Strawberry Cardinal

Strawberry is one of the most profitable crops, so breeding work is ongoing, especially in the United States and Europe. A huge army of amateurs in Russia successfully grows this berry on their backyards throughout the country. Every year new developments appear, but there are also old varieties that do not give up their positions. One of them is Cardinal.

The variety is loved by gardeners in many countries. It was bred in the USA at the Arkansas Experimental Agricultural Station in 1974 by breeders J.N. Moore, H.L. Bowden and V.E.Sistrank. In America, Cardinal quickly gained popularity with commercial strawberry farmers. In Oklahoma, it was the main cultivar on local plantations.

The infection of anthracnose rot, which was brought into nurseries in 1981, was a big blow. The plants looked healthy in spring, but died when summer came. To solve the problem, a novelty in biotechnology was used: the cultivation of virus-resistant plants by tissue culture using hormonal and nutrient media. But the result did not satisfy the scientists, and the demand for the Cardinal gradually faded away.

Some nurseries continued to work with this variety. Therefore, today it has not lost its attractiveness, being a real historical heritage and a great success of American breeders.

Cardinal is a versatile non-repairable mid-early variety with a fairly strong immunity and good yield. Beautiful bright red fruits are distinguished by a harmonious dessert taste, density, large size, and pronounced aroma. Tall (up to 50 cm), moderately spreading bush has dense green, boat-shaped leaves with a bluish underside.

Tall bushes and a small number of leaves ensure that the flower stalks receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. The fruits of the Cardinal strawberry ripen together and early: already at the beginning - mid-June in the warm regions of the country, you can harvest. In colder areas, the ripening period is slightly shifted.

As conceived by the creators, the variety should have been ideal for cultivation in the southern American states with their hot and humid summers. There are many regions in Russia where this variety feels great: from the middle lane to the Trans-Urals. For areas with a dry summer season, abundant watering is recommended, but Cardinal will tolerate a short-term drought well.

The Cardinal can boast of a high yield even in the first year after spring planting. It is quite possible to collect up to 900 g of fruit from one bush. The average is 650-750 g.

One of the main advantages of the variety is that large (up to 90 g) deep red berries with a scattering of golden seeds are very attractive for the market. The fruits have a rounded-conical shape without deformations with a pronounced high neck. The flesh of the berries is red, juicy and very firm, to the point of crunching. Sometimes in the very core, the fruit is hollow. The aroma is strong, strawberry.

Another advantage is the taste: velvety-sugar with harmonious acidity. Cardinal is suitable for fresh consumption, for freezing and preservation.Possesses excellent resistance to storage, transportation and processing: the berries do not crumple and retain their presentation for a long time.

An interesting characteristic of the Cardinal variety is the abundant formation of long whiskers with numerous rosettes, on which flowers and berries appear even before rooting (September - October). This makes it possible to grow strawberries in an ampelous way on trellises. Fruits from such autumn rosettes are large, even larger than summer ones. But if you want to get a rich harvest at the beginning of summer, then you need to remove excess whiskers and ovaries from the mother plant.

Otherwise, the cultivation of the Cardinal does not differ much from caring for other varieties. You must do the following:

• timely remove dried whiskers, leaves and flowers;
• treat plants from pests and diseases;
• apply fertilizers and mulch the soil;
• watering correctly: by sprinkling before the flowers and berries appear, spilling under the root - after;
• at the end of summer, plant young sockets on time.

For planting, choose a flat, sunny place. In a low-lying area, an elevation is arranged for the beds. To grow large and sweet fruits, it is necessary to plant in loamy or sandy loam, slightly acidic soil. The predominance of sand, and as a result, a lack of moisture can provoke a decrease in yield and the appearance of small berries.

The soil is thoroughly cleaned of weeds, enriched with organic fertilizing: peat, humus, compost. During loosening, ammonium nitrate is added for root development.

By mid-May, powerful peduncles are formed on the rosettes. Numerous large white flowers do not require artificial forced pollination.

The variety tolerates winters and frosts up to -16 ° C quite well.

Breeders have tried to ensure that the variety has a high resistance to diseases and pests. But he is susceptible to anthracnose (fungal infection), which, fortunately, does not develop very often. Excess moisture becomes a favorable factor for various fungal infections. At the initial stage, with the help of modern drugs, the disease can be prevented.

The variety's resistance to spotting and various rot arising from cold lingering rains is quite high. Warm, humid summers and a greenhouse effect can create conditions for powdery mildew disease.

The danger for the Cardinal is represented by standard strawberry pests, from which it is necessary to carry out insecticide treatment in spring and autumn:

• slugs;
• strawberry mite;
• weevil;
• sawfly.

Cardinal remains a popular and beloved variety. Strawberries are easily propagated by high-quality rosettes with developed roots and 3-4 formed leaves. We must remember the following feature of the variety: if the rosette formed on the mustache has borne fruit, then it is already unsuitable for reproduction.

Selected rosettes not susceptible to flowering are distinguished by high survival rate. Planting takes place in early spring or early autumn. There are 2 main types of disembarkation:

• single-row - they keep a distance of 65 cm between the rows, and 20 cm between the bushes (such an arrangement of the bushes allows the mustache to grow and get an abundance of rosettes);
• double-row - in 2 strips with a distance between the stripes of about 30 cm.

They also use staggered planting of bushes, less often with a solid carpet. Another breeding method is dividing a 3-4-year-old mother bush. Too troublesome reproduction by seeds is practically not used, but it is also possible.