Wima Tarda strawberries: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care, photo

No matter how much strawberries are valued for their sweet taste and bright aroma, the first thing a buyer pays attention to is the size and beauty of the berry. Wima Tarda's large-fruited strawberries are ready to decorate any garden. Huge comb-shaped fruits of raspberry color will become the pride of any, even the most experienced, gardener. The variety cannot be called a dessert variety, but its appearance is simply mesmerizing.

History of selection

Vima Tarda is a representative of mid-late, non-repairing garden strawberry varieties with high dessert qualities. The new plant was bred in the Netherlands, thanks to the efforts of specialists from Vissers Aardbeiplanten BV, and belongs to the Vima family (a unifying name for a group of varietal varieties of plants of Dutch selection, which are equally well grown both in small private areas and on an industrial scale). One of the parent forms of this strawberry is the no less famous Vima Zanta, and the second was taken from a representative of the Vikoda variety. Vima Tarda inherited many positive characteristics from her “parents,” but despite this she is not yet well known among wide circles of gardeners.

Did you know? Despite the fact that we are accustomed to calling strawberries exactly strawberries, in fact the plant is a strawberry, at least it was the first “strawberry in Rus'” (green strawberry).

Reviews from gardeners

Nikolai Vladimirovich, Moscow, 43 years old.

The variety did not perform well under my growing conditions. Resistance to mites is minimal, and the taste is a C grade. After the second season, the strawberries became even worse. I grew Malvina together with Tarda, so it will be several times better. I left Malvina for now.

Dmitry Vladimirovich, Minsk, 54 years old.

I grew three varieties of Dutch Vima. Refused everyone. Now I'll tell you why. Vima Trada, even in our conditions, which cannot boast of extreme heat, was baked every year. The berry is very large and beautiful, but the taste is not very good. There's not enough sweetness. Vima Rina was very small, but I love large strawberries. Vima Zanta is a very tasty variety. The first year the berries were large and sweet. And then like peas. As a result, I grew it for another 2 years and finally gave up.

Description and characteristics of fruits and bushes

When choosing a varietal variety of a particular crop, first of all it is worth assessing its characteristic features and external data, which will help make a final decision regarding the appropriateness of the purchase. Having paid attention to Wim Tarda strawberries, be sure to study their taste properties, requirements for temperature growing conditions and general advantages and disadvantages, after which you can calmly move on to the issue of planting.

The Vima Tarda strawberry variety does not require special care. If you want to get a large harvest of berries, you need not to be lazy and feed the bushes with organic matter, as well as complex mineral fertilizer

Taste qualities of fruits

The berries of plants of this variety are large multi-nuts, with a blunt-conical or comb-like shape (very large specimens can be fan-shaped). The skin of the fruit is durable, dark red in color, with a shiny surface. All achenes are yellow, sometimes with a reddish tint, but always small in size. The taste of the berries, as well as their aroma, is at a high level, which makes the fruits of the variety an excellent dessert. Vima Tarda is a multifaceted strawberry in terms of taste, because along with its pronounced sugar content, it is not without a slight sourness, which only emphasizes the existing sweetness.

Important! After 3-4 years of growing strawberries, the berries of the plant variety become a little smaller, and their quality deteriorates. This means that they need to renew their plantings. For commercial purposes, the Vima Tarda variety is cultivated exclusively as an annual or biennial plant.

This feature makes the described strawberries one of the most remarkable varieties in the Vima group, even though the specific taste characteristics of the fruit largely depend on the climatic conditions of growing the plant. Ripe strawberries can be consumed fresh or used for processing into compotes, fruit drinks, and desserts.

Often such strawberries become a decoration for baked goods and other culinary masterpieces, and after freezing they can be used at any time of the year.

Frost resistance and drought resistance

The frost resistance of strawberries of the Vima Tarda variety is at an average level, which means that in Siberia, plants will have to be grown in greenhouses or covered during the coldest winter months. The crop's drought resistance is almost the same as its frost resistance, but to obtain a plentiful and tasty harvest during the period of fruit formation, the soil under the plantings will have to be regularly moistened.

Getting to know Vima Zanta description of the variety

Its productivity is evidenced by its widespread use in industrial farms.

Vim Zant's strawberries have inherited all the best qualities of their predecessors. It has every chance of becoming a favorite on your site - the description will help you navigate your choice.

It begins to bear fruit in late May-early June, a week later Honey - Vima Zanta strawberries belong to the early or mid-early varieties.
Productivity is high - up to 80 c/ha - more than Elsanta. In the first year it is slightly lower, and fully opens in the second year after planting.
The bush is powerful, the light green leaf blades are slightly curled inwards like a boat - a characteristic feature.
The berry is large, bright red, without shine. The shape of the first ones is spherical, the subsequent ones are wide-conical with a neck, and the neck is flattened - another feature in the description, thanks to which the variety cannot be confused with analogues. The fruits are not very heavy; if not watered enough, they can be hollow inside.
The taste is bright, delicate, very sweet - superior to Honey, Clery, even if it is somewhat inferior in appearance.
Peduncles at the level of leaves, powerful. The consistency is very high.
It is very easily separated from the sepals. In terms of transportation, this is rather a minus - due to the softness of the fruit, transportation over long distances may not end very well. At least, that’s what they think in Europe, where the berries are often removed with their sepals for delivery to large retail chains. This form of delivery has not taken root in our country, so this drawback cannot be considered as such, if not for the softness of the berries, which is affected by transportation: it can dent, leak - high-quality containers and refrigeration are needed.
Resistant to diseases, inherited resistance to fungal spots, root rot, fusarium. Moderate sensitivity to powdery mildew.

Nuances of cultivation

Knowing some of the features will allow you to get the maximum, providing complete care.

The photo shows Vima Zant's strawberries, the first year of fruiting: they will ripen soon.

The planting is standard: 35 x 45 cm; the planting density should not be reduced due to high compaction.
Tolerates heat well, without lunges, and does not bake in the sun.
Winter-hardy, but, given the unpredictable winters with sudden changes in thaw and frost, requires shelter. Nothing special, however, is needed: ordinary straw, spruce branches plus a film or agrofibre, or simply a not too thin covering material.
It responds gratefully to a drop - with good watering, the fruits are larger, there are no hollow lungs. Mineral supplements will improve the taste.
It is recommended to grow on a mulch film or mulch the soil with straw - soft fruits, when they fall, get dirty, and can rot in rainy weather.
To increase the yield, extra horns are planted or, if seedlings are needed, they are planted in a timely manner so as not to waste the plant’s strength.
Sheltering in early spring will reduce the ripening time by 10-14 days.

The disadvantages are softness: the core is a little hollow, light, due to which poor transportability - for example, 40-45 km already affects the appearance, unsuitability for growing for sale on a large scale due to the lack or high cost of proper containers and refrigeration units.
This also includes a huge number of mustaches - but often this is an advantage: at least there are no problems with reproduction.
Positive aspects for gardeners: wonderful, bright taste, original beautiful shape - with good agricultural technology you can’t help but like it. The main thing is not to buy a pig in a poke on the market - use the services of distributors, nurseries, stores or just good friends.

All related varieties of the Vima group are different from each other, and the Vima Zanta strawberry received the warmest reviews among them, albeit contradictory: this variety should be from! – to negative. As you can be sure, they are all deserved - think, decide, weigh the pros and cons. The only thing is, with good care, you will never regret that you decided to get acquainted with this variety. Have a generous harvest!

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Landing Features

Vima Tarda has its own individual requirements for the planting process and the selection of a site for planting, so before moving on to the actual implementation of planting activities, you should familiarize yourself with the recommended timing of planting plants, prepare the most suitable place for them on the site and strictly follow all recommendations regarding the technology itself .

Important! The ideal predecessors for Wim Tarda strawberries would be onions, garlic, oats and legumes, as they reduce the likelihood of popular pests and diseases of this crop appearing on strawberry plantings.

Recommended disembarkation times

Planting the described strawberries is possible both in spring and in autumn, and the choice of a specific time depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. In the central and northern regions, spring planting is preferable, and the autumn procedure is acceptable for the most part in the southern territories, where the winter season begins on time and the possibility of early frosts is minimized.

For successful spring planting, the soil temperature must be at least +10°C so that the planted seedlings can quickly take root and have no problems in their development in the future. During an autumn event, it is advisable to deal with this before the second half of September, because the more time remains before the onset of frost, the greater the chances of successful rooting for strawberries.

Selection and preparation of a site for planting

Proper preparation of the planting site is the second important step towards successfully growing strawberries, so do not neglect the recommendations of gardeners in this matter. First of all, preference should be given only to well-lit areas, since strawberries reduce their yield in shaded areas. You should not plant the plant near fruit trees and shrubs, and it is also advisable to avoid soils with high acidity (ideal soil in this regard must be neutral).

Learn how to make a strawberry bed.

The selection and preparation of planting material deserves special attention. Good yield is shown by seedlings with a developed rhizome, consisting of 3-4 separate shoots and small root “tendrils” between them. A high-quality above-ground part of seedlings always consists of 3–6 dense leaf blades of a dark green color, and the main bud is pink.

Direct landing

Wim Tarda's strawberry planting technology involves performing several sequential actions:

To begin with, the soil in the area dug up and cleared of plant debris should be fertilized with superphosphate (200–300 g per 1 m²) and humus (5-6 kg per 1 m²).
Then you need to arrange small holes for the seedlings, up to 10 cm deep, and place young plants in them, carefully filling the free space with previously dug soil.
Having filled and compacted the planting hole with earth, all that remains is to water the plants generously and, if necessary, mulch with a layer of humus and sawdust.

In case of a high probability of return frosts, fragile strawberry seedlings should be covered with film material by installing a temporary greenhouse over the bed.

Video: planting strawberries

Further care

The very next day after planting Wima Tarda strawberries, a long stage of plant care begins, which consists of several basic actions: timely watering, fertilizing, weeding and preventing the appearance of diseases and pests.

Watering

On average, the regularity of applying irrigation liquid to the soil is once every three days, since rotting of the root system for strawberries is more dangerous than a short drought. As for irrigation methods, the usual sprinkling in this case is not the best option and, if possible, it is better to organize dosed drip moistening of the soil in the beds.

Read more about how often and how to water strawberries correctly.

To reduce the number of waterings and ensure the plant’s well-being, you can mulch the surface of the bed. Every three weeks the layer of mulch must be changed, thereby preventing the development of pathogens.

Fertilizers

When fertilizing strawberries, it is worth observing a certain moderation in the use of nutrients, since their excess in the soil is just as undesirable as a deficiency. The optimal scheme for fertilizing strawberries can be considered the following:

about a week after planting the seedlings at a permanent growing site, it can be fertilized with a urea solution, having previously dissolved 50 g of the substance in 1 liter of water (watering with liquid fertilizer is carried out in the root zone of the crop);
the second time, the strawberries are fertilized after flowering, using chicken manure dissolved in water in a ratio of 1 kg per 10 liters of water as a nutrient mixture;
the next feeding is usually carried out after the berries have formed, and this time it would be appropriate to use wood ash, which can strengthen the internal strength of the plants and reduce the risk of developing diseases;
During the ripening of strawberries, potassium fertilizers can be used, and before wintering, the plantings are fertilized with a small amount of humus.

Did you know? One strawberry contains up to 200 seeds, which means that just one strawberry can serve as a source of dozens of new plants.

Weeding

Considering the increased tendency of Wim Tarda strawberries to form tendrils, plantings with the crop must be regularly thinned, while simultaneously removing all weeds. Excessive thickening of plants does not contribute to their good and rapid development, so it is likely that the formed berries will be small and not as sweet as they could be under other conditions.

The easiest way to do weeding is soon after the next watering of the plants; the main thing is not to overdo it with loosening, pulling out the strawberries themselves

Propagation of garden strawberries

The culture can reproduce in three ways. The method can be selected depending on personal preferences. The use of whiskers is a common propagation method, but seeds can also be used.

Dividing the socket

To use this method, it is necessary to separate the rosette along with the root from the mother bush. The resulting shoot is planted in the ground; this method is often used, but can be harmful to the mother bush.

Mustache division

The bushes are left, from which the inflorescences are removed. The released mustache is dug into the ground, and after the cutting takes root, it is cut off and transplanted into a separate hole. This type of plant replanting is harmless to the mother bush and allows you to get up to 7 cuttings at once.

Seeds

To obtain seeds, you must perform the following algorithm:

choose berries that are ripe and have no visible damage;
the berries are kneaded to a pulp;
the resulting slurry is dried for several days, after which it is washed with clean water;
the resulting seeds are dried and used to grow seedlings.

To obtain seedlings, you need to plant the seeds in a container with a fertile mixture and cover with a plastic bag until shoots emerge. After the shoots appear, it is necessary to open the container daily for 30 minutes to harden the sprouts. The time gradually increases. Seedlings are planted in the soil after 4-6 leaves appear.

Diseases and pests

The Vima Tarda variety is characterized by high resistance to common strawberry diseases and pests, therefore, if the agrotechnical requirements for growing the crop are observed, possible troubles can be minimized. However, timely prevention will not hurt, just as information about possible methods of dealing with common problems will not be superfluous. In rare cases, strawberry plantings may suffer from:

Gray rot (the main sign of development is a gray coating on all parts of the bush, especially leaf blades). In the fight against the disease, the drugs “Fukzalim” or “Tiram” are used.
Aphids (the insect can be seen with the naked eye, mainly on the inside of leaves and young green shoots). By sucking the juice from strawberry seedlings, aphids can destroy large-scale strawberry plantations in record time, so at the first signs of pest activity it is worth spraying the crop with a soap solution or special insecticidal preparations (for example, Aktara, Biotlin).
Earthen mite (damages leaf blades and rhizomes of strawberries, sucking plant juice and leading to their gradual death). In the fight against insects, drugs such as “Bitoxibacillin” and copper sulfate solution are used.

Unfortunately, plants, most of which are already clearly showing signs of a particular problem, are very difficult to cure, which means that in order to protect the remaining healthy crops, it is worth getting rid of infected areas, removing affected specimens if necessary. Having eliminated the source of infection, all that remains is to treat healthy plants with suitable insecticidal or fungicidal preparations, which will certainly help protect them from re-infection.

We advise you to familiarize yourself with the treatment of strawberries against pests and diseases.

Harvesting and storage

The fruiting of Wima Tarda strawberries is extended over time, so berry picking begins in July and can continue until the autumn cold. Usually, in 1.5–2 months, gardeners manage to collect up to 6–8 harvests, although most of the fruits can be picked in the first month after they ripen. Stable fruiting of the crop is observed only in the first 3-4 years of growing plants, after which, in order to increase the abundance of the harvest (sometimes you can get up to 1 kg of berries from one bush), you will have to update the plantings by planting new plants.

Storing fresh Wima Tarda strawberries does not last long, so if you want to provide yourself with delicious vitamins for a long time, you will have to freeze or transfer the berries to preserves and jams. There should not be any particular difficulties in growing the crop, therefore, if you follow basic agrotechnical recommendations, even novice gardeners will be able to achieve the desired harvest.