Strawberry Kama

If you want to remember the taste and aroma of wild strawberries, but there is absolutely not enough time to hike for berries, the Kama strawberry variety can help you. This brainchild of breeders is popular throughout Europe, its taste and unpretentiousness delight many gardeners.

The authors of the Kama variety (aka Kama Sin 72 or Kama 72) are Polish breeders, known for their achievements throughout Europe. The “parents” of Kama were the varieties Zenga-Zengana and Kavalier, by crossing which our “heroine” was created. Originally intended for farm breeding, the variety quickly spread, found fans among gardeners.

The Kama variety has sprawling, but compact bushes, with a dense deciduous mass. The latter feature causes dissatisfaction among some gardeners. The height of the bush is slightly above average, the leaves are dark green, with a bluish bloom, below they are noticeably pubescent. Powerful peduncles are hidden under the leaves, this protects flowers (and later fruits) from the sun and birds.

Kama's strength is average. This strawberry does not belong to the number of remontant varieties.

A very early variety. The ripening period of the first crop in the open field is the end of May. You can harvest the fruits for a whole month, until the end of June. In the greenhouse, berries can be expected by mid-April.

Kama has a high yield. From one hundred square meters you can get from 200 g of berries, from one bush - a kilogram, and from a hectare - up to 12 tons.

If garden strawberries are grown for sale, it is best to harvest them early in maturity, when the fruits are bright red. Such a berry is more sour, but has good transportability, it can be stored successfully.

The average weight of Kama berries is 20-30 g, the largest berries are harvested during the first wave of fruiting - their weight reaches 60-80 g, after which it begins to decrease.

The shape of the berries is round-conical, regular, with a noticeable neck. Fruits are shiny, slightly ribbed, with yellow, shallow seeds. Fully ripe berries at the stage when they acquire the best taste - sweetness with a slightly noticeable sourness, become maroon, with a cherry tint, dark, dense pulp. True, transporting them at this stage is already problematic. But their taste and pronounced memorable aroma are at their best.

The purpose of the variety is to eat fresh berries from the garden. But Kama is perfect for making jam and deep freezing. The taste is completely preserved.

Kama is unpretentious in care, and this is another plus. Mulch the soil regularly, remove weeds, monitor watering - that's all. The variety tolerates heat well and is drought-resistant. But if you want a bountiful harvest and ideal berry taste, don't let the soil dry out. At the same time, continuous watering is not recommended. Excess moisture damages the roots, creating favorable conditions for the development of the fungus. Stick to medium watering rates.

The variety loves an abundance of light, oxygen-rich, light, nutritious soil. Slightly acidic or neutral soil is best suited for Kama. The ideal option is loam. The acidity of the soil, if it is high, is best reduced with lime or wood ash.

For a stable harvest, it is best not to try to grow these strawberries in one place for more than 3 years.

Before planting seedlings in open ground, many recommend holding them for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then rinse. The holes for Kama should be wide and deep - the variety needs a lot of space.

In the open space, strawberries are easily pollinated with the help of wind and insects, given that one family of bees or bumblebees can easily pollinate up to 0.1 hectare of plantings.

In closed greenhouses, you can also resort to the help of insects, if it is possible to provide them with free access to the room, if the temperature is kept at a level above + 17 ° C. If this option is not available, then you can use a fan, and in small areas, manually pollinate the bushes with a soft brush or cotton swab.

Top dressing is very important for Kama strawberries, especially when they are bearing fruit. It is most convenient to combine fertilization with loosening the soil. You can not use dry manure and nitrogen fertilizers - there is a risk of provoking the development of diseases.

If the fruit-bearing bushes are weakening and withering, then the following options should be used:

• wood ash;

• saltpeter;

• sulfates.

Kama is a winter-hardy variety, but due to early flowering it needs a reliable shelter from frost. It can be a greenhouse, a film tunnel or a special synthetic material.

And here we come to the most problematic moment. Kama is resistant to fungi and gray mold, but very susceptible to spotting and strawberry mites.

If you want to secure yourself for sure, treat the planting with systemic fungicides 2-3 times a season.

Kama gives antennae, but very little. This makes it easier to care for, but it becomes much more difficult to propagate this garden strawberry. Only antennae of first-year bushes are suitable for reproduction.

Removal from seeds weakens the palatability, reduces the volume of the crop.

The variety is highly appreciated by gardeners. They note the sweetness of the berries, the aroma similar to the smell of wild strawberries. The pulp is called juicy, melting in the mouth, the taste - "came from childhood."

Praise the productivity of the Kama, unpretentiousness. Its ripening speed is appreciated. According to experienced gardeners, she outperforms such varieties as Clery and Honey by 10 days, Olivia by 3-5.

The disadvantage of the variety is the above-mentioned vulnerability of Kama to spotting, but this can be fought.

Now, knowing what to expect from Kama strawberries, you just have to weigh the pros and cons once again, and then proceed to pleasant garden chores.