General description of the berry
Caramel Strawberry has its own characteristics that distinguish it from other berries:
- strawberries of the Caramel variety are a remontant large-fruited hybrid of artificial origin;
- medium-sized shrubs up to 30 cm in height;
- the berry bears fruit continuously from June until the first frost;
- the growth is average, but if they are not removed in time, they immediately begin to bloom;
- gardeners note the high level of productivity of the Caramel variety. From one bush you can collect up to 4 kilograms of delicious dessert berries in the first year;
- Caramel strawberries can adapt to growing conditions in pots, but for such purposes you will need special fertile soil and deep containers.
The fruits of the Caramel variety are large with dense pulp, which ensures the safety of the berries during transportation. The diameter of the fruits can reach up to 4 cm. Reviews from gardeners say that strawberries have a bright and rich taste, giving off a caramel aftertaste. The variety can be used either raw or frozen for the winter. In summer, Caramel strawberries make excellent soft drinks and delicious desserts.
Description of the variety
The Polka variety was bred by Dutch breeders and recommended for cultivation in the forest-steppe zone. In Russia, it is most common in the Urals and Siberia.
The assortment is distinguished by long flowering and extended fruiting, and is included in the group of mid-season varieties.
Bushes
Polka bushes are compact, low, up to 15 cm. There are many leaves, the stems are thick and powerful. A large number of strong peduncles hold the medium-sized berries suspended. There are practically no barren flowers. The plant-forming capacity is high and has a tendency to become overgrown.
Berries
The berries turn from green to red, which determines the state of technical ripeness, then gradually darken, gaining flavor and aroma. A fully ripened, conical-shaped fruit is dark red in color with a beautiful gloss. The maximum weight of berries is 60 g. The first berries can be much smaller - about 35 g. By the end of fruiting, the fruits also become much smaller.
How to plant strawberries
Planting strawberries will give the best results if you choose the right place and method of planting. Strawberries of the Caramel variety will feel good on soil with an acidity level of 5.5. For planting the variety, you can choose both black soil and loam. Any type of soil must be supplied with organic and mineral fertilizers before planting Caramel strawberries. It is also important to ensure that the chosen location is protected from drafts. Groundwater should not be closer than 1 meter to the roots.
It is worth remembering that if the soil is light, the Caramel variety will suffer from drought. And if you choose heavy clay varieties, the berries will grow poorly and produce meager yields.
In matters of relief, the site should be flat or close to ideal. It is possible to plant the Caramel variety on small slopes, but the slope of which is no more than 2 degrees. The variety will grow best in a southwestern plot of land. Caramels will grow in one place for no more than 5 years, after which it must be transplanted to the correct place. After 3-4 seasons, berry productivity decreases even with the application of appropriate fertilizers. Some gardeners plant the Caramel variety in the rows of fruit trees, which are powerful natural green manures.
How to choose the right strawberry variety
In order for purchased strawberry seedlings to acclimatize well in garden beds, actively grow and produce excellent yields, you need to choose the right varieties. How to do this will be discussed below.
By region
Typically, strawberry seedlings sold are accompanied by an annotation describing the variety and recommended growing regions.
It is very important to follow the instructions for planting in certain climatic conditions, since not all varieties of strawberries and garden strawberries can grow in areas with cold, short summers, are able to survive a harsh winter and not freeze (even if the bushes of these cultivated plants were covered).
According to the characteristics of the variety
You should also pay attention to the characteristics of the variety, including their winter hardiness, disease resistance, the need for special care after planting and other properties inherent in certain varieties of this berry plant.
In addition, in many regions the spring and summer periods can be rainy, in which case strawberry varieties should be grown that are resistant to changes in weather conditions and most diseases.
What crops should not be planted next to strawberries?
Almost any plant can be planted next to this variety of strawberries, except those that produce a lot of shoots. You should not allow raspberries, plums, blackberries and apricots to be present next to Caramel strawberries. Horseradish should also not be planted due to the high speed at which the plant spreads over the entire area.
Vegetable crops such as lettuce, beans, basil, garlic and onions are considered the best neighbors for the berry. You can plant Caramel strawberries next to celery, cucumbers, and nightshade crops.
Main stages of planting
Caramel strawberries are a type of berry that won’t take much time to plant if you follow simple recommendations step by step:
- It is recommended to prepare the bed for Caramels in the autumn. When digging, it is definitely recommended to add humus along with compost and certain types of mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers such as wood ash, as well as those containing potassium and phosphorus, will be useful.
- To disinfect the soil a day before planting, many summer residents treat the beds with a solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate. Vitriol will need a couple of tablespoons per bucket of water. Consumption will be required in equal proportions of 1 liter per 1 square meter of area.
- Gardeners recommend planting any variety of strawberries in cloudy weather. In hot weather, strawberry leaves can be torn off, and in the first week, the plants can be suppressed using newspaper or grass with frequent watering.
- Before planting, it is advisable to disinfect the seedlings by dipping the roots in a weak manganese solution for several minutes.
- For better nutritional value of the soil, you can add a little humus to each prepared hole as an organic fertilizer. Next, the roots of the seedlings are placed in the holes and straightened out manually. The soil needs to be filled in, fertilizing it with your fingers. When planting, it is important to ensure that the heart of the Caramel strawberry is at ground level.
- Next, you need to water each bush again after planting. The required water consumption is 1 liter per plant.
The first time after planting, frequent watering is recommended in order to prevent the soil from drying out completely. The older the Caramel strawberry, the less often watering will be necessary. During the rainy seasons, many summer residents abandon them altogether in favor of natural conditions.
Growing and care
Polka garden strawberries do not require a lot of attention, but for good yields you should follow the agricultural practices adopted for most berry crops. There are also some peculiarities, one of them is to renew the plantings every fourth year.
Polka is one of the parents of the Sonata variety, which in Europe is considered the standard for greenhouse cultivation
Watering
Polka garden strawberries love watering, but without waterlogging. Irrigation is carried out as the soil crust dries. It is convenient to water the crop by equipping it with a drip irrigation system.
For stable yields, regular watering is especially required during flowering and fruiting. In dry and hot weather, the frequency of watering is 2 times a week.
Loosening, weed control
Breathable soil stimulates the growth of strawberry bushes and promotes stable fruiting. The next day after watering, shallow, gentle loosening is carried out (no deeper than 3-4 cm) to remove the crust. Weeds attract pests and spread diseases, so you need to make sure they don't overwhelm your garden beds. A good effect is achieved by using black agrofibre as mulch.
Removing a mustache
The variety has a high ability to adapt. To prevent the bushes from becoming depleted, it is necessary to regularly trim off excess mustache.
Top dressing
Feeding is carried out at least twice per season:
- at the beginning of summer, complex mineral or organic fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, for the active growth of green mass by bushes;
- in the fall, 10 g of urea, 15 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium salt per 1 m2 or a glass of ash and a tablespoon of dry chicken droppings.
During the flowering period, watering strawberries can be combined with the application of complex fertilizers with a set of useful microelements (a tablespoon per 10 liters of water). This contributes to the formation of immunity to diseases, increases yield, and makes the taste and aroma of fruits brighter.
Pest and disease control
Polka is resistant to powdery mildew, but can get verticillium, which affects the root system. Pathogenic microorganisms gradually take over the entire plant. The insidiousness of the disease is that the symptoms appear at the stage when it is no longer possible to save the bushes.
Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures:
- Before planting, the roots of young seedlings are treated in a manganese solution.
- In early spring and autumn, strawberries are sprayed with a 1-2% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Experienced strawberry gardeners have separate equipment so as not to transfer dangerous diseases from other crops.
Preparing for winter
In the south and central Russia, the variety does not require shelter. In more northern regions, strawberries tolerate wintering well under a layer of straw and pine spruce mulch.
Russian specialists tested the variety for winter hardiness in the Bryansk region. Polka has shown itself to be a medium-winter-hardy variety in terms of resistance to cold.
How to feed berries
To help Caramel strawberries grow and develop, you should apply the following fertilizers correctly and in a timely manner:
- The first fertilizing of the berries should contain a large amount of nitrogen. It is its high content that will help Caramel recover after a period of prolonged frost. This fertilizing can be applied after the last snow has melted. The best option for nitrogen fertilizing is considered to be cow manure in the proportions of 3 kg per 10 liters of water.
- The second type of strawberry feeding is formed during the period of berry bud formation. mineral fertilizers will help restore the berry’s balance of forces, which it spends on forming buds. The best option for such feeding would be nitroammophos fertilizer. It contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen in the required proportions. You will need a couple of tablespoons per 10 liters of water.
- Another feeding of Caramel strawberries is necessary during the formation of ovaries. You can feed the berries during this period using boron, not using the root method. Preparation of the solution is a mixture of 2 grams of boric acid in 10 liters of warm or hot water. In the cold, boron does not completely dissolve. You can spray the foliage with a boron solution.
With the help of a competent approach, you can get a tasty and high-quality harvest of Caramel variety strawberries.
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Give yourself a caramel mood with the large-fruited strawberry hybrid 'Caramel'
So the golden autumn has come. Quietly it rustles its leaves on the ground, we watch the flocks of birds fly away to warmer climes, we collect the last harvest, and, meanwhile, the remontant large-fruited strawberry continues to delight us with tasty, juicy and very sweet berries.
Who wouldn't want a sweet, aromatic berry in September or October? – I think not many. Let me introduce you to a large-fruited hybrid with the candy name “Caramels”.
Appetizing large-fruited strawberry 'Caramel' F1
I grew these strawberries from seeds that I had previously stratified and then sown shallowly on soil moistened with melt water. Under the influence of heat and sunlight, the nuts hatched together and began their caramel, beautiful, tasty and aromatic life.
Four months after germination, the strawberries pleased me with their first charming flower. And a little later - the desired berry. Here it is - the birth of the first berry
The berry actually tasted like a caramel note and was very soulful - mmm.
Over the course of the season, the young bushes gave me about three dozen berries each, producing more and more flower stalks.
Rich floral and berry brushes
Caring for the plantings consisted of watering and fertilizing with ash. I didn’t get involved in weeding, since I initially mulched the beds with pine needles, to which the strawberries responded very well. Under the layer of pine needles, the earth did not dry out, and it was not comfortable for the slugs to move in the night.
Do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying a fragrant, sweet berry in the autumn - plant 'Caramels' in your garden and prolong the taste of summer until frost. In the meantime, while you don’t have this wonderful berry, I give you a caramel mood with all my heart!
Have a good harvest!
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