Strawberry Mashenka

It is very difficult to choose from the whole variety of strawberry varieties what exactly to plant in your summer cottage. Each variety is good in its own way. And only empirically you can find out which species will grow well and bear fruit abundantly in your region and on your soil, taking into account all its features. What attracts gardeners with Mashenka strawberries?

You can give preference to newfangled popular varieties. Or opt for classics, time-tested and more than one generation of gardeners. It is to such a classic that Mashenka strawberries can be attributed - a variety of garden strawberries, bred in the USSR 70 years ago.

Despite the fact that new species are constantly appearing, Mashenka strawberries are loved by gardeners for their unpretentiousness, resistance to infections and pests, as well as a stable harvest of large and very tasty berries. Later in the article we will talk about this variety in more detail, discussing all its pros, cons and rules for caring for a plant and methods of reproduction.

Strawberry Mashenka: description of the variety. Pros and cons

Strawberry Mashenka: photo of the variety

The garden strawberry variety Mashenka is not grown on large farms, since it cannot be kept fresh for a long time, and it is not used for processing because of too large fruits.

But all this is advantages for growing in a garden - it is a large tasty berry that each of us expects to get by planting strawberries, there is no need to store it (and it tolerates transportation well), and large fruits, in my opinion, will not spoil the compote or jam at all ...

So let's take a closer look at this variety. Strawberry Mashenka ripens very early, in good weather you will get the harvest at the beginning of summer. And with proper and careful care, there is every chance to harvest a second crop, albeit not as plentiful as the first, and the fruits will be smaller, but still this is an undoubted plus of the variety.

Strawberry bushes Mashenka are quite powerful, but very neat, the foliage is dark green. Very often, several flowers are combined into one, which is why very large berries of complex shape are formed, resembling an accordion. The berries are deep crimson, sometimes burgundy, with a high sugar content, dense pulp and strong aroma.

Like other varieties, Mashenka's strawberries bear fruit abundantly in one place for 4 years, then the bushes should be updated, which can be done with a mustache. The plant is quite frost-resistant, with good immunity and is rarely affected by harmful insects.

It is suitable both for growing in a greenhouse and for open ground, but experienced gardeners do not recommend Mashenka as a room crop - there will be no expected harvest. The culture does not require any special care. At the tasting, this variety receives consistently high marks - 4.4 points on a five-point scale.

And, of course, we must mention that Mashenka's strawberry is the "parent" for many types of strawberries. Breeders are diligently working to convey to the hybrids its resistance to weather and disease, as well as the size of the berries and their taste.

You can find your strengths and weaknesses in any variety of garden or vegetable garden. Yes, Mashenka's garden strawberry is popular due to its very large and stunningly beautiful berries, but that's not all. In addition, the advantages of the variety include excellent yield, great taste of berries, high immunity, resistance to the main harmful insects.

And also the opportunity to get two crops per summer (though only in the south or in a greenhouse). And when we talk about frost resistance, this does not mean that Mashenka strawberries are able to survive in permafrost, they also need to be covered for the winter in the middle lane and northern regions. The point is that it tolerates winter better than many other varieties.

Speaking about the disadvantages of the variety, it is worth noting that Mashenka's strawberries do not like the heat, burns appear on its foliage from the scorching sun, this must be taken into account when choosing a place for planting. And the flower stalks of the plant are located quite low, so you have to make sure that the berries do not lie on the ground. But this problem can be easily solved with mulching.

That is, the disadvantages, in comparison with the advantages, are completely frivolous. And I see no reason not to try to grow this variety of strawberries in my garden.

Reproduction, planting and care that strawberries Mashenka needs

Strawberry Mashenka: photo of the variety

It is no secret that there are only two options for breeding Mashenka strawberries: a mustache and seeds. The first method is much simpler, so a large number of seedlings can be obtained over the summer. Reproduction by seeds is a longer and more complex process, but at the same time the plant retains all the characteristics of the mother plant.

So if the purity of the variety is a matter of principle for you, propagate strawberries with seeds. If you first decided to plant strawberries of this variety, purchase seedlings in a proven nursery, as this guarantees you the purity of the variety and only such seedlings will meet your expectations of a rich harvest of large berries.

In the future, you will be able to receive planting material from your bushes. To do this, choose the strongest and most powerful specimens with the largest number of berries (there should be more than whiskers). Root only the first socket of each released mustache, you will not need the rest, they should be cut off. In 10-14 days you will have quality strawberry seedlings at your disposal.

It is necessary to grow Mashenka's strawberries from seeds in the same way as tomato seedlings: soak the seeds, then sow them under the film. After the emergence of shoots and a couple of true leaves, cut the seedlings, and at the age of about six true leaves, it can be transplanted to a permanent place.

At the same time, a healthy plant will have strong foliage on thick stems. Strawberry seedlings grow slowly, so you need to take care of this in advance. Before planting strawberries, it is worth choosing and carefully preparing a place.

Any variety of garden strawberries needs the sun, thanks to its rays, the berries can accumulate a sufficient amount of sugar. But above we have already said that Masha can get burns, so consider this - the sun should not be over the strawberries all day, or it should be possible to set up an awning during the hottest hours.

Planting seedlings of this variety is no different from planting all other types of strawberries: the earth should be loose enough, dig it up well, add humus or sand if necessary.

The planting scheme for Mashenka strawberry seedlings is traditional: about 40 cm between bushes in one row and at least 50 cm between rows, this distance will help to avoid thickening of the plantings in the future. Disembarkation should be carried out in the second half of May or early August. After planting, the strawberries are watered abundantly, but very carefully and mulch (straw, sawdust, bark, etc.) is laid to prevent moisture evaporation and weeds.

The strawberry variety Mashenka takes root well and begins to bear fruit in the first year (if planted in May). Perhaps the premiere harvest will not be the richest, but next year, when the strawberries fully adapt, they will delight you.

If in the near future you do not plan to increase the strawberry plantation, trim the mustache in time, as they take away the forces from the plant that need to be directed to the formation of peduncles and the ripening of berries.

Given how long ago this variety was bred, caring for it is extremely simple. Top dressing will be required starting from the second year, they should be carried out twice a season. You can use organic matter and mineral fertilizers, but it should be borne in mind that "Mashenka" does not like a large amount of nitrogen, and prefers acidified soil.

You need to water regularly, but watch out for two factors: the water should not erode the roots of the plant and should not stagnate so that the roots do not rot. The best solution would be a drip irrigation system that you can do yourself (this will work for any type of strawberry).

We have already said that the stems of this strawberry variety are located quite low, this is another point in favor of mulching. So the berries will not contact the ground, and therefore get dirty and rotten, it will be difficult for slugs and snails to get to them.

If further transportation of berries is required, then they should be plucked together with the pedicels, this will somewhat increase the shelf life.

For the winter, after you put the strawberry plantation in order, add an additional amount of mulch and rake it on the bushes; humus, sawdust or dry clean leaves are suitable for a winter shelter.

Strawberry Mashenka: reviews of gardeners about the variety

In this section of the article, reviews will be given about Mashenka's strawberries, collected on various gardening forums. These are the opinions of real people and perhaps they will help you in drawing up your (so far theoretical) opinion about this strawberry variety.

Vera Igorevna, Tomsk.

Strawberry Mashenka is the taste and smell of childhood. Previously, the choice was not rich and it was this variety that could most often be found in summer cottages and in villages. Wonderful, fragrant berries, very large. For five years, the bushes give a consistently large harvest, then they have to be updated, but this is not a problem - there are a lot of mustaches, they take root well and provide my family with strawberries for another 4-5 years. Sometimes, even at the beginning of September, you can still pick berries, they are of course small, but still very tasty.

Alexandra Fedorovna, city of Klin.

I have been growing Mashenka strawberries for a long time and I am very happy. The harvest is large, and the children have enough to eat, and make jam, and freeze for the winter. We tried to plant new hybrid varieties - I won't say that they are bad, but Mashenka's strawberry variety is still tastier. I use only organic fertilizers, sprinkle with ashes as a preventive measure. Perhaps I am lucky, but this strawberry has never hurt me.

Maria Konstantinovna, Moscow.

My strawberry Mashenka has been growing for 15 years already, I bought it for a laugh, because it’s a “namesake”. But now I say with confidence - this is the most delicious berry and the most capricious plant! Yes, I take great care of the garden, maybe that's the case. But my neighbors in the country will not praise enough by planting seedlings of this variety. So I recommend it to everyone, you will not regret it!

Strawberry Mashenka: Photo

Conclusion

It is possible that young hybrid varieties look more attractive and surpass the garden strawberry variety Mashenka in terms of yield, but let's see where they will be in 70 years.

In this article, we talked about the time-tested strawberry variety, revealed its positive aspects and showed that it practically has no shortcomings (and those that exist are absolutely insignificant).

Strawberry Mashenka has excellent recommendations from experienced gardeners and gardeners, has good taste, tolerates transplanting well and is extremely undemanding to care for. It seems to me that all these arguments are enough to plant several Mashenka strawberry bushes in my garden as an experiment.Trust me, you will not be disappointed.