Strawberry Darselect. Variety description, reviews

Among berries grown in garden areas, more attention is paid to strawberries. Get a good harvest of this berry - the desire of each gardener. But strawberries, like most berries, have different varieties. Some of them are early, other medium or late. And the size of the berry also differs depending on the variety. Among the many varieties is the French strawberry Darselect, which is very popular among European farmers.

Characteristic of the variety

Strawberry Darselect is an intermediate variety. In the greenhouse or when covering, the culture begins to bear fruit by the end of May. If the strawberry Darselekt grows in the open ground, then the harvest can be collected already in early June. In comparison, it can be noted that its fruits ripen 15 days earlier than the strawberry variety Elsanta.

The strawberry bush is tall, with a moderate amount of dark green leaves . The plant has a powerful root system. If all varieties of strawberries are divided into three groups, then by the number of growth of the mustache, it will be in the second group. Even with a dense locus of bushes on the bed gives a sufficient number of whiskers.

Strawberry Darselect: description of berries

The berries have an elongated conical shape with a blunted tip at the beginning of the season. By the end of fruiting, the shape of the berry can vary from heart-round to crest. This happens with an increase in humidity or a decrease in temperature, since pollination decreases with such natural phenomena. With natural ripening without heavy fertilizing, the weight of the berry is 15-25 g. If they are fed, the size of the fruit can increase and the weight can reach 35 g.

The berries have a red-brick peel with a slight orange tinge. The flesh is not watery, but dense. Has a light red color. The berry is famous for its sweet taste with a slight acidity. Has a refined strawberry flavor. After removal, the fruits do not lose color and retain their elasticity for a long time. Fruits are placed on a stiff peduncle, which greatly facilitates their collection.

Darselect (strawberry): growing

In order for the harvest of the strawberry Darselect to be successful, quality seedlings are needed. It should have a fibrous root system with a root neck diameter of at least 6 mm. Flat land is suitable for planting, as well as small slopes oriented to the south-west. On steep slopes and in the lowlands strawberries are not recommended to be planted, as it gives a low and late harvest and is easily exposed to diseases. It is very good if the plot with strawberries is protected from the wind.

The most favorable soil for French strawberries is loamy loam. The greatest yield can be obtained on light soils or rich in humus.

Landing

The most favorable time for planting is early autumn, but you can still plant it in the early spring. It is recommended to plant seedlings at a distance of 40 cm from each other. With a thicker planting of strawberries, Darselect will receive inadequate food, which may lead to a decrease in yield. The most ideal landing is when no more than four bushes are planted on 1 m2.

Before planting the plant, you need to prepare a site - to clear it of weeds and feed the soil. As a top dressing it is possible to use humus, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate - 70 g, 30 g and 30 g respectively. Before planting, the seedlings are kept for about 7 days in a cool place. During planting, you need to keep an eye out so that you do not sever the root neck severely. It should be located at ground level. Otherwise, there will be no harvest in the first year. The root system should be placed vertically, and if it is too long, it is shortened to 10 cm. After planting, the seedlings are watered and the soil is mulched with humus.

Care

After planting for a while, the strawberry seedlings need regular watering. Ideal for this is a sprinkler. It is recommended to install drip irrigation on commercial plantations. With careful watering, it easily tolerates hot heat and drought in the central and southern regions of Russia and Ukraine. If the cultivation is carried out in the southern regions, then it is actual mulching with a reflective film or using a UV grid to create a shadow. In addition, all the time the area with strawberries must be freed from weeds and remove diseased plants. Before winter, all leaves of strawberries must be cut, and strawberries should be covered with straw, dry leaves or non-woven material.

Reproduction

Reproduction of strawberries can be done in various ways: with the help of a mustache, by dividing the root. For commercial cultivation, seedlings in containers are good, since before planting the seedling will already have a good root system, which will contribute to its better consolidation after planting.

Strawberry diseases and control

The most common disease of strawberry is late blight withering (late blight). The first sign of the appearance of this disease is the redness of the axial cylinder of the plant. The leaves of the strawberry become with a grayish shade and become cup-shaped. Next comes the dying off of the fibrous roots. In order to prevent this from happening, strawberries need to be transplanted every 4 years to another place. Before planting, the roots can be moistened with a solution of biological preparations. When damaged plants are to be removed from the beds and destroyed.

Another disease to which the strawberry is exposed is powdery mildew, affecting the plant leaves. The diseased leaves are twisted, and their color gradually acquires a purple hue, a powdery coating appears. The result of this disease is ugly fruit, covered with bloom. There is a change in the taste of berries. When this disease occurs, it is necessary to spray the plant with a copper emulsion.
If untimely harvesting of weeds, gray rot may appear. On the berries appear spots of light brown color and fluffy coating.

Pests

There are many insects that destroy not only strawberry bushes, but berries. They are strawberry mites, spider mites, aphids, wasps. To prevent the appearance of these pests, spraying with appropriate solutions will help. Such prevention is recommended during the growing season. That is, spraying should be done before flowering or after full harvesting.

Complexities of character Darselect

Variety of strawberries Darselect is not recommended for planting on carbonate soils, as chlorosis is possible. When this disease occurs, the plant is easily restored with timely fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.

The first year yields a small crop due to insufficient development of the root system. Therefore, during this period it is recommended not to wait for individual berries, but to cut off all the flowers. This will help the plant to direct all its forces to the rapid development of the root system, which will justify itself next year when harvesting in full.

Advantages of French berries

Its main advantage is the size of the berries - Strawberry Darselect is large. It has excellent taste qualities. It grows and fructifies at high temperatures, even moderately tolerates heat up to 40 degrees. In one place the plant fructifies for 4 years, which can not be said about many other varieties of strawberries. After the harvest, new flower stalks begin to appear and a second crop appears, although in essence the variety of strawberry Darselect is neutral. It is thanks to this unusual feature that the plant is extremely productive.

Does it have cons?

Strawberry Darselect is a water-loving plant (reviews of gardeners confirm this). Therefore, in a dry region, a good crop is impossible without the installation of drip irrigation. If watering is lean, then, in addition to a bad harvest, the berry inside is hollow. In the process of tearing, the flesh can remain flesh. With a lack of microelements in the soil, the strawberry tends to degenerate.

Strawberry at home on the table is a valuable dietary product and a source of vitamin C. Thanks to its indicators, it has been widely used in the confectionery, cosmetics, liquor and medical industries. Such a berry can not leave anyone indifferent.