Strawberries San Andreas

An American garden strawberry variety with the unusual name San Andreas has already settled in Russia. The berries are universal. They are great for making mouth-watering treats, as well as being consumed in their natural form.

The bushes of this garden culture are in the shape of a ball. The sizes are small, the density is medium. The maximum plant height is 30 centimeters. The leaves are light green in color with jagged edges. The stems are powerful and large. During the growing season, the bush forms a large number of peduncles (10-12 pieces). Under the weight of the fruit, the shoots sink to the ground, however, due to the thickness of the peduncles, some berries do not touch the ground.

San Andreas is an early ripening variety. Fruiting begins in May and lasts until early autumn. Due to the remontability, the bushes bear fruit several times during the growing season.

Fruit crop yield is average. Up to 1 kilogram of berries are harvested from one plant per season. The fruits have high indicators of marketability and transportability. The exact timing of harvesting depends on fertilization and climatic conditions. In the southern regions, the fruits ripen earlier.

Ripe strawberries turn a bright red color. The skin is glossy. The shape of the fruit is conical, slightly elongated, the nose is rounded. The average weight of the berries is 25-30 grams, but some specimens reach 70 grams. The sizes are large. The pulp is pink with an orange tint. The fruits are dense, due to which they retain their shape remarkably. The taste of ripe berries is sweet, with a pleasant sourness.

Fruit crops from the USA do not tolerate heat well, therefore, the necessary soil moisture should be constantly maintained. Strawberries can be grown in greenhouses or a greenhouse. In one area, the culture is grown for 3-4 years, after which the planting site is changed. Between the bushes leave from 25 to 30 centimeters. The rows are drawn at a distance of 45 centimeters from each other.

It is not difficult to take care of the plant, the main thing is to regularly water the strawberries, and fulfill other requirements of agricultural technology. It is recommended to set up the plantation in the spring, immediately after the end of the frost. If you do the work in the fall, planting is carried out 3-4 weeks before the cold snap. Another option is summer landing at the end of July. So the plantation will have time to adapt to the new place and will endure the winter without any problems.

When planting seedlings, you need to make sure that the growing point is not covered with earth or raised up. It should be flush with the soil.

The San Andreas garden strawberry loves moisture and needs regular watering. However, the bushes do not tolerate liquid stagnation. This will lead to gray mold and root rot. If watering is insufficient, the bushes begin to wilt, and the fruits become smaller and lose their taste. An ideal option for a berry plantation is a drip irrigation system. It moisturizes the soil moderately, creating a comfortable environment for the plant. In hot weather, strawberries are watered every 3-4 days.

In order for the roots to receive the required amount of oxygen, the top layer of the earth is loosened. The soil is covered with mulch so that weeds do not grow over the site. Use sawdust, straw or pine needles.And also a layer of mulch prevents the berries from touching the ground. The fruits remain whole and clean.

San Andreas strawberries love the sun, so the growing area must be carefully lit. Before planting, the area is cleared of debris, roots and weeds. They also dig up the earth and, if necessary, level it. Despite the light-requiring, in some areas it may be necessary to darken the plantation a little. You can stretch a net over the strawberries. Shade from trees will do.

The garden culture of San Andreas is pollinated independently due to bisexual flowers

Bushes need intensive nutrition. In one season, strawberries take a large amount of nutrients from the soil.

The plantation is fertilized according to a certain scheme.

• The first time the work is carried out in March. Choose nitrogen compounds that are needed to develop a lush green mass. 20 grams of urea or a bucket of rotted manure are consumed per square meter of the site.

• A water-based mullein solution (1 in 10) is used in May. Bird droppings will also go (1 in 20).

• At the start of flowering, complex mineral compositions are chosen that contain potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. Some gardeners choose wood ash (glass per square meter of plot).

• After the end of fruiting, the land is fed with deciduous compost. It is evenly distributed over the ground.

The San Andreas garden strawberry prefers fertile soil. The soil is fed with humus. Organics make the berries larger and juicier. In order for young bushes to develop quickly, experienced gardeners use the mullein. It is applied every 6-8 days in a ratio of 1 to 10. After feeding, the plants need to be watered so as not to burn the root system. Most of all, depleted soils need top dressing.

This variety is winter-hardy, therefore, in the southern regions, it can do without shelter for the winter. Strawberries can withstand up to 25 degrees Celsius. In the north and the territory of the Moscow region, the bushes are covered with mulch (leaves, spruce branches, compost). When using agrofibre, it is pulled over arcs. With the arrival of heat, the shelter is removed.

The San Andreas variety is resistant to gray rot and pest attacks, but to prevent infestation, protective plants are grown next to the plantations: garlic, calendula, dill or parsley.

Since the culture is affected by white spot and powdery mildew, weeds must be removed in a timely manner. As soon as the ripe berries are harvested, the soil is loosened and treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (1%). Additional measures will help plants to overwinter without larvae in the soil and infections.

Another prerequisite for the health of the bushes is maintaining the desired moisture level, without stagnation. Therefore, lowlands and swampy locations are not suitable for cultivation.

There are several ways to propagate a berry plantation. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• The fastest and easiest option to implement is dividing the bushes. Only plants that are at least 3 years old are suitable. The work is carried out neatly, with a clean and sterilized knife. They choose large and healthy bushes, without damage. This method requires some experience from the gardener. It is necessary not only to determine the points of growth, but also to leave the optimal number of roots for each seedling.

• The second option is with a mustache. The most productive plants are selected. The rosettes that form on the shoots are rooted in separate plastic containers dug into the ground. Planting plants with a closed root system is much more convenient, and the bushes take root better.

• It is undesirable to use seed material. Plants grown in this way will lose all the positive characteristics of the hybrid variety. Moreover, it is a troublesome and time-consuming process.