Florentina strawberry

Dutch breeders have long been at the forefront of creating and breeding new high-yielding varieties of garden strawberries. The Florentina variety is proof of this.

Florentina, a remontant for all occasions, according to its creators, was bred in the Netherlands in 2011 by specialists from Goossens Flevoplant B. V. - the largest producer of garden strawberry seedlings, which has been on the market for over 50 years. In Russia, the variety was certified in 2018 and immediately became desirable for many gardeners.

Medium-sized, spreading, abundantly leafy bush, with a well-developed, strong root system, forms many peduncles. Easily adapts and takes root in a new place. A characteristic feature of Florentina is a small number of mustaches (1-2), which, on the one hand, simplifies the care of the berry, on the other hand, it creates difficulties with the rapid cultivation of the variety. Another feature of Florentina is strawberry with neutral daylight hours, which means that flower buds are laid every 5-6 weeks at temperatures from + 2 ° C to + 30 ° C. In conditions of closed ground, fruiting occurs even in winter, only in very hot weather the buds are not laid, and the bush does not bear fruit.

The variety is suitable for industrial cultivation as well as for small farms and garden plots.

Specifications:

• high marketability;

• tolerates transportation well;

• stored for a long time without loss of quality;

• drought and frost resistant;

• ease of care;

• resistance to major diseases and pests.

The spreading strawberry bush makes it easier to pick fruits, the berries are clearly visible. Regularly appearing flower stalks do not reduce the size of ripening fruits. When picking, the berries are not crumpled.

A repaired variety with an average ripening period. In temperate climates, flowering begins in late May, the berries ripen in about 15 days, and the first crop can be harvested in mid-June. Fruiting continues until the end of September. In the southern regions of Russia - before the start of frost.

The variety is characterized by the absence of barren flowers on the bushes. With the observance of agricultural technology and constant feeding, the yields from one adult plant of Florentina reach 4-5 kg ​​per season. Amateur gardeners can count on a more modest result - 2-2.5 kg.

Berries with high sugar content, with a delicate aroma and rather dense red flesh, very large, 80-100 g, rounded-conical, of the same size. The strawberry color is red, almost burgundy. The skin is firm, smooth. The taste is sweet with raisins and pineapple. Berry tasting scores are high - 4.5 points.

Despite the fact that the creators of the variety declare Florentina's unpretentiousness and easy care, to obtain excellent yields, compliance with the rules is required:

• the optimal planting scheme for bushes 40x40 cm;

• feeding is required at intervals of 2-3 weeks;

• to cultivate Florentina as an addition to summer varieties, in order to obtain consistent strawberry yields throughout the season;

• prevent waterlogging and stagnation of moisture in the berry;

• cover plants for the winter, and remove the shelter when temperatures rise above zero, in order to avoid damping out of the root collar;

• the characteristics of the variety allow it to be grown both in open ground and in tunnels, greenhouses, in containers, in a substrate;

• cultivate strawberries in one area for no longer than 4 years.

An important point is the preparation of the strawberry beds for the winter period. The winter hardiness of the variety is -26 ° С, in central Russia there are even stronger frosts, therefore, after harvesting dry leaves and plant debris, the berry field is insulated by adding humus around the roots of plants. Then they cover with leaf litter, pine spruce branches, and several layers of covering material are pulled over the installed low arcs.

For the arrangement of strawberry beds, a sunny, even place, sheltered from the northern cold winds, is chosen. The soil should be nutritious, light - sandy loam or loam with a neutral acid-base balance is suitable. Do not plant strawberries in low-lying areas with heavy clay soil and waterlogged.

When preparing the soil for planting Florentina, fertilize is applied at a rate per 1 m2:

• organic - 5-6 kg;

• mineral - 40 g.

Then the site is carefully dug up, and the seedlings are planted after the soil has settled. To do this, holes are dug 20 cm deep, the seedling is positioned so that the root collar is at the level of the soil, the roots are straightened, the soil around the bush is compacted and watered abundantly. It is advisable to mulch the beds with young plants, this will help retain moisture. If there is a threat of return frost, the strawberry beds are covered overnight.

The variety is self-pollinated, pollination is easy, practically no barren flowers are formed.

The creators of the variety stated that Florentina has the necessary immunity to the main diseases of berry crops.

Rapid propagation of the variety with the help of air layers (whiskers) can be hampered by their small number. The way out of this situation is dividing the bush. A healthy adult plant is selected, dug up, the roots are carefully disassembled. The bush is divided into parts with 1-3 generative buds. Parts are planted according to the recommended scheme.

Strawberries are planted depending on climatic conditions in spring - from March to May, in autumn - from August to October. Spring planting begins when the soil warms up to + 7 ... 8 ° C and an air temperature of at least + 12 ° C.