Description of the “Black Strawberry” variety, an unusual berry with a characteristic sourness

Description of the variety and photo

This unusual variety was called “Black Prince” and was originally bred in the USA. Unfortunately, it was not very suitable for Russian conditions and already in the middle zone it took root poorly due to its poor frost resistance.

Italian breeders corrected this deficiency by creating their own “Black Prince,” which could withstand lower temperatures. In Russia, they first began to grow this strawberry in greenhouses, but gradually this crop migrated to open ground.

The variety has the following features:

• this variety of garden strawberry is capable of bearing fruit for 5 – 7 years, sometimes this period can even be extended with good care for another 2 years;
• It is believed that plantings can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees, but they tolerate drought worse;
• the berries ripen in mid-June, and fruiting continues throughout the summer;
• one bush can produce 0.8 - 1.2 kg of berries per season; Moreover, the older the plant, the more productive it is;
• from one hundred square meters you can harvest up to 200 kg of crop;
• The black strawberry bushes are tall, of unusual shape, and from a distance they even look like young potato or tomato tops.

Transplanting

A couple of days before planting, the roots of the seedlings are disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and to stimulate growth they are soaked in a special solution such as “Epin”, “Zircon”.

Information: Planting must be done on a cloudy day, otherwise the seedlings will have to be provided with shade using improvised means.

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Then you can start planting bushes in open ground. It should be taken into account that according to the description of the variety, the Black Prince strawberry is a rapidly growing spreading bush, so the distance between holes and row spacing should be at least 40 - 50 centimeters.

A hole is made 12-15 centimeters deep, first spilled with half a liter of water, then a rosette is placed in it, the roots are carefully straightened, sprinkled with earth, compacted and watered again. It is important to ensure that the so-called “heart” is 1-2 centimeters above the ground. After the water has been absorbed, cover the bed with mulch.

Characteristics of the berry

These strawberries become black already during the period of final ripening, sometimes remaining very dark red. Since the berries on one bush ripen unevenly, outwardly the combination of red and black looks very beautiful.

These berries also have a number of characteristic features:

• as a rule, their shape is cone-shaped;
• the weight of one berry can reach 50 g, and it does not become smaller by the end of fruiting;
• the pulp is dense, without voids;
• due to the previous quality, the berries can be stored for up to 2 weeks without deformation;
• the taste is strawberry, has a characteristic sourness;
• sometimes the seeds seem too large, but this is not for everyone.

Growing

For successful fruiting, you should choose good soil for strawberries.

Selecting a location

1. Before planting the variety, you should choose light soil and fertilize it well. In clay areas, Black Prince will not produce a large harvest.
2. The beds should be located in areas where there is a lot of sun and little cold wind. Plants do not grow well if the groundwater level is high. When there is no other place, it is necessary to make high ridges with reliable drainage underneath.
3. When preparing a planting site, you should add organic matter there in advance and treat the soil with peat-humic fertilizers. The bed should not be located near eggplants or potatoes.
4. The best neighbors for the variety are cereals, onions and garlic, and legumes. They should also be planted directly between strawberry bushes.

Types of reproduction

Propagation is traditional for all varieties of garden strawberries.

Use 3 methods:

• using a mustache;
• dividing the bush;
• seeds.

Usami

This method is considered natural, and therefore the most successful. In central Russia, these strawberries are planted in late August - early September. Before winter, the rosette takes root successfully.

It is believed that mustaches with rosettes should be chosen from those closest to the main bush; they are more resilient. Some gardeners bend the rosette to the ground with wire or a special frame (they are sold in specialty stores), allow it to take root, and only then separate it from the tendril. Such a transplant is considered gentle for the plant.

Dividing the bush

This strawberry variety has one drawback - it only forms mustaches during the first 3 years. The rest of the time the bushes will have to be divided. When choosing detachable shoots, pay attention to the presence of an upper bud and at least 3 others; there must be a strong rosette.

Growing from seeds

This option is the most labor-intensive and not always reliable; sometimes the properties of grown fruits are not completely transmitted through the seeds. In addition, if you are planting this variety for the first time, and there are no neighbors with seedlings nearby, you have to buy them. And most often, “The Black Prince” has to be ordered by mail, which has its own risks.

The optimal time for planting seeds in greenhouses or home greenhouses is February. After 2 weeks, shoots appear. After another 2 weeks, the plants can already be picked.

Caring for garden strawberries Black Prince

In order for this variety to consistently bear fruit well and not suffer from various diseases, it is necessary to provide it with adequate care.

Watering

Black Prince is a moisture-loving strawberry. The greatest need for water in strawberries is observed immediately after planting and during flowering. With all the love for watering, it is worth noting that this crop does not tolerate stagnation of water in the soil. If you overwater strawberries, the risk of root system rotting will increase. Also, too much watering has a bad effect on the taste of the berries; they become too watery, lose their sweetness, and their shelf life is reduced.

It is best to water the bushes once a week. It is advisable to use a drip irrigation system. Also, it is best to water strawberries either in the early morning or evening, when the sun is in its inactive phase.

Fertilizer for garden strawberries

In order for the Black Prince to produce a good harvest, it needs to be fed well. The feeding scheme is as follows:

1. At the beginning of spring, garden strawberries need nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
2. In the flowering and ovary formation phase, strawberries need nutrients. Therefore, the plant is fertilized with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
3. After harvesting, strawberries are fed with organic matter. It will help the bushes to winter well.

We also recommend reading: Description of the strawberry variety Zephyr

Pests and diseases

Despite the fact that the Black Prince has a fairly strong immune system, he may still encounter a number of problems:

1. Verticillium. Symptoms of this disease include darkening of the leaves (they turn brown) and curling. If verticillium has heavily invaded the plant, then it is easier to remove it from the site. If the lesion is small, then the bushes are treated with special insecticides.
2. White spotting. When a plant encounters this disease, white spots appear on its shoots and leaves. Over time, the spots become larger and merge. As soon as this disease has been discovered, the bushes need to be treated with special pesticides, which can be purchased in specialized stores.
3. Strawberry mite. This is a very dangerous pest for garden strawberries. When the parasite settles on a plant, the foliage becomes paler. Treatment consists of treating the culture with a solution of colloidal sulfur (8 g of the substance is diluted in a bucket of water).
4. Aphid. When infested by these parasites, strawberry leaves begin to curl and dry out. In addition to their activities, aphids are very attractive to garden ants. If there are few aphids, then they can be collected manually. If there are a lot of parasites, then the bushes need to be treated with garlic solution. To prepare it you will need the following ingredients: 200 g of onion and garlic, 100 g of dandelion juice and a bucket of water.

Landing

Planting seedlings has its own characteristics:

• heavy soils are not suitable for these strawberries; if the site has black soil, dilute it with river sand;
• when choosing a place to plant, choose one that is protected from the wind and without changes in height; it should be flat or at least with a slope to the south;
• It is better to choose carrots or onions as neighbors for the prince of your vegetable garden, but this strawberry does not favor cabbage and eggplant next to it;
• Before planting, find out the acidity of the soil; it should be neutral or slightly acidic; for reduction, dolomite flour is usually used;
• before planting, the bed must be dug to a depth of 30-40 cm, mixing the soil with humus or manure;
• the distance between planting holes in a row should be about 40 cm, and between rows - 50, keep in mind that the variety is bushy.

IMPORTANT! In the first 2-3 weeks, seedlings require constant, abundant watering.

How to grow properly

Strawberries of the Black Prince variety are grown according to standard principles:

1. First you need to prepare the area. It should be well illuminated by the sun, moisture should not stagnate in the soil. It is necessary to get rid of weeds, dig up and loosen the soil substrate.
2. Dig holes, depth 20 cm, width 18-22 cm.
3. Pour warm, settled water into each well. Rainwater will be very useful, so it is recommended to collect it in barrels or other containers and use it for watering plantings.
4. After the water is absorbed, lower a seedling into each hole. Place it vertically, carefully straightening the roots.
5. Sprinkle soil on top, level, compact. Water the top and mulch. Sawdust, straw, and agrofibre are used as mulch materials. With the help of mulch, moisture is retained in the soil longer, weeds grow less, and the berries do not come into contact with the ground and are not exposed to fungus.

Top dressing

It comes in two types: liquid and foliar, which is scattered around the bushes.

When adding these substances, you must adhere to the following principles:

• in the spring, do not forget about nitrogen fertilizers, this increases the growth of green mass; It is best to use saltpeter or urea;
• During the flowering period, phosphorus fertilizing is necessary; as a rule, it is superphosphate;
• The ripening of berries is enhanced by mineral compounds.

Major diseases

It is believed that the Black Prince variety is not very susceptible to diseases. But there is a list of the main plant diseases that can still affect these strawberries:

• verticillium; a very dangerous disease, it is believed that it is transmitted from nightshades; characterized by yellowness of the leaves and damage to the cuttings; there is no treatment as such, so you need to carefully select planting material;
• gray rot; affects both leaves and berries with gray-brown spots; treated by spraying with Bordeaux mixture;
• late blight; the leaves begin to dry out in patches; use metaxil for spraying immediately after the leaves bloom;
• anthracnose fungus; occurs due to high humidity in the garden bed;
• powdery mildew; characterized by a gray coating; destroyed with a solution of soda ash.

Treatment of beds after harvest

After the harvest is finally harvested, the beds need to be prepared for wintering:

• remove the mulch to prevent fungi and pest larvae from growing there;
• cut off dry and yellow leaves and burn them;
• weed the bed so that the roots are completely covered with soil;
• add humus, manure or vermicompost to the soil;
• water the beds generously several times before the first frost;
• cut off all the tendrils, but keep the green foliage where nutrients accumulate;
• cover with breathable material until frost begins.

Pests

Sometimes they actively appear in the beds:

• slugs, snails; these pests also eat berries; you can fight them with infusion of tobacco leaves; Trap jars with sweet baits help a lot;
• strawberry weevil; gnaws through young leaves; he is repelled by an ordinary infusion of wood ash or mustard powder;
• strawberry leaf beetle; it is driven away by an infusion of wormwood.