulching, weed removal and top dressing.

Due to their unpretentiousness and high decorativeness, beardless strawberries are very often used not only in individual plantings, but also as a garden decoration. It looks great in carpet planting in small areas, like a curb plant, in separate bushes in flower beds, in the transitions between the lawn and the zone of ornamental shrubs. At the same time, a well-leafy green bush, an abundance of flowers, and lights of red berries have decorative effect.

Reproduction

Strawberry beardless, or as it is also called, small-fruited, becomes smaller over the years and loses its potential for yield. For this reason, its plantings are renewed every 2-3, maximum 4 years, planting a new plantation in a new place.

There are only two ways to propagate such strawberries. The first and the simplest one is to divide the bush. It is carried out on plants older than two years, in which many horns grow during this period. The bush is dug up, carefully divided into separate plants and the seedlings are planted in a new place.

But such divisions degenerate rather quickly, therefore reproduction by means of seeds is considered more successful in this case, although more laborious. In this version, the potential of the variety is fully revealed. At the same time, seeds can be taken both purchased and from their own plants, choosing the most beautiful, large berries.

Sowing seeds of wild strawberry

In order to propagate the required variety with seeds, you need to prepare in advance low bowls, peat or coconut tablets, or small cups and light, fertile soil. Sowing seeds will have to be done early (in late February-early March), so that young plants have time to grow up by the time they are planted in a permanent place and give a crop in the first year of planting.

Some gardeners recommend stratifying seeds before sowing by placing them in the refrigerator for several weeks or in the snow before sowing. Others advise sowing in bowls powdered with snow and leaving them outside. However, in fact, these manipulations do not affect germination, but only one rule works: fresh seeds collected last year sprout faster and more amicably, old ones - slower and less evenly.

But when sowing seeds in bowls, snow laid and compacted on top of the ground becomes a good helper. Each seed is clearly visible on it, which means that tiny seeds can be easily distributed over the surface at the same distance - 2 cm from each other.

If you sow strawberries in tablets or separate cups, this has its advantage - you don't have to make a pick, which speeds up the process of plant development. Therefore, here everyone chooses the most convenient option for himself.

Regardless of the containers in which you sowed the seeds, for better germination they must be placed in a greenhouse. It is important to ventilate it regularly so that mold does not form there. Watering should be done very carefully, preferably with a spray bottle.

Seedling care

Seedlings of wild strawberries can appear in five days, or maybe within a month, so it's better not to tune in to a quick result right away. When the plants grow up and they have 2-3 true leaves, they, if they are sown in one container, must either be thinned out, leaving 2-4 cm between the bushes, or planted in different pots. This must be done very carefully, since the tiny seedlings are quite tender.

After transplanting and the first watering, be sure to pay attention to the planting height. If the base of the bush is bare, fill up the earth, if the heart is covered with substrate, remove the excess. Otherwise, the plants will experience oppression, develop poorly and may die.

Seedlings are planted in open ground as soon as the soil warms up. The distance between the bushes is at least 30 cm, as they quickly build up vegetative mass. At first, it is necessary to especially carefully monitor so that the planting does not drown out the weeds.

Often, mustacheless strawberries are scattered around the garden and independently. Therefore, if it is already growing on the site, it is easy to renew plantings by self-seeding.

The most common varieties

To date, there are a lot of varieties of wild strawberries. And if it is almost impossible to buy seedlings, then the seeds are sold in any garden center. You can choose a suitable variety by the description on the bag or by the color of the fruit.

The most common red-fruited varieties are: "Alexandria", "Baron Solemakher", "Gross Fraser", "Ruyana", "Regina", "Rügen", "Rote Solemakher". Yellow - fruited - "Holiday", "Zolotinka", "Yellow miracle". Of the whites, the most popular are Snow White, Weiss Solemacher.

Dear Readers! In care, mustache strawberry is a completely simple plant, and therefore is suitable not only for seasoned gardeners, but also for beginners. At the same time, for acquaintance, you can plant only a few bushes of this amazing plant. And only then, if you like, give him a wider territory. But even if you don't have a place for this unusual strawberry, these first 3-5 bushes will be enough to enjoy the fragrant berries throughout the summer season.