Strawberry Carmen: variety description and characteristics, cultivation and care with photo

Strawberry is a berry with a wonderful taste and aroma, loved by many. Carmen has become one of the most popular strawberry varieties in recent years.

This type of berry was bred in the Czech Republic in 2001 and is widely used. It is known to every gardener. These strawberries are sometimes referred to as "gourmet berries" because they have a distinct taste.

This species is so popular not only because of its excellent taste, but also due to its very high yield. The advantages and disadvantages of strawberry Carmen will be discussed further.

Description and characteristics of strawberry Carmen

The variety is very productive and is perfect for growing in garden plots. It is also cultivated for commercial purposes in small areas.

The bushes are quite large and strong. The leaves are large and oval-shaped with jagged edges. Flowers are collected in large inflorescences and arranged in such a way that they receive a sufficient amount of light.

Berries can be very large, they are shaped like a blunt cone. The pulp of the fruit is dark red in color, quite dense in texture and sweet. The berry has a strong pleasant aroma.

Advantages and disadvantages of the plant

The variety is quite stable and reliable, it is considered a variety of medium and medium late maturation. The mass of the berry is on average 30-35 g, in the first collection they can be up to 50 grams. On average, you can get up to 1 kilogram of berries per season from one bush.

Fruits can be used both fresh and processed. After heat treatment or freezing, they do not lose their taste and aroma.

In the description of the species, it is also worth noting that the plant is very resistant to low temperatures, easily adapts to various conditions. If you follow the rules of care, even the rainy season, it can transfer normally.

An additional advantage of the Carmen strawberry variety is that it is able to produce a crop quite late, when other varieties are no longer able to bear fruit. The largest number of fruits, bushes of this variety give in the second year.

However, the species has some drawbacks. Yields may not always be stable. Among the minuses, a gradual decrease in fruit size and weight should be noted. By the end of fruiting, the weight of the berry may decrease to 20 grams.

The best yield of this variety is in the second year of life. In the fifth year of staying in one place, the level of fruiting drops sharply and the berries become much smaller.

In addition, the Carmen bush itself is very voluminous, which makes frequent planting impossible.

The nuances of growing a variety

This variety of garden berry has some features to consider when growing.

Choosing a place to plant strawberries

When landing, it is important to choose a place where there will be no drafts. Do not plant berries on a slope or on a hilly surface. Great if the soil is loamy.

With a high content of sand and clay, peat or humus is added.

Before planting, you need to properly prepare the site:

• remove weeds;
• remove excess moisture or moisten the soil;
• apply fertilizer if needed;
• loosen the soil.

The most suitable level is pH-6.0. If the level of acidity in the soil is increased, then liming is carried out.

Pick up time

Propagation by bushes can only be suitable for plants that are already 2-3 years old. This is done in the spring before flowering, or in the fall after the end of the last harvest.

If Carmen strawberries are grown from seeds, they must be of good quality.

Ground landing

You need to plant in the ground at a time of day so that there is no active sunlight.

For some time, the planted part will have to be artificially darkened. This is done until the plants form a strong root system and can confidently grow on their own.

The selected bush without damage, you need to dig it out, divide it with a knife into several parts. Each part must contain several leaves and roots.

The bushes are planted at a distance of at least 50 cm, the distance between rows should be about 40-45 cm.

It must be remembered that when planting seedlings in the hole, you can not put much pressure on the roots - the plant may die.

Rules for crop care

The basic rules of care are:

• regular moderate watering;
• removing the very first peduncles;
• remove weeds and extra strawberry whiskers;
• loosening the soil.

Since the fruits of this variety are quite large, it is very important to additionally fertilize the plant.

How to water strawberries

In the early days, you need to water the plants daily, preferably with rainwater. Water temperature for irrigation should not be low.

Drip irrigation is a great solution for irrigation.

How to fertilize

During the flowering of the plant, you need to fertilize with organic top dressing. You can also use a solution of boric acid. Liquid with fertilizers is applied to the soil as follows: 30 g of the finished solution goes to one square meter of land.

Loosening and weeding

After watering the bushes, the soil must be loosened and weeds removed. Overgrown tendrils should be removed in time, since a plant of this variety will have a lot of them, this can reduce the level of fruiting.

Strawberries need regular weeding. The need for it will be much less with mulch.

Mulching

In some cases, when caring for berry bushes, mulching is necessary. This procedure is to cover the topsoil under the plant with mulch.

It can be such organic materials:

• straw;
• cut grass;
• sawdust;
• tree bark;
• turf;
• compost;
• moss.

They may be inorganic:

• film;
• non-woven fabric;
• expanded clay;
• paper waste;
• gravel;
• pebbles.

Gravel, crushed stone and pebbles are rarely used for mulching strawberries, as this interferes with the care of bushes.

Mulching allows you to keep the right moisture, while the soil moisture will be moderate. Thanks to this coating, useful minerals are not washed out from the top layer, and it also effectively protects the roots of the plant from drying out or freezing.

Such a protective layer will not let in sunlight and it will be difficult for weeds to grow near the bushes. Mulch retains moisture, which means that the number of waterings will become much less, they simply will not be necessary.

The cover maintains a constant temperature in the topsoil and maintains the necessary balance between the root system and the top of the plant.

The layer of organic mulch decomposes over time to provide extra nutrients for strawberries. The process occurs throughout the entire period of growth, color and fruiting.

Some of the modern materials used for mulch are very aesthetically pleasing and can form the basis for a beautiful yard design. A summer resident can not only successfully grow strawberries, but also make the beds very aesthetic.

Treatment of diseases and preventive measures

This species is quite resistant to most diseases characteristic of strawberry bushes. The exception is gray rot - berries are easily affected by it.

The disease spreads very quickly and in a short time can destroy a large number of not only fruits, but also entire bushes. It appears in conditions of high humidity and if the plants are planted in a poorly lit and ventilated place.

Affected plants are treated with completely chemical solutions ("Teldor", "Horus", "Switch", "Alirin-B"). There are also a number of folk remedies that help get rid of rot (an infusion of ash, mustard, a solution of manganese and iodine). Mulching is an excellent preventative method.

Pests and how to get rid of them

There are also a number of pests that can harm plants.

Carmen bushes can be affected by mites. To remove any summer resident can successfully use tools such as Fufanon, Neoron.

When affected by weevil, the plant will not be able to bloom. To get rid of pests, they are sprayed with an infusion of wood ash or an Insecticide. In this case, it is imperative to remove the affected parts of the plant.

Leaf beetles are able to infect the leaves of a plant. They are destroyed with insecticides or treated with wormwood infusion. Slugs are destroyed with freshly slaked lime or appropriate chemicals. When affected by a nematode, you will have to completely remove the affected bush.

Reproduction of Carmen

Reproduction can be done in several ways:

• with the help of stepchildren;
• seeds;
• dividing the bush.

Seeds are planted in late winter or early spring. Usually this method is used to obtain seedlings in industrial volumes, amateur gardeners more often use the other two methods.

Plants are planted in the ground around mid-May. Strawberries of the Carmen variety can also be planted in autumn, in early September, before the first frost.

Collecting and storing strawberries

Due to the dense structure, the berries are able to keep their shape well for several days. This distinguishes them from many other varieties.

The fruits of this type can be easily transported, but the distance should not be too large, and the container for storage and transportation should be reliable, because any strawberry is a very delicate berry and can quickly lose its presentation.

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