Strawberry Masha: variety description and characteristics, cultivation and reproduction

The plot would not be a garden if strawberries did not grow in it. Every gardener dreams of bred a variety that gives the largest berry, the largest harvest. At the same time, it would be resistant to diseases and pests, would not freeze in winter, would not fade in the sun, in general, would be unpretentious in care. There is such a species, and it is a Mashenka strawberry.

Description and characteristics of strawberries Masha

The variety is mid-season, tall. The height of the bushes reaches 45 cm, which is a distinctive feature among the variety of strawberry varieties. Bushes are compact, slightly sprawling.The inflorescences are complex, sometimes 2-3 flowers fuse into one, this indicates the future irregular shape of the berry. The foliage is quite large, with strongly dissected edges, dark green. Each leaf is located on a thick petiole.

Strawberry fruits from the “very large” section, in the first year of fruiting reach 130 g, in the next a little less - up to 110 g. The shape of the berries is incorrect, as if they were folded into an accordion, and then straightened. Inside without voids, the pulp is juicy, the color is dark red. Taste is excellent, dessert. In technical ripeness, the berries have yellow seeds, which are slightly sunk into the pulp. The pulp of the fruit is very dense, which is why they can be transported over long distances, but in the presence of sepals.

Good and bad sides

Having studied the detailed description of Mashenka strawberries, we can identify the main positive characteristics:

1. High yield up to 800-1000 g per bush.
2. With good care, you can get two harvests per season.
3. Excellent pest and disease resistance.
4. Unpretentious care.
5. Strawberries are large.
6. The operation of a strawberry garden lasts up to 4 years.

If there are pros, there must be cons. They are as follows:

1. Low frost resistance. Below -16 degrees strawberry Mashenka freezes, so it requires winter shelter.
2. Due to the heaviness of the fruit, the twigs often drop to the ground, which can lead to rotting of the berries.
3. The variety does not tolerate scorching sunlight, requires shading.
4. For Northern and Central regions, as well as Siberia, not suitable for cultivation due to cold winters.

But despite the presence of negative aspects, the type of strawberry Masha is popular with gardeners and is the basis for breeding other varieties. The main feature for breeders is large-fruitedness, which they are trying to convey.

How to grow this variety

Growing strawberries Masha is easy. Everything should go according to the usual scheme: site selection, preparation of beds and seedlings, further care. In addition, the variety is absolutely unpretentious to care for. No time or effort required. Strawberries are great for growing in a summer cottage outside the city.

Date of planting

Like any other, this strawberry variety can be planted both in spring and autumn. But this is the case if the seedlings have an open root system. It is important that the planted young plants have time to take root and gain nutrients for future wintering. Spring - April, May. Autumn - end of September, beginning of October. Autumn months should be chosen depending on weather conditions.

Important! Spring planting can produce a crop in the same year.

If the plant is purchased in containers, then there are no specific planting dates. Plant at any time, as the plant is already adapted to the ground.

Soil preparation

Having chosen a plot for a garden bed, you need to properly prepare the soil on it:

1. The earth is being dug up with the addition of preparations for pests and diseases that may be present in it.
2. Add 5 kg of sand and 15 kg of humus per 1 m2 to the soil^{2, loosen or level with a rake. You can also compost.}
3. Nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, as well as mineral complexes containing potassium and magnesium, are applied to the territory of the ridge. They are evenly scattered over the entire area. Dosed in accordance with the instructions for fruit and berry crops.
4. If soil acidity is high, wood ash is added to reduce it.

Important! Each element of mineral fertilizer plays a role in growing strawberries: phosphorus is responsible for the development of roots, nitrogen activates the growth of green mass of strawberries, potassium prevents disease damage.

Planting material

The future of Masha's strawberries depends on the quality of planting material. It is possible, having a couple of uterine bushes, to propagate on your own, it is enough to take lateral offspring, which are formed on lateral shoots or mustaches.

You can buy varietal strawberries in nurseries or gardeners. Each young bush should have up to 6 true leaves without visible damage. They should look juicy and green. It is better not to buy a plant with dry roots. For better adaptability on the site, it is better to buy strawberries in cups.

The central bud should be quite thick, indicating the presence of a flower bud. Such seedlings can bring a harvest in the first year of planting.

Fitting technology

The best place for growing strawberries Masha is considered to be a well-lit area where direct sunlight, strong winds and excess moisture do not fall. Due to the size of strawberry bushes, it is necessary to maintain a distance between neighboring plants of up to 50 cm. The abundance of space will further affect the size of the fruit. Half a meter is also left between rows.

Important! They start planting in cloudy weather, so Mashenka's strawberries will better endure stress.

When the seedling is planted in the hole, the root system is carefully straightened, and the main bud is left above the ground. Then water abundantly and sprinkle with mulch so that the moisture does not evaporate.

Nuances of strawberry care

Masha was bred a long time ago, when the technology of growing on agrofiber, film was not used, so she does not need special conditions for care.

Moisture beds

Garden strawberry Masha loves regular drip irrigation, but does not tolerate strong waterlogging of the soil, like other varieties of this berry. Excess moisture is dangerous for the roots. There are several rules for watering strawberries:

1. Before flowering, strawberries can be moistened with a spray hose. Water on the foliage is not scary.
2. During flowering, water from a watering can under the root, avoiding water on the flowers so as not to wash off the pollen.
3. During fruit ripening, irrigation is reduced and watered as the land dries.

Important! Make sure that water is not splashed on the berries, otherwise they lose their taste, aroma, become watery.

Feeding and fertilizing

In order for Mashenka's strawberries to please with an abundance of harvest, it is important to fertilize, especially at the time of its active growth. The stronger the bush, the larger the berry will be:

1. After the appearance of the first leaves, nitroammophoska is added (1 tablespoon per 10-liter bucket of water).
2. In the phase of green berries, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate is added (1 teaspoon of one and the other fertilizer per 10-liter bucket of water). Watered under the bush.
3. In the phase of technical ripeness, use a solution of potassium nitrate or wood ash (for a 10-liter bucket of water, 2 tablespoons of nitrate or 100 grams of ash).
4. In the spring, the beds are sprinkled with organic matter: humus, compost.

Mulch also plays the role of fertilizer. If the beds are sprinkled with it after planting, then in the process of loosening it will fall into the ground and will overheat, forming organic fertilizers.

Mulching soil

Mulching is very important for strawberries. She covers the beds after planting to preserve moisture from evaporation.At the time of fruit growth, the ground is covered with dry sawdust or moss, so that, sinking from gravity, the berries do not spoil. After watering adult strawberry bushes, mulch saves roots from overheating.

Weeding and loosening the soil

Weeding and loosening planting should be in cloudy weather, when the soil is slightly moist. This will allow less trauma to the root system. They pass around the bushes and between the rows with a special chopper for loosening, trying to cut all the weeds. If the roots are exposed during watering, they are spudded.

Important! In order not to damage the roots, you can not weed strawberry beds before shelter for the winter.

Preparing for wintering

Description of Mashenka strawberries indicates low resistance to winter temperatures. It does not withstand frosts below -20 degrees, which means it requires shelter. If a lot of snow prevails on the site, then this technique can be neglected.

If the winters in the growing region are not snowy, then the strawberries need to be covered. As a covering material, you can use spruce branches of coniferous trees, straw, vegetable tops (not weeds), agrofibre.

How to properly propagate a crop?

Any of the chosen methods of propagating garden strawberries is correct. And Masha is propagated in three ways. In any case, varietal features are preserved.

Moustache

The most popular and demanded method. Choose the he althiest strawberry bush, leave a mustache on it. During development, the resulting child rosettes are looked after like the main bush.

When the offspring are well rooted, they are dug up and transplanted to a new bed. The first two stepchildren from the mother liquor are considered the best, usually there are three of them. The extreme rosette does not have time to fully form during the season.

Seeds

The most time-consuming method of strawberry propagation, which is used by breeders to develop new varieties or improve existing characteristics. In early spring, seeds are grown for seedlings under a film. After the appearance of the first leaves, strawberry seedlings dive, and with the onset of stable warm weather, they are planted in open ground.

Dividing the bush

When the beds are heavily thickened, so as not to throw away part of the overgrown bush, it is transplanted, while receiving additional planting material. It is important to cut off the "extra" part correctly. With a sharp knife, divide the strawberry bush so that it has roots and leaves, as well as a central bud.

Diseases and plant pests

Despite the fact that garden strawberry Masha is resistant to diseases and pests, they appear due to improper agricultural practices. To avoid this, you must follow these recommendations:

1. It is better to place a bed on the ground where radishes, parsley, garlic, lupins, cereals used to grow.
2. Apply pesticides and pesticides when preparing soil for planting.
3. Timely treat strawberries with fungicides and insecticides.
4. Do not leave weeds and foliage near strawberries since autumn, as they may contain larvae and bacteria.
5. Do not plant strawberries near nightshade.
6. Avoid fruit contact with soil.

Mashenka's strawberries are very large, if they are not secured, they can rot, undergo late blight, gray rot. Frequent visitors to the fruit crop are slugs, snails, click beetles, which are not averse to eating sweet pulp.

Cleaning and storage

The harvesting of the first crop starts in late June, early July.Harvest should be in the morning, in cloudy weather, so that the berries are the most juicy. For collection use wicker baskets or plastic containers. In each of them it is necessary to collect no more than two kilograms, otherwise the goods will be wrinkled. Another condition for the preservation of the integrity of the berries is the presence of the stalk and sepals.

The berries are unsuitable for preservation, but are excellently used frozen for making compotes, jams, marmalade and other desserts.

Strawberry Masha is loved and in demand by gardeners due to its size. Some fruits are comparable in size to a chicken egg. Less than 40 grams of copies does not happen. The ease of planting and subsequent care is also an important argument in order to plant the Mashenka variety on your site.

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