Strawberry Elizabeth - characteristics, breeding, agricultural technology
Content:
Already by the very name of the variety - "Queen Elizabeth" - one can understand that this species is in an honorable place among all other strawberry varieties. Connoisseurs of garden strawberries love "Elizabeth" for the fact that it is high-yielding, for large fruits and for the excellent quality taste and aroma of berries. Strawberry Elizabeth is an early ripening variety that bears fruit several times per season (remontability), with large fruits.
Strawberry variety Elizabeth - signs
Ripening of early ripeness, bears fruit several times per season (remontant), indifferent to the length of daylight hours. Flowers of both sexes, of considerable size, white, have 5 petals or semi-double. Fruit weight 40-50 g, there is also a record maximum - 95-110 g. Berries are bright scarlet with an unobtrusive glare. Assessment of tasters - 4.8 points / 5 points. Strawberry variety Elizaveta - universal. The active life cycle is one to two years. Yield indicators: 3-5 kg / m2 in open space per season, up to 11 kg / m2 in greenhouse conditions. Strong immunity to fungal diseases and raspberry-strawberry weevil. The variety is not included in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
The story of "Queen Elizabeth" is incomprehensible, hazy as hazy Albion, from where, most likely, the roots of the origin of the variety come from. This is the opinion of the majority of specialists in the strawberry industry. The original Queen Elizabeth variety was bred by Ken Muir, a popular British breeder. In Russia and the CIS countries, the "queen" has been massively grown for quite a long time, about 20 years. The “royal lady” “honored” to visit Russia at the turn of the 2000s, then “decided” to undergo field trials at the “Donskoy Nursery” in the Rostov region. It was there that a new variety "Elizabeth II" (the result of the growing season) was randomly bred. The newly minted "Elizabeth II" became a full-fledged successor to "Elizabeth the First". Most breeders claim that these varieties are similar to each other, hence they can be called one variety.
Strawberry Elizabeth belongs to the category of "national heritage". Why is it so boldly referred to this category? Firstly, it is not mentioned in the State Register; secondly, it does not have uniform official variety standards. In this case, it is not surprising that for a long time of cultivation in the descriptive characteristics of gardeners, agricultural firms that produce seeds and nurseries, sell seedlings, there has been a lot of controversy and confusion. For example, on bags with seeds from different production, berries are drawn, generally unlike each other in any way. And who here, one wonders, to believe?
The main question about which breeders are debating is - what is the best way to grow the variety? Which seeds will yield the most generous yields: seeds from growers or your own strawberry seeds from your garden / garden? Kachalkin M.V., Ph.D. D., one of the main specialists in Russia in the field of selection and cultivation of berry and fruit crops expressed his opinion on this matter: "Large-fruited strawberry varieties, when spread by seeds, do not leave their quality characteristics intact." Other gardeners do not agree with this point of view, they claim that they are quite successful in cultivating Elizabeth strawberries using the seed method.
In more detail, the question of breeding strawberries and advice on agricultural technology will be resolved later. In the meantime, let's go through the descriptive features and on the questions of consumers of garden strawberries of the "Queen Elizabeth" variety.
Strawberry Elizabeth variety description
Bushes of strong vigor, striking in their power, semi-spreading shape. The leaves are bright green (young ones are lighter), rather large, smooth, as if polished, have a bright gloss. Also, the leaves have denticles along the edges. Peduncles stand upright, they are strong, they are under the leaves. Flowers of both sexes, have no barren flowers, white, large, have 5 petals or semi-double. The maximum effort is directed at tying and pouring berries, because of this, a small amount of mustache is thrown away. For the entire period (without cutting the peduncles), only three to five mustaches with two or three rosettes are formed in the bush. From the rosettes formed in the second summer month, on the August days, another crop is obtained, an additional one.
Ripening terms
The ripening time of berries for the most part depends on climate conditions, weather surprises and agricultural technology. The first harvest is usually harvested between the 15th of May and the first days of June. Strawberry yields fruits until late autumn, finishes producing fruits after frosts, which are long in duration. The first strawberry ripens early, because flower stalks with already formed buds have remained on the bushes since autumn, literally immediately resuming their activity when the first warm spring days come. To protect the peduncles from winter frosty temperatures and enjoy the early strawberry berries, you need to cover the bushes for the winter season.
Variety "Elizaveta" is famous for its high remontability - this is the ability of plants to bear fruit more than once per season, and the variety is also indifferent to the length of daylight hours. Thanks to such a property as indifference to the length of daylight hours, strawberries are able to bloom almost continuously and delight with berries for 6 months in open space and for almost 11 months in greenhouses, greenhouses, that is, in a closed protected ground. The plant bears fruit in a wave-like manner, giving itself a rest (about two weeks). In good climatic conditions, and if the plants are properly looked after, three or four waves can be observed, or all five can be observed. The strawberry stops growing and slows down the formation of ovaries at elevated temperatures during the summer.
Characteristics of berries
Berries are intended for desserts, to be eaten fresh, straight from the garden. The quality taste of berries depends on how much heat and sun they received. This is what gardeners say. The first spring and late autumn fruits are not so sweet and fragrant, unlike their "summer change", but, oddly enough, they all look rich, bright scarlet berries with a slightly noticeable glint that have juicy flesh inside.
The berries are large and very large in size, contain a large number of biologically active elements, vitamins and microelements. Assessment of tasters - 4.8 points / 5 points.
What distinguishes the variety we are considering from all other varieties is the aligned berries on the bush in terms of shape and size characteristics. They weigh 40-50 grams, but the weight can be 95-110 grams (from a chicken egg). The density of the pulp by the end of the growing season begins to become higher. Fruits that ripen at different stages of development and growth may differ from each other in shape: in the initial period, the berries are mostly rounded-oval, closer to the approach of the autumn pore, they stretch out, change their shape to a conical one, tubercles appear, have a long end, often pale even in ripe berries.
Fruits of the Elizaveta variety, which are located on tall, erect peduncles, have almost no contact with the ground, so the percentage of them getting dirty or spoiled is much lower compared to other varieties.
Due to the fact that the variety has a compacted pulp structure, the berry has excellent indicators of commercial quality and keeping quality, the variety is well transportable, it is stored for a long time. The fruits are eaten fresh, processed and preserved. Desserts, compotes, juices, preserves are prepared from berries, strawberries are added to baked goods as a filling, dried and frozen (when the berries are thawed, they do not lose their shape and taste quality).
Due to the fact that strawberries that bear fruit more than once per season make a lot of efforts to give away a lot of berries, their sizes on adult bushes become smaller. In this case, gardeners recommend growing plants using an annual crop technology (maximum 2 years). Also, in order to maintain the properties of the variety at a significant level, you need to constantly take care of the plants and observe a high level of agrotechnical technologies.
Productivity (reviews of gardeners who grow "Elizabeth"): the yield in spring from one bush is 550-690 grams, in summer and autumn (this is the main one) is 2-2.5 kg.
Growing strawberries Elizabeth
Indicators of high yields and good taste are noticeable when strawberries are grown on soils well saturated with humus with an optimal level of moisture and it is imperative that the growing area be well lit. Due to abundant watering and an excess of precipitation, the berries become watery, not so sweet and compacted.
Due to its remontability, the variety on an ongoing basis requires fertilizing with nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers. Most gardeners use organic fertilizers: solutions of mullein, bird (chicken) droppings, yeast. At the stages when the fruits ripen, only root dressing is carried out. Regular watering (for example, drip) is very important, especially during hot and dry times. The Elizaveta variety is not afraid of frost. But there is one "but": if in the autumn period before the arrival of frosts the earth is dry and cracked, this means that it should be watered abundantly. The risk that the roots will freeze will decrease, watering will help the bushes to endure the winter well.
So that the earth does not swell and does not dry out, so that the weed slows down its growth, the soil should be mulched with straw (sawdust, needles) or seedlings should be planted on a black non-woven material (film).
Strawberry Elizabeth reproduction
To update the planting of the “Elizabeth” strawberry variety, methods of vegetative propagation are initially used: seedlings from young rosettes formed on the mustache, separated bushes or ready-made purchased seedlings. You need to purchase material for planting only from trusted manufacturers, otherwise there is a risk of being deceived and getting something different from what you wanted and what you gave the money for.
So, finally, we add that according to the results of test experiments of different varieties of strawberries, which were carried out under the mentorship and guidance of the candidate of agricultural sciences S.S. Voloschenko, variety "Queen Elizabeth" was in the leading row in terms of such indicators as: persistent immunity to diseases and enemies (to the fungus and raspberry-strawberry weevil); yield and large-fruited; high taste of fruits and the content of biologically active substances in them.
Breeders advise everyone to grow this variety everywhere: both amateurs and industrialists in open or closed ground.
Strawberry Elizabeth - video
Strawberry variety Elizabeth - photo
