Garden strawberries (strawberries) from seeds: useful tips for growing seedlings

Characteristics of the variety

Strawberry Irishka is one of the successful hybrids of recent years, which has gained popularity not only in the middle zone and in the south, but also among gardeners in Siberia, the Urals and the northwestern region. This compact crop has proven its frost resistance (down to –30 °C), as well as high yields in open beds in a wide range of climatic conditions.

Strawberries of the Irishka F1 variety. Photo.

At the same time, Irishka strawberries are one of the best for growing in a greenhouse and are very convenient as a home potted crop. An additional advantage of the hybrid is its declared beardlessness. Although reviews from those who have grown Irishka in practice indicate the growth of a small number of whiskers.

Description of the bushes

The compact bush of Irishka has a height of no more than 25 cm. The leaves are neat, bright green with a gloss. The stems are strong, erect, the rosette of leaves does not lie on the ground. The peduncles are tall, strong, rise above the foliage and perfectly hold the buds. They are placed on the soil only when large berries are poured.

Fruiting of Irishka strawberries begins already in the first season after planting. In the second year of life, the bushes produce the first ripe berries already in May. New buds are formed constantly until the first frost. The Irishka hybrid harvest arrives gradually, without pronounced “waves”. The last ripe berries are collected in October, the remaining unripe specimens and flowers disappear before winter.

Description of fruits

Strawberry Irishka F1 (variety description and photo show the average weight of the fruit is about 25 g) is a crop whose largest berries appear from the second season and can reach 40 g. The size of the fruit is even. Shredding is noticed only in particularly hot seasons.

The shape of the fruit is classic, round with a conical nose. The color of ripened strawberries is bright, dark red. The surface of the fruit is glossy with semi-pressed yellowish seeds. The pulp of the Irishka strawberry is distinguished by its juiciness, high accumulation of sugars and typical strawberry aroma. No voids are formed inside the fruit.

When tasting, a balanced taste with a small amount of sourness is noted.

The bushes simultaneously throw out a large number of flower stalks. With proper feeding and watering, the Irishka variety provides more than 2 kg of marketable berries per plant per season. The bushes tolerate heat well, the berries do not get baked in the sun, but the highest yield is observed in temperate climates.

Planting seeds in prepared soil

Pour soil into special molds or glasses. Press down a little with a spatula and water well. Water must be used that is warm and settled.

In order for the temperature to always remain the same, the container with planted plants must be covered with film. If perspiration appears inside the film, then hydration begins naturally. When the first shoots appear, then it will be possible to remove the cellophane from the molds.

If the inside surface begins to dry out, it will be necessary to water it with water, but not with strong pressure. The main thing is not to overwater, otherwise this will lead to rotting of the sprouts. It is better to water the seedlings with a spoon so that the water falls on the ground and not on the small shoot.

Leaves and stems should not be buried in the ground. Sometimes sprouts may have roots on the surface, so add soil to cover them.

The seedlings are watered a day before picking so that the soil becomes softer. This will help not harm the root system, since they are very small and still poorly developed. Therefore, it is recommended to replant the young plant along with a small amount of soil.

Preparation of planting material and propagation

The most popular way to grow strawberries of your favorite variety is through seedlings. Varietal bushes can be purchased at nurseries or from amateur gardeners. Since the Irishka hybrid is still quite young, it is not easy to find in the form of seedlings, so gardeners often grow strawberries from purchased seeds.

Seed preparation

Propagation of strawberries by seeds is usually recommended only to experienced gardeners. This advice is due to the low germination rate (about 50%) and difficulties with the germination of small grains. However, with appropriate preparation of planting material, growing Irishka is not difficult.

It is recommended to buy seeds for breeding a young hybrid from large agricultural companies with a proven reputation. The period for collecting material is no more than 2 years ago. Fresh seeds, packaged several months before sale, germinate best.

Since Irishka is a first-generation hybrid, as indicated by the F1 prefix in the name, propagation with one’s own seeds does not guarantee a sustainable result. The daughter plants will produce a poorly predictable mixture of varietal bushes and strawberries with characteristics of the parent crops.

For purchased seeds, experienced gardeners carry out the following preparation:

1. Soak in water until swelling. You can add potassium permanganate or Fitosporin to the liquid for disinfection.
2. Sowing in the soil and then placing in the refrigerator for 5–7 days. This technique awakens the seeds, creating a wintering effect for them.
3. You can soak the seeds in water until the sprouts hatch. In this way, the strongest specimens are selected and non-viable or weak material is rejected.

Preparatory work for garden strawberries can begin in February. In this case, by May you can take out already formed bushes with the first flowers into the beds. Sowing can be planned for the spring months until the very end of April. Such seedlings of Irishka will produce the first berries in the second half of summer, closer to autumn.

Sowing seedlings

The soil for sowing Irishka strawberries must be light and loose. When making your own substrate, take no more than 60% of garden soil and add peat, humus, coarse sand, and sawdust. Loosening the soil with perlite or coconut fibers gives good results.

Purchased soil must be kneaded and sifted to destroy lumps. It is also recommended to add loosening components to it. To germinate Irishka seeds, choose common containers with low side heights and mandatory drainage holes.

The process of sowing strawberry seeds of the Irishka variety:

1. The planting boxes are filled with substrate, leaving a few centimeters to the edges.
2. The soil is sprayed and then the seeds are evenly distributed over the surface.
3. It is enough to lightly sprinkle the crops with sand or dry soil on top.
4. Strawberry seeds germinate and take root best at a depth of several millimeters.
5. Sowing Irishka on a layer of snow gives good results. In this case, melt water goes into the soil, drawing the seeds to the required depth.
6. The boxes are then covered with film or covered with glass to create greenhouse conditions.
7. Containers are kept in a well-lit place at a temperature of at least +22 °C. Optimal conditions for rapid emergence of seedlings: +25 °C.
8. The greenhouse is regularly ventilated or several holes are made in the film for ventilation.

Strawberry Irishka shoots should be expected 7 days after sowing. In a cool room, sprouts will appear later. From the moment of mass emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed.

Growing seedlings

After the first cotyledon leaves appear, the crops begin to receive additional light so that the daylight hours for strawberries last at least 12 hours. Sprouts can be grown in cooler conditions, at a temperature of about +16...+18 °C.

Strawberries Irishka F1 are watered with boiled or very soft, filtered water. It is desirable that the liquid be several degrees warmer than the air temperature. Strawberry roots are very tender and are close to the surface. In order not to wash them away, irrigation is carried out by fine spraying or using a teaspoon, carefully, over the soil.

Grown-up strawberry seedlings must be planted in separate glasses or thinned out. Plants with 2 true (toothed) leaves are ready for replanting. When picking, it is important to shorten the long roots and bury the plants in the soil right up to the rosette. This way, roots will begin to grow from the level of the cotyledon leaves, and the thin stem of the seedling will not break.

Strawberries are ready to be taken out into the open air at the 5-leaf stage. But the Irishka hybrid can be grown in a room or in a greenhouse for an unlimited time until favorable conditions arise. The variety develops well and begins to bear fruit in pots, and you can move it to a permanent place at any time.

Rooting a mustache

Although the hybrid is declared by the manufacturers as beardless, in practice Irishka F1 produces a small number of shoots, which can also be used for reproduction. Gardeners recommend leaving no more than 2 first tendrils with young rosettes on each bush.

Irishka may develop 1–2 vegetative shoots per season, which are left only if the variety is required to be quickly propagated. If the mustache becomes larger, they are cut off. Excess greenery and the development of new bushes reduce fruiting.

To root the tendrils of the Irishka variety, it is recommended to pin young rosettes to the soil or sprinkle them with earth. Good results are obtained by leaving the bushes in this form before winter. It is recommended to separate young plants from the mother bush or replant them no earlier than spring.

Site preparation

A special base for sowing is made from three equal shares of sand and humus, consisting of five parts. It is necessary that the humus is already decomposed and crumbles. The prepared mixture is mixed well and sifted.

If you start sowing in the middle of winter in the prepared mixture, the bushes of the grown plants will become larger by the time it is necessary to transplant them into an open plot. The first shoots begin to appear within one month.

Therefore, it is recommended to illuminate the seedlings with a lamp throughout the month, day and night. After a month, the light must be left on for up to ten hours during the day and turned off at night.

It is not recommended to place slightly sprouted seedlings on the sunny side. Because of this, the seedlings may die. It is best to place it in a place where there is more shade.

Preparing the soil and planting site

Strawberry Irishka F1, according to the official description of the variety and numerous photos, is capable of growing in a wide variety of soils. The variety is unpretentious and preparing a site for it is not difficult.

Preparing the soil for planting Irishka garden strawberries:

• removing weeds and digging;
• improving nutritional value by introducing rotted manure (up to 10 kg/sq. m);
• Wood ash (200 g/sq.m.) is well suited for fertilizer.

Strawberry Irishka loves slightly acidic soils, so in areas with a neutral reaction or carbonate soils it is good to use peat or small sawdust as a loosening agent. The applied manure can provide a good basis for fruiting for several years. However, in the spring, before planting, you will need to apply mineral nitrogen fertilizers.

The space allocated for Irishka strawberries also affects its future productivity.

Rules for choosing a site for garden strawberry beds:

1. The groundwater horizon is no closer than 100 cm from the surface.
2. Maximum full sunlight.
3. No cold drafts.
4. No flooding by melt water in spring.

For excellent yields, it is important to follow simple rules of crop rotation. The Irishka variety is not planted in the place where strawberries were grown in the previous season. After 4 years, the place is changed, updating the planting material.

Sowing

Since the Irishka variety does not throw away its mustache, strawberries are propagated by sowing seeds for seedlings. Irishka seeds have a 50% germination rate, so compliance with sowing rules plays an important role. Sowing of seedlings is carried out from the beginning of February until April in containers with prepared soil mixture. The soil for sowing seedlings is prepared with the following composition:

• 3 parts good humus;
• 2 parts of garden soil (crumbly, without lumps or roots);
• 1 part peat from the store.

Fill 10 cm of seedling boxes with this mixture and disinfect them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then, using a ruler, at a distance of 4 cm, draw grooves 3 cm deep, and lay strawberry seeds in them at intervals of 2 cm. Do not sprinkle the seedlings with soil. Cover the boxes with plastic wrap and place them in a warm place, with a temperature of at least 22 degrees Celsius.

Watering is done very carefully, using a spray bottle or syringe, making sure that the seeds are not washed off the surface of the soil base. The film must be removed to ventilate the seedlings for several hours, preventing condensation from appearing on its surface. When shoots appear, the film is removed.

When two true leaves appear on the sprouts, the strawberry seedlings are planted in separate cups or peat tablets.

When the seedlings produce 5-6 good leaves, the strawberries are ready to be planted in open ground.

Landing algorithm

Experts advise planting strawberry seedlings in warm soil after stable warm weather has established. In the case of the Irishka hybrid, you don’t have to wait for the end of the night cold snap. Plants in the ground can survive even short morning frosts.

But to preserve the first flowers, it is still recommended to use temporary film covers or agrofibre. Mulching after planting also protects Irishka’s root system from sudden temperature changes.

Rules for planting Irishka strawberries:

1. The beds are loosened, adding about 50 g of nitroammophoska per 1 sq. m. Then the soil is leveled and plantings are marked.
2. For the Irishka F1 variety, holes are arranged at a distance of 30 cm. Row spacing is left 60–70 cm wide.
3. It is better to place the lines in the north-south direction. This way the strawberries will be evenly illuminated and warmed up.
4. The holes are dug according to the size of the seedlings' earthen clod, and then they are spilled generously with heated water.
5. The seedlings are buried a little more than in planting containers. But make sure that the growing point inside the bush (the so-called “heart”) is not covered with soil.
6. If the seedlings have an open root system, the roots should not bend upward when planting.
7. The soil around each bush is lightly pressed with your palms. Then repeat watering and mulching with any bulk material: sawdust, grass, pine needles, crushed bark.

It is advisable to carry out work in cloudy weather or temporarily shade the plants. The next watering of Irishka is carried out as necessary, but not earlier than 3 days after planting.

Advice for beginning gardeners and strawberry lovers

Strawberry seeds are small and hard to germinate. Not all gardeners have a successful first sowing experience. Possible reasons for “failure”: the initial low quality of the seeds, drying out already swollen seeds, or planting too deep. The optimal seeding depth is 2–3 times the diameter of the seed itself (approximately 3–5 mm). But a certain sleight of hand is required to comply with this requirement, especially if there are a lot of seeds. In addition, when the soil is not compacted enough, watering can cause the seeds to sink deeper, which will damage them. There are several techniques that can increase your chances of success. They may come in handy if you are sowing strawberries for the first time or if you have bought expensive seeds of a valuable variety. Pre-germination – allows you to control seed germination. The seeds are soaked for two to three days in snow or rain water (in a tea saucer), changing it twice a day. At the same time, germination inhibitors in strawberry seeds, which slow down the growth of the embryo, are destroyed. Strawberry seeds, swollen after soaking, are placed in a thin layer on filter or toilet paper placed on a saucer. The paper is soaked in water and the excess is drained. The saucer with strawberry seeds is placed in a whole plastic bag, placed in a warm place in the light (but not in the sun, otherwise you will have to add water often). As soon as the seeds hatch, we take each seed using a sharpened match and plant it in a box filled with loose sifted soil. Sowing in snow reduces the risk of deepening and promotes uniform germination. Snow is laid on top of the substrate prepared for sowing in a layer of 1 cm. Seeds are laid out on the snow and allowed to melt. With melt water, the seeds are slightly drawn into the soil. After this, there is no need to straighten, sprinkle with soil or bury even the seeds remaining on the surface - strawberries germinate both in the dark and in the light. Cover the container with glass or film and keep it in a bright window, ventilating it daily and moistening it with a sprayer if necessary.

picking strawberry seedlings

Stratification – ensures faster, more friendly and stronger shoots. The container with the sown and moistened seeds is kept in the refrigerator for 3–4 weeks, then placed in a warm place for germination.

Go to the main article about strawberries (garden strawberries)

Care

Strawberry Irishka F1 (the variety description and photos from experienced gardeners define crop care as quite standard) does not require additional measures. The maintainability of the hybrid dictates a more attentive approach to fertilizing. Otherwise, the agricultural techniques are simple: strawberries require moist, loose soil and protection from infections.

Spraying and watering

Depending on the weather, the Irishka hybrid is moistened every 14 days or once a week. Watering should not be superficial. The soil under the bushes should be moist 10–15 cm deep.

Mulching helps keep the soil loose and conserve precious moisture. In Irishka's beds, covered with a layer of grass or straw, the soil does not dry out and a surface crust does not form, which means the roots receive adequate nutrition and do not experience oxygen starvation.

Loosening and weeding are regular jobs in strawberry beds. They are carried out about a day after watering. Mulched areas rarely need such work.

Top dressing

With good soil preparation, Irishka strawberries do not need intensive fertilizing in the first season. At this time, it is important to provide plants with comfortable conditions for growing a healthy root system. Some gardeners prefer not to feed young strawberries at all until the fall, and then cover the soil with a layer of humus for the winter.

In the second year of strawberry life, it is fed throughout the season with minerals and organic matter. In the third season, it is recommended to use only mineral fertilizers, and a year later to transplant Irishka to a new, well-prepared place with rejuvenation or partial replacement of bushes.

The remontant variety reaches its maximum yield in the second year. Irishka fruits can be laid constantly. Therefore, you can feed the fertile berry 10 to 15 times per season. It is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizers with the addition of organic matter.

Timing and methods of fertilizing Irishka hybrid:

During breaks between waves of fruiting, compost or rotted manure is spread between the rows before watering Irishka. If the planting of new buds is delayed, additional nitroammophos and potassium nitrate are added. For the winter, it is also recommended to pollinate the beds with ash and mulch with organic fertilizers.

Trimming

Strawberry Irishka F1 (the description of the variety and photos show it as a beardless crop) will not require constant removal of shoots. Single vegetative shoots with rosettes, which occasionally appear on the beds, are used for propagation, so they should not be trimmed.

To prepare bushes for winter, it is not recommended to cut or shorten the above-ground part of the Irishka variety. The bushes go into winter on their own and cope well with frost. Withered foliage is removed in early spring before the central bud awakens.

Optimal conditions

Irishka F1 is a unique hybrid in terms of stability. Strawberries tolerate both heat and cold weather well. Young plants cope well with daily temperature fluctuations.

The variety is able to develop and not lose fruiting at high humidity and is tolerant of a lack of sunlight, which makes it possible to cultivate it in regions of risky agriculture. Thus, in the northwestern region of the country, Irishka performs well both in open ground and under shelters.

The root system of the hybrid survives frosts down to –30 °C without shelter. In areas with harsher winters, it is enough to mulch the plantings and cover them with agrofibre.

Active vegetation and fruiting of Irishka occurs at temperatures close to +20 °C. An increase or decrease in temperature within 5 °C does not affect the formation of buds and the ripening of berries. In extreme heat (above +30 °C) the yield decreases.

Possible diseases and pests, ways to get rid of them

Strawberry Irishka F1 (variety description and photos from different regions are recommended as a crop with high immunity and resistance to most infections) is a crop that, when cared for, with proper root and foliar feeding, as well as timely watering, helps to avoid all types of infections and also repels pests.

In the spring and before wintering, it is recommended to carry out preventive spraying with Fundazol, Quadris or Gaupsin. During prolonged rains in the cloudy season, modern bio-fungicides (Baktofit, Fitoverm) are used to increase the protective functions of strawberries. You can pick and eat berries already on the 3rd day after processing.

Gardeners note the occurrence of chlorosis on the leaves of the Irishka strawberry when planted on carbonate soils. In such cases, the soil should be acidified before planting. To do this, ammonium chloride, urea or potassium salt is added to the digging. The Irishka variety feels great on acidic or neutral soils.

Peculiarities

Gardeners call the hybrid Irishka a strawberry without flaws. Although the berries are not record-breaking in size, the overall yield and extended fruiting are an undoubted advantage.

Other advantages of the Irishka F1 variety:

• early fruiting;
• the ability to harvest throughout the season until the first frost;
• immunity of the crop to garden infections and pests;
• resistance to heat, cold and high humidity;
• excellent appearance and balanced taste of berries;
• Possibility of indoor growing.

The disadvantages of the variety are sometimes called the grinding of Irishka berries during a particularly hot season.

Even with abundant watering, the crop loses yield. But as soon as the heat subsides, Irishka quickly recovers and continues to bear fruit. In this case, autumn berries will be larger than summer ones.

Strawberry Irishka F1 is a valuable hybrid that has gained popularity in all regions of the country. The description of the variety indicates the high resistance of garden strawberries, their excellent productivity in greenhouses, in pots and in the open air. Reports and photos from gardeners confirm the high quality of Irishka’s fruits, as well as its ease of care.