Strawberry Alpha: variety description and characteristics, planting and care rules

In order for strawberries to please longer with delicious fragrant berries, remontant varieties are planted, with different fruiting periods. Alpha strawberries can be attributed to the late ones - they begin to harvest from the second half of June. This variety is the result of the work of Russian breeders who used for crossing strawberries Surprise Olympiade and Festival Chamomile.

Description and characteristics of strawberries Alpha

Well leafy semi-spreading strawberry bushes grow 20-25 cm high. The variety is characterized by late flowering and fruiting.

The berries of the first harvest stand out with a mass of 20-45 grams. Strawberries of the following collections ripen smaller. In terms of taste, the tasting score is 3.8 points (acidity is present), so the berry is most often used for technical processing. The fruits are formed in the correct shape.

The variety is resistant to powdery mildew, white spotting. Since Alpha strawberries can be attributed to drought-resistant and frost-resistant varieties, the culture is often planted by summer residents of the central regions, Moscow and Leningrad regions.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

When evaluating the qualities of a plant crop, first of all, pay attention to the advantages of the variety. Positive qualities of strawberries Alpha:

• high yield. With good care from the bush, you can collect about a kilogram of berries per season;
• disease resistant;
• frost resistance, drought resistance;
• easy care;
• due to the dense structure of the pulp, the berries tolerate transportation well.

Of the minuses, the following can be noted: due to the distinct sourness, the berry is more suitable for technical processing, the bushes develop poorly, and the yield decreases when grown in regions with a rainy climate.

Growing Rules

Any strawberry belongs to light-loving plants, so it is recommended to plant bushes in well-lit beds.The optimal planting period is the end of July-August. If strawberry propagation is planned for spring, it is necessary to cut off flower stalks and mustaches from the bushes in the first year of life in order for the plants to grow stronger. When choosing a place for a garden bed, crop rotation rules are taken into account - radish, peas, parsley, garlic, beans can be crop precursors.

When arranging beds, row spacings are made 0.65-0.7 m wide, holes are made in a row in increments of 0.3-0.4 m. more than 4 bushes. When planting, plants should not be buried too deep - the variety is prone to the appearance and development of root rot.

Features of care

Alpha variety responds positively to regular and abundant soil moisture, but moisture stagnation should not be allowed. The best option for watering the crop is to install a drip irrigation system. It is advisable to loosen the soil after watering so that the water does not stagnate.

When fertilizing the land, you need to use nitrogen-containing mixtures in the spring to stimulate the growth of greenery. At the stage of flowering, the formation of the ovary, potash fertilizers are applied to the soil. In order to establish the growth of flower buds for the next season, the plants are fertilized again after harvest. If strawberry cultivation is not planned, the mustache should be carefully trimmed during the season to increase the yield.

Preparing for winter

The procedure for warming strawberry beds begins with mulching the soil. Great options for organic mulch are grass clippings, fallen leaves. It is not recommended to cut the foliage for the winter - the green mass will protect the root systems from freezing in severe frosts and keep the snow on the beds in the winds. But it is advisable to cut off damaged, diseased or dried leaves, stems after harvesting.

In areas with severe frosts, bushes cover for the winter. As a covering material, lutrasil, spunbond, agrotex are used. To prevent rotting of plants, beds are covered with canvases after the first frosts.

Crop propagation

For vegetative cultivation of plants, mustaches with rosettes are used, which grow on bushes. Strawberry Alpha "throws out" a few thick green whiskers. The largest rosettes form on the mustache stems. It is advisable to use them for breeding.

Steps of landing:

• sockets are pinned to the ground and buried a little;
• during the season, sockets are watered, the ground is fertilized;
• days 10-14 before planting young bushes, the mustache is cut so that the plants have time to get stronger;
• new bushes are planted in pre-prepared holes.

Experienced summer residents advise looking after mother bushes in advance - plants that overwinter well and successfully bear fruit. A plant aged 1-2 years is considered suitable, and it is recommended to leave no more than 2-3 of the largest mustaches on the bush.

Cleaning and storage rules

Harvesting begins in the second half of June and lasts until mid-July. Since the pulp of the berries is quite dense, the fruits are stored well, and there are no problems with storage or transportation of the crop. Due to the peculiar sourness, Alpha strawberries are most often processed (jams, preserves, compotes are made).

If there is a desire to keep the fruits fresh, the crop is placed in containers and stored in a refrigerator in a special compartment where the temperature does not rise above 2 °C. Berries also freeze well. In order for the fruits to retain their shape, they are pre-frozen separately, and then the berries are put in one bag or container.

Strawberry Alpha is an undemanding variety, plant care does not take much time.Agrotechnics of culture includes standard procedures: watering, weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizing. Although the variety is technical, it is still nice to pick a fresh fragrant berry in the middle of summer.

Recommended