Festival strawberry: description of the variety with characteristics and reviews, features of planting, cultivation and care, photos

Festival Strawberry is an old domestic variety with a medium ripening period. The variety was bred at the Pavlovsk experimental station. The following varieties were used to create it:

Abundant.
Premier.

Since 1958, Festivalnaya has undergone experimental state tests in different regions of our country. In 1965, the variety was included in the State Register. This variety is approved for cultivation in the following regions of our country:

Severny.
North-West.
Volga-Vyatka.
North Caucasus.
Central Chernozem.
Central.
Srednevolzhsky.
Nizhnevolzhsky.
West Siberian.
Uralsk.
East Siberian.

Despite the fact that the culture is quite old, the variety still remains one of the most popular among gardeners.

Below you will find a detailed description of the variety, photos of this amazing strawberry and reviews from gardeners.

Origin and description of the variety

In 1926, the Pavlovsk experimental station of the VIR was organized 30 km from Leningrad. The company still operates today, specializing in selection, propagation, and production of elite seeds of vegetable, ornamental, fodder, fruit, and berry crops. In 1954, at this station, as a result of crossing two strawberry varieties, Obilnaya and Premier, Festivalnaya seedlings were obtained. The author is Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Yu. K. Katinskaya. The new variety entered state testing in 1958, and in 1965 it was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, as recommended for cultivation in nine Russian regions:

Severny;
North-West;
Central;
Central Black Earth;
North Caucasus;
Srednevolzhsky;
Nizhnevolzhsky;
West Siberian;
East Siberian.

Festival and many other varieties are mistakenly called strawberries. But according to its botanical characteristics, the crop is a large-fruited garden strawberry. It is as a wild strawberry that Festivalnaya is included in the State Register.

Video: how the Festival strawberry sings

Festival strawberries: reviews from gardeners

Alexey, 55 years old, Barybino: “I get great pleasure from my long-term hobby of growing a garden dugout. The very first variety that I planted was the Festival strawberry, and I still have it today along with other varieties that my wife and I selected. My children loved the festival, and my grandchildren love it. I try to instill in them my gardening experience.” Margarita, 38 years old, Novosibirsk: “Our Festival strawberries were planted by my grandmother more than three decades ago. We replant it every year, propagate it, and this is how it lives with us for so long. I gave it to neighbors in the garden, everyone really likes this variety. And even more so for my children!” Vladimir Gennadievich, 31 years old, Novgorod I got acquainted with the Festivalnaya strawberry variety about a couple of years ago. I bought seedlings. I like the berry - juicy and large. In the second year the berries were smaller, but the taste was just right! One bush produces 500-600 grams. Very satisfied!

Characteristics of the strawberry variety Festivalnaya

Medium ripening variety. The first berries ripen from June to July, depending on the region. Fruiting is long, the harvest is harvested in several stages. The bush is tall, powerful, but compact. Clusters of berries are always clearly visible from under the leaves. Peduncles, tendrils, leaf petioles are thick and juicy. The leaves are dark green, with clearly defined teeth along the edges. The berries are scarlet, glossy, often irregular in shape: conical, round, trapezoidal, flattened. The first, largest ones grow up to 35 g, then become smaller. Therefore, the average weight of the fruit is 10 g. The achenes are not pressed into the skin and are located superficially. The pulp is dense, red, juicy. Experts rate the taste as good.

Festivalnaya berries often have an irregular flattened shape, their skin is shiny, and the achenes are not pressed in.

Description of strawberries

Brief botanical description:

Bushes. Vigorous, well-leafed, compact. The foliage is abundant and erect.
Leaves. Large, dark green, matte. The surface is wrinkled and ribbed.
Mustache. Reddish in color. They grow intensively, produce a lot of rosettes - up to 30 pieces per bush.
Peduncles. There are more than 15 pieces on one bush. Strong and thick, located at the level of the leaves or below, bending under the weight of the berries.
Inflorescences. Contains several large white flowers. There are 40-50 ovaries on one bush.
Fruit. The shape is oval, slightly flattened. The surface often has longitudinal grooves on both sides. The color of ripe berries is bright red. The surface is shiny, glossy. Easily detached from the stalks. The pulp is juicy, of moderate density.

The main value of the berries of the Festivalnaya variety is their usefulness. This variety is the leader in vitamin C content. Biochemical composition of the berries:

sugar – 5.7-11.5%;
acid – 1.1-1.8%;
Vitamin C – 73.5-85%.

Planting strawberries

The planting time depends on the availability of planting material in your region. For example, fruit nurseries in Western Siberia sell strawberry mustaches in early spring and in July - August. If you have your own plantation, then take into account one feature of the Festival - its mustache appears before the berries. If you do not remove them, you will lose them in the harvest. This means that your own strawberries need to be planted after harvesting, preferably at the end of summer, when the rainy season begins.

Strawberry seedlings with a closed root system take root more easily

Usually, it is recommended to allocate a sunny place for all fruit and berry crops, but Festivalnaya, like many strawberries, grows well in partial shade, for example, under the spreading crowns of apple and pear trees. Do not plant strawberries after potatoes, tomatoes, or raspberries. Avoid being around them. These crops are affected by the same diseases and pests as strawberries. Prepare the soil before planting according to established rules. Spread 1-2 buckets of humus or compost and 2 cups of ash evenly over 1 m². If there is no organic matter, buy organomineral fertilizers for strawberries: Fertika, Gumi-Omi, Agros, Ogorodnik, Clean Sheet, etc.

Video: planting strawberries

The planting pattern is 50x50 cm, but 60x60 cm is also possible, then the grown bushes will not be covered with leaves, but will be ventilated from all sides.

Strawberry plantings can be compacted with garlic or onions. Neighboring crops will receive watering and fertilizing at the same time as the strawberries. As a result, from one garden bed, with the same effort and expense, you will get an additional effect - a good harvest of onions or garlic. In strawberry beds you can grow compact fragrant plants that will repel pests: dill, cumin, chamomile, calendula, low-growing marigolds, etc.

To get rid of weeds, keep the soil moist, and avoid gray mold, the beds before planting are covered with an opaque covering material, the edges are sprinkled and holes are made for the seedlings. Another option is to lay mulch, which will serve as a layer between the berries and the ground. Hay or straw is ideal.

For a high yield, you should follow simple planting rules

choose beds with light and loose soil, loamy and sandy loam
It is not recommended to use soil after tomatoes or potatoes. But the predecessors, legumes, beets, carrots and greens, will be beneficial.
illumination does not matter - sun or partial shade
protect from strong constant wind
strawberries are not afraid of groundwater, a distance of 2-2.5 m is sufficient
Before planting, it is necessary to thoroughly dig up and fertilize with manure or peat, and also use potassium fertilizers and superphosphate.
in the prepared hole, straighten the roots of the seedlings, water with warm water, sprinkle with soil, compact and water well again

Due to their unpretentiousness, strawberries can be planted at any time of the year, from spring to late autumn. It is most convenient to plant seedlings in rows, leaving a distance of 20 cm between bushes.

The prepared bed is covered with dark covering material, the edges are covered with earth or weights (boards) are laid. This method greatly helps reduce the number of weeds. Slots and slits are made in the material for planting strawberry bushes. In addition to covering material, you can use straw or sawdust.

Strawberry care

Features of the variety: strong bush, abundance of berries, many mustaches. Festival perfectly tolerates frosty winters. After three years of growing in one place, the yield drops. This must be taken into account when providing care.

The Festivalnaya variety is very productive, the flower stalks fall to the ground under the weight of the berries, so it is better to grow these strawberries in beds covered with non-woven material

Watering

Strawberries love water, including on the leaves, and the soil underneath should always be moist. The roots of this berry are located in the upper 30 cm of soil; you need to water until the soil gets wet to this depth. Before the berries begin to grow and after harvesting (in May, July and early August), arrange sprinkling, during the growth and ripening of the fruits and in the fall, water at the roots. Strawberries need water all season long:

in spring - for the growth of new leaves;
in summer - for filling berries;
after harvest and in the fall - to restore strength and lay flower buds for next year.

Strawberries need to be watered regularly, without long breaks, not allowing even the top layer of soil to dry out. Due to the lack of moisture for 7–10 days, the yield of the current and next year is greatly reduced. Drip irrigation is considered ideal for this crop.

Video: drip irrigation for strawberries

Feeding

You cannot overfeed strawberries, otherwise large, juicy and tender foliage will grow, which is attractive to pests and pathogenic fungi. Such a bush can freeze in winter; it produces few flower buds. It is enough to feed the festival 4 times per season, and not every 10–14 days, as they say on fertilizer packages:

Trimming leaves and tendrils

Throughout the season, remove yellowed, spotted, dry leaves, as well as healthy, but oldest, lower ones that lie on the ground and can become infected with fungi from it.

Even when grown on top of a covering material, the lower leaves of strawberries often turn yellow and dry out.

There are recommendations to cut off all the foliage after harvesting so that diseases and pests do not spread from old leaves to young ones, which grow back after fruiting. But such an operation weakens the bushes, young leaves are damaged, and photosynthesis is disrupted. It is worth mowing and burning all the foliage only in two cases:

There are so many strawberries that it is impossible to look under every bush and cut off the old leaves.
Almost all leaves are infected with diseases and pests.

The situation is similar with mustaches. They also need to be trimmed regularly, as they appear. The sooner you remove it, the more juice will be used for ripening the berries and laying buds for next year. But if the goal is to propagate strawberries, then choose the most productive bushes and remove their flower stalks. Then the plant will give a lot of tendrils and develop strong rosettes on them.

Video: how to distinguish a female bush from a male one

Features of cultivation

Garden strawberries of the Festivalnaya variety are demanding on watering, especially at the time of planting flower stalks. Lack of moisture leads to a halt in plant development, which ultimately negatively affects yields. And not only this season, but also next year.

Judging by the reviews, strawberries are unpretentious to the planting site and can grow in the shade. That is why many gardeners plant the Festivalnaya variety between young trees and garden shrubs. Another advantage is that in partial shade the soil remains moist longer, and this promotes the formation of new flower stalks.

Although there is a fly in the ointment if it rains. Powdery mildew may develop on the Festival strawberry variety due to air humidity and little exposure to the sun. The plantings will have to be treated with fungicidal preparations.

It needs fertilizing during the period of planting flower stalks, fruiting and when preparing beds for wintering. Today, many gardeners, as they write in reviews, refuse chemicals, preferring organics and folk remedies. For Festivalnaya strawberries, any fertilizer that the gardener decides to use is suitable.

As for other agricultural techniques, they are identical for all varieties of strawberries. Plants need to be loosened and treated against insects and pests.

Attention! By planting onions, garlic, and marigolds between the bushes, you will protect Festival strawberries from pests and some diseases.

It should be borne in mind that every year you need to obtain new seedlings for planting. Strawberries can be propagated by any known methods. But it is best to root the tendrils from mother plants. Rosettes rooted in summer will produce a rich harvest of large berries the very next year. And there is much less hassle compared to seed propagation.

Everyone loves Festival strawberries and the reviews about them are rave. But it only bears fruit for a short time. If you want to get a real festival of delicious and aromatic strawberries in your garden, plant varieties with different ripening periods.

Diseases and pests

Festivalnaya has average resistance to diseases.

Table: diseases, pests and methods of control

Disease, pest	Description	Ways to fight
White spot	The leaves are covered with round white spots with a purple or red border.	Fungal diseases accumulate on old plantations. The measures to combat them are the same. Follow crop rotation, do not grow strawberries after unsuitable predecessors. Dig up the strawberry beds every 4 years. Plant healthy seedlings in a new place. In early spring, cut off all dried and yellowed leaves, spray the remaining healthy ones with a solution: HOM (30–40 g per 10 l of water), Skor (2 ml per 10 l), Ridomil (10 g per 4 l) or another fungicide. Repeat spraying 10 days later and after harvesting. Remove from the garden not only good berries, but also rotten, ugly, dried, overripe and damaged ones.
Brown spot	Brown shapeless spots appear on the leaves, between the veins. They enlarge, merge, and the leaves dry out.
Root blight	The bush grows poorly, lags behind the others in development, the leaves turn yellow, the berries are small and covered with brown dry spots. If you dig up such a bush, you can see the roots are red; when cut, they are also brick-colored.
Gray rot	The berries become covered with a gray fluffy coating and then rot. The disease develops in wet weather and can destroy more than half the crop.
Strawberry mite	A dangerous and annoying pest that is very difficult to remove. Microscopic insects (0.2 mm) settle on the most tender parts of strawberries, hidden inside the bush: in the hearts, on flower buds, buds, and young leaves. During the warm season, 4–5 generations develop. Mites suck out the juices, the plant does not develop and looks depressed. The berries become smaller, the leaves become deformed, turn brown and dry out.	In the spring, as soon as the soil dries, remove all dried leaves, weeds, old mulch and other plant debris. Pour hot water over the strawberries - 55–60 ⁰C. From the beginning of the growing season until flowering and after harvesting, spray with a 70% solution of colloidal sulfur at intervals of 2 weeks. You can use acaricide: Actelik (2 ml per 2 liters of water), Iskra M (5 ml per 5 liters), but observe the waiting period.
Raspberry-strawberry weevil	A small bug (2-3 mm) is easily recognized by its long nose - proboscis. Using this rostrum, the female pierces the buds and lays one egg inside each. The larvae eat the contents. The first buds, from which the largest berries could grow, suffer. Until the moment of reproduction, weevils feed on leaves, so the fight must begin long before flowering.	In autumn, when the daytime temperature remains stably below +8... +10 ⁰C, remove weeds and mulch, loosen the ground under the bushes. You will disturb the wintering areas; sleeping beetles and larvae will not be able to hide and will freeze. In the spring, when the air and soil warm up to +10 ⁰C and above, treat with the following insecticide: Vitriol (60 g per 10 l), Intavir (1 tablet per 10 l), etc. Repeat the treatment when the flower stalks begin to emerge. After the strawberries, it’s time for the raspberries to bloom. If it grows in the neighborhood, the pest moves on to it. Therefore, carry out preventive treatment and control in the raspberry field.

Photo gallery: strawberry diseases and pests

Signs of white spotting: round white spots with a burgundy border

Brown, dry spots of irregular shape indicate brown spot infection.

A healthy root is white when cut, but one infected with late blight takes on rusty shades.

The berries are covered with a coating of mycelium gray rot

A bush affected by a strawberry mite loses its strength, the leaves turn yellow, become deformed and dry out.

Immediately after leaving the hibernation, weevils feed on leaves.

Undeveloped, dried buds, affected by weevil, are visible

Shelter for the winter

Festival was bred in the North-Western District, therefore it is characterized by high winter hardiness. If in your region there is a lot of snow already at the end of autumn - beginning of winter, then there is no need to cover the strawberries with anything. You should be afraid for her when it’s already December, it’s frosty outside, and there’s no snow. In this case, be sure to cover the beds with spruce branches, cut shoots of raspberries, gooseberries, agrofibre folded in several layers and other breathable materials. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, remove the shelter, otherwise the strawberries may dry out and rot. Sometimes not removing the shelter in the spring is much more dangerous than not putting it up in the fall.

Video: shelter for strawberries from dill and calendula

Preparing the site

The ideal soil for strawberries is sandy or loamy. The pH reaction is slightly acidic. The area for strawberries should be open and sunny with deep groundwater. Be sure to take care of wind protection.

Garden strawberries do not like strong winds. Preparatory activities include:

Digging the earth to a depth of 0.25 m.
Removing weeds and applying fertilizer.

The best fertilizer would be to mix mullein (6 kg), superphosphate (50 g), and potash fertilizer (20 g). The figures are given per 1 sq. m area. If you prepare the soil in this way, the strawberries will grow and bear fruit well.

Festival Harvest

The most pleasant period when growing Festivalna comes in July. Pick ripe berries every 1–2 days, regardless of the weather. But for the market, transportation and storage (no more than 2 days in the refrigerator), only strawberries picked on a fine morning, when the dew has disappeared and the berries have not yet warmed up in the sun, are suitable.

Festival is good frozen. The last small berries are dried and added to tea. The variety is suitable for preparing winter preparations: preserves, compotes, jam. The healthiest and most delicious treat in winter is fresh strawberries pureed with sugar. The mixture is filled into plastic containers and stored in the freezer. Lovers of delicious alcohol make liqueurs, tinctures, and liqueurs from Festival liqueurs.

The famous dish - strawberries with cream - is not very beautiful, but incredibly tasty

Advantages and disadvantages of the Festival

The variety has been on the plots of domestic gardeners for a long time. They managed to highlight its main advantages and disadvantages. The positive qualities of the Festival include:

High yields.
Good taste of berries.
The fruits are large.
The berries have an attractive presentation.
The variety can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.
The fruits have a universal purpose. They can be frozen, canned, or used fresh.
Festival very quickly adapts to negative external conditions.
Strawberries are easy to propagate as they produce many daughter rosettes.
This variety is suitable for growing in regions with harsh conditions.
The berries are easily transported over long distances due to their dense structure.
This strawberry variety, unlike many others, can withstand growing conditions in partial shade.
The berries are stored in the cellar for a long time.

However, it is worth noting a number of disadvantages. First of all, the disadvantages of the Festival include:

The variety has fairly low immunity, which does not protect it from major strawberry diseases.
The culture does not tolerate heat very well.
During the growing season, the size of the berries will become significantly smaller.

What varieties are best to use for seedlings?

The optimal age for seedlings intended for planting is one year. No damage, a strong root system should be present on bushes of any variety. For example, the following types are welcome:

Zenga-Zengana. The variety of German selection was obtained in the post-war years on the basis of Marne and Sieger strawberries. Large, tasty berries of an angular conical shape of a carmine-red hue with pressed seeds into the fragrant red pulp. Maturation is observed in the late period. The ability to independently recover from damage due to unfavorable climatic conditions has made the variety widespread and beloved in Europe, Russia and now. It is considered resistant to many strawberry diseases. The bushes grow powerful and large. Requires planting at large distances between plants. It is not recommended to make high beds for planting. This helps plants remain resilient during summer drought.
An excellent pupil. The variety has beautiful, tasty berries with a special content of sugar and ascorbic acid. They are recommended for fresh consumption. The weight of the berries is 15 g. The yield reaches record values of 5 kg per 1 sq. m. The species is immune to diseases. It was obtained by crossing the properties of the varieties Junia Smids and Krasavitsa. Strawberry bushes are tall, compact, and easy to care for. The leaves do not form a shadow on the berries, creating conditions for their friendly ripening.
Pendant. Winter-hardy, productive variety that can withstand frost and is not susceptible to disease. Bright, red berries do not spoil even when stored indoors for three days. The pulp is dense, aromatic, ensuring the preservation of excellent qualities during transportation. The type of plant with a medium fruiting period was obtained by crossing Redcoat varieties with Purpurova strawberries. In the second season after planting, the yield reaches 20 kg per sq.m.
Kind has been found. An early variety of early-fruiting berries, obtained by selection of common types of strawberries: Festivalnaya and Purpurovaya. Disease-resistant bushes are distinguished by the appearance of their leaves, which have blunt, large teeth, a horizontal position, a shaggy petiole, and a curved top. The berries are orange in color, with an average weight of 20 g. The pulp is light, sweet, and has high dessert qualities.

History of selection

The strawberry variety “Festivalnaya” was developed in 1954 by Yu.K. Katinskaya at the VNIIR experimental station located in Pavlovsk (Leningrad region). The application for admission was submitted in 1957. The year of inclusion in the State Register was 1965.

The variety was obtained by crossing the large-fruited Premier and Obilnaya varieties. From the first he took resistance to unfavorable conditions, the genes of the second gave high yield, frost resistance and the appearance of the berries.

FAQ

How to prepare Festivalnaya for winter? Strawberries should be fed with potassium fertilizers before the onset of cold weather. Potassium helps strengthen the immune system and ensure good wintering. Also, the strawberry bushes need to be covered with soil and a metal or wooden frame made. With the arrival of winter, agrofibre is stretched over the frame.

What diseases, besides gray rot, are these strawberries susceptible to? “Festivalnaya” has average resistance to verticillium wilt and powdery mildew. It is also often damaged by strawberry mites and nematodes.