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It is easiest to distinguish between male and female strawberry bushes at the stage of blooming flowers and the formation of ovaries. However, this does not mean that the novice gardener will have to wait for the flowering period. You can also determine the sex of young plants.
Are there male and female strawberry bushes
The situation when strong and healthy strawberries bear fruit poorly is well known to many gardeners. Do not immediately blame the seller for the supply of defective seedlings. Perhaps there are simply too many “male” specimens planted on the site. That is why it is so important to be able to distinguish heterosexual plants.
However, from a scientific point of view, there is no division into “male” and “female” varieties. Strawberries are a monoecious crop with bisexual flowers. The main difference is related to the process of forming a mustache on rosettes.
The very first mustache of garden strawberries growing in the middle lane forms in the last decade of May. In the southern regions, this happens three to four weeks earlier. The first and second outlet are precisely the “female” seedlings. Two months later, at least five leaves and a central bud with a diameter of 1-1,5 cm can be observed on it. The rosette itself acquires a flattened, slightly rounded shape.
The active setting of flower stalks is associated with poor breeding opportunities through the ejection of whiskers. Most often, the habitat of “girls” is expanding due to the transfer of seeds and berries by birds.
The third and subsequent sockets are “boys”. Their reproduction occurs mainly with the help of whiskers. They can be distinguished mainly by external signs.
By the time of flowering, they have three or four leaves and a core with a diameter of not more than 5 mm. The formed rosette has a conical, slightly elongated shape. “Male” specimens do not form ovaries, but conquer space by actively throwing out whiskers.
Although scientists deny the existence of heterosexual bushes, from an economic point of view, it is easier for gardeners to distinguish between strawberries precisely on this basis.
The ability to determine the “sex” is useful when buying seedlings in the store
As for the reason why the “gender” of strawberries is determined, it is simple – increasing and controlling crop yields.
Is it possible to distinguish male strawberries from female
To be able to distinguish “female” strawberry plants from “male” ones is not only possible, but also necessary. The wholesale settlement of “boys” will negatively affect the yield, while outwardly the bed will look great.
To determine belonging to a particular group, the gardener needs to evaluate the foliage of the bush, the color of the plates, the size, number of outlets and their shape. It is easiest to distinguish “male” from “female” bushes during the flowering period of the culture.
At the time of purchase of young seedlings, you can focus on the size of the mustache. Large modified shoots are most often a sign of “boys”. On the “female” bushes, the mustache can be observed only after the first fruiting.
What are male strawberry bushes for?
Despite self-pollination, without “male” specimens, strawberries will bear less fruit. However, this does not mean that it is worth actively encouraging the reproduction of “boys”. The optimal ratio, according to practical observations, is the proportion of 10 to 1, where 10 are “female” specimens, and 1 is a weed variety.
We remind you that the male strawberry bush differs from the female one primarily in the presence of barren flowers, that is, it is absolutely useless as a fruit-bearing crop. Moreover, this is not its only drawback.
The main disadvantages of weeds:
- “Male” bushes take up space that can be used for planting high-yielding varieties.
- Barren flowers draw nutrients and water from the soil, which are necessary for the “working” strawberries.
- A large number of “male” plants leads to thickening of plantings and, as a result, the berries become smaller.
Thickening can lead to poor air circulation, which in turn can lead to disease or pest damage.
One “male” bush can pollinate up to ten “female”
Therefore, it is so important to control the number of “male” plants in the garden and be able to distinguish them from “female” specimens.
How does the floor of the bushes affect the yield
Even with the complete removal of the “boys” from the garden, varietal strawberries will bear fruit. However, crop yields will be significantly lower.
“Male” bushes increase pollination, but their dominance will cause a backlash. Varietal plantings will begin to wither, and the quality of the berries will deteriorate. That is why gardeners remove excess empty flowers from the garden. However, before you start thinning, you need to understand the differences between “male” and “female” strawberry bushes. Having figured out, you can begin to remove weeds.
To begin with, “male” plants are manually removed from the soil. Do this with gentle movements, twisting each bush out of the soil. It is not recommended to pull out a bush with a sharp movement. This can damage the roots of both the plant itself and neighboring plantings.
As a result of the removal of strawberries in the garden, holes can be observed. They are covered with soil to a general level and, if necessary, water neighboring plants. You don’t need to fertilize anything.
Removed “male” copies should not be thrown away immediately. The fact is that even they are able to give quite healthy and full-fledged “female” offspring. In addition, novice gardeners sometimes make mistakes when thinning and remove “girls”, so after extracting the plantings, it will not be superfluous to examine them again for sex determination.
As for the “male” strawberry bushes, they can be planted on a separate bed. The place of future landing is prepared in advance. The soil is first dug up and fertilized by introducing old manure or compost. In the absence of organic matter, it can be replaced with multicomponent mineral supplements.
The first and second rosette of the strawberry bush are usually “female”
It must be remembered that garden strawberries are often attacked by pests, and at the time of transplantation it is the most vulnerable, so it will not be superfluous to treat the soil with Dursban, Nurell preparations or biologically active agents.
Having identified the differences, the “male” plants are transplanted, keeping a distance of 10-15 cm between the bushes. Such a close proximity does not allow the whiskers to be actively thrown out, as a result of which a switch to the formation of peduncles occurs.
Mustaches thrown out in the garden should be cut with secateurs or scissors. If we are talking about a valuable variety, then it is quite possible to leave a couple of shoots.
Transplantation is carried out at the end of August or at the beginning of September. Strawberries need at least a month for the culture to adapt before the first frost.
With properly carried out agrotechnical measures for the next year, strawberries will form high-quality flower stalks and give an excellent harvest.
How to distinguish between male and female strawberries
From the photo it is difficult to distinguish male strawberries from female ones, primarily because the photo does not always convey the external characteristics of the bush. Namely, by the “exterior” it is easiest to determine the gender.
How to distinguish male and female strawberry whiskers
Beginners often come to a standstill when they learn about the need to thin out and remove the “boys” from the garden. In fact, recognizing the “male” strawberry bushes is not so difficult.
Empty flowers are much larger and more powerful than their neighbors in the garden. The leaf plates of the bush are distinguished by a bright emerald color, while their shade is one or two tones darker than fruit-bearing plants. Rosettes have a conical shape, while in the “female” landings it is rounded and flattened.
Weeds throw out a lot of whiskers, on which you can almost immediately observe the formation of rosettes. “Male” bushes do not spend energy on fruiting.
“Male” specimens can be used to propagate fertile varieties
In rare cases, these plantings bloom, while the resulting flowers are distinguished by a larger size and a small number. Even less often, empty flowers delight gardeners with berries. The fruits in this case are small, pale, with poor tasting qualities.
Conclusion
Distinguishing male and female strawberry bushes is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The ability to find differences will help solve the problem of reproduction and will significantly increase crop yields.
