Strawberry Mashenka

Strawberry variety Mashenka, also known as Moscow Jubilee, is a versatile and high-yielding variety, for which we love the owners of home gardens. Large and compact bushes thrive in the climate of the middle zone and southern regions. By the size of berries, Mashenka bypasses many other varieties, while maintaining an optimal balance of juiciness and sweetness of the fruit.

The variety was bred in 1953 by a breeder of the state farm. Lenin N.K.Smolyaninova. When crossing, we used garden strawberries of the Komsomolskaya Pravda and Krasavitsa Zagorya varieties. Selection work was carried out at a fruit and berry experimental station owned by the N.I. Michurin. Parental hybrids were also obtained at the same base, in Zagorie near Moscow. The obtained variety was not entered into the State Register of the Russian Federation.

The strawberry Mashenka is characterized by a significant height of the bush - the shoots reach 40-45 cm in height. The whiskers are medium in length, powerful shoots, on a compact rosette, pubescent with dark colored leaves.

Depending on the region, the variety is characterized by early and medium ripening periods. On average, the harvest ripens from the 2nd decade of June.

Strawberries of this variety are not recommended to be grown in Siberia and the Northern regions. She feels best in the southern climate and in the regions of the Black Earth Region.

The variety bears fruit in early summer; under favorable conditions, a second wave of flowering may occur in August. Up to 800-1000 gr is collected from the bush. Fruiting is short.

The first fruits of Mashenka strawberries have a complex shape resembling an accordion, a deep red, almost burgundy shade of the skin. Subsequent berries are smaller, blunt-conical, with regular outlines. Inside there is a dense pulp. The berries emit a strong aroma, have a harmonious, sweet and sour taste.

The mass of individual specimens reaches 100 grams, but on average 1 fruit weighs 40-60 grams. Berries lend themselves well to transportation. During storage, they practically do not choke. Suitable for dessert use, cooking preserves, jams, compotes, making juices.

Garden strawberry Mashenka is planted in the ground mainly with an open root system. In one place, cultivation is possible for 4 years. Plants are planted in April-May or September-October, in fairly warm weather. The shoots must have time to take root in a new place. With spring planting, harvesting is possible in the same year.

The variety is photophilous, but sensitive to direct exposure to the scorching rays of the sun. This should be taken into account when choosing a place for planting plants. Strawberries Mashenka also need to be protected from excess moisture, strong gusts of wind. When planting, the placement density should be no more than 1 bush per 50 cm along the length and width of the bed. Plants should be transferred to the ground in cloudy weather to improve rooting.

Preparing the soil for strawberries of this variety occurs with digging, removing the roots. Preventive soil treatment against the most common diseases and pests is recommended. You can create a nutrient medium by adding 0.5 buckets of sand and 15 kg of humus to each 1 m2 of the ridge area. The substrate is stirred, loosened, acidity, if necessary, is adjusted by adding wood ash. It is also recommended to apply complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

The seedlings are placed in the holes so that the main bud remains above the soil surface. Select healthy rosettes with 6 leaves and strong stems. Then it remains to sprinkle the root system with earth, water abundantly and mulch.

Pollination is not required, the peduncles on the plant are bisexual.

The bushes of Mashenka's garden strawberries must necessarily winter in a shelter. Greenhouse cultivation is possible year-round. In the open field, plants can withstand a drop in atmospheric temperatures down to -16 degrees. The shelter is made of agrofibre. In its absence, you can use spruce branches, straw.

The variety is resistant to most common diseases and pests. It is characterized by high resistance to fungal infections. When ripe fruits are kept on the bushes for a long time, they can be affected by gray rot. Also, in the absence of due attention, the bushes become vulnerable under the influence of powdery mildew, brown or white spot. Preventive fungicidal treatments help prevent infestation.

Among the pests for this variety, only nematodes and spider mites are dangerous. If signs of their presence in plantings are detected, it is worth applying insecticidal treatment.

Mashenka's strawberries can be propagated in several ways. Regardless of the choice of technique, all varietal characteristics are preserved.

• Most often, if there is an adult plant on the site, the branch of the antennae is used. They are allowed to take root, form a rosette, then transplanted in September-October.
• Seed propagation is not used very often. It is used by breeders seeking to improve the properties of the variety or obtain hybrids. Seeds are sown under the film in the spring, picking of the first shoots is carried out. The seedlings are transferred to the open ground after the establishment of constant atmospheric temperatures without frost.
• Strongly overgrown adult strawberry bushes Mashenka can be divided. In this case, a central bud, a developed root system should be present on each part. The resulting parts are planted according to the standard scheme.

According to most gardeners, Mashenka's strawberries have no analogues in terms of taste and size of berries. It is appreciated for its unpretentiousness, stable preservation of the characteristics of the variety, while observing agricultural technology. Many summer residents have been carefully preserving the mother plant with bushes for decades in order to preserve the plantation. This is due to the fact that today the variety is considered almost lost, it is quite difficult to acquire seedlings or seeds.

The disadvantages of Mashenka's strawberries, according to summer residents, is the tendency of peduncles to droop, laying on the ground. Thickening of plantings is contraindicated for this variety. Since the variety is not repaired, significant efforts have to be made to re-flowering and fruiting: mow the bushes at the root, leave them without watering.