Strawberries of the “Syria” variety: description and reviews of garden strawberries

Italian varieties of garden strawberries are in constant demand on the global berry market. Among the new products that have proven themselves well in Russia and other post-Soviet countries, it is worth highlighting the mid-season “Syria” strawberry. The large size and excellent presentation of the berries have been appreciated by many professional gardeners and amateur gardeners, who call the variety one of the most delicious and aromatic.

In the photo - Syrian strawberries grown in open ground using non-woven covering material

To get a general idea of ​​the variety, we suggest considering its main characteristics in the table:

Variety characteristics table

Reviews

Leonid, 52 years old, Sumy

First impressions of Syria are positive. It overwintered well, withstands the heat normally with regular watering, I haven’t noticed any diseases or mites yet. The bushes are distinguished by dark green dense tops. The flower stalks are powerful and hold the berries suspended for a long time. The fruits are beautiful, smooth, bright red. The birds were the first to try them; they had to be removed before they were fully ripe. The taste of the berries is very pleasant, sweet with a slight sourness, even in cool rainy weather. Transportability and presentation are also excellent. But the yield is rather weak.

Alexander, 44 years old, Dzhankoy district

I planted Syria last year with seedlings with ZKS in the summer heat, but it took root well and quickly began to grow. Feels normal on depleted soil when adding organic matter. The winter was with frosts down to -30 and no snow. All the bushes stood up fine on the black film. Unlike other varieties, they do not chlorominate.

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Elena, 48 years old, Ussuri region

The berry is dark cherry, juicy, sweet, very aromatic. For us, this is the only Italian variety that does not rot on film after rain, does not bake or burn in the heat. Even when fully ripened, the structure of the berries remains uniform, dense and elastic. Not enough mustaches. Syria is very suitable for our climate.

Svetlana, 51 years old, Vitebsk region

This spring, my first flowers in Syria froze, but the resulting berries were very pleasing. Taste qualities, wonderful shape (the same for almost all), pulp consistency, aroma - excellent throughout the entire fruiting period. The variety is large-fruited, the size of the berries decreases towards the end of harvest, but not critically. If at the beginning of the season they were 35-40 g, then at the end - 23-25, which is also not a small thing. I will definitely expand the plantation.

Description of the variety

The Syrian strawberry was first bred by Italian breeders. A few years later, or rather, in 2010, they patented it in Europe and gave it the name “Syria”.

Characteristics of berries and bush

Berries and strawberry bushes of the “Syria” variety The “Syria” strawberry variety
It is moderately spreading with a small amount of whiskers. The foliage is large and has small wrinkles or grooves. The color is also characteristic: rich, deep green.

The flower stalks are strong and confidently hold the fruits. If there are a large number of ripe berries on the bush, they may fall to the ground.

The fruits are regular, elongated, cone-shaped. Berries of irregular shape are practically never found.

The pulp is homogeneous, has a dense structure, juicy and quite sweet. The taste is also excellent. Tasters compare it to pineapple. The sweetness is not without sourness and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Productivity

Strawberry fruits of this variety are considered large. The weight of an average berry is 30–35 g. Large fruits can reach 60–65 g.

The yield per bush with proper care reaches 1 kg. Average yield – 550–650 g.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of garden strawberries of the “Syria” variety:

• After the first year, the yield of Syria strawberries increases.
• The berries are the same, regular, cone-shaped.
• Sweet, dense pulp increases the commercial quality of the variety.
• No special care required.
• They can easily be transported and changed storage containers without losing their shape.
• High tasting score.
• Suitable for cultivation in almost all regions, quickly adapts to new conditions.
• High resistance to most types of diseases.
• During short droughts, the characteristics of the berries do not suffer.

Minuses:

• “Syria” is not suitable for freezing, as it loses its taste.
• In the northern part of the country, it is necessary to cover the plant for the winter so that it does not freeze.
• Susceptible to damage by spider mites.

What regions is it suitable for?

This variety of garden strawberries can be grown in almost any region of the country. It is quite suitable for the Moscow region, for the Urals, for the Leningrad region. In Siberia, it is better to grow it in a greenhouse.

Origin and registration of the variety

“Syria” was obtained by breeders from the famous Italian plant (Cesena), which unites the large nurseries Raggi Vivai and Geoplant Vivai. The variety was developed as NF 137 (NF 137), in 2010 it was patented in Europe (CPVO 2010/0149 Grant 34840), and received the name “Syria” when registering a trademark.

Many nurseries and agricultural firms in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are engaged in the production and sale of planting material for the variety.

So far, only NF 205 (“Roxana”) and NF 311 (“Alba”); NF 137 (“Syria”) was included in the plant register of Ukraine in 2015. It is recommended for cultivation in natural areas of Polesie, forest-steppe and steppe in open or protected ground (in greenhouses, greenhouses, under film covers).

The rights to the variety belong to the originator, so it is better to purchase planting material from reliable suppliers who have the appropriate license. This guarantees the quality of the seedlings and the presence of the declared varietal characteristics in the plants. Unlicensed distribution violates intellectual property rights and is punishable by law.

The best place to plant Syria strawberries

Experienced gardeners note that garden strawberries “Syria” need good lighting. If you do not provide access to the sun, the berries will be small and sour.

Soil requirements and preparation:

• It is undesirable to plant “Syria” in places where clay soils predominate, as well as where groundwater is close. In this case, the berry will not be able to fully demonstrate its taste.
• Before planting, the soil must be loosened.
• When planting in low-lying areas, it is necessary to drain the soil.

It is recommended to plant strawberries where carrots, beans, radishes, onions, garlic, rapeseed, and cereals grew before them.

Advantages and disadvantages

Vegetable growers note that they choose Syrian strawberries because they can be grown in any region of Russia, because of their large fruits, good quality fruits, their excellent taste, because the berries have an attractive appearance, are well sold, and have a dense pulp, so they can withstand transportation, do not wrinkle, and do not leak. The variety shows high productivity.

Strawberries of the Syria variety have few disadvantages: it is noted that they can be affected, especially in greenhouse conditions, by spider mites, so preventive spraying is necessary during cultivation.

Landing

The place for planting Syrian strawberries must be prepared several months in advance. The area needs to be loosened and fertilized. For 1 sq. m of soil, take 1 bucket of humus.

Immediately before planting, you need to clear the area of ​​weeds.

Strawberry planting scheme:

1. Make holes for each bush. The depth of each is approximately 25–30 cm.
2. The distance between holes is about 30 cm, between rows 60 cm. This planting will simplify care and provide access to light to each bush.
3. Water each well generously with 0.5 liters of water.
4. When the liquid is absorbed, lower the bush into the hole in a vertical position, sprinkle it with soil, and compact it.
5. Water again using at least 1 liter of water.

Late ripening varieties

The ripening time for late strawberries is July and August.

Great Britain

Large-fruited Great Britain is breaking all records in terms of yield. Prevent diseases, provide proper care - and you can collect up to 4 kg from a bush. Burgundy-cherry berries have a sweet, fleshy pulp - they make delicious jams and preserves.

Gigantella Maxim

This Dutch plant successfully lives up to its name: its bushes reach half a meter in height, and its berries grow the size of an apricot. Of course, with the right agricultural technology. Gigantella loves light, but cannot stand the sun, and gets sick in rainy weather. At the same time, she loves moisture and needs regular watering. It is demanding on soil and grows best after legume green manure.

Lord

This variety came to us from Britain back in the 80s and is still popular today. Grows best in temperate climates. It is resistant to frost and drought, but suffers from extreme heat. The berries are large, round, with dense sweet pulp. They don't last long - they need to be eaten, processed or frozen within three days.

Malvina

The German variety Malvina is classified as a dessert variety due to the high concentration of sugar in the fruit. The berries are large and very dense, cherry color, with a bright aroma. Withstands frosts down to -19 degrees, in the middle zone it grows well under cover. The bushes grow very large, so plant them at a distance from each other.

Pegasus

Pegasus is very prolific: one bush brings about 2 kg of harvest. It loves the sun and black soil, is not afraid of cold weather and is resistant to diseases and pests. Beautiful glossy berries grow up to 45 g, have a fragrant aroma and sweet taste - the variety is considered a dessert variety.

Roxana

We have a lot of Italian women today, and this one is one of the best in the selection. Roxana's dessert berries are elongated, have a strawberry aroma and grow up to 120 g. One bush produces more than a kilogram of fruit. Withstands frosts down to -20, and with shelter under a layer of snow - up to -30. It resists pests and putrefactive diseases well.

CHamora Turusi

The peculiarity of the variety is the size of the berries: in the first year of fruiting they reach 100-150 g. Then they become smaller to 30-70 g, but their number increases. The fruits are red or purple, with a wonderful taste and aroma, and come in various shapes. In the central zone it winters well even without shelter; it does not like heat or drought. Prevention from diseases is necessary.

Features of caring for Syrian strawberries

To enjoy ripe, large fruits, you need comprehensive strawberry care.

Watering

Drip irrigation of beds is best suited for Syria strawberries. This will protect the plant from drought even in the hottest weather.

Strawberries are watered by hand either early in the morning or late in the evening. It is not advisable to water the bushes with cold water, as this will slow down their growth.

Strawberries need water most of all during flowering and fruit ripening. If there is no precipitation, you need to water the garden bed moderately every day.

Top dressing

Syria strawberries need to be fed several times a year:

• at the beginning of spring;
• when forming rosettes;
• at the final harvest;
• in preparation for winter.

As a source of organic matter, it is best to use a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1:10 or bird droppings in a concentration of 1:20. In combination with organic fertilizers, it is necessary to add mineral fertilizers.

It is also necessary to apply nitrogenous fertilizers, preferably in early spring or during soil preparation. Do not forget about potash fertilizers, as well as phosphates. The latter are introduced into the soil before winter.

Weeding and loosening

It is necessary to loosen the soil after precipitation, and periodically after watering.

In the process of loosening the soil, it is necessary to eliminate the mustaches that take away nutrients from the fruit.

Reproduction

Methods of propagating strawberries: by dividing the bush, by mustaches, by seeds.
There are several ways of propagating garden strawberries of the “Syria” variety:

• Using a mustache . Tape planting allows gardeners to root the tendrils for subsequent propagation of the crop.
• Seeds . This is a long and labor-intensive method. First, you need to grow seedlings from seeds and only then plant them in beds.
• Dividing the bush . This method of propagation is possible from healthy, strong seedlings of three years old.

Transfer

Replanting the bushes to a new location in the fall is necessary every 3-4 years, otherwise the strawberry yield will drop.

The bushes are carefully dug up. Without damaging the root system. Until they are planted in the ground, they must be placed in a container with filtered water at room temperature.

Trimming

Pruning is carried out throughout the season as the mustache grows. This is necessary to ensure that nutrients and moisture are not absorbed by the rosettes.

Mulching

Mulching strawberries with straw and spruce branches
Mulching is possible if the winter promises to be snowless and too frosty. For this purpose, it is recommended to use straw, as well as spruce branches.

Preparing for winter

In the climate of the middle zone and southern regions, garden strawberries “Syria” are planted in open ground. In this case, there will be no need to cover or specially protect the crop. In harsher climates, it is grown in a greenhouse.

At the end of September, after applying phosphates, the bushes are treated against various diseases. If winter does not foretell a lot of snow, but promises severe frosts, you can protect the seedlings with spruce branches.

Rules of agricultural technology

Since Syrian strawberries are often grown commercially, the plant requires quality care throughout the growing season.

1. Be sure to water the bushes with warm water at least 15 degrees only in the evening. Moreover, the volumes will depend not only on the condition of the soil, but also on the stage of strawberry development. The most productive for the Syria variety is drip irrigation, due to which dosed irrigation of the soil occurs. In addition, liquid fertilizers are applied through the system.
2. When using mulching, before digging the beds, add ammonium sulfate (15 grams) and superphosphate (40 grams) to each square. In the future, mineral fertilizers for strawberries of the Syria variety will not be required.
3. Grass should not be allowed to grow on a strawberry plantation, since it is the weeds that most often harbor disease spores and pests. The top layer of soil is loosened after watering to provide oxygen access to the plant root system.

Disease Prevention

As you know, diseases are difficult to treat; it is best to take preventive measures. Early in the spring, while the Syrian strawberries have not yet come out of dormancy, the leaves are removed and the beds are cleaned.

It is advisable to remove the top layer of soil, which may contain overwintered pests, and treat the plantings and soil with special preparations. Experts advise using Fitosporin, Thiovit Jet, Guspin, a 4% solution of Bordeaux mixture or a 2-3% solution of copper sulfate.

The second serious preventive measure is taken in the fall after the strawberry harvest. The beds are treated with any composition that disinfects the soil and destroys disease spores and pest larvae.

Important! At the time of filling and ripening of the berries, no chemicals are used to process Syrian strawberries.

The following remedy works well as a preventative:

In a ten-liter bucket of water add 3 tablespoons of already used vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons each of liquid detergent, table vinegar and ash. Let the solution stand for 10 minutes, filter and spray the plantation with strawberries.

Pests

Syrian strawberries are resistant to many diseases, but you will have to fight pests. Plants can be affected by nematodes, mites, leaf beetles, slugs, ants and other pests.

To kill pests, use special preparations, following the recommendations on the packaging. Combined planting of strawberries can also help solve the problem. For example, herbs and plants with a pungent odor can repel many pests.

There are also traditional methods: a solution of wood ash and soap. Ground red pepper, which is sprinkled on the soil around the strawberry bushes, helps against ants and slugs. If there is a massive insect infestation, you will have to resort to pesticides.

On how to get rid of the pest, advice from a gardener in the video:

Possible pests and diseases

The description of the Syrian strawberry variety indicates that the crop is quite resistant to all kinds of pests and diseases.

There are several types of diseases to which berries are most often susceptible.

Preventive measures

With the end of winter, it is necessary to remove fallen leaves and get rid of weeds. To prevent damage to the plant by insects, it is better to get rid of the top layer of soil in which the larvae wait out the winter.

After this, special treatment is carried out. As such, you can use Fitosporin or a solution of 3% copper sulfate (3 g per 100 ml of water).

“Fitosporin: Golden Autumn” is diluted according to the following scheme: 10 drops of the substance in a glass of water. You can root cuttings in this solution or soak seeds. They also cultivate the soil in the greenhouse.

One of the most popular varieties of garden strawberries is the Syrian strawberry variety; reviews from gardeners testify to this. This variety is excellent for sale, as well as for eating in its raw form.

Photo: pinterest.com

Medium ripening varieties

Strawberries of mid-season varieties bear fruit in mid-summer: from late June to late July in the northern regions and throughout June in the southern regions.

Asia

An Italian variety, very demanding on climatic and soil conditions - it can only grow in the southern regions. The berries and pulp are bright red, fresh-sweet and juicy. The first fruits reach 70 g, the subsequent ones - up to 40 g. Asia is vulnerable to powdery mildew and other diseases - preventive measures are mandatory.

Crown

A variety of Dutch origin with heart-shaped fruits weighing 15-30 g. The berries are fleshy, juicy, fragrant and sweet. The density is average - you won’t find a better one for making jam or preserves. The crown can withstand frosts down to -22 degrees. Resistant to fungal diseases, but susceptible to others. Productivity – up to a kilogram per bush.

Merchant's wife

Kupchikha is otherwise called zemklunikaya - it is a strawberry-strawberry hybrid bred by domestic breeders. The size of the berries is from 3.7 to 25 g, the color is wine-purple, the shape is elongated and bizarre. The fruits have sweet, low-juicy pulp with a nutmeg aroma. The variety is highly resistant - it is not afraid of frost, drought, or disease. One bush produces up to 300 g of harvest per season.

Sensation

A young Dutch variety with high productivity - up to 1.8 kg of berries are harvested from a bush. The first fruits are large and reach 60-90 g, the main harvest is 20-22 kg. The shape is round, the color is red-pink or red-orange. The taste of Sensation is sweet, soft and juicy - some gardeners compare it with Gigantella. This strawberry tolerates frost and drought well and is moderately resistant to diseases.

Florence

The Englishwoman Florence produces 500 g of harvest per bush per season. The fruits are sweet and aromatic, on average reaching 30-40 g, maximum 60 g. Resistant to unfavorable climate, grows in any soil and is almost not susceptible to diseases of the root system. It does not like heat and requires abundant watering.

Queen

Dessert domestic variety. It is not afraid of drought and heat, is moderately resistant to frost, and resists diseases well - with the exception of verticillium. 350-1000 g of berries weighing 12-50 g ripen on the bush. Lack of moisture affects the size of the fruits - they become smaller. The berries are sweet and sour, rich red in color, conical in shape.

Black Prince

This Italian got its name for the unusual color of the fruit - burgundy-red, almost black. The variety is high-yielding with a fruit weight of up to 50 g. It tolerates frosts down to -18, and has average resistance to drought. It bears fruit for 6-7 years and even more with good agricultural technology. The berries have medicinal properties due to the concentration of vitamin C and phytoncides.

Elsanta

An unpretentious Dutch variety with glossy red fruits and pulp of the same color. The berries are dense, sweet and sour. It tolerates winter well, drought - moderately. It is not afraid of many fungal diseases, but it is vulnerable to powdery mildew. Productivity – up to one and a half kilograms per bush.

Top dressing

The main fertilizing is applied to strawberries when the first leaves appear and during the formation of berries.

Experts recommend fertilizing strawberries in 4 stages:

1. after the appearance of the first leaves or planting;
2. in the spring during the formation of ovaries;
3. at the end of summer after harvest;
4. in the fall before wintering.

All fertilizers used for fertilizing are conventionally divided into:

• organic;
• mineral;
• microfertilizers.

For foliar feeding of strawberries, water-soluble fertilizers are used.

The former include mullein, chicken manure, horse manure, ash and compost . Mineral fertilizers include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other microelements. Microfertilizers are used in the form of spraying solutions containing copper, boron, magnesium, and iodine.

Nitrogen is necessary for the formation of color, size and taste of the berry . Potassium increases the sugar content of fruits, making them juicier and sweeter. Potassium deficiency can be determined by the appearance of the foliage. If the ends of the leaf blade turn brown, this is a clear sign of a deficiency of potassium fertilizers. Phosphorus fertilizers affect crop productivity indicators.

Complex fertilizers

When growing strawberries on black covering material, complex mineral fertilizers are used for fertilizing.

Gardeners most often use complex fertilizers that contain the entire range of nutrients and vitamins necessary for good development and fruiting of strawberries. The most famous of them:

• Ryazanochka;
• Buoy fertilizers;
• NutriFight;
• Hera.

Most of them are water soluble and can be used not only for feeding, but also for disease prevention.