In Russia, in almost every garden there will certainly be a bed (and sometimes a whole clearing) with strawberries. Cultivation of this plant is a rather labor-intensive process, but the result is a juicy, sweet, aromatic, beautiful berry. The Bogota strawberry variety, according to gardeners, produces very large and fragrant berries.
The only problem is that the fruits are uneven, so they are difficult to stack and transport. Based on this, the variety is recommended for growing in personal plots, since there is too much trouble on farms with such berries.
Definitions
In Russia, the berry, which throughout the world is classified as pineapple strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier), is called strawberry, sometimes even “Victoria” (from the first variety imported from England).
The plant was developed by cross-pollination of the Chilean strawberry - Fragária chiloensis (brought from Chile by the French traveler Amédée François Frezier in 1714) and the Virginia strawberry - Fragária virginiana (the variety was introduced to Europe in 1623, planted in Paris). The famous French botanist Antoine Nicolas Duchesne, who received Chilean strawberries and planted them simply next to Virginia strawberries, received after some time a new plant with qualities inherent in the two ancestors: winter hardiness (from Virginia) and large-fruitedness (from Chilean).
The name strawberry, historically used in Russia, has long been associated among all gardeners exclusively with pineapple strawberries (Fragaria ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier), in England it is called Strawberry, in France - Fraise.
Landing
In order for the variety to show all its advantages, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for the plant. The heat-loving variety should be planted in the spring, since if planted in late autumn, it simply will not have time to take root sufficiently.
The best place to grow Triple Crown is a sunny area, where the berries grow large and sweet. Blackberries planted in the shade produce a low-quality harvest - the berries will be smaller and more sour.
The soil requirements are the most democratic: in the historical homeland there are basically no black soil varieties, so Triple Crown grows well on clay soils with a slightly alkaline reaction. To deoxidize the soil, fluff lime should be added, or it is better to use wood ash - at the same time, the soil will be saturated with a whole complex of necessary minerals. Increased rates of organic fertilizers are added to sandy soils, and sand is added to clayey soils.
The gardener should not worry about soil moisture - the root system of an adult bush is capable of providing the plant with water from a depth of up to 1.5 m. At the same time, blackberries will definitely not tolerate waterlogging of the site, so the depth of the aquifers in the site is important. If this value is less than 2.0 m, blackberries are planted on hills or high beds are formed.
If we compare the fruiting time of the Triple Crown with other popular varieties, it is approximately the same time as the Thornfree variety and 7-10 days earlier than the Chester variety.
Step-by-step instruction
The bush grows and bears fruit in one place for up to 15 years - during this period the plant removes many microelements from the soil. When preparing a planting hole, you should provide a supply of nutrients for 2-3 years of growth.
Complex heterogeneous composition - step by step preparation process:
Mix the soil selected from the hole with 20 kg of humus and 1 liter of wood ash. Divide the mixture into 2 parts. Add 75 g of superphosphate to the 1st part - you get a composition for root growth, pour it into the bottom of the hole. The second part of the prepared soil set aside is used to fill the upper part of the planting hole.
- Before planting, the root system of the seedling is kept for 12 hours in any root formation stimulator, for example, in the root.
- A seedling is placed in a planting hole filled to half the depth with the 1st composition (for roots).
- Its roots are carefully straightened and watered with at least 10 liters. water.
- Fill the hole to the top with the 2nd composition of soil (the root collar should be buried approximately 2.0 cm.)
- Mulch the root zone with loose humus or compost.
After planting, the seedling is shortened to 3-4 buds above ground level - this pruning stimulates the development of the root system.
Bogota strawberries: description of the variety
Reviews from amateur gardeners about growing this plant vary, which is easily explained by the characteristics of the variety. Bogota strawberries freeze even in relatively warm winters in the Non-Black Earth region. The State Register recommends the variety for cultivation in the North Caucasus region.
The height of the bushes can be up to thirty centimeters, although the plants are quite compact. When cultivating, it should be taken into account that dense, fairly heavy berries can hang down and lie down, so the compactness of the bush in this case does not provide grounds for close planting. Plants should be placed in a row at a distance of at least thirty centimeters from each other, or even more (in the case of well-fertilized, moist soils). The distance between rows should not be less than sixty centimeters. For amateur farms, we can recommend the checkerboard method of planting: a cage measuring 40x40 centimeters, a bush in the center.
Large, rounded leaf blades of the Bogota strawberry are inclined at a slight angle to the central stem. The bright green, wrinkled leaves are dense and leathery to the touch. The petioles of the leaves are covered with soft hairs. Elastic and thick pedicels rarely grow higher than the leaves, remaining almost equal to the bush.
Characteristics of Elvira
Elvira’s bush is quite powerful and medium-sized. Spreading is strong. The leaf blades are medium-sized, green with an emerald tint. The flower stalks are strong, but under the weight of ripe fruits they still fall to the ground.
The fruits are quite large, conical in shape, and have a neck. The color of the skin of the berries is bright red, the surface is glossy. The shell is covered with yellow achenes; they are buried shallowly in the pulp.
The flesh itself is red in color, has a fairly dense structure, but does not crunch when bitten. The pulp is juicy and exudes a pleasant strawberry aroma.
The taste is good. The fruits are very sweet and have a slight hint of acidity.
Fruits of universal use. They can be eaten fresh, processed, or frozen.
The berries tolerate transportation well over long distances, as they have a dense structure. Also, they have a long shelf life, which is why they are in great demand in commercial circles.
Elvira's fruiting period is quite extended and stable. Fruits do not tend to “pea” at the end of the growing season. The average weight of berries throughout the growing season varies between 30-40 grams. The first fruits are somewhat larger and can weigh up to 60 grams.
Elvira's productivity is excellent. From 1 bush, with normal care, you can collect from 0.5 to 1 kg.
Elvira has a fairly strong immune system. It is rarely affected by fungal diseases. In addition to good immunity, Dutch garden strawberries can boast of high frost resistance, which is a huge advantage when grown in the Russian Federation.
Bogota strawberries: description
The red fruits, called berries, of strawberries (pineapple strawberries) are nothing more than an overgrown receptacle. And the fruits - small brown nuts - are located on the surface of the berry itself.
In good, consistently hot weather and an established irrigation system, it is the size of the berries that attracts Bogota strawberries. Reviews from gardeners paint a colorful picture of the taste, aroma and juiciness of the berries. When cut, the color of the strawberry is pink almost all the way to the core. The aroma is persistently strawberry, pronounced. The taste is gently sweet, with a slight sourness, the aftertaste is long, not cloying.
The shape of the fruit is a comb-like truncated cone for the largest fruits, while for smaller berries it is simply a slightly truncated cone.
Bogota strawberries are distinguished by very different fruit sizes. The description of the variety would be incomplete without mentioning this feature. The average weight of the berries is from 13.5 to 15 grams; large specimens can reach 100-120 grams. When harvesting, it is precisely this feature (too different sizes) that makes it impossible to stack the berries for normal transportation, although the fruits have very good elasticity and, accordingly, keeping quality.
Bogota strawberries are recommended for fresh consumption.
Vikoda
This Dutch non-repairing variety is distinguished by its very late ripening period. Whiskers are formed in small quantities, mainly in the first year of the plant’s life. The variety can be propagated by dividing the bush into horns. Plants are resistant to winter and interseasonal cold, verticillium, and gray rot. Leaves are susceptible to leaf spot. Mature bushes are erect, dense, multi-horned, with a large number of peduncles. The yield of one plant is 0.5 - 0.7 kg of berries.
The first fruits in a cluster are often flattened-ribbed, fasciated - formed from several fused ovaries. The size of such comb-shaped berries can reach 90 - 120 g. The remaining ovaries are teardrop-shaped with a small neck; they are poured up to 30 - 50 g; "trifle" is rare. The skin is dark red, matte, with a burgundy tint. The tip of the fruit remains green for a long time. Fully ripened berries have improved taste, but reduced transportability. The pulp is dense, moderately fragrant, sour-sweet, with cherry notes.
Features of cultivation and care
Bogota strawberries are one of the late-ripening varieties. This allows the berries to ripen in favorable hot conditions (in fact, this was intended during selection). But dry weather can easily affect the size and juiciness of the fruit. Well-established watering is the main feature of growing the Bogota strawberry variety. Feedback from gardeners leaves no doubt about the need to comply with the timing and volume of watering.
Caring for Bogota strawberries is no more difficult than caring for all others. Loosening, weeding, fertilizing and mulching (if necessary) before fruiting begins, loosening and pruning (not tearing off) the mustache - during the fruiting period, fertilizing, loosening, removing damaged (old) shoots - before wintering.
Reviews from gardeners
Strawberries, or garden strawberries, of the “Bogota” variety are large-fruited varieties, which, judging by numerous reviews, are very popular with Russian gardeners. The berries have convex seeds. The main color of the berry is dark red, very beautiful.
This large-fruited variety can be considered a standard of taste. The appearance of the harvested crop is highly marketable, which is why the variety has become popular for cultivation for further sale. In addition, the collected berries tolerate transportation well without losing their appearance or taste.
Preparing for winter
In the warm winters of the North Caucasus region, shelter is not required for Bogota strawberries. When grown in central Russia, when the temperature can drop for a long period below twenty-five degrees with low snow cover, the plant requires shelter. It is best to cover the bushes before wintering with spruce branches or cut plants, but they need to be covered only after a steady (but small - down to minus one or two degrees) drop in temperature below zero. If you close the bushes in advance, the strawberries will begin to get wet and then rot. But even a shelter cannot guarantee against freezing. A fairly good result is ensured by planting followed by sheltering in polycarbonate greenhouses, which is what owners of small plots usually use, getting a large harvest of Bogota strawberries (the berries are large and heavy) almost a month earlier than those grown in natural conditions without shelter.
Plant propagation
- The most commonly used vegetative methods are mustaches or dividing the bush. When propagating by mustache, the strongest and most viable strawberry bushes are selected. All flower stalks are cut off from them so that the plants produce more young shoots. Choose 2 rosettes that form closest to the mother plant. After the roots form, the seedlings are watered and loosened every other day.
The seedlings are transferred to a permanent location when 4-5 leaves have formed on them and the roots have grown to 6-7 cm in length.
- Growing using seeds. Before planting, the seed material is placed in the refrigerator for 3 months, wrapped in a damp cloth or gauze. 3 days before planting, the seeds are soaked in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. The soil mixture for seeds consists of soil, peat, sand and humus, taken in equal parts. To get rid of harmful microorganisms, pour boiling water over the soil or place it in the oven for 15 minutes. The seeds are slightly pressed into the soil and covered with cling film on top. Plants are ventilated if condensation forms on the film. After emergence of shoots, the film is removed. When 1-2 true leaves are formed, the seedlings are placed in separate containers.
How to plant strawberries: general recommendations
Bogota strawberries will produce a good harvest if there is sun for at least eight hours a day. It should be grown in well-lit places, forming ridges, ridges, and furrows. If the land allocated for the berry garden is dry, furrows can be formed without raising them high above the ground. If the soil holds moisture well or the groundwater is close, you can form high beds with sides made of boards or ridges.
If there is no space on your plot, you can try growing Bogota strawberries on a vertical ladder or pyramid.
Ideal for mulching are chopped hay, mown grass no more than ten centimeters high, pine litter, non-woven material, or worse - dark film. A layer of mulch inhibits moisture evaporation, creates a microclimate that maintains humidity and creates ideal conditions for plant nutrition.
Landing
An important point is the selection of a landing site. It should be:
- well lit;
- without wind and drafts;
- on a hill;
- without nearby groundwater.
Sandy loam and loam with the addition of humus and nutritional components are suitable for Bogota strawberries. Prepare the area in advance by carefully digging it up and removing weeds. The nutrient mixture can be applied to the entire area or pointwise to each hole during planting.
A distance of 30-35 cm is maintained between the bushes, and up to 60 cm is left between the rows. Holes are dug at least 20 cm deep. The seedling is planted without deepening the apical bud (growth point).
After planting, the soil is watered abundantly and mulched with straw, peat or humus. Young strawberry seedlings need regular watering, otherwise the rooting process may be delayed.
A variety planted in spring is able to bear fruit in the first year. But it is better to leave one peduncle with several flowers and remove the rest. This way the bush will get stronger and bring a voluminous harvest next season. Autumn planting is carried out no later than September, so that the plant has time to take root before the first frost.
Requirements for soils and fertilizers
Strawberry berry fields cannot be created on lands whose predecessors were tomatoes and potatoes - it is impossible to use such soil for four years.
From this point of view, sawdust cannot be used as mulch, since it changes the acidity of the soil, which Bogota strawberries absolutely cannot tolerate, as well as all other varieties.
Manure for strawberries is considered the best fertilizer, but it can only be applied in early spring, when the plant is still practically dormant.
It is strictly forbidden to add mineral fertilizers before planting the mustache in August.
Harvesting and how to preserve Bogota strawberries for the winter
If you need to save strawberries for several days, take them to the market or as a gift for relatives, then harvest them in the morning, after the dew has disappeared and before the berries warm up in the sun. Pluck together with the stalk and place in a shallow container. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 3-5 days. For personal consumption and processing on the same day, you can pick strawberries at any time of the day. At the same time, remove dry, rotten, damaged fruits from the garden into a separate container.
Bogota is a very beautiful and tasty berry. They eat it fresh straight from the garden or prepare everyone’s favorite dessert - strawberries with milk, cream or sour cream. Small fruits can be used for whole-fruit canning: jam, confiture, compote, candied fruits. You can dry the berries in the oven or in a dryer and add aromatic strawberries to tea in winter.
Dried strawberries - a fragrant addition to tea, baked goods and desserts
Freeze large berries whole, or better yet, grind them with sugar, place them in small containers and store them in the freezer. This delicacy will preserve the taste and aroma of summer for a long time. In addition, frozen strawberries can be used for cosmetic purposes all year round: bite off half of the berries and eat them, and wipe your face and neck with the pulp of the other half. When the juice dries and begins to tighten the skin, wash your face. Those who are not afraid of colds can enjoy and wipe their face with another ice berry, the effect will be better.
