Strawberry Salsa

The Salsa strawberry variety, bred by Dutch breeders, is a late non-refurbished variety. It is appreciated for its high immunity, excellent yield for many years. It appeared in 1988, and has since gained popularity among those who grow strawberries on their own plots, and among industrial farmers.

The purpose of this variety of strawberries is defined as universal. In addition to high productivity and non-capriciousness, it is distinguished by beautiful tasty fruits with a wonderful aroma. In our country, Salsa is only gaining popularity. The external description of the varietal strawberry Salsa has a number of special features:

• the bushes are quite powerful, the stems are of a straight type, high, but the bush itself looks compact;

• foliage has a light green tone;

• the mustache is strong and strong, grows actively;

• peduncles are formed at the same level with foliage or slightly lower;

• when the fruits ripen, they begin to slope under the foliage.

There are a number of benefits that make the variety especially popular:

• large fruit size;

• excellent tasting characteristics, balanced balance of sweetness and sourness;

• unpretentiousness to climate and agricultural technology;

• remarkable productivity, high immunity to diseases and pests;

• a huge number of mustaches, reproduction without problems;

• good frost resistance.

With all the advantages, it is worth considering some of the disadvantages of the Salsa variety:

• drought negatively affects the quality and size of the fruit, the consistency of the pulp;

• excess moisture increases the risks of developing gray rot;

• lack of fertilizer affects productivity;

• if the density of plantings is not prevented, the yield will fall, and the plant's resistance to external factors will become less;

• high risk of damage by various types of spotting.

If you follow the basic conditions of care, strawberry Salsa develops without problems.

This variety is classified as late-ripening, therefore, on average, the appearance of fruits does not occur earlier than the beginning of July, sometimes in the middle of the month. The fruiting period can shift depending on climatic and weather conditions - both earlier and later. Thus, Salsa is often used to extend berry fruiting times. It allows you to enjoy the berries almost until the end of the season.

This variety is considered to be highly productive. With standard care procedures, with some errors, you can collect about a kilogram of fruits from one bush per season. In the case of impeccable agricultural technology, the yield can be increased, and much more. But keeping the berry for a long time will not work, so you cannot grow it in too large quantities.

The characteristics of the berries of the variety are rated quite high, usually the fruits are moderately large or very large. Small fruits practically do not appear. The standard weight of berries is from 60 to 80 g. Outwardly, the fruits are in the form of a blunt cone, but sometimes the berries are in the form of a ridge. Salsa is very different from other varieties:

• raised sepals with a white border under them;

• the seeds have a yellowish tint, they go deep into the skin;

• when the fruit reaches maturity, it acquires a juicy, bright red color with a glossy sheen;

• the pulp has a light pink tone, moderate density, fleshy structure, high juiciness;

• the taste is sweet and sour, balanced, dessert qualities are high, according to experts and consumers.

Salsa is great for fresh, cooked, frozen.

Late-ripening Salsa does not require too much care. If you follow the basic rules, there are usually no problems with the harvest.

• Moisturizing. This variety loves moisture, but the measure is good in everything. It is necessary to take breaks between humidification, their duration depends only on the weather. Watering is done when the soil crust dries up slightly; it is not necessary to moisten earlier. Watering begins before flowering and does not finish until the fall. The end of irrigation occurs when the flower stalks of the next season are forming. The average frequency of watering in the heat is 2 times a week.

• Loosening. Since strawberries belong to plants, the root system of which is susceptible to disease, it must be often loosened and weeds removed. If this is done on time, the bushes grow healthy and strong, the yield is high. It is necessary to mulch the soil and loosen it every 7 days. Mulching is done in a large layer, the straw layer is changed periodically so that it does not rot. The ideal option is agrofiber, which does not grow moldy.

• Pruning. Since the whiskers are formed very actively, the strawberries quickly spread over the site. To prevent this, you should limit their number. It is enough to leave the sockets for the purpose of reproduction. If not pruned, yields will decrease due to overgrowth.

• Preparing for winter. Since the variety is frost-resistant, it tolerates winter well, but in the northern regions, Salsa strawberries should be covered. Before the winter period, you should not trim the foliage - it acts as a natural insulation. You can cover the bushes with straw, needles, agrofibre. But immediately after the snow melts, the shelter must be removed to prevent debate.

• Top dressing. The Salsa variety loves fertilizers, but you need to be careful with nitrogenous compounds. Organic fertilizing is administered twice a season - in the spring and before the fruiting period begins. The last month of spring and the first summer, you can water strawberries with nettle infusion. After the formation of the ovary of berries, you need to introduce a complex and potassium dressing.

Salsa is planted at the turn of July and August, so that the bushes have time to harden before frost. Open areas where there is a lot of sun and water does not accumulate are optimal for planting.To avoid unnecessary moisture, the beds should be raised; stagnant water is contraindicated for this variety. The soil must be fertile in order for the variety to fully demonstrate all its qualities.

The soil should be improved even before planting, if the soil is acidic, the acidity level should be reduced. For this, lime or other means are used. Fresh humus is not suitable for fertilization. After the plants have been planted, you need to water the holes and mulch them. You should not plant the bushes close, as they grow quite large. The minimum between the bushes should be 35 cm. It is good if legumes, dill, parsley, carrots grew on this soil in front of the strawberries. Do not plant Salsa after pumpkins and nightshades, in this case there is a risk of infection with rot.

Salsa strawberry flowers are bisexual, anthers are rather large. Therefore, the culture does not need additional pollination in the open field.

This variety has good immunity, especially against verticillium, late blight and powdery mildew. But gray rot, spotting can cause inconvenience. Therefore, it is important to carry out preventive measures. Before planting, it is better to hold the roots in a solution of potassium permanganate, the bushes are planted so that there is no density. Excess moisture should not be allowed, and in the spring it is worth spraying with Bordeaux liquid.

If the care is competent, you need to update the planting every 2 years. The mustache is formed very actively, so it is not difficult to propagate Salsa. Use only mustache breeding, other methods are ineffective. Sockets take root well, take root. It is enough to substitute a pot of nutritious soil under them.