Strawberry First Grader: variety description, planting, growing and care with photo

Large-fruited strawberries First grader are successfully grown in Siberia. The variety was bred for the Siberian climate. A team of Altai breeders worked. The authors of the First Grader A.D. Zabelina, N.P. Stolnikova used two popular varieties in their work: Fairy and Torpedo.

Strawberry First Grader: description, characteristics

Variety First grader self-pollinated. The plant has male and female flowers. Bush characteristics:

• upright, 30 cm high;
• low;
• well leafed;
• diameter 40cm;
• leaves are large, dark green, with a wax coating;
• cuttings are thick, pubescent;
• moustache on the bushes a lot.

Mid-early variety. Blossom occurs at the end of May, lasts a little less than 2 weeks. The first berries ripen at the end of June. Strawberry yield First grader 800-1000 g/m². When choosing a variety for planting, study the description of the berries. During the first (1-4) collections they are large - 35 g, in the next (5-7) they are smaller up to 15-20 g.

• obtuse shape;
• ribbing is pronounced;
• taste score 4 points;
• main color is red, burgundy in the rib area.

For the Siberian regions, the indicator of winter hardiness of the variety is important. During the tests, the First Grader withstood frost of -33 ° C under a layer of snow of 7 cm.The variety tolerates drought well; in a rainy cool summer, First-grader bushes are prone to gray rot. Not suitable for hot climates. From the heat, the berries shrink, lose their taste.

Positive and negative aspects of the variety

Winter hardiness and drought resistance are the main advantages of the Pervoklassnitsa variety. The pluses include a stable yield and disease resistance (brown spot). Strawberry mites rarely attack strawberries, this has a positive effect on the quality of the fruit.

The variety has disadvantages that must be evaluated before buying seedlings. Bushes and fruits suffer in rainy weather from gray rot. The disadvantages of many include stretched fruiting. It makes the variety unprofitable to grow for market use.

How to grow strawberries correctly

The strawberry variety First-grader is winter-hardy, but in regions with unstable snow cover, the bushes require mandatory shelter for the winter.

When to plant

You can plant seedlings of the First Grader from April to September. Each time has its own characteristics. It is preferable to plant in late July or early August. In this case, next year a 1-year-old bush will please with a good harvest. It will form 2-3 horns in a year.

Selecting planting material

An experienced gardener knows how to choose quality planting material. He visually assesses the condition of the leaves, roots, size. Parameters of high-quality strawberry seedlings with an open root system:

• roots fibrous, light;
• rhizome length 7cm;
• diameter of the root collar 0.7-0.8 cm;
• 3-4 green leaves without stains or damage;
• core not dry.

Choosing a landing site

Strawberries do not like stagnant moisture, therefore, if the garden is in a lowland, high beds are built for strawberries. The culture does not like the shadow either.

Don't plant a bed after nightshade crops (peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants) and raspberries.

To disinfect the soil at the site of the future beds, you need to sow green manure:

• white mustard;
• oil radish.

Green manure grows quickly, when digging they are buried in the soil. Their greenery kills pathogenic microorganisms, enriches the soil with beneficial microelements.

Landing

Optimal bed width is 1.25 m. Recommended hole layout is 30 x 50 cm. Before planting First Grader strawberries, the bed needs to be filled with 8-10 kg/m² compost. Add 1 tsp to each well. mixes:

• sand - 1 l;
• drug "Zemlin" (from strawberry pests) - 30 g.

Seedlings First-graders are planted so that the central bud is above the ground. The ridge is watered, mulched with humus, compost. 2 leaves are left on each bush, the rest are shortened by ½ or cut off completely.

Subtleties of plant care

When planting in summer, the first days should be shaded from direct sunlight. Monitor soil moisture daily. After 2 weeks, strawberry seedlings First-grader should be fed with Biohumus liquid fertilizer. After 3 weeks, water them with herbal brew:

• grass - ½ bucket (10 l);
• ash - 0.5 l;
• handful of granulated mullein;
• preparation "Fitosporin" (solution) - 125 ml;
• water.

Before use, dilute the mash with water in a ratio of 1:10. 1 tbsp is poured onto each strawberry bush

How to water properly

Water should be regular. At a depth of 25-30 cm, the soil should be moderately moist. Stagnation of water is the cause of fungal diseases, it should not be allowed.

Water consumption per 1 strawberry bush First grader depends on soil structure, rainfall, temperature.

Watering strawberries First grader until autumn. For feeding and preventing infection, potassium permanganate is added to irrigation water 2-3 times per season. Water for irrigation should turn pale pink. Watering volume is normal.

Fertilization

In spring, under spring loosening, dry granules of superphosphate (2 tablespoons/m²), urea (1 tablespoons/m²), potassium nitrate (1 tablespoons/m²) are added to the soil. Don't forget the gold. It protects against pests, provides strawberries with nutrients. Up to 2 liters of ash are scattered per 1 m².

Humus, compost mulch bushes in the spring, if possible sprinkle in the summer. First Grader bushes are fed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure. Liquid mullein is bred in a ratio of 1:10, liquid chicken manure - 1:10.

The standard feeding scheme is used, carried out in certain phases of strawberry development:

• at the beginning of the growing season;
• before the buds appear;
• after picking berries;
• late August or early September.

At the end of summer, after fruiting, the First Grader is fed with nitroammophos, superphosphate, potassium nitrate.

Loosening

Only the top 2 cm layer is carefully loosened between the bushes. The aisles are treated with a chopper or flat cutter to a depth of 6-8 cm. The ridge is treated after each rain.Loosening prevents the formation of a crust, improves the nutrition of strawberries. During the period of flowering and fruiting, only the aisles are loosened.

Weeding

Weeds take away nutrients from strawberries, shade it, worsen the ventilation of the ridge, so weeding is carried out regularly. Combine it with loosening. Some weeds, carriers of fungal infection, serve as a haven for insects. On a clean bed of strawberries, First Grade is less likely to suffer from infections.

Mulching strawberries

Mulch makes it easier to care for strawberries. The soil under it is always wet, water is saved. The crust does not appear on the ground. On a ridge covered with a layer of straw, rotten sawdust or peat, insects do not start. Bushes are less damaged by fungus in summer.

Berries do not rot without contact with the ground, they are clean. Instead of organic mulch, black agrospan can be used.It is laid in early spring, until the bushes have grown. For bushes, holes are cut out or cruciform cuts are made. Mulch is necessary for this variety, because flower stalks lie down under the weight of berries.

Crop protection from diseases and pests

In the rainy season, the crops and bushes of the First Grader are affected by gray rot. To prevent it, the ridges are covered with a layer of mulch. Of the drugs used "Topaz", "Fitosporin", "Baktofit". To prevent pests and diseases, they resort to safe folk remedies:

• onions and garlic are planted on a strawberry ridge;
• marigolds are planted around the perimeter;
• sprinkled with hot pepper infusion with liquid soap.

Slugs and snails from the garden are harvested by hand. In case of severe damage to the plot by insects, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of the Aktellik preparation.

Cultivar Breeding

Strawberries are propagated by First Grader rosettes of the 1st-2nd order and by dividing the bush. 2-year-old plants are suitable for propagation. The seed method is not practiced because varietal characteristics are not preserved.

Harvesting and storage of crops

The variety First grader has 1 wave of fruiting. It is lengthy in time. The berries do not ripen together - from the end of June to the end of July. The crop is harvested 5-7 times. In the refrigerator, berries are stored for no more than 2 days. During transportation, the fruits lose their marketability.

First Grader berries are not suitable for market sale. The variety is worth growing for home consumption. Harvest used for preparations (jam, jam) and consumed fresh.

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