Garden strawberries of the Lord variety: how to grow a berry with an exquisite taste

Strawberries "Lord" are very popular among lovers of large, sweet berries. Despite the fact that the variety is not listed in the State Register, it has been familiar to many Russian summer residents and gardeners for quite a long time, and is widely cultivated in folk selection.

Strawberries "Lord" (pictured) under favorable conditions can gain weight up to 100 g

There is no exact information about the origin of the variety; most sources attribute it to British selection, but in Russia it has been known since the 80s of the last century. Strawberries “Lord”, according to reviews from gardeners, are unpretentious in care, resistant to common diseases and pests, adapt well to various climatic and weather conditions, provide stable yields not only in the southern regions or Ukraine, but also in the middle zone, Moscow region, the Urals and in Siberia. According to experts, the variety has high potential and profitability of production (100.8-134.4%) and is recommended for commercial cultivation.

Strawberries and strawberries: how are these plants different?

Many gardeners (even experienced ones) make the mistake of calling garden strawberries strawberries. There is a big difference between plants. Accordingly, their agricultural technology and growing conditions differ.

Strawberry bushes are much taller and more powerful than strawberry bushes. Its flower stalks are larger and rise above the leaf blades. Many varieties of garden strawberries are dioecious, meaning they require female and male (pollinator) plants to bear fruit. This characteristic feature must be taken into account to obtain a good harvest, planting 1 male bush for every 5 female bushes.

Strawberries are a monoecious plant; one bush has both male and female flowers.

Garden strawberries, on the contrary, are monoecious, that is, there are male and female flowers on the same plant. When planting it on a plantation, you can be sure that berries will appear on absolutely every bush.

Garden strawberries are much more productive than strawberries, which is why gardeners most often plant them, mistakenly calling the plant strawberries.

Strawberry variety Lord - description, photos, reviews from gardeners and summer residents

What is the difference between domestic farmers and those living abroad? First of all, because farmers in Western Europe and America are constantly introducing new varieties and quickly forgetting the old ones. Our gardeners first test new products for a long time, and then grow them for years, although this is not always justified. Judging by the reviews of gardeners, descriptions and photos, strawberry Lord is a relatively old variety, but it is one that you should not rush to part with.

The variety, bred in the 80s of the last century by British breeders, quickly gained popularity, and is now practically forgotten in Western countries. Our Lord strawberry variety remains one of the best for growing in temperate and cool climates. Moreover, his reputation is good and well deserved.

History and description of Lord strawberries

Lord is a variety of English selection. It was created by farmers from Great Britain and has become widespread in the last decade, since the main feature of Lord is its versatility (strawberries are suitable not only for cultivation by amateur gardeners, but also for cultivation for industrial purposes). The ripening period is medium late, the berries are large, with a pleasant sweet-sour taste.

The berries of the Lord strawberry are large and have a pleasant sweet-sour taste.

The bush is tall, its size ranges from 35 to 60 cm. The stems are erect and powerful. The peduncles are strong, but under the weight of the berries they bend to the ground, so the bush must be tied up so that the peduncle does not break under the weight of the fruit.

The shape of the berries is rounded and elongated. Ripe fruits are painted scarlet. They have a rather dense consistency, a sweetish taste and a very pleasant aroma. If the summer is rainy, the fruits acquire a sour taste, which generally adds piquancy to the fruits. The Lord variety is classified as large-fruited. Individual berries can reach a mass of 100 g.

Table: characteristics of the Lord variety

Photo gallery: fruits of garden strawberries of the Lord variety

Under the weight of berries, the shoots bend to the ground

Berries can reach 100 g

The berries ripen in July

Table: advantages and disadvantages

Reviews

I live in Siberia. The variety may not be new, but I’m not going to give it up. Winter hardiness is just right for our region. 2 years ago there were long frosts of -40 degrees, but there was practically no snow. The lord passed the test with flying colors; the bushes did not die and bore fruit well. The berries are large, freeze well, and their shape, taste and excellent aroma are preserved after defrosting.

The Lord variety is an excellent choice for a gardener looking for large-fruited, winter-hardy strawberries. Lord has been proven over the years and is not going to give way to modern expensive new products.

Landing

Planting can be done in autumn and spring.

Location

Select a flat, sunny area, sheltered from the winds, for growing strawberries.

Hilly areas and lowlands are not suitable. In the former, the soil dries out quickly, and the variety requires constant moisture. Otherwise, in low-lying wetlands with excessive dampness, the taste of the berries will deteriorate and the yield will decrease.

To cultivate Lord, you need fertile soil rich in humus. Soil with high acidity, salt marshes and limestones are not suitable for these strawberries.

Choose sunny places to plant strawberries

Preparing the bed

The agricultural technology of Lord strawberries differs significantly from other varieties.

1. Firstly, the bushes need to be planted in beds that need to be formed a week before planting. The width of the ridge should be at least 0.8 m. Place the seedlings on it in 1 row, at a distance of 0.8–1 m from each other.
2. Secondly, you need to make holes about 30 cm deep for the seedlings, pour humus into them, add superphosphate (1 tbsp), wood ash (0.5 cups) and potassium sulfate (1 tsp). The humus must be mixed with fertilizers and only after that the strawberries should be planted.

Disembarkation time

The optimal time for planting Lord's strawberries is August. Plants have time to take root well before frost and build a strong root system.

Some gardeners believe that the best time for planting strawberry seedlings is early spring; during this period the plant will not freeze, but will grow and gain strength over the summer. It should be noted that when planting in spring, it is necessary to remove flower stalks so that the plant does not waste energy on them.

The best time to plant Lord strawberries is August.

Planting schemes

Checkerboard

The distance between the bushes should be quite large, so planting Lord garden strawberries requires a lot of space. It is quite possible to save space by planting bushes in a checkerboard pattern.

1. Prepare the soil.
2. Remove all weeds. Make a bed 80 cm wide.
3. Pull two cords at a distance of 15 cm from the edge of the ridge and 50 cm from each other, so the rows will be even.
4. Mark the locations for the holes so that there is 80 cm between them. Place the holes in a checkerboard pattern on a parallel row.
5. Plant strawberry seedlings in them and moisten the soil.
6. To make your work easier and not waste time on weeding, you can cover the bed with roofing felt or black film.

One way is staggered planting.

Planting strawberries in ridges

In a damp area where water stagnates in the soil, the ridge planting method will be the best. To do this, form a strip 1 m wide, on both sides of which make grooves to drain excess moisture.

Growing strawberries on ridges is suitable for waterlogged areas

Planting strawberries in holes

1. Form beds, dig holes at a distance of 0.8 m from each other. Fill them with humus mixed with fertilizers up to half the volume.
2. Shorten the roots and remove the leaves of the seedlings, leaving 3-4 strong leaf blades.
3. Dip the roots of the seedlings into a clay mash with Kornevin. Dilute the clay in 1 liter of water, stir and bring the solution to the consistency of sour cream. Pour a 3 g bag of Kornevin into the clay mass and mix everything again.
4. Gently straighten the roots in the hole and sprinkle with substrate, compacting it slightly.
5. Make a small cushion of soil around the plant to prevent water from spreading when watering.

   When planting, spread the roots

6. Water the plantings and mulch the soil with straw.

Video: planting strawberries in open ground

Reproduction

Strawberries of the Lord variety form a sufficient number of tendrils and aerial layering, for this reason there is no point in growing seedlings from seeds - the method is troublesome and time-consuming. Traditional methods of vegetative propagation of berry crops are much simpler and more effective.

1. Air layering (mustache ). The variety is characterized by increased formation of mustaches - much more of them grow than is required for simple restoration of plantings. 3-4 tendrils are left on the mother bush and the flower stalks are removed so that the cuttings grow earlier and are stronger. For rooting, leave rosettes of the 1st and 2nd orders - pin them to the bed or press them with a weight until rooting is complete. If you plan to postpone replanting until spring, there is no need to separate the cuttings from the mother bush.
2. Dividing the mother bush allows you to rejuvenate the plant, since only the unaged part of the rhizome is planted.

Caring for planted cuttings and bush divisions is no different. In the 1st (and even 2nd) year of cultivation, Lord strawberries do not have time to show their best properties. In the 3rd year, the bushes will gain strength and the bed will bear fruit for at least 7 years.

Care

Features of watering

Lord requires abundant watering, especially at the time of budding and flowering. The amount of water depends on the soil moisture. On average, you need to use 1 liter for each bush. However, the variety does not tolerate excessive dampness and stagnation of moisture (this deteriorates the taste of the berry). The ideal option would be a micro-drip root irrigation system.

Fertilizers

To form large berries, the Lord simply needs a huge amount of nutrients, so strawberries need to be regularly fertilized immediately after planting the seedlings on a plantation or bed.

Please note that to form a powerful bush and large fruits, Lord strawberries require a significant amount of organic matter. Regular application of fertilizers will increase the yield of berries several times. The basic rule is to use only mature organic matter, well-rotted manure or compost. The Lord variety has roots located quite close to the surface, so they can get burned.

Table: fertilizing mode

Strawberries Lord require a large amount of nutrients

Regulation of ripening dates

There are several simple ways by which it is quite possible to speed up the ripening of Lord strawberries and enjoy them 1 or 2 weeks earlier than usual. To do this, install arcs over the bed and cover with film material. This can be done as soon as the temperature is not lower than -5°C at night. During the day, periodically monitor the air temperature inside the greenhouse. It should not be higher than +25°C.

When the plants bloom, provide access to pollinating insects. To do this, open the sides of the greenhouse during the day, but do this only on warm days, otherwise fruiting will not occur.

Sometimes it is required that fruiting occurs a little later. For this purpose, winter can be artificially extended. To slow down the beginning of the growing season, maintain a low temperature in the strawberry plantation. Cover the ground, still covered with snow, with a thick layer of sawdust. Under it, the snow will melt more slowly.

By growing garden strawberries of the Lord variety under a film, you can speed up the ripening of the berries by 1–2 weeks

Growing and care

Concerns about planting strawberries are minimized if the strawberry bed is generously covered with organic mulch. Tedious weeding, watering and loosening the soil are not at all necessary. Even installing supports for fruit bearings with heavy berries can be ignored - mulch will protect the fruits from contamination and rot. Not much is required from the gardener:

1. Mandatory watering of the strawberry beds on the eve of flowering and during the fruiting period. The frequency of watering is determined by the condition of the soil - the soil squeezed into the palm of your hand should form a crumbly lump, but not fall apart immediately.
2. When the mustache appears, they are not allowed to develop - they are cut off, not pulled out. The formation of layering takes away strength from the plant and reduces yield. Therefore, on fruit-bearing beds, the mustache is removed in a timely manner.
3. Strawberries are fertilized in 2 steps: early in the spring, organic matter is given between the rows for digging, and after harvesting, they are fed with complex fertilizers for berry crops such as Agricola.

After harvesting and autumn mineral fertilizing, the Lord strawberry bed is almost ready for winter. In the Central region (even more so in the south), the strawberry bed overwinters well under the snow.

Attention! Contrary to popular belief, you should not mow the leaves from your strawberry bed after harvesting. Instead of preparing for winter, bushes grow young foliage and enter winter weakened. In addition, old leaves retain snow and serve as additional protection from frost.

Features of reproduction

Strawberries of the Lord variety are propagated by tendrils, dividing the bush and seeds. The most effective is dividing the bush, since the Lord produces few runners, and when propagated by seed, fruiting occurs only in the second year.

Reproduction by mustache - step-by-step description

1. When propagating by antennae, cut off the shoots, leaving only the first rosette. By August it will be sufficiently rooted and you can get a good seedling.
2. Use a clean knife to separate it from the queen cell. Dig up a clod of earth and plant it in the so-called shkolka (a bed for growing strawberry seedlings). The mustaches should be placed at a distance of 10 cm from each other.
3. In spring, grown and strengthened seedlings can be planted in a permanent place. To do this, add humus to the soil and plant strawberries, digging them out of the shoal without disturbing the lump of earth. If the roots are too long, they need to be shortened to 5–6 cm.
4. Moisten the plantings and mulch them.
5. In the first year, strawberries grown from whiskers do not need to be allowed to bear fruit. It must grow a powerful root system.

   By August, the rosette on the mustache will take root sufficiently and it will be possible to get a good seedling

Propagation by seeds - step-by-step description

1. Soak Lord strawberry seeds for 2 days in melt or rain water, change it 2 times a day.
2. Prepare a loose substrate of turf soil, sand and peat. Pour it into a bowl and spread the soaked seeds on the surface. Gently distribute them using a toothpick. Do not sprinkle the planting substrate on top.
3. Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and place the container in the refrigerator for stratification. After 10–14 days, the container can be removed and placed in a warm place.
4. Moisten the plantings, preventing the top layer from drying out. As soon as the strawberries grow 2 true leaves, the film can be removed.
5. After 2 weeks, plant the seedlings into separate pots. Plant outdoors in early June after the threat of frost has passed.

   Strawberry seeds need stratification to germinate.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

The method is the most effective, since the plant does not produce very many mustaches. To propagate using this method, choose mature, powerful bushes that can be divided into as many parts as possible.

It is best to plant cuttings in late spring or August. At a later date, it is not advisable to carry out the procedure of planting parts of the bush, since the seedlings will not have time to take root and will not survive the winter.

1. Divide the bush into several parts so that each section has a small bunch of roots.
2. Trim them a little (up to 5 cm) and place them in a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide for 2 hours.
3. Plant the prepared parts of the bush in a school with thickened plantings (the distance between the divisions is no more than 10 cm).
4. After 2-3 weeks, they will have taken root sufficiently and can be planted in a permanent place in a fertile substrate.

Plant rosettes at a distance of 80 cm from each other, since the Lord strawberry grows very large.

Divide the bush into several parts so that each section has a small bunch of roots.

Strawberry? No, strawberries!

To be precise, the Lord variety is a garden strawberry, not a strawberry. There is often confusion in the names of these plants: garden strawberries are mistakenly called strawberries. But strawberries are a bisexual plant: they have female fruiting bushes and male bushes. The fruits of strawberries are larger than those of wild strawberries, but smaller than those of garden strawberries; in addition, strawberries are not as productive, so they are much less often grown in gardens. Garden strawberries are much more productive; due to the property of self-fertility, each bush bears fruit. The size, shape, and taste of the berries depend on the variety.

On the left - garden strawberries, on the right - wild strawberries

Diseases and pests

The main goal of breeders was to create a plant that was resistant to diseases and pests. In fact, Lord practically does not suffer from gray rot - the most common disease of strawberries - and is not damaged by strawberry mites. But the variety is often affected by nematodes and septoria (white spot).

Table: methods of controlling diseases and pests and methods of their prevention

Photo gallery: diseases and pests

This is what strawberries look like when they are infected with a nematode.

Strawberry leaf infected with white spot

Slugs happily bite into juicy berries

a brief description of

Advantages of the variety

• long fruiting of the bush (up to 10 years);
• high yield of large, universal berries;
• excellent taste of berries and beautiful presentation;
• high ability to form whiskers (no problems with planting material);
• high winter hardiness (up to -26 degrees);
• the variety is resistant to fungal diseases and gray rot;
• Lord practically does not need treatment against strawberry mites and other insects.

Disadvantages of the variety

• increased mustache formation requires control over their growth and timely removal of excess;
• poor drought resistance;
• the variety is demanding on growing conditions (humidity, light);
• Lord strawberry bushes reach their maximum yield only after the 3rd year of growth.

Strawberries Lord often have hollow fruits. If you are looking for large-fruited strawberries without voids, we recommend paying attention to the Darselect variety.

How to properly harvest and preserve the harvest?

Garden strawberries are one of the most perishable berries. Harvesting and preserving crops is a whole science. It’s not without reason that many gardeners ask this question—not only experienced ones, but also beginners.

Garden strawberry Lord is a remontant variety that bears fruit throughout the season, so it must be collected regularly.

If you do not plan to serve the berries immediately (you need to store them for some time), then it is recommended to start picking approximately 2 days before full ripeness, when the fruits are still pinkish. In this case, the shelf life will increase and they can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Remove the berries intended for transportation, along with the sepals and small tails. Do this in the morning, after the dew has dried, or in the evening, before sunset.

Freezing will help extend the shelf life of strawberries.

Place the harvested Lord strawberries in plastic boxes or wicker baskets covered with soft cotton cloth. To prevent the fruits from softening during transportation, place the strawberries in 1 layer. Immediately after picking, cool the berries to 0…+2°C. Chilled fruits can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before storing, do not sort or wash the strawberries.

Instant or shock freezing will help keep strawberries fresh for a long time. Place clean berries on a plate and place in the freezer. When they harden, place them in a plastic bag or plastic container. Frozen in this way, the fruits will not stick together.

Description of Strawberry Lord

So, we have before us a medium-late, non-remontant variety.

The bush bears fruit for a long time: a decent period - from the end of June to the first days of August.

• The bushes are large in size, have an extensive leaf cap, the growth is average, and slightly decreases over the years.
• The fruits are relatively large, triangular in shape, in natural light they have a dark red hue and an aromatic odor.
• The weight of the primary fruits is 55-85 g, with periodic harvesting - 25-41 g. Final harvests are 12-21 g.

• The harvest is large - up to 1.2 kg per bush.
• The pulp is liquid, sweet, the fruits tolerate long-term storage and transportation. The bush retains its natural shape well and does not rot for a long time.

Rules for caring for Lord variety strawberries: planting, watering, fertilizing, propagation

Preparing the soil and planting strawberries

Lowlands and shaded areas are not suitable for growing the Lord variety of garden strawberries; the best option would be a southwestern slope so that the plants receive the required amount of sunlight.

Preparation of the land plot:

1. To get rid of weeds, the soil before planting must be treated with herbicides, for example, Roundup. It’s better to get rid of weeds right away than to have to spend a long time and painfully trying to remove them from the strawberry plantation.
2. To remove insect pests from strawberry bushes, the soil can be pre-treated by thoroughly sprinkling it with ammonia water.
3. Dig up the area to the depth of a spade and add one of the organic fertilizers: chicken droppings, manure, peat.
4. Before planting, the area should not be overly flooded with water; the soil should just be a little damp; excess moisture can provoke the development of diseases.

Rules for planting garden strawberries of the Lord variety

There are two ways to plant this strawberry: two-line and one-line. But in any case, so that the plantings do not become a continuous carpet and the berries do not lose their large fruit and yield, it is better to plant them in a checkerboard pattern, rather than bush by bush.

Planting pattern 40 by 60 centimeters.

The rules for planting bushes are quite simple:

1. Dig deep enough holes, 10-15 cm wide.
2. Carefully place the seedling, making sure that the roots are straightened and pressed tightly to the ground, sprinkle with soil,
3. When planting, you need to ensure that the root collar remains at ground level.
4. Planted plants need to be watered and mulched so that the moisture near the roots does not evaporate very quickly. Mulch also prevents the rapid growth of weeds.

More on the topic: Strawberry variety Alba

Important! The Lord variety is best mulched with pine needles.

Watering frequency for garden strawberries

After planting, strawberries need daily watering until complete rooting; in dry areas and in the absence of rain for a long time, they can be watered 2 times a day with an interval of 12 hours.

After each watering, the soil must be fluffed and mulched; work around the bushes should be done very carefully so as not to damage the surface root system.

Important! The Lord variety especially needs watering at the beginning of the berry ripening period, as well as after fruiting.

Landing dates and rules

Planting strawberries is not difficult, the main thing is to choose the right place and prepare the soil. The best time to plant Lord is spring. As for choosing a place for a garden bed, preference is given to a flat area or a slope, well fertilized with humus, located in a well-lit place. When planting bushes in a lowland or shaded area, high yields will be difficult to achieve. The site must be spacious, since this variety is spreading and does not like being crowded.

Having chosen a place, you should prepare the soil. To do this, it must be neutralized from possible parasites: before planting the plant, the soil must be treated with specially developed anti-weed preparations or an ammonia solution (water the bed with it, following the recommendations indicated on the packaging). Immediately before planting, the soil does not need to be waterlogged; it should be sufficiently moist and loose.

• Of course, you can arrange the bushes one after another in rows, like ordinary strawberries, but it is best and even more correct to plant them in a checkerboard pattern. This way there will be plenty of space for massive bushes, and harvesting will not be a problem.
• For planting, a hole is made 10-15 cm deep; it must be watered. Some gardeners add ash mixed with sand to the bottom of the hole.
• Then the seedling is installed in it so that the root collar is at soil level, and it is carefully sprinkled with earth fluffed by hand. It is not compacted very tightly and watered again.
• The top of the hole can be covered with sawdust mulch, this way the moisture will be better preserved and future berries will not touch the ground (they will be clean).

After the mother bush gets stronger, “antennae” will begin to develop. Having reached a certain length, they will touch the ground and put down their own roots, thus a new bush will begin to grow. Each rosette will become an independent plant and in order to separate and replant it, just bite off the “whisker”, carefully dig out the root and you can immediately plant it in a freer place or in another area altogether.

Some gardeners use the method of planting strawberries “under film”.

To do this, the bed is covered with a sufficiently large piece of polyethylene, holes are cut in it in place of the holes and, as in the previous case, planting material is planted in them, in this case strawberry rosettes. The film serves as a cover, an excellent means of preserving moisture and preventing weeds, and creates maximum convenience for harvesting.

Reviews from gardeners

Reviews from gardeners about the crop agree on one thing - strawberries are unpretentious, easy to care for and grow . It is distinguished by large fruits and, under favorable conditions, excellent taste and bright aroma. During processing, it does not lose its taste and retains its density as much as possible during cooking and freezing. Suitable for confectionery use, canning.

Strawberries of the Lord variety are well suited for making desserts.

Among the disadvantages is excessive sensitivity to high levels of humidity.

But also a negative feature is the large number of hollow fruits in the harvest. It is emphasized that when using fertilizers and preparations against pests, the specific characteristics of the species should be taken into account. This means that not all universal remedies are suitable for Lord, and you need to look for special remedies.

Bush care

The following agrotechnical practices are suitable for Strawberry Lord:

Moderate watering. Drying out the soil, as well as stagnant water, affect the health of the bushes

Pay special attention to strawberries from early spring until the first berries form. Timely fertilizing twice a season. In the spring, scatter organic matter between the rows, and after fruiting, use a special complex for berry crops. Loosening strawberries and removing weeds. Mulching

Most often, straw is used for these purposes. Shelter for the winter. In warm regions it is not required, since the variety can easily withstand up to -26 °C. Protection from diseases and pests. In this regard, the culture has good immunity.

Keep in mind. Good care will allow you to grow strawberries in one place for up to 5-7 years. The yield and taste of berries will not deteriorate.

A popular method is growing the crop under film. Black cover is used more often. Thanks to this, there is no need to regularly remove weeds and mulch bushes. Harvesting is also convenient, because the berries do not touch the ground.

Growing

When planting this variety of strawberry, it is important to consider some features:

1. The optimal time for planting seedlings is early spring after the end of frost or in August-September, so that the seedlings have time to take root well before frost.
2. Choose your planting area carefully. Rocky, swampy soil and low-lying areas are definitely not suitable. The area where the strawberry beds are located should be well lit, ideally if it is a southern slope.
3. These strawberries cannot be propagated by seeds. The best ways are by cuttings or dividing the bush. It is important to collect planting material only from well-developed, healthy bushes. Stepchildren are taken only from annual plants; two-year-olds are no longer suitable.
4. When planting, it is important to consider the size of the plants so that they have enough space to develop. The optimal scheme is that an area of ​​40*60 cm is allocated for each bush.
5. The holes are made quite deep, but the core is not buried in them, and the roots are placed straight, without tilting.
6. Before planting, ammonia fertilizers are applied to prevent attacks by insect pests and improve the structure of the soil.

Rules for harvesting and storing crops

Harvesting is carried out 8–10 times as it ripens, usually after two to three days. Berries should be picked in the morning, when the dew has disappeared. It is not recommended to collect during rain or extreme heat. Strawberries must be picked carefully, along with the stem, and placed in shallow boxes.

Strawberries make incredibly tasty liqueurs.

Florence strawberries have a significantly longer shelf life (5-6 days) than other varieties (usually 2-3 days). If you haven’t had time to use it fresh, you can make jam, preserves, compote or liqueur. Florence berries tolerate freezing very well - after thawing, their taste practically does not change.

Features of planting on the site

"Lord" is an unpretentious variety. But for successful cultivation, it is necessary to properly plant young plants and regularly care for them, albeit in a minimal amount.

The variety is adapted to the conditions of different climatic zones. It tolerates heat and cold well. The main thing is not to choose swampy places. It is better to start planting Lord's bushes in August-September. In this case, there is confidence that the plants will have time to take root and successfully withstand the winter cold.

Although in areas where spring arrives according to the calendar, there is the possibility of spring planting. If you carry out planting work early - as soon as the soil reaches the required levels and the air masses warm up well - it will be possible to harvest the first harvest this year.

Advice. Despite fruit formation in the first year, it is better to remove the flower stalks. Then next season the harvest will be more abundant and of better quality.

For planting, choose an area on a hill or where groundwater lies deeper than 60 cm. This is due to its superficial root system and intolerance to stagnant moisture. “Lord” likes soil that is loose, light and fertile. To ensure such qualities, the soil on the site is prepared in advance. For autumn planting - a month before the main work. If the bushes are planned to be planted in the spring, the beds should be prepared in the fall so that the soil has time to settle.

Diseases

Gray rot on strawberries
Variety Lord has good immunity, but can still be affected by the following diseases and pests:

1. Gray rot. Appears most often during periods of prolonged rain or when it is cold in the summer. Signs of this disease are a characteristic gray coating such as moss or mold on the leaves and shoots. To cure shrubs, just spray the plants with mustard solution (100 g of powder per bucket of water) or sprinkle with dry powder and remove all damaged parts. This product will also protect against slugs.
2. Strawberry mite. This parasite's activity causes damage to the stems and leaves, the plant loses nutrients and is unable to produce a harvest. To combat this pest, it is better to use the special drug “Actellik”, which is diluted with water in a proportion of 1 ml per 500 ml of water.
3. Stem nematode. The presence of this pest can be determined by specific white spots on the leaves. They get rid of it by spraying strawberries with Horus and Euparen.

Strawberry Lord is the optimal variety in all respects. When growing it, do not forget about care measures, and then you will be pleased with a large harvest of large and tasty berries every year for a long time.

Description of the variety

Strawberries Lord are classified as varieties of medium or medium-late fruiting: in the Central region, the ripening of berries occurs over a rather extended period - from the last ten days of June to mid-July (3-4 weeks).

Spreading Lorde strawberry bushes reach a height of 60 cm. Large leaves of light green color have a wrinkled texture with ribbed edges. During the flowering period (late May - early June), the bush forms from 10 to 15 strong peduncles, on each of which 5-6 ovaries develop. Since large Lord's berries can reach a weight of 90...100 g, the peduncles lie down under the load of fruit. It is recommended to place them on supports. Mulching beds with straw also prevents crops from coming into contact with the soil. Lord is rightfully considered one of the largest-fruited varieties: the average weight of berries is 15...30 g, in favorable conditions the fruits often reach 90...100 g. The shape of Lord's berries can be called rounded-obtuse, the fruits are wide and slightly flattened

The bright red color of the berry also remains intense red when cut. The pulp is juicy and at the same time dense, which is important for transporting the harvested crop. The taste qualities of the Lord variety are estimated at 4.6...4.9 points out of 5 possible

The berries contain up to 11.3% sugars, 1.37% acids and 54 mg% ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Multipurpose berries are suitable for fresh consumption, processing and deep freezing. The yield of the variety reaches 1.5 kg per bush, which in terms of area is 150...190 c/ha. Strawberry bushes Lord tolerate the winter of the Middle Zone well - down to -26 degrees below zero. The variety is practically not susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases, and is little damaged by the strawberry mite.