Gigantella Maxim
The name gigantella does not need translation. And so it is clear that we are talking about the outstanding dimensions of Gigantella maxim.
This is the full name of the Dutch strawberry. The familiar “maxim” to the Russian ear heightens the expectation of incredible results. And the variety lives up to expectations. After all, Gigantella garden strawberries are everything to the maximum: the size of the bush, the berries, the yield. Even the period of active fruiting in one place without updating the plantation.
Large-fruited strawberry varieties with photographs and descriptions
Varietal features of Gigantella Maxim:
Agricultural technicians and experienced gardeners note that although the characteristics of the variety promise trouble-free wintering of the plant, for additional protection in the fall they do not touch the old foliage. Bushes that are not bare before winter by sanitary pruning better retain the snow that Gigantella needs for heating in case of severe frosts.
Features of cultivation and reproduction
Gigantella is grown from seeds, like other varieties, from January-February at home. Sowing garden strawberries for seedlings at home is a very long and painstaking process.
More often, seedlings are purchased for subsequent propagation on the site. Crop care is standard: watering, weeding, pruning, fertilizing. Particular attention is paid to watering and prevention of diseases and pests.
If Gigantella grows on the site, they take tendrils or divide adult plants for propagation. The experience of gardeners shows that the best results are obtained by rooting the first tendril - cutting out the rest.
Journey giant
Judging by the photographs with reviews from summer residents, this American strawberry also belongs to the category of large-fruited varieties.
What distinguishes the “giant Journey” from its analogues is the persistent aroma of strawberries, which is not so often found in berries of outstanding size. Usually, such huge fruits lack the smell characteristic of medium-sized strawberries.
Other advantages of the variety:
- the sweet taste of 60-80 gram berries, although some gardeners lack a slight sourness;
- maximum weight of dense but juicy fruits – up to 100 g;
- keeping quality, transportability;
- mid-early harvest dates;
- combination of a beautiful cone-shaped shape with a bright, rich color;
- immunity to diseases, resistance to pest attacks;
- consistently high (1.5 kg) yield for 4-5 years, after 6-7 years you will have to renew the bushes;
In addition, the garden strawberry “giant journey” is adaptable to weather instability, hassle-free wintering (but outside the Middle Zone and southern regions the plants are covered).
Like all large-fruited plants, the American giant is sensitive to watering, but overall care is simple.
Giant delicacy
The name given to the Dutch woman is telling: the weight of the berries (minimum 40-50, limit 100-110) and taste will delight gourmets. The “giant delicacy” strawberry did not deserve any negative reviews.
Fans of the variety emphasize that the taste is, as they say, the same – classic, strawberry, evoking nostalgia for childhood impressions of berries from grandma’s garden.
The “delicacy” from Dutch breeders is given credit for:
The first strong whiskers are chosen for reproduction. But, if you renew the plantation early, summer pruning will increase the yield. Bushes that have reached 5-7 years of age are replaced with young plantings, rooting rosettes or dividing the plant into parts.
There are no secrets in caring for this “giant delicacy”: the necessary set of activities from spring to autumn is fully rewarded.
Characteristics and description of the variety with photos
This strawberry is characterized by early ripeness. The berry season begins in June. The ripe fruit weighs up to 100 grams, its diameter reaches 6-10 centimeters. Despite its size, the berry will grow sweet and juicy. The pulp is dense, which allows you to safely transport the crop even over long distances. The color is bright, red with a glossy tint.
The berry aroma thins out the fruity smell, reminiscent of pineapple.
They grow Gigantella for themselves and for sale. The fruits can be frozen; they retain all their benefits and appearance after defrosting. To make jam and preserves, but due to their large size, the berries need to be cut, since they simply do not fit in small jars.
An important condition for growing strawberries is a large ridge. Gigantella bushes are tall and tall
The length of an adult plant is 50 centimeters. The leaves are dark green, spreading. It produces a lot of whiskers and needs constant trimming.
The soil for strawberries is selected to be permeable so that moisture leaves quickly and does not linger. Mandatory soil components are river sand, peat, humus.
Gigantella has successfully spread throughout the country. She is not at all afraid of frost, and normally survives temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. Suitable for breeding, as well as on the Black Sea coast and in the Moscow region. The yield is 2.5-3 kilograms of berries per plant. Every year the figure increases if you follow the rules of care. The lifespan of the variety can be 7-8 years.
The variety is characterized by high resistance to fungal and viral diseases, and is weakly affected by rot. Gigantella's strengths include:
- giant berry size;
- rich taste;
- early ripening;
- good transportability;
- high life expectancy.
The negative aspects of growing are:
- the need for frequent watering.
- poor tolerance to drought.
Characteristic
The high yield of Gigantella strawberries attracts not only private owners, but also large agricultural producers. If you follow agricultural techniques, you can collect more than 3 kg of juicy, aromatic fruits from one bush.
As noted in the description, the Gigantella strawberry variety is famous for its dense berries. This quality is highly valued by gardeners, since during transportation the fruits do not wrinkle or bleed juice.
The taste qualities have not gone unnoticed by culinary experts: the berries are used in compotes, jams, and confitures. Fully retains its presentation when frozen.
Description of the variety
Strawberry Gigantella has a variety description that is different from other species. It was first bred and planted in Holland. It differs in appearance and taste from other varieties. The name is due to the size. As a rule, the berries of this variety can weigh almost one hundred grams, and they are also quite large in size. They have a very beautiful bright red hue. In addition, they are quite hard: this factor is very important during storage and transportation of the product. A special feature of the variety is that the taste has light notes of pineapple.
Those people who prefer to store some vegetables and berries frozen will appreciate this variety, since its characteristics do not deteriorate when frozen, and caring for it is much easier.
It is also worth noting the fertility of the Gigantella variety. With proper care, one bush will be able to collect approximately three kilograms of berries, depending on the climate and weather conditions.
The variety Gigantella Maxim (Gigantella Maxim) of Dutch selection, the largest-fruited, is considered very popular among gardeners. It is often called the Maxim variety, which is not entirely true. It would be more correct to call it simply Gigantella, and the word Maxim in the name should be understood as “Maxi”, “maximum”.
Reviews
Judging by the reviews, Gigantella strawberries are so praised that I also wanted a berry that I could eat. It seems to have grown beautifully, but due to its large size, the berry does not have time to fully ripen. Either the top remains white or begins to rot. Many are empty inside and taste ordinary.
Victor, 54 years old, Chekhov
Gigantella Maxim has been growing with us for more than 5 years. The berries are large and very sweet. In recent years, they have become smaller, although we constantly care for the bushes: we use drip irrigation, feed them with slurry, clean them from weeds and excess tendrils, and treat them against diseases and pests. Apparently, it's time to update the landing.
Description of the variety “Gigantella Maxim”
This variety of strawberries (strawberries) is characterized by a medium-late ripening period. Its fruits are juicy, sweet with a subtle strawberry aroma, which gives it a unique taste. It is because of this that many gardeners call the plant “Maxim” garden strawberry.
Important! This variety is loved by gardeners for its frost resistance. True, in very harsh weather conditions the plant requires shelter for the winter.
Bushes
They are very large, have a height of 35-50 cm, in the second or third year of cultivation they reach a diameter of 60-70 cm. And the slightly large, unlike other varieties of berries, corrugated leaves make them lush. The rhizome of “Gigantella” also differs in size, in addition, it is also quite powerful. Therefore, this variety of strawberries does not like thick planting.
Flowers and berries
Numerous flower stalks of the plant, of which there are 20-30 pieces on the bush, are thick, elastic, during flowering with 6-8 flowers on each, are able to hold the berries well and do not allow them to touch the ground.
Strawberries begin to bloom quite early - in May, so they can please you with their berries at the end of this month or at the beginning of June. It is the speed of formation and ripening of the crop that is one of the main advantages of the plant, which pleases with its fruits for almost two weeks.
The first berries are quite large - about 100-125, with further ripening they become slightly smaller - 40-60 grams. In cross section they are up to 9-10 mm. Of course, they reach such sizes (a small apple or apricot) with proper cultivation.
The color of the berries is dark red, dense with a rough surface. But their core, if not watered enough, can be hollow and taste dry. But this does not spoil the taste of Maxim at all.
Interesting! Berries lend themselves well to freezing without losing their taste. Therefore, many strawberry lovers use this method of preserving them for the winter.
Strawberry yield
"Gigantella Maxim" is a high-yielding variety of strawberry.
With proper cultivation techniques and regular watering, up to 2.5 kg of berries are harvested from one bush. In order for the plant to bear fruit well, experienced gardeners recommend regularly removing shoots and tendrils from the bushes, as well as ridding the area of weeds. Although Gigantella bushes can grow in one place for up to 7 years, the beds with its plantings should still be updated every three years.
Transportability
This strawberry is often grown for commercial purposes, since its berries are very dense and tolerate transportation well without losing their presentation.
General recommendations for growing large-fruited varieties
The listed names of garden strawberries claim leadership in the category of huge strawberries. There are many competitors, including Russian selection. Agricultural technicians, farmers, and gardeners advise beginning summer residents planning to grow such berries:
Large-fruited strawberries are often not remontant, but they break yield records due to heavy berries.
Description of the variety
This large-fruited crop has large, wide leaves. The bush reaches a height of 60 cm. If you look closely at the leaf, you can find a small amount of corrugation and torn edges. The color of young leaves is light green, and the very next year of flowering, uneven borders of reddish shades appear.
Stepchildren appear in small quantities. Their stems are distinguished by significant density and power, which allows them to stand firmly in the ground. Interestingly, the older the strawberry, the less often new branches grow. The so-called “rosette” is not in one copy, which affects the scale of the yield. One bush can provide gardeners with almost two kilograms of berries.
Gigantella berries are large, the first fruits weigh about 100 grams. Subsequently, their mass increases. The shape is round, more like an oval with pressed sides. The second result is observed up to 60 g. The surface of the berry is rough, a slight granular bulge is noticeable. Below you can feel the so-called ridge. Its appearance is closely related to sunlight - the absence of it does not allow the comb to ripen.
This variety is very demanding on properly calculated humidity conditions. If it is violated, the inside of the berry will be empty. The fruits are very elastic to the touch, sometimes growing dense and even hard. This structure is good for transportation conditions. It is during this period that they mature and acquire good elasticity. The berry is a beautiful matte red color, the consistency of the pulp is dense.
The taste qualities of homemade strawberries are quite unique - there is a pineapple flavor, maximum juiciness and considerable wateriness. It is these characteristics that distinguish the homemade strawberry from its relatives.
The advantages of the variety include:
- gigantic fruit size;
- unique taste properties;
- portability of transportation;
- long shelf life;
- Suitable for freezing.
Experienced gardeners have encountered some problems when growing berries. Here are the shortcomings:
- a rather capricious culture;
- high risk of infection with plant diseases;
- frequent attacks on bushes by pests;
- does not tolerate low temperatures;
- mature strawberries are less productive.
