What is the difference between strawberries and wild strawberries - 120 photos, videos and comparison of garden and forest species. Description of differences and detailed analysis of features

In modern times, the number of those who collect berries in the forest or meadows has decreased; a certain amount of time and labor is needed to find the fruits and collect them. This also happens because many people successfully grow plants in their own gardens; they are also much larger than their forest counterparts. Still, it is worth noting that wild berries differ from garden berries in their unique aroma and taste.

One of the most beloved and popular forest berries, without a doubt, can be considered wild strawberries. What does a strawberry look like? This small, tasty and very healthy berry can most often grow on the edges of forests, on open but slightly shaded hillsides, in meadows and small clearings. Most often it is confused with wild strawberries, since these plants are very similar in appearance. Wild strawberries can be meadow or field, and they can also sometimes be called green strawberries.

Characteristics of the strawberry family

Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) grows in many European countries, throughout the Siberian taiga, on the slopes of the Caucasus mountains, in forest and forest-steppe zones of Central Asia, throughout the European part of the Russian Federation. The plant lives in sunlit clearings and forest edges, in steppes, in places of deforestation, on hillsides, near forest roads, among thickets of bushes.

The maximum height of the plant is 20 cm. Wild strawberries have a small rhizome, with many thin adventitious small roots. Aboveground shoots (whiskers) are long, creeping, they take root in the nodes, due to which plants reproduce. The leaves are alternate, growing from the basal axils, on long petioles, large, jagged in shape. The upper part of the leaf is light green, smooth, the bottom of the leaf is green with a grayish tint and edge.

The plants are 1-1.5 cm in diameter, are on long stalks and are collected in inflorescences; they are bisexual. The flowers are quite large and white. The berries are small, round, slightly oval or cone-shaped. The color of ripe berries can range from bright red to almost white. The berries are very juicy with a pleasant taste and aroma. The plant begins to bloom in late May, early June, bears fruit from the second decade of June until the end of July. Strawberries are high-yielding.

Green strawberry (also called polnitsa) (Fragaria viridis) is located on forest edges and meadows. Strawberries grow in Europe and Asia (in areas with a predominant temperate climate). The plant has a height of no more than 25 cm, the leaves are dark green, the flowers are bisexual, the diameter of which does not exceed 2.4 cm. During the growing season, a few very short knotless tendrils grow. The fruit size is similar to wild strawberries. The shape of the berries can be either round or ovoid. The color of the berries is predominantly pink, sometimes bright red or yellowish-white with a red upper part of the fruit.

Muscat strawberries - popularly called wild strawberries - grow throughout the European part of the Russian Federation and in a large part of Siberia. Strawberries grow in juniper thickets, in pine forests, on mountain slopes, on the edges of forests, and can be found next to embankments along roads. The plant has a thin stem, the height of which is from 5 to 18 cm, an underdeveloped rhizome, and very short creeping shoots (whiskers).

The leaves are trifoliate, are on short petioles, the bottom of the leaf has a silky edge to the touch. The flowers are mostly white, but sometimes there are plants with pinkish flowers. Strawberries are small in size and spherical in shape. The color of the fruit is mainly light pink (sometimes soft yellow), which smoothly turns into the red tip of the berry. The fruits have a very pleasant smell. The plant begins to bloom at the end of May, harvesting occurs at the end of July and August.

Different types of strawberries are similar in appearance, their main differences are:

• size of flowers and size of berries;
• appearance of berries in shape and color;
• difference in leaf shape, relief and color;
• the location of the antennae towards the central stem;
• the shape of the stalk and the ability to separate it from the berry;
• different volumes of yield;
• different taste qualities and aroma of berries.

Externally, the flowers of all plants of the rose family look similar - they are almost all white and have five petals. The main difference between different types of strawberries is that the plants have flowers:

• unisexual and dioecious, that is, there are female and male plants;
• monoecious and capable of self-pollinating.

On male bushes of unisexual plants, flowers have only stamens, while on female bushes, flowers have pistils. In order for a berry to form, it is necessary for insects to carry out pollination. In the spring, wild strawberries bloom very profusely and beautifully, but without pollination you can generally be left without a harvest. A consequence of the heterosexuality of plants is that very few fruits are set.

Community of little green men

Fragaria, Strawberry, Strawberry. Herbaceous plants with small white flowers on high stalks and with fragrant, round or conical, red fruits, which are collective achenes, individual fruits (nuts or achenes) of which are located on overgrown succulent receptacles, incorrectly called berries.

Types and varieties of strawberries

About 50 species of the genus are known in the genus, widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere (in Europe, Asia and America), growing in forests, clearings, forest edges, cutting areas, etc. In the territory of the former USSR there are 6 wild species: strawberries wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) with bright red fruits, green strawberry, or strawberry, with fragrant greenish-red fruits, muscat strawberry (high strawberry, or strawberry) (Fragaria moschata), oriental strawberry (Fragaria orientalis) with large red fruits, wild strawberry Bukhara (Fragaria bucharica) and plain strawberry (Fragaria campestris). They cultivate mainly garden strawberries, which are not found in the wild, and much less commonly - wild strawberries, musk strawberries, Virginia strawberries (Fragaria virginiana) and Chilean strawberries (Fragaria chiloensis).

Musk strawberry or wild strawberry (Fragaria moschata)

Homeland - light, humid forests of Europe. Prefers semi-shaded areas under the forest canopy.

Musk strawberries are much larger than regular strawberries. Its bush is 30-40 cm high, the leaf rosettes are large, the leaves below are bluish-green, rhombic, hairy, wrinkled, dark green overwintering. The inflorescence is dense, corymbose, consisting of 5-12 large (diameter 3 cm) white flowers on short pedicels. Strawberries are a dioecious plant. Some plants bear only male flowers, others only female flowers.

The male specimens are especially decorative, the flowers of which are decorated with yellow anthers.

At the same time, male plants are distinguished by greater leaf mass, height and spreading. However, there is a variety 'Milanskaya', which has both male and female flowers. Plant height is up to 40 cm. Berries weighing 1–2 g have a pleasant nutmeg aroma, are more transportable and have dense pulp.

Musk strawberries grow well in cultivation, actively grow, and are not damaged by diseases and pests.

Wild strawberry (Fragaria veska) (remontant small-fruited strawberry)

Wild strawberry is a light-loving plant, it is found in forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia and Siberia, in the Caucasus and in the Tien Shan mountains, grows in light coniferous and mixed forests, in forest glades, along forest edges and clearings, in bushes, on dry grassy slopes, along roadsides. Cultivation began in the 14th–15th centuries; strawberries were first described in literature in the middle of the 16th century, and it was then that they received their name: “fragrant” (from the Latin fragaris - fragrant). Sometimes it is called alpine strawberry.

A perennial herbaceous plant 8–30 cm high with a short brown rhizome, numerous thin roots, creeping rooting shoots (tendrils) and erect, heavily pubescent stems. Its leaves are basal, compound, trifoliate, coarsely toothed, almost glabrous above, hairy below. The flowers are white, bisexual, five-membered, with numerous stamens and pistils, collected in a corymbose inflorescence sitting at the end of a leafless stem.

During long warm autumn weather, wild strawberries may bloom a second time. The fruits are formed from a fleshy, juicy receptacle that grows during ripening, on which dry fruits (nuts) are located. They are oval-shaped, bright crimson, fragrant. The average weight of one fruit is 0.3 - 0.45 g.

Wild strawberry varieties

There are varieties with white and red berries that form and do not form whiskers.

Red-fruited varieties: 'Alexandria', 'Ali Baba', 'Baron Solemacher', 'Rügen', 'Ruyana', as well as a number of others - there are practically no differences between the varieties, and they do not form a mustache.

a group of yellow-fruited and white-fruited strawberries is presented on the market the color of the berries is white with a slightly yellowish tint. In terms of growth patterns, demands on environmental conditions and cultivation technology, they are no different from their red-fruited relatives. However, they are considered more drought-resistant. These are the varieties 'Yellow Miracle', 'Snow White', 'Zolotinka', 'Weiss Solemacher' and others.

The strawberry variety 'Golden Alexandria' is more light-loving - a small plant with permanent yellow leaves. The flower petals are white, the berries are red, medium-sized, tasty. Berry weight - 2–3 g. Plants with yellow leaves were obtained in England by selection from the population of the 'Alexandria' variety. The plants were first introduced in 2000.

Garden strawberries, pineapple strawberries or large-fruited strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa)

Garden strawberries are cultivated in various climatic zones of the globe, but especially widely in Western Europe, Asia, Australia and America. In Russia, among berry crops, garden strawberries take 1st place. It is grown throughout the country, right up to the Arctic Circle.

A perennial evergreen plant with a shortened rhizome. The roots are fibrous, lying mainly at a depth of 20-25 cm. During the growing season, it forms three types of shoots—horns, mustaches and peduncles. The first are shortened shoots located at the base of the plant, the second are long lashes that allow daughter plants to move away from the mother plant.

The leaves are trifoliate. The inflorescence is a multi-flowered shield. The petals are white or slightly yellowish. Stamens and pistils are numerous. In most varieties, the flowers are bisexual and are pollinated by their own pollen with the help of insects. The fruits, usually called berries, are an overgrown fleshy receptacle (often colored), on the surface of which there are real small fruits (nuts). The berries are usually red (of different shades), sometimes pink or white, with reddish, less often white pulp. The first fruits on plants are the largest (in large-fruited varieties 20-40 g, in others - 10-15 g).

In the central region of the European part of Russia, flowering of garden strawberries begins in the middle or end of May and continues until the berries begin to ripen.

In relation to the length of the day, there are several varieties of strawberries:

- short-day - the formation of flower stalks occurs only at low temperatures and short day lengths, these varieties bear fruit once in early summer;

- long-day - capable of laying flowers when the day length is more than 17 hours, such varieties give two harvests: at the beginning of summer and at the end of summer or early autumn;

- day-neutral - the initiation of flowers does not depend on the length of the day.

The last two groups of varieties are called remontant.

About the features of growing strawberries, read the Article: How to become a “strawberry king”?

Strawberry-strawberry hybrids or zemklunika

Brought out as a result of selection and genetic work by crossing garden strawberries and Milanese strawberries. The resulting plants are distinguished by large-fruited and productive plants, excellent taste and technological qualities.

The plants stand out for their vigorous growth and good foliage. The peduncles of the dredge are located at the level of the bush or slightly lower, standing straight, even when the berries are fully ripe. Ripening is observed in late June–early July. The weight of one berry is 6–8 g. They contain some mineral salts and trace elements, few acids, but a lot of sugars and vitamin C.

All varieties are winter-hardy, not affected by powdery mildew, and resistant to gray rot.

The following varieties are currently cultivated: 'Nadezhda Zagorya', 'Penelope, Raisa', 'Candied Muscat' and 'Muscatnaya Biryulyovskaya'.

Strawberry care

Strawberries are a heat-loving crop; in the absence of snow cover they can withstand frosts down to -18 °C, and in the presence of snow - down to -35 °C. Plants can be damaged by spring frosts (flowers can withstand down to –2 °C), but they never lose the entire harvest, since flowering is not simultaneous, and the buds are more resistant to frost than open flowers.

Strawberries are a moisture-loving plant. The bulk of the roots are located at a depth of up to 25 cm from the soil surface. its growth and development. The critical periods during which strawberries most need moisture are the period of flowering and fruiting.

To plant strawberries, you should select well-lit places with light, moisture-absorbing and breathable soils. Optimal pH values ​​are 5.5–6.0. In one place, strawberries can develop for up to 20 years, but the economically justified lifespan does not exceed 3–4 years (obtaining 2–3 harvests).

Strawberry propagation

In the middle zone, the optimal planting time is early autumn (mid-August to mid-September). Leave 20–25 cm between plants.

Strawberries and wild strawberries. Who is who?

Traditionally, garden strawberries are popularly called strawberries, and strawberries, on the contrary, strawberries. But strawberries (garden strawberries, forest strawberries, nutmeg strawberries and others) and strawberries are different species of the strawberry genus and have different origins. In fact, garden strawberries are the large-fruited species that are most often grown. Strawberries are one of the smallest fruited species. It is rarely grown. In the wild, it grows in forests and meadows. Strawberry fruits are unevenly colored (one side is slightly lighter than the other) and tightly connected to the calyx of the plant; they are more fragrant than the fruits of all types of strawberries.

Application of wild strawberries and strawberries

Strawberries and strawberries contain (on average) 4.5-15% sugars, 1% proteins, 0.6-1.6% organic acids (citric, malic, salicylic, quinine, etc.), 250-750 l*g /100 g P-active compounds, 0.9-1.2% nitrogen, 1.0-1.7% pectin and 0.16-0.4% tannins, 1.0-1.6% fiber, 0 .4-0.8% ash. Strawberries and strawberries contain a lot of minerals - 18 mg/100 g sodium, 161 mg/100 g potassium, 40 mg/100 g calcium, phosphorus and iron; trace elements: iodine, cobalt, copper, chromium and manganese, as well as essential oil, small amounts of aromatic substances and phytoncides.

250 - 380 mg/100 g of vitamin C, tannins, alkaloids and essential oil were found in strawberry leaves; rhizomes and roots are rich in tannins.

Strawberries and wild strawberries are used in the confectionery, alcoholic beverage and wine industries; juices, marshmallows, jams, marmalades, jellies, creams, and syrups are made from them.

Strawberry leaves (especially wild strawberry, as the most valuable medicinal raw material) are harvested during flowering and fruiting (in May - June). They are torn off without petioles, dried in attics or under sheds with good ventilation, spread in a layer of 3-5 cm on paper or fabric and stirring periodically. The shelf life of the dry product is 1 year. Flowers are collected during flowering, rhizomes - in September - October.

Strawberries and strawberries spoil very quickly. You can store them even in the refrigerator for only a few days. In this regard, a significant part of the harvest is usually frozen (garden strawberries) or dried (wild strawberries and strawberries). Quick-frozen fruits are not much different from fresh strawberries, but they are well preserved and can withstand long-term transportation. Dried berries are often used for medicinal purposes.

Fresh fruits and an infusion of leaves normalize metabolism, increase the secretion of glands of the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate appetite, have a mild laxative and diaphoretic, strong diuretic and slight expectorant effect. An infusion of strawberry leaves and a decoction of the roots are prescribed as a hemostatic agent for uterine bleeding, especially for fibroids. An infusion of leaves is used for bronchial asthma, hypertension, atherosclerosis; infusion of flowers (at the beginning of flowering) - for diathesis in children.

Strawberry juice and fruit pulp are a good cosmetic product that whitens and cleanses the skin. Infusions of berries and leaves have antiseptic and deodorizing properties and are used as a gargle for eczema. Fresh leaves are applied to old ulcers. A decoction of rhizomes and an infusion of roots are used as an astringent and anti-inflammatory agent; they are used to make baths for hemorrhoids.

Strawberries and strawberries in history

The first varieties of garden strawberries or pineapple strawberries appeared in the middle of the 18th century. in the Netherlands. They are believed to have arisen as a result of natural hybridization of two American species brought to Europe - Virginian and Chilean strawberries.

Pineapple strawberries were brought to Russia at the end of the 18th century.

Wild forest strawberries: description, beneficial properties, main differences from strawberries

Currently, few people engage in gathering, spending a long time in the forest or in clearings in search of berries.
This fact can be explained by the displacement of wild plants - garden plants, which are convenient to grow on your own plot and are distinguished by their significant size. Although wild strawberries are characterized by a rich aroma, unique taste and beneficial substances , they are now quite difficult to find. In addition, many people, out of ignorance, confuse this berry with a similar strawberry. But reliable knowledge of the appearance of the plant will help not only to detect strawberries, but also to correctly apply its properties. The extensive content of compounds of useful elements allows the use of this forest sweetness in cosmetology, the food industry and even in medicine.

Is it possible to plant strawberries next to strawberries and at what distance?

In order to plant strawberries, a large number of methods are used. Among them are:

• Bush
• Private
• Gnezdovoy
• Carpet

To plant strawberry bushes, the soil is first prepared. If there is no more free space on the site, then you should take into account several recommendations:

• You should not plant more than 4 varieties of strawberries or wild strawberries nearby.
• Bushes should be placed at least 30 cm apart from each other
• You need to choose different areas for planting strawberries and wild strawberries, since these plants react differently to humidity and sunlight

Planting berries
It is also recommended to arm yourself with the following plan when planting strawberry bushes:

• The distance from bush to bush in one bed is kept within 30 cm
• It is also important to maintain a distance of 30 cm on other sides
• The passages between the beds must be at least 70 cm, and when planting strawberries - 90 cm

In order to properly plant strawberry bushes, you must adhere to the following rules:

• The soil is cultivated to a depth of 7-8 cm using a rake
• After this, it is necessary to level the entire ball of soil
• Next, you need to compact the soil
• When forming rows, you need to maintain a distance of 70 cm between the beds
• The distance from bush to bush is minimum 15 cm and maximum 30 cm
• When planting fruits in one bed, it is also important to maintain a distance of 30 cm
• If you use a low view, then a sufficient distance is 25 cm
• In case of planting tall bushes, it is necessary to leave 35 cm

If you need to place strawberry and wild strawberry bushes side by side, be prepared for the two varieties to mix. Indeed, during the process of pollination they can mix, which is why the harvest may be lost. Therefore, it is necessary to follow all the above recommendations, as well as carefully select strawberry varieties so that the harvest is rich and delights you for many years.

Description

Wild strawberry is a berry of the Rosaceae family, belonging to perennial herbaceous plants. The rhizome is short, oblique, with small creeping shoots or tendrils, usually underdeveloped. The stem is relatively thin, reaching from five to twenty centimeters in height. The leaves are trifoliate, located on short petioles, and have silky hair underneath. The flowers are white, sometimes with a pink tint. The fruits of wild strawberries are small, spherical, light pink or whitish-yellow in color, turning red towards the very top. They have a distinct pleasant smell.

Advice! The berries begin to bloom in the third ten days of May or the first ten days of June, and can be collected as early as late July or early August.

Strawberries grow in dark places on dry surfaces, so they can be found in juniper thickets, on hillsides, among young pine trees, on forest edges and even near road embankments. The plant is widespread in warm regions, namely in the southern part of Russia, Asia and the Caucasus.

What can we find in nature

So, we found out that wild strawberries (common strawberries) and green strawberries are widespread in our wild nature. It is rare to see European Strawberries (musk, forest). The last two plants, in fact, in botanical nomenclature also belong to the genus Strawberry (Z. green and Z. musk, also known as European or forest).

But, as already mentioned, there are more species of the genus Fragaria, currently 16 of them have been identified. In addition to the three described above, there are others in Russia, but there are fewer of them, their range is narrower and some can be seen only in limited areas. Nevertheless, let's get to know them.

• Oriental strawberry – Fragaria orientalis. On our territory it grows in Eastern Siberia and the Far East in forests, open mountain slopes, often on rocky substrate. Distinctive features: the petals of the flower come one after another, each leaflet is a trifoliate leaf on a very short petiole (almost sessile).

Fragaria orientalis.

• W. plain – F. campestris. Its habitat is in the southern part of the country: in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in the East. Siberia. It differs from green strawberries only in the protruding pubescence of the peduncles and the achenes deeply immersed in the pulp.

Fragaria campestris.

Feral cultivated varieties can also be found in forests and other suitable habitats. Their appearance in nature is understandable: many birds love berries and, by eating them, contribute to their spread. Under suitable conditions, seeds that have passed through the gastrointestinal tract of birds germinate. The yield of such specimens will be less, because in nature no one fertilizes the soil, loosens the ground, removes the tendrils or weeds out the surrounding grass.

Wild strawberries and wild strawberries differences

Wild strawberries and wild strawberries are often confused with each other, since these species are very similar. But still, botany experts or experienced berry growers can easily separate these plants.

The main differences between wild strawberries and wild strawberries are:

• larger flowers and smaller berries;
• less bright fruit color;
• pronounced leaf relief;
• short tendrils pressed against the main stem;
• difficulty separating the berries from the stem;
• less fruitfulness;
• taste qualities.

Also, one of the main differences is the location of the sepals of the strawberry, which are pressed against the fruit (not like the wild form of strawberry). In addition, the first representative has bisexual flowers, while the second does not have such a division. Only female flowers bear fruit, which indicates a smaller harvest of wild strawberries compared to its relatives.

You can easily distinguish these two types of berries if you compare them visually at least once. Different colors and shapes of the fruit immediately identify the representative.

How to distinguish wild strawberries from strawberries by leaves?

To distinguish strawberries from garden strawberries, just look at the leaves of the plant. However, it is not only by external data that one can determine the type of berry. Strawberries have the following characteristics:

• Peduncles are located significantly higher than the foliage
• The berries are not tilted downwards
• Leaves and fruits have a musky aroma
• Plants are grown in the shade in places with high humidity
• The leaves are corrugated or light green, but they are always large

Strawberry leaves
Strawberry has the following qualities:

• The leaves are oval, ovate, trifoliate or ovate-rhombic in shape.
• The edges of the leaves are always serrated
• Their shade is usually a rich green color.
• Leaves are large or medium, depending on the bush
• The bottom of the leaf is always omitted
• Leaves and fruits are always fragrant

How to pick wild strawberries

The strawberry harvest begins in June and July.
In sunny weather, after the dew has disappeared, you can begin the morning work. Care should be taken not to crush the berries or wet the neighboring ones. The harvested crop is dried under a canopy in the shade, scattered in one layer on a wooden surface. Fruits can be stored in cloth bags or glass jars for no more than two years. Strawberries are also frozen in containers or plastic bags. The leaves of the forest plant are collected during the flowering period, which falls in May–June. Dry the green parts, just like the berries, laying them out in one layer, but turning them over often.

Advice! These raw materials are stored in linen bags for about one year.

How to freeze strawberries for the winter

The best option is to freeze freshly harvested product.
The berries need to be sorted, leaving only whole and not crushed ones. The main feature of strawberries is that they contain a lot of sand and soil, so it is imperative to wash the strawberries. The berries are left in a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to read:

The healing properties of sloe berries

Then they are dried - no moisture should be left. Next, remove the stalks and place the berries in a colander again. The table should be covered with a towel, and the clean product should be placed on it. If there is space between the berries, the surface will dry out faster.

Next, clean strawberries need to be laid out on a tray - there should be free space between the berries. To avoid staining the tray, you can cover it with cling film. Next, freeze the product for about 2 hours. The optimal temperature is about -18°C.

The frozen product can be transferred to a container and placed back in the refrigerator. As a suitable option, a special storage bag is used.

The optimal shelf life of strawberries is about a year. Frozen strawberries can be used to make a variety of desserts or smoothies.

Useful properties of leaves

Good quality leaves contain large quantities of ascorbic acid, tannins and essential oils. In this regard, they have important medicinal value. Fresh raw materials are applied to wounds, ulcers, and hemorrhoidal tumors, or a healing decoction of the leaves is prepared. To prepare the infusion, you need to pour boiling water over 50 grams of the herb and leave for about four hours. It is recommended to take the healing liquid before meals, 150 grams three times a day.

An infusion of a wild plant has a beneficial effect on cardiac activity in general, restores metabolism, promotes the removal of kidney stones, and is also intended for people with diseases of the respiratory system.

Although wild strawberries are different from wild strawberries, these two types have many beneficial properties necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. Picking such berries is considered labor-intensive work, but it brings a lot of positive emotions and also allows you to get a tasty harvest. The fruits of the plant can not only be used as medicine, but also made into jam and other sweets. Knowing the exact description of wild strawberries or wild strawberries, you should not be afraid of confusing them with each other or with other berries. By studying the properties of a medicinal plant and properly preparing it for the winter, you can maintain your own health without extra costs.

Do I need to wash it?

After the strawberries are cleared of the remaining greens, which usually yield quite easily, they are washed in medium-temperature water and laid out on rags, paper or towels.

You can also immediately use a specially prepared clean container when picking wild strawberries, while being careful not to allow various debris, such as twigs, leaves and various insects, to get there. In this case, there is no need to sort the strawberries, nor to wash them. It is immediately used, without undergoing any preparatory treatment, to make compote or jam.

Advice! It is recommended to wash meadow strawberries after picking. If it happened that on the way home the berries were still crushed, but they were collected with care and attention, that is, they were not thrown into a container, but carefully folded, you can not wash the strawberries and immediately make the jam.

Picking the berries of this useful plant is not considered an easy task, however, the positive emotions from this activity more than offset all the difficulties. In addition, strawberries are very tasty; jam and other sweets are made from them, and they are also a remedy for many ailments. When the beneficial properties of the plant have been studied and it has been stored for the winter, according to the rules, you can purchase a tasty and healthy product at home without special expenses.

0 0 votes

Article rating

What is the difference between strawberries and strawberries

Have you ever wondered what kind of berries you grow in your gardens? Some call them “strawberries”, and others “victory”. In fact, with rare exceptions, it is incorrect to call berries that way. "Victoria" is one of the popular varieties of garden strawberries; real strawberries are rarely grown in gardens. We mainly grow large-fruited strawberries

.

Gardeners often confuse the names of wild strawberries and strawberries. In fact, strawberry is the common name for berries of the Rosaceae family, in Latin Fragaria means “fragrant.” And strawberry is a subspecies of wild strawberry, and it is much less common. It is correct to call garden berries with large fruits strawberries.

Strawberries are different from garden strawberries.
The most prominent representative of strawberries is musk strawberry
or
muscat strawberry
because of its aroma. The fruits are not fully colored. Leaves with more prominent veins, that is, corrugated. And the berries are smaller than strawberries and the flowering period is longer.

The word "strawberry" was coined because the berries look like small balls. Wild muscadine strawberries still appear in Russia, Ukraine and several other countries, but are no longer specially grown.

Garden strawberries do not exist in the wild. Appeared in Holland in the 18th century. Presumably arose as a result of hybridization of strawberries from the Chilean Andes and North American strawberries (Virginia). It is the most widespread of the berry crops cultivated in Russia. Grown in Europe since the 18th century.

In Russia, even before the appearance of large-fruited garden strawberries, the population collected wild wild strawberries

and
meadow strawberries.
You can see the differences in the photo: meadow strawberries are round in shape and cannot be separated from the “butt,” while wild strawberries are elongated, separated from the “butt,” and cannot be stored.

Here are the following differences between strawberries and strawberries already bred for gardening:

✔ In strawberries, male and female flowers are located on different bushes, and berries are formed only on female specimens (dioeciousness). In order for fruit to set, you need to have about 20% of male plants. . The vast majority of garden strawberry varieties have bisexual flowers, i.e. self-fertile. And only some old varieties (Komsomolka, Chudo Ketena, Obilnaya, etc.) have only female flowers.

✔Strawberry bushes are more powerful and more developed than strawberry bushes. Strawberry bushes are taller than wild strawberries - up to 40 cm.

✔Strawberries are not drought-resistant, develop better and bear fruit with slight shading.

Is it possible to grow strawberries at home?

In theory, growing strawberries at home is not difficult. First you need to choose a variety, because strawberries are a whole range of different berries. The forest option is the most demanding for transplanting or planting at home.

Basic requirements that must be met in order to cultivate culture at home:

• a large amount of light;
• there may be some darkening, but only slight;
• the best option is to plant strawberries on a window with access to sunlight;
• the western and eastern parts of the house are suitable, but not always;
• In winter, the bushes will have to be illuminated.

To grow strawberry crops, you need to prepare pots of a certain size - 17 or 15 cm in diameter.
Before the berries appear, the optimal temperature should be about 17°C, after setting the berries up to 20°C. You should not plant strawberries in any soil. Cultivated soils will be a suitable option, especially if the berry is grown at home for the first time. It’s good if the mixture contains soil, humus and sand. Drainage must be installed, otherwise the crop will not take root.

In most cases, strawberries reproduce vegetatively. Dividing the bushes is an alternative option, but is not suitable in all cases.

The mysterious Pink family

According to the botanical classification, the culture belongs to the Rosaceae (or Rosehip) family and is included in the Strawberry genus. In Latin, the name sounds incomprehensible and intriguing - Fragaria - fragrant, aromatic.

The number of representatives of the genus is over three dozen, but three species of plants are of interest to us:

• garden strawberries;
• real strawberries;
• wild strawberry.

Many people are familiar with the forest dweller (Fragaria viridis), since the bushes are found in clearings and clearings in the summer. Its berries are small, fragrant, slightly elongated, elongated, scarlet in color with golden seeds. Collecting the fruits is not easy, and although the taste and natural strawberry aroma are incomparable, the gift of the forests is not popular.

In addition to forest strawberries, meadow strawberries with small berries of a fresh taste grow in nature.

A relative of the wild strawberry, the strawberry, grows in European forests, as well as in the southern regions of Russia. The wild crop is characterized by trifoliate leaves, large flowers, and spherical berries. The fruits have a pronounced nutmeg aroma, hence the name of the species - Fragaria moschata. People began to call the berry strawberries because of the similarity of the fruits to balls.

But in the gardens of summer residents, Fragaria ananassa grows - garden pineapple strawberry, as well as numerous varieties and varieties (including the famous remontant hybrids). The first appearance of this representative happened by accident, but later intensive breeding work began on developing varieties and hybrids with the desired characteristics.

Information from biology

Forest Beauty Pear

Real strawberries do not exist in nature. The botanical name of wild strawberries is Green Strawberry (Fragaria viridis), or it can also be called Polunitsa; Muscat Strawberry (Fragaria mochata) is also considered a strawberry.

Interesting! Wild strawberries grow almost throughout the entire territory of Russia, so in the middle zone meadow strawberries and nutmeg strawberries are more widespread, in the southern regions, closer to the Caucasus, steppe strawberries are more common.

A little history

The distant ancestors of modern varieties of garden Fragaria are strawberries from the American continent. It was from there that strawberry bushes of two types of crops were brought to the Paris Botanical Garden at different times - Virginian (Fragaria virginiana) and Chilean (Fragaria chiloensis). Differences: the first one has small berries, but very sweet and aromatic, the second one has sour berries, but large in size.

Mother Nature herself successfully solved the problem of crossing; the abundantly flowering bushes were pollinated, and as a result a new species was obtained. The plant has formed quite large berries - sweet, aromatic and very tasty. The name in Latin is Fragaria ananassa, the fruits are polynutlets (an overgrown receptacle).

This is interesting! In Russia, the type of fragaria, which quickly gained popularity, began to be called strawberry. The name “Victoria” is also firmly established - after one of the first varieties brought to the country in the 19th century.

It turns out that the crop that we all call strawberries is actually garden strawberries (cultivated and large-fruited). While the real type of this berry is grown only by true enthusiasts and collectors, such products are not found on store shelves in Russia.

What is healthier, better, more productive, more aromatic, tastier: strawberries or strawberries?

There are about 30 varieties of strawberries. The most popular varieties are:

• Sadovaya
• Lesnaya
• Chilean
• Eastern
• Virginskaya
• Large-flowered

The most popular strawberry varieties include:

• Gigantella
• Mara de bois
• Albion
• Mashenka
• Festival
• Marvelous
• Maksim
• Lord
• Honey
• Kimberly

Selecting a variety
When choosing berries for cultivation, you should consider:

• Garden strawberries produce more fruit than strawberries
• Strawberries are more flavorful
• Strawberries are sweeter
• Strawberries have a sour aftertaste
• Both berries can be used as a base for preparing various dishes.
• Strawberries are smaller in size

Unambiguously answer the question: “Which berry is healthier and tastier?” - impossible. After all, each variety has a number of specific qualities that distinguish it from the rest.

So what are the differences?

So why did it happen that the miraculously obtained berry displaced Fragaria moschata from European gardens?

High yields, large fruit, excellent taste of berries, sugar content. Of course, the first varieties bred were not as perfect as modern new breeding products, but they were superior to the previously cultivated strawberries in basic parameters. Garden strawberries quickly occupied their niche, gained popularity among gardeners, and breeders rushed to study and develop new varieties and hybrids of the crop.

Fragaria ananassa appeared in Russia in the 19th century and immediately became a very popular crop. But only foreign varieties were grown, and only in the mid-20s of the 20th century did research begin, Soviet and then Russian scientists began breeding.

Strawberry Neighbors

When planting different crops, their proximity should be taken into account, since plants can interfere with each other’s full growth and development, or they can also have a beneficial effect.

Garden strawberries respond well to proximity to garlic, parsley, and marigold flowers. You should not plant raspberries in close proximity. Over the course of a season, she grows many root shoots that will sprout in the strawberry bed. In addition, they will take moisture and nutrients from the berry bushes.

Is it possible to plant strawberries next to strawberries? Plants can be planted next to each other. Without scientific intervention, they will not pollinate among themselves. But if they are close together, they can germinate on each other’s territory with the help of their mustaches.

Strawberry Victoria

Getting to know the culture

According to the botanical classification, the species is included in the genus Strawberry, being a related plant to the familiar forest and garden strawberries.

The name of the representatives of the genus in Latin is Fragaria, and each variety has its own characteristics and an additional term (a kind of surname):

• Ananassa - garden strawberry (also known as strawberry or Victoria);

• Moschata - nutmeg, real strawberry;

• Vesca – forest.

Field strawberry, also known as Fragaria viridis in Latin, grows in fields, preferring black soil and gray-black soils. In many regions, rural residents eagerly wait for the fragrant berries to ripen so that they can go to the fields where strawberries grow.

On a note! The name “strawberry” appeared in Rus' in ancient times. The plants were called so because of the fruits that resemble a ball (ball).

In the meadows grow low (up to 18-20 cm) bushes with beautiful emerald-colored leaves. The shoots spread along the ground, thick short tendrils are slightly pressed to the stems. The leaves of the field berry are trifoliate, embossed, with dense pubescence on the underside. Blunt teeth are located along the edges. Reproduction occurs by tendrils, from which rosettes take root.

The inflorescence combines several flowers with white, slightly elongated petals. The berries are multi-nutted, rounded “balls” with tight-fitting sepals. Weight - no more than 2-3 g, color when fully ripe - bright cherry. The unripe fruit has a variegated color, pink-red spots interspersed with greenish-white areas.

The pulp is dense, but not dry, juicy. The taste is pleasant, sweetish. When the berries ripen, a rich strawberry aroma spreads far around. But the taste largely depends on weather conditions, since in a rainy summer the strawberries are watery, and in the heat they are rather dry. In intense heat and lack of moisture, the fruits often even dry out on the peduncles, turning into strawberry “raisins.”

Where does the berry grow?

A perennial with fragrant fruits, it is found in many regions of Russia. Unlike wild strawberries, meadow berries are harvested in fields, steppe zones, and meadows in the European part of the country.

The main regions are the middle zone, Siberia, the Urals, Crimea and the Caucasus. Prefers shaded areas, hiding under the foliage of taller grasses. Large-scale berry gardens are located in pine forest belts, on hills, among juniper thickets.

Do wild strawberries have varieties?

Wild strawberries are the oldest species, from which breeders have not yet been able to obtain varieties that are at least somewhat different from each other. There have been attempts to cultivate this wild berry for a long time, but all attempts, except one, were unsuccessful.

The only variety of wild strawberry that was introduced into cultivation was the alpine strawberry. It is assumed that it appeared due to a successful genetic mutation.

Features of alpine strawberries:

• berries are larger than wild berries;
• shape – more elongated;
• does not form a mustache;
• remontant - forms flower stalks throughout the warm season.

Distinguishing between "sisters"

Even knowing what the plant looks like, field (meadow) strawberries are often confused with wild strawberries. But true connoisseurs of wild berries know that these are completely different crops, although related.

• Strawberries have spherical berries, while their “relatives” have elongated, elongated berries;
• strawberry sepals are pressed to the fruit, and strawberry sepals rise upward;
• the leaves of the half-wort are trifoliate, with a relief on the front surface and are equal in length, while in strawberries they are uneven;
• Strawberries are not very productive, since their flowers are unisexual, and only female specimens bear ovaries. Strawberries form bisexual flowers with white petals; the number of berries on the bushes is greater.

When does strawberry picking season start? The berries ripen in the forests earlier, and already in June you can enjoy the fragrant fruits. Its “relative” in the fields begins to bloom and ripen almost a month later; in regions of temperate climates they go for collection in late July - early August.

The berries also differ in taste, but a lot depends on the place of growth, weather, and the number of sunny days. Although plants prefer shaded areas, without the sun there will be no sweetness.

Moreover, each culture has its own unique aroma, which mixes notes of forest, herbs, spices, and fresh air.

On a note! Attempts to transplant perennials from fields are quite successful. Gardeners transplant plants to their dachas and grow them in flower beds as an ornamental crop.

Forest beauty strawberry

The fruits of wild strawberries have some similarities with garden strawberries. This type of strawberry usually grows on dry forest slopes.

The plant needs abundant sunlight and therefore, where there is enough of it, the berries will be larger and juicier. The peak of its flowering occurs in May or June. The berry has many beneficial properties and qualities, here are some of them:

• They perfectly comfort your thirst.
• Improves digestive processes.
• Stimulates appetite.
• Dried fruits are used for colds.
• They are also used as decoctions for inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract.
• The flowers of this plant are used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

You can give many more examples in which the medicinal properties of this berry are used. In fact, this is not only a healthy berry, but also very tasty. Children will be able to appreciate its taste. Many housewives use it in various preparations. In dried form, it is useful for preparing various decoctions and infusions.

Jam or jam from wild strawberries will become an irreplaceable delicacy on the table. Some people use the berry to prepare alcoholic drinks; for example, it makes a wonderful liqueur.

Collection and use of berries

The small, fragrant berries begin to ripen in mid-July. In the southern regions they appear earlier, at the end of June, although in any latitude you can simultaneously see both already ripe red and whitish-green unripe fruits on the bushes.

The field crop has a dense structure, but when collecting you need to be careful and careful. The fruits are tender, especially if the harvest occurred at the very peak of ripeness of the berries dripping with juice. It is better to put it in wicker baskets or sieve, since the contents in buckets and cans are squashed.

Since the sepals fit tightly to the pulp, the strawberries are torn off the stems along with them. Some people, even when making jam, do not peel the fruits from the cups, believing that this way the product turns out to be more natural and tasty.

The collected forest “prey” is dried, scattered on a flat surface in the pantry or under a canopy, and then the wild strawberries are stored in tightly closed jars (it is better to use glass containers), added in winter to tea, various fillings for pies, yoghurts, and cottage cheese. It is useful to add dried fruits to porridge (oatmeal, rice), prepare jelly and drinks from it.

Skillful housewives make jam, grind it with sugar (you can simply sprinkle it with sand), prepare jams, marshmallows, and compotes. It is convenient to freeze the berries in small containers and remove them as needed.

Wild strawberry season

Knowing when meadow strawberries ripen, you can go pick them, and after that make excellent jam for the winter or puree them with sugar, or maybe simply diversify your table with a tasty and, of course, healthy berry. In these terms, the area where the berries are collected plays an important role, because they may differ in different regions of Russia. For example, in the Urals, the fruits of this plant begin to be collected in mid-June.

Important information! This plant does not have a very long fruiting time - as a rule, it is only a week. After this there will be no more berries.

It happens that tasty fruits may ripen a little later due to weather conditions that are not very favorable for their rapid development. This could be a lack of sunlight or prolonged rainfall. But the opposite can also happen when ripening occurs ahead of schedule. This may be the case if the plant had enough moisture and heat during growth.

In areas to the south, wild field strawberries are ready for harvest as early as May; in the Moscow region, where there is much less sun, strawberry lovers go to the forests only in the middle of July.

Additional Information! It is preferable to pick the berries of this forest delicacy in the morning, when the dew has already disappeared. The fruits must be processed on the day of collection, as they are very delicate.