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Many gardeners dream of planting fragrant strawberries in their garden, which gives a bountiful harvest all summer. Ali Baba – a beardless variety that can bear fruit from June to the end of autumn. For the whole season, up to 400-500 sweet berries are removed from the bush. This is one of the best varieties of remontant strawberries, which every gardener should grow on his site.
The story of
Ali Baba got his start in the Netherlands in 1995. A new variety was bred by the Dutch scientists of the Hem Genetics company from wild strawberries. The authors of the variety are Hem Zaden and Yvon de Cupidou. The result is a berry that combines many positive properties. The plant is suitable for planting in many regions of the Federation.
Description
Strawberry Ali Baba is a remontant and high-yielding variety. The plant bears fruit from June until the start of frost. From one bush for the whole summer, gardeners collect up to 0,4-0,5 kg fragrant berries. And from ten roots – 0,3 kg of fruit every 3-4 days.
The plant has a spreading and powerful bush that can grow up to 16-18 cm in height. It is profusely strewn with dark green foliage. Even in the first year of fruiting, many white inflorescences are formed. A distinctive feature of the variety – strawberries do not form mustaches.
Strawberries Ali Baba bears fruit with small bright red berries, the average weight of which varies between 6-8 grams. Fruit shape is conical. The pulp is tender and juicy, painted in a milky color. The bones are small, so they are not felt. The berries have a sweet and sour taste and an alluring aroma of wild strawberries. This is an unpretentious variety, which tolerates drought and cold well.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to the reviews of gardeners, a number of advantages and disadvantages of Ali Baba strawberries can be distinguished. They are presented in more detail in the table.
Pros | Cons |
Bountiful harvest | It does not give a mustache, so this variety can only be propagated by dividing the bush or by seeds. |
Continuous and long fruiting | Fresh berries can be stored for only a few days. Therefore, after collecting them, it is advisable to immediately eat or process them. |
Tasty, fragrant fruits of universal purpose | Low transportability |
It tolerates a lack of moisture and freezing of the soil. | Every two to three years it is recommended to rejuvenate the plantation. Otherwise, the quality of the berries will deteriorate, and the yield will decrease significantly. |
Resistant to fungal diseases and rarely affected by pests |
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The plant begins to bear fruit in the first year after planting in the garden. |
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This berry variety can be grown in a pot as an ornamental plant. |
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Unpretentiousness to the soil. Can grow in any climate |
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The Ali Baba strawberry variety is ideal for home growing. To keep the berries for a long time, they are frozen. You can also make various jams and preserves from them, add them to pastries.
Methods of reproduction
Since this strawberry variety does not form a mustache, it can only be propagated by seeds or by dividing the mother bush.
By dividing the bush
For reproduction, plants choose the largest and most prolific specimens. After harvesting, the bushes are dug up and carefully divided into several parts. Each of them should have at least 2-3 white roots. Plants with dark brown roots are not suitable. Some gardeners prefer to carry out the procedure in early spring. Then next year it will be possible to harvest a bountiful harvest.
Cultivation from seeds
Everyone can grow Ali Baba strawberries from seeds, most importantly, be patient and follow the simple rules for growing seedlings.
Sowing seeds is carried out at the end of January – early February. In case of insufficient lighting, the planting date is shifted to March. Before planting, the seeds must be processed. They can be sown both in boxes and in peat tablets. After the emergence of seedlings, a pick is carried out.
Landing
Ali Baba is an unpretentious variety to grow. But in order for strawberries to continuously bear fruit all season and the berries to be sweet, it is necessary to observe the features of agricultural technology.
How to choose seedlings
Purchase Ali Baba strawberry seedlings only from certified nurseries or from trusted sellers. When buying seedlings, pay attention to the following points:
- By the end of May, the plant should have at least 6 leaves Green colour. If dark and light spots of various sizes are visible on the foliage, most likely the strawberry is infected with a fungus. Also, do not take seedlings with pale and shriveled leaves.
- Check the condition of the horns. They should be juicy, pale green in color. The thicker the horn, the better.
- The root system should be branched, at least 7 cm long. If the seedling is in a peat tablet, the roots should come out.
Only by adhering to simple recommendations, you can choose high-quality seedlings.
Site selection and preparation of soil
Strawberries of this variety feel comfortable in sunny areas with a flat surface. You can not plant it in a lowland, as the plant does not like dampness. If groundwater is close, high beds or ridges are prepared. Ali Baba’s best strawberry predecessors are legumes, garlic, clover, buckwheat, sorrel, rye. Every three years, the plant needs to be transplanted to a new place.
Strawberries prefer nutritious soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline environment. If the soil is acidic, dolomite flour is added to it. For each square meter of beds, 2-3 buckets of humus, two tablespoons of superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. potassium and ammonium nitrate. Then the soil is carefully dug up.
Landing scheme
Ali Baba strawberry seedlings do not need to be planted too close, as they grow strongly over time. To make the plant comfortable bushes are planted at intervals of at least 35-40 cm. There should be about 50-60 cm between the rows. At first it will seem that the strawberries are rarely planted, but after a year the rows will become denser.
Holes are dug according to the planting pattern. The roots of the bush are straightened and lowered into the recess. Gently sprinkle with soil, lightly compact and water with 0,5 liters of water.
Care
Regular care guarantees long-term fruiting and a healthy appearance of strawberries. Ali Baba needs loosening, weeding, watering, fertilizing and preparing for the winter period.
Loosening and weeding
To provide the roots of the plant with air, the soil around the plant must be loosened. The procedure is recommended before ripe strawberries. The beds must be cleared of weeds, as they take nutrients from the ground. They are also breeding grounds for diseases and pests. Together with weeds remove old and dried strawberry leaves.
Watering and mulching
Although the Ali Baba strawberry is drought tolerant, it needs watering to produce sweet fruits. The first irrigation is carried out during the flowering period. On average, strawberries of this variety watered every 10-14 days. One plant should have about 1 liter of water.
After watering, mulching is carried out. The aisle is covered with a layer of dry sawdust, grass or straw.
It is undesirable to use the method of sprinkling, since moisture on the surface of strawberries can contribute to rotting of the fruit.
Feeding
Ali Baba strawberries begin to fertilize in the second year after planting. For this, organic and mineral supplements are used. In total, about 3-4 procedures will be required. For root growth and rapid growth of early nitrogen fertilization is introduced in the spring. During the formation of peduncles and the ripening of berries, the plant requires potassium and phosphorus. For a supply of nutrients and increased winter hardiness in autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and mullein are applied.
Preparation for winter
After harvesting, sanitary cleaning is carried out. To do this, damaged leaves are cut off, and diseased plants are destroyed. Strawberries of the Ali Baba variety need shelter for the winter. The simplest option is cover the bushes with dry spruce branches. As soon as the snow falls, a snowdrift is collected over the spruce branches. Some gardeners make a wire frame over the bed and stretch a film or agrofabric over it.
Diseases and methods of struggle
This berry variety has high resistance to various diseases. But if you do not take care of the plant, bushes and berries can be affected by late blight, white spot and gray rot.
The table provides a description of the typical diseases of Ali Baba strawberries.
Disease | Evidence | Methods of struggle |
Fitoftoroz | Dark spots and white bloom appear on the berries. The roots rot, and the fruits shrink and wither | A diseased bush is removed from the garden and burned |
White spot | Brown spots form on the foliage. Over time, they turn white and acquire a dark red border. | Spraying the aerial part of the plant with a Bordeaux mixture. Removal of infected leaves. |
Gray mold | Dark spots appear on the leaves, and a gray coating appears on the fruits. | Treatment of bushes with Bordeaux mixture and removal of dry leaves |
Pests and ways to deal with them
The table shows the main pests of strawberries of the Ali Baba variety.
Pest | Evidence | Methods of struggle |
Slug | Holes are visible on the leaves and berries | Spraying with superphosphate or lime |
spider mite | Cobwebs appear on the bushes, and the leaves turn yellow. White dots can be seen in places | The use of anometrin and karbofos. Removing infected foliage |
Leaf beetle | Presence of oviposition | Treatment with lepidocide or karbofos |
Harvesting and storage of crops
Berries plucked as they ripen every 2-3 days. The first harvest is taken in June. The procedure is best performed in the early morning. Ripe fruits are recognized by red dots. Store fresh strawberries in a cool place no more than 2 days.
Features of growing in pots
This variety of strawberries can be grown in pots on a loggia or windowsill. In this case, it will bear fruit all year. For planting, a container with a volume of 5-10 liters and a diameter of at least 18-20 cm is chosen. Drainage is poured into the bottom, and nutrient soil is laid on it. In winter, additional lighting is needed. The more light – the better the berry will be. For better pollination, the bush is periodically shaken.
Сonclusion
Ali Baba is a high-yielding and unpretentious strawberry variety that can bear fruit all summer, until frost. And if you grow it on the windowsill at home, you can enjoy berries all year round.
Reviews of gardeners
