Strawberry Holiday: variety description, photos and reviews from gardeners, fruit characteristics, advantages and disadvantages

Description

The mid-late Holiday strawberry bushes grow slightly spreading and medium in size. The leaves are large. The surface of the leaf blade is slightly wrinkled and covered with a pubescence. Leaf color is light green. Peduncles are low, powerful, located below the foliage level. The green sepals are not wide, located horizontally by the time the fruit ripens.

The first wave of the Holiday harvest is characterized by large berries with ridge-shaped tops. The average weight of one fruit is 32 g. Subsequent waves of the Holiday strawberry harvest bring smaller berries with a regular conical shape. The skin of the fruit is red and glossy. The pulp is light red, not loose, rich in juice and sugar. Small strawberry grains are located in yellowish achenes, not very deeply immersed inside the fruit.

The ripening of berries is consistent. The productivity of the Holiday variety per 1 acre reaches 150 kg. Strawberries have a dessert sweet and sour taste. The harvest can be transported and stored. Berries can be frozen, processed, or eaten fresh.

Important! The Holiday variety tolerates drought and frosty winters well and is rarely affected by diseases.

The video provides an overview of Holiday strawberries:

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Drought resistance is considered a positive feature of the Holiday variety. However, strawberries really like abundant watering. The bush is able to survive in the heat with little moisture, but the quality of the berries and the quantity of the harvest will decrease.

Advantages and disadvantages

Culture has the following advantages:

• very aromatic and tasty;
• high yield, which reaches 1.5 kg per square meter;
• tolerates heat and drought, as well as winter frosts;
• resists various diseases and insect attacks;
• The fruits are very dense and can easily be transported.

Flaws:

• it is necessary to additionally apply fertilizers to increase fertility (yield);
• in dry times, without proper watering, the berry loses its positive taste characteristics.

Reproduction methods

Traditionally, strawberries of the mid-late Holiday variety are propagated in three ways: by mustache, seeds or dividing the bush. Those who have no desire to do this work buy ready-made seedlings.

Usami

For the gardener, strawberry mustaches bring extra care associated with pruning, but for propagation these layerings are the best option. To propagate the Holiday variety, perform the following steps:

• With the last wave of the strawberry harvest, the growth of mustaches is activated. After picking the berries, weeds are removed from the garden beds and the rows are loosened.
• Strong strawberry tendrils with developed rosettes of leaves are straightened and laid on loose soil. A small yaku is squeezed into the ground by hand. The socket is placed in a recess, lightly covered with soil.
• By mid-September the rosettes will take root. You just need to remember to water them. The mustache is cut off from the mother strawberry bush and transplanted to another place.

The strongest rosettes are located on the tendrils first on the side of the bush. They are taken for propagation, and the rest are immediately cut off so that the juice is not drawn from the plant.

Dividing the bush

Holiday strawberries, like other varieties, can reproduce by dividing the bush. The method is considered traumatic for the plant, but allows the crop to be transplanted to another place in case of weak mustache formation. At the time of division, strawberry bushes of the mid-late variety should be 2–4 years old. For propagation, take plants with a well-developed root system.

In early spring or autumn, dig up a strawberry bush. The plant is divided into parts so that each horn has a rosette and long roots. After dividing, the strawberry seedlings are planted in a new bed.

Growing from seeds

The most labor-intensive way to propagate the variety is to grow Holiday strawberries from seeds. It is necessary to properly prepare the grains to obtain strong seedlings.

Seed production technique and stratification

Holiday strawberry seeds are better and easier to buy in the store. When picking yourself, you will need to select large overripe berries from the garden without damage. Using a knife, cut off the skin of the fruit along with the grains, lay it out on any sheet with a glossy surface, and place it in the sun. After 4–5 days, the moisture will evaporate and the strawberry seeds will dry out. All that remains is to collect them and then send them to be stored in a cool, dry place.

Before sowing, self-harvested Holiday strawberry grains are soaked, but it is better to stratify them. Each gardener has his own method of cold hardening seeds. The most common methods are as follows:

• I pour a layer of snow 1–2 cm thick onto fertile soil or peat tablets. Holiday strawberry seeds are laid on top. Place the container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The snow will melt, and the strawberry seeds will silt into the soil on their own.
• Place damp cotton wool inside a plastic bag and scatter strawberry seeds on top. The bag is tied and similarly sent to the refrigerator. After four days, grains of the mid-late strawberry variety Holiday are sown in containers with warm soil.
• The third method is based on mixing Holiday strawberry seeds with a small amount of wet peat or sand. Hardening similarly occurs in the refrigerator for two months. As the filler dries, it is moistened.

Stratification helps speed up seed germination of the Holiday strawberry variety up to 15 days. Without hardening, the grains will germinate in at least 30 days.

Attention! Purchased seeds of the Holiday strawberry variety go through all stages of processing in production. Before planting, the grains are soaked only in a growth stimulator.

Sowing time

For cold regions, the optimal time for sowing Holiday seeds is March - early April. Gardeners in the south begin sowing in mid-February.

Sowing in peat tablets

It is convenient to grow Holiday strawberry seedlings in peat tablets, since the procedure for planting them in the garden is then simplified. The process consists of the following steps:

• Peat washers are placed inside a plastic container with the planting holes facing up. Pour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After the peat tablets have swollen, the remaining water is drained, and the washers themselves are lightly squeezed out by hand.
• Holiday strawberry seeds are placed inside the planting holes. There is no need to fall asleep with anything. The grains will germinate in the light and take root.
• The container with Holiday crops is covered with film. Seed germination occurs at a temperature of +20°C. Periodically, the film is opened slightly to remove condensation.

Peat tablets need to be moistened. When peat dries out, it shrinks and can damage the strawberry root system. If mold appears on the washers, remove the plaque with a cotton swab and then treat it with Previkur.

Sowing in the soil

To grow Holiday seedlings in soil, you will need cups, boxes or flower pots. The container is disinfected and then filled with fertile soil. Gardeners use two sowing methods:

• Self-collected strawberry seeds are sown in the ground, deepened to about 5 mm. A 10 cm layer of snow is poured on top for hardening. The container is covered with film and placed in the refrigerator, where stratification occurs. After the snow clears, the crops are placed outside the window. Further, seedlings of the Holiday variety germinate at a temperature of 20–25°C. The film is opened daily for ventilation.
• Purchased factory-made seeds do not need to be hardened. Holiday grains are scattered on a damp cloth, laid out on a saucer, and placed on the window. To reduce evaporation, the grains are covered with film on top. When the strawberry seeds hatch, they are sown in containers with soil.

Holiday seedlings are grown at room temperature with artificial lighting.

Picking sprouts

With the appearance of 2–4 leaves on Holiday sprouts, the seedlings are planted in separate cups. There are two methods, depending on the density of seedlings:

• Transshipment. The simplest and most painless method for the plant. Seedlings of the Holiday variety should not grow densely so that a spatula can fit between them. The plant is removed from the ground and, together with the lump, transplanted into another container.
• Transfer. This is a rather complicated and painful picking method for the plant, used when sowing is very dense. Strawberry seedlings are removed from a container with a lump of earth and immersed in warm water. When the soil becomes limp, the Holiday strawberry seedlings are carefully removed so as not to damage the tangled roots. Weak plants are thrown away, and strong ones are planted in separate cups.

When picking, be sure to ensure that the root collar remains at ground level after replanting.

Why don't the seeds germinate?

The problem of non-germination of Holiday variety seeds often lies in non-compliance with the rules for growing seedlings. Gardeners ignore stratification, violate the temperature regime, collect grains incorrectly or overcook them in the sun.

History of origin of the variety

American scientists were involved in breeding strawberry varieties. Breeders took two species - New York and Raritan. The resulting variety Holiday is classified as non-repairable. Strawberries are medium-late ripening with a whole list of advantages. The variety was added to the list of the Russian State Register in 1992. The main growing regions are the Ural and North Caucasus. An extended detailed description of the Holiday strawberry variety was compiled by the originator - Kotlas Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

How to choose seedlings

To get a good harvest, you need to select healthy seedlings of the Holiday variety. The plant must have at least 3 adult leaves and a horn more than 7 mm thick. The color of the foliage is bright, juicy, the plates are without visible damage. A good strawberry seedling has an open root system that is at least 7 cm long. If the plant is in a cup, then the roots should entwine the entire lump of earth.

Site selection and soil preparation

The mid-late variety Holiday is planted in a sunny area. High ground is not the best place. During drought, strawberry roots become baked. The soil is prepared a couple of weeks before planting. The bed is dug up using a spade, adding 1 bucket of compost per 1 m2. If the soil is heavy, add sand when digging. In case of increased acidity, add chalk or another antioxidant.

Planting scheme

The Holiday variety is grown in rows. The seedlings are planted in holes at intervals of 30 cm. The row spacing is about 40 cm. After planting, the seedling is watered and shaded with an agrofibre shelter from the sun until it is completely rooted.

Features of cultivation

When and how to plant strawberries for seedlings? The approximate time for sowing seeds is from January to early March.

Sowing

In order for strawberry seeds to germinate well before sowing, they undergo stratification: they must be kept in the cold for about 30 days.

Seed stratification

Option 1. You can also keep the seeds in the cold in the refrigerator, placing them on the top shelf for a month. Then sow in a container filled with soil and leave to germinate.

Option 2. It is necessary to pour soil into the container for planting, not reaching the top edge of 2 cm. After which, the remaining space is tightly filled with snow. Distribute the seeds onto the resulting snow surface. Place the container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Evenly melting snow will gradually pull the seeds deeper into the soil. After the three-day period has passed, the container must be removed from the refrigerator, placed in a bright and warm place, having previously covered the top with transparent film. It can be removed when the first 2-3 leaves form on the seedlings.

Until then, every day you should wipe off any water droplets that form from the film and the walls of the container.

For dry sowing, the seeds are mixed in a small amount of sand and distributed along the intended furrows. The first shoots will appear in a month.

To germinate, Holiday strawberry seeds can be soaked on a damp cloth and placed on a window, covered with film to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the surface. When small sprouts form from the seeds, they are planted in a container with soil.

It is necessary to grow Holiday seeds at room temperature, providing additional artificial lighting if necessary.

Why don't the seeds germinate?

Most of the problems with Holiday strawberry seeds not germinating are violations of the rules and recommendations for growing:

• ignoring the importance of stratification;
• temperature violation;
• improper collection of grains for seeds;
• overdrying grains in the sun.

Picking

When 3–4 leaves appear on the shoots, it’s time to pick up the plant and transplant it into separate cups.

It is important to know! Strawberries need to be picked twice. The first time the procedure is carried out in the phase of the first two true leaves according to the 5x5 cm pattern when planting in pots. The second time, the plant’s feeding area is increased - the scheme is 10x10 cm.

Transplantation into open ground

Planting of seedlings in open ground is carried out at the end of May.
When the seedlings already have 6 true leaves and have passed the mandatory stage of hardening in the fresh air, the plants can be replanted. It is necessary to maintain about 50 cm between rows, and place seedlings at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other.

After planting, young strawberries are watered and shaded from sunlight with an agrofibre shelter until they are completely rooted.

Care

The Holiday variety requires traditional care, including watering, fertilizing, weeding and other work.

Care in spring

In early spring, after the snow has melted, the bed is cleared of leaves and remnants of winter shelter. The row spacing is loosened to a depth of 3 cm so as not to damage the roots. Immediately, plantings of the Holiday variety are fed with a solution of manure 1:3, chicken manure 1:10 or wood ash 100 g/m2 of the bed. After watering and weeding, the soil around the Holiday bushes is mulched with peat or sawdust.

Watering and mulching

The frequency of watering depends on the composition of the soil. With loose soil, the procedure becomes more frequent. Clay soil retains moisture longer. In such areas you can water after 1-2 days. Before flowering, strawberries can be watered by sprinkling once a week. With the appearance of flower stalks, water is supplied to the root. Set up drip irrigation. You can pour water from a hose along the rows, but there is a risk of washing out the roots. After watering, the soil is mulched with sawdust, straw or peat to retain moisture.

Advice! If heavy watering is stopped before harvest, Holiday strawberries will be sweeter and less watery.

Fertilizing by month

The Holiday variety needs not only organic feeding. In early spring, before flowering and after harvesting, mineral complexes containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are added. The time of application and the names of the drugs are shown in the table.

Preparing for winter

For the winter, the plantation with Holiday strawberries is covered with straw or hay. You can lay pine branches on top or simply cover it with pine needles. The bushes are first covered with peat. Organic matter will become additional insulation for the roots, as well as fertilizer.

Reviews from gardeners

According to gardeners, Holiday strawberries are a good variety, which, however, has both its advantages and disadvantages.

• The positive aspect is the rapid growth of the bushes, long-term abundant flowering, due to which many berries ripen even on young plants.
• Harvests are usually high, but it’s a pity that only their first wave provides large fruits.
• Another undoubted advantage is its unpretentiousness to cold and hot weather, even though the taste of the product may decrease, but this entirely depends on timely watering of the plants.
• Transportability is undoubtedly a positive property of berries, which, even after transportation, are not damaged and have an excellent presentation.

Along with this, there are also disadvantages of the variety, in particular, poor germination of seeds, from which summer residents try to grow seedlings. It is quite possible that, in most cases, the technology for processing planting material is violated, and many also omit the stratification procedure.

Read also: Recipes for hawthorn preparations for the winter - Encyclopedia of home preparations