Elsanta strawberry

Elsanta strawberries are considered the best among other varieties. It was bred for growing on an industrial scale, therefore it has excellent indicators of productivity, taste. Now the variety is highly popular with summer residents.

Strawberry bushes are small, erect, about 20 cm in height. The leaves are large, dark green in color, with a small downy. The plant has many evenly spaced tendrils. Peduncles on the same level with foliage, large in size.

Flowering occurs in June, at the beginning of July the first berries ripen. Elsanta strawberries belong to non-repair varieties, fruiting lasts for 2-3 weeks.

The advantage of the variety is the rapid and almost simultaneous ripening of all fruits. The collection takes 2-3 weeks, during which up to 1.5 kg of berries are obtained from one bush (7 tons per 1 ha).

Elsanta strawberries have a deep red color, cone-shaped, rounded on top. The berries are large, the weight of one reaches 50 g. The aroma is pronounced, with strawberry notes.

The pulp of the fruit is dense, juicy. It has a sweet taste with a slight sourness. The fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and thermal processing. Dense pulp allows you to transport strawberries without losing their presentation.

Elsanta is famous for the fact that it does not need particularly difficult care. But still, to get a good harvest, you must follow certain growing rules.

The plant needs abundant watering, especially during periods of drought. Seedlings are irrigated daily during the first month. Thereafter - once a week. Water should only be watered with standing water or rainwater. Cold liquid can harm strawberries.

Fertilizers are rarely applied, in the spring and 3 years after planting. The main thing is to periodically loosen the soil.

After harvesting the bushes, the deciduous part is pruned, 1-2 cm above the horns. This stimulates the growth of strawberries, reduces morbidity, and improves fruiting.

Bushes are planted in spring or autumn. Bushes planted in September will yield a good harvest in summer. Spring - only a year later. In regions with frosty winters, it is better to plant strawberries in March, otherwise the seedlings may die.

The variety can be grown both outdoors and in a greenhouse.

Upon reaching the age of three, the bushes are transplanted to a new place to maintain productivity.

Watering the variety is best done by the drip method. When picking berries - every 4-5 days. For 1 m2 of strawberries, about 10 liters of water are required. After each watering, the soil is loosened to avoid crust formation.

The planting site should be light, level, without heavy clay soil. Wetlands with stagnant groundwater should be avoided.

The soil for planting is prepared in advance. It is dug to a depth of 20 cm, cleaned of old roots and weeds. In poor soils, organic fertilizers are additionally applied, for example, manure. The dug soil is poured abundantly with water, holes are made and left to dry.

Strawberries are planted in 2 rows. The minimum distance between the bushes is 30 cm, between the stripes - 40 cm. If the plants are planted too tightly to each other, the yield will decrease.

Elsanta rarely propagates by seeds, which means that there are no restrictions on planting other varieties in the neighborhood. In the open field, pollination is carried out by insects. The plant only needs to trim the mustache in a timely manner, and also protect it from pests.

When growing strawberries in a greenhouse, pollination takes place with the help of a fan or independently. The plant needs to be provided with artificial lighting for the emergence of powerful peduncles. The first flowers are cut to increase yields.

Elsanta does not require frequent fertilization. But for the prevention of diseases and increasing yields, it is recommended to use:

• urea in early spring, during the regrowth of new leaves;

• phosphorus-potassium fertilizers during the appearance of buds;

• organic and complex fertilizing immediately after harvest to prepare plants for wintering.

Organic fertilizers can be applied annually from the moment of planting. Mineral - only in the third year of the plant's life. By this time, the bushes are depleted and can no longer bear fruit without proper feeding.

The variety does not tolerate cold weather, so preparation begins in mid-autumn. The leaves are cut off, the soil is well loosened and mulched. Then they water and do not disturb until the first frost appears.

With the onset of cold weather, strawberries are covered with natural materials: straw, dry branches, spruce branches. And you can also use special covering materials from stores. They are pulled on arcs installed above the beds.

Strawberries are strongly affected by late blight, powdery mildew, verticillosis. The weakest part is the roots - they often rot, get sick with fungus. The most common pests are: bear, slug, weevil. Insects and diseases are eliminated in different ways.

• Powdery mildew. The plantings are sprayed with iodine solution, the soil is treated with copper sulfate.

• Late blight. Infected bushes are dug up and destroyed. Disease can be prevented by preliminary disinfection of the roots, treatment with growth-stimulating substances.

• Weevil. For destruction, insecticides are used. Plants are treated at the time of leaf regrowth and before budding.

• Slug. The soil in the beds is mulched with sawdust, covered with wood ash. The bushes are sprayed with brine.

• Medvedka. Calendula and marigolds are planted near the strawberry beds. If the bears are already in the roots, they are lured out with soapy water and destroyed.

The variety is resistant to brown and white spots. For the prevention of diseases, strawberries are constantly examined for the presence of dry or affected foliage, the soil is mulched and the bushes are treated with Bordeaux liquid.

The best way to breed Elsanta is by growing a mustache. A lot of them are formed on the plant, but only the strongest and strongest specimens are chosen.

The second method is reproduction by dividing the plant. A healthy shrub is dug up and divided into 2-4 parts with roots and 3 leaves each. They are planted in the spring so that the strawberries have time to take root. The method is bad in that only one of the 4 parts can be preserved.

The variety is not propagated by seeds. The resulting plants are rarely maternal and yield low yields.

Elsanta strawberries have excellent taste. It is easy to care for, while maintaining excellent yields. The variety is suitable for both home cultivation and for an industrial scale.