Strawberry Favorite

Strawberry Favorite has been a favorite of gardeners for over 40 years. Bred in England, it has taken root in Russian gardens because of its undemanding soil and care.

The bush is compact, has a slightly chaotic structure, low, with large, light green leaves. Peduncles are strong, do not go beyond the level of the leaf dome, with small multi-flowered inflorescences. Even under unfavorable weather conditions during the fruiting season, Favorite is able to please with a stable harvest, which compares favorably with modern high-yielding, but rather demanding varieties of growing conditions.

Fruit ripening period is long, starts in June and lasts until September. The variety belongs to remontant.

The yield of the variety is now difficult to attribute to a record, it is about 500-700 g per bush and does not meet modern requirements for commercial varieties. The stability of the yield in any conditions makes Favorit attractive for small farms and private households.

Berries of medium size, weighing 20-25 g, with dense, juicy pulp. The taste is sweet or sweet and sour, with a light strawberry aroma. The bush bears fruit steadily, by the end of the season the fruits do not shrink, the taste does not deteriorate. In stable cool and rainy weather, sourness can be pronounced. Some experts note the lack of "zest" in the taste of the fruit. This is compensated by the versatility of the berries, which are suitable both for fresh consumption and for any kind of processing and freezing. Their even size and classic bright red color make them ideal for decorating desserts. During transportation, the berries are well preserved due to the dense structure of the pulp.

For better preservation and transportation of the crop, strawberries are not watered for two days before the mass collection of berries, which is better to start a little earlier than full maturity. The collection of fruits is carried out every day, 2 times a day: in the morning after the dew dries and in the evening before it falls out. You can increase keeping quality and improve transportability by removing the strawberries together with the stalk.

The popularity of the Favorit variety is due to the simplicity of its agricultural technology. Strawberries do not require special cultivation techniques, therefore they are suitable for cultivation in summer cottages, where the owners are deprived of the opportunity to daily care for the plants.

For successful growth, standard techniques are used: regular weeding and loosening of the beds, watering and feeding, preventive treatments. It is recommended to change the planting site of the variety every 3-4 years - this creates the plant's resistance to diseases and increases the yield.

In order to prevent the berries from coming into contact with the moist soil and to protect them from decay, the soil under the bushes is mulched with chopped dry grass or straw.

It is important to have time to mulch the strawberry beds before the first fruits appear.

Seedlings of Favorite are planted, observing the distance between bushes and rows of 30 cm.The depth of the hole should correspond to the length of the roots, the longest root is pinched. 3-4 leaves are left on the seedling, the rest are cut off.They are planted without deepening the central outlet. After planting, water and mulch abundantly. Works are carried out in cloudy weather or in the evening. To prevent possible frosts from destroying young bushes, the garden bed is protected with covering material. About a week after planting young bushes, it is recommended to sprinkle them with wood ash. The whiskers that appear on the plant are promptly removed so that they do not take away strength from the fruiting bush.

The Favorite variety does not make high demands on the quality of the soil, like any other strawberry, it grows poorly only on clayey heavy soils. Black soil, light loam, and forest soil are considered good options.

The place for planting plants should be well lit by the sun, warm up quickly in spring. Better if it is sheltered from the cold northerly winds. The plot is chosen flat, a slight slope to the south is suitable. Low-lying, waterlogged areas should be avoided to avoid root rot. Before planting, the soil is prepared:

• the place of the garden is carefully dug up, removing weeds;

• make top dressing that increases soil fertility - 10 kg of compost or rotted manure with the addition of 50 g of azofoska and a glass of ash per 1 m2;

• carry out secondary loosening of the soil.

Advice! Seedlings of the Favorite variety are planted in late summer or spring, after the soil warms up well. Professionals prefer the period from late August to early September.

Strawberry flowers are bisexual, so no special pollination procedures are required outdoors. Planting several varieties on the same piece of land seems to be the ideal option.

The flowering period of the Favorite variety is long and ends with the beginning of fruiting. Only a strong cold snap and abundant prolonged precipitation can prevent pollination of all flowers.

Experts believe that it is better to fertilize Favorit strawberries with organic fertilizers:

• mature compost;

• mullein;

• bird droppings.

After fertilizing, the bed must be watered and loosened abundantly. During the season, such procedures are performed in the following terms:

• in early spring, after the soil dries out and the old leaves have been removed from the plant beds:

• during the appearance of peduncles, before flowering;

• after harvest.

Strawberry Favorite has good immunity to viral and fungal diseases of berry crops, increased resistance to powdery mildew. Pest control comes down to preventive measures: before flowering and after the end of fruiting, beds with plants are treated with biological products or folk remedies, mainly in the evening.

The Favorite variety is propagated mainly by air layers (mustache). On the healthiest and most productive bushes, 1-2 air layers are left with the first two outlets. Having cut off the mustache behind the second outlet, it is pinned to the ground for better rooting of the seedling. You can root the rosettes directly into the seedling cup. A seedling that has taken root and has grown into growth with 4-5 leaves is cut off from the cut, carefully dug up and transferred to a new bed with a lump of earth.

Every year breeders around the world delight gardeners with newly developed strawberry varieties with improved characteristics. But the old Favorite, tested by time and experience, remains in the gardens of Russian summer residents and continues to delight with a stable harvest and excellent taste.