Contents
Many berry lovers are waiting for the arrival of summer just because they can enjoy the unique taste of strawberries from the garden. Of course, you can buy a product grown in a greenhouse at any time of the year. However, fresh warm air and the rays of the sun give a special taste and aroma to the berry. Strawberry Cleri is the perfect Italian beauty with a great look and taste.
Origin and recommended growing regions
Clery strawberries are also often referred to as garden strawberries. A berry appeared in sunny Italy thanks to breeders from the Matsoni Group company in the late 1990s. The “parents” Sweet Charlie and Vanbor were selected as the basis for the variety. The copyright for the variety is protected by a European patent.
Clery is best grown in a temperate continental climate, which is characterized by hot summers, frosty winters and low rainfall. In Italy, the variety is recommended for cultivation in the northern provinces. In Our Country, the best option is the southern regions. You can grow a crop in other regions in greenhouse conditions (greenhouse or greenhouse).
Video “How to grow strawberries”
In this video, an expert will tell you how to grow large strawberries.
Botanical and varietal properties
Clery refers to early ripening varieties. But cold resistance and the ability to quickly adapt will pleasantly surprise gardeners.
Description of the plant
Clery belongs to remontant varieties, that is, the berry can re-bloom and bear fruit in one season. The berry begins to bloom already in early May, and the first fruits appear towards the end of the month or early July. The bushes of the plant are tall and powerful, with long strong petioles and large shiny dark green leaves.
Peduncles are formed a lot and they are quite thick. The flowers are lush and large, bright white in color with a prominent yellow center.
Taste and commercial qualities of berries
The fruits have a classic cone-like shape with a smooth, blunt tip. The average weight of a berry is about 35 g, but individual specimens can reach 50 g. The fruits are bright, shiny. The color changes: as they ripen, the fruits become red, and fully ripe berries acquire a dark cherry color.
A feature of the variety is the identity of the size of all berries. Specimens that do not correspond to the size of most fruits are extremely rare.
The structure of the pulp is very dense, but juicy, without internal voids, grains are not felt when eating. The taste is sweet, without the usual sourness. It is thanks to this that the fruits receive the highest tasting marks. Aroma of strawberry. Due to the characteristics of the bushes and berries, Clery is more often called strawberries, and not garden strawberries.
Productivity
Landing Clery is designed for 4 years. It is during this period that the maximum degree of fruiting and all varietal characteristics are preserved. The degree of productivity is average – up to 290 kg / ha. But regular fruiting, excellent presentation and mass uniformity fully compensate for this.
Harvest, storage and use
The fruits ripen almost simultaneously, so they are easy to pick. The dense structure of the berries eliminates the possibility of damage during collection, and also provides a high degree of transportability. The harvested crop can be stored for up to 5 days under optimal conditions.
The qualities of Clery fruits allow them to be consumed both fresh and used for freezing. The dense structure ensures the integrity of the berry in the preparation of compotes and desserts. The high sugar content makes it possible to prepare jams, marmalades and marmalades with minimal sugar consumption.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Reviews of gardeners and gardeners make it possible to highlight the objective positive and negative qualities of the variety.
Clary Benefits:
- unpretentious in care, perfectly tolerates cold and winter, as well as a short drought without loss to the crop;
- has good immunity to various diseases of the root system and resistance to mold;
- excellent commodity characteristics of fruits: high degree of transportability (berries do not crumple, do not expire with juice), shelf life up to 5 days, versatility of use;
- excellent composition and taste of berries: no acid (can be used by people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases), useful chemical composition (one of the best among strawberries), sweet taste and pleasant strawberry aroma;
- good productivity.
Among the minuses of the variety:
- low degree of productivity in the first year after planting;
- the need to replace the planting every 4 years;
- rapid spread of infections;
- expensive planting material.
Planting and breeding methods
A healthy seedling does not guarantee success. Equally important is proper posture.
Determination of terms
The optimal period for planting Clery is early spring. As soon as the snow melts and the soil warms up a little, you can plant.
Before spring planting, seedlings must be hardened off: place the bushes for several days in temperature conditions corresponding to +10 ° C.
Author’s advice
You can plant bushes in the period from late August to mid-September.
Site and soil selection
For beds, it is recommended to choose a flat or slightly sloped area on the southwest side. The south side is not recommended – the snow melts too early, the plant may freeze slightly.
Almost any soil will do. The best options are black soil, forest soil and medium loams. Too heavy or light soil requires the introduction of a large amount of organic matter. It is also not recommended to plant Clery in areas with groundwater close to the surface.
We propagate strawberries with a mustache
The Clery bushes form a sufficient number of shoots, mustaches. You need to choose the most productive bush, stretch the process along its entire length and sprinkle it with fertile soil. After the appearance of leaves and independent roots, the antennae are separated from the outlet.
Breed division multiplication
For division, you need to take strong, overgrown three-year-old bushes. They are carefully dug in, relieved of the earthy coma and divided into parts so that each of them has several full-fledged roots. Then the parts are planted in the ground according to the standard scheme.
Cassette landing method
A fairly new, but very popular (especially among farmers) method of planting. The strongest tendrils are cut off from strawberries, placed in a solution with a growth stimulator for 20 minutes, and then planted in special containers with soil – cassettes. They are like ice cubes in a refrigerator. Then the seedlings are placed in greenhouses. In about a month, the bushes will be ready for planting.
Features of agricultural technology
The development of the plant, its well-being and harvest depend on proper care. Clery is unpretentious in care, but there are procedures that you cannot do without.
Watering, weeding and loosening
Water the bushes directly under the root. Watering should be regular, but moderate, otherwise you can provoke the development of diseases. With large volumes, the best method of watering is sprinkling.
It is desirable to loosen the soil after each watering or at least once every two weeks. Weeding is carried out as needed. Filming or mulching the soil can save you from this routine.
Top dressing and fertilization
Fertilizers are applied 4 times a year at different stages of vegetation. In early spring, complex fertilizers with a high content of minerals are used. During the formation of inflorescences, phosphorus-potassium complexes are used. During flowering – organic. And towards the end of summer, complex fertilizers and ash are brought under the bush.
Pruning mustache and leaves
So that the berries do not shrink, and the ordered bushes do not turn into wilds, you need to cut off multiple antennae in a timely manner. You also need to take care of removing old foliage.
Young shoots should never be removed.
Pest and disease control
Clery is resistant to most fungal infections. However, anthracnose can easily destroy all plantings, as the disease spreads very quickly. This can be avoided with the help of preventive treatment with copper-containing preparations. At the first signs of the disease, fungicides are used – Antrakol and Ridomil.
Bushes are also threatened by a variety of slugs, mites, aphids, weevil and Maybug. They fight pests with a decoction of tansy and a solution of laundry soap.
Reviews of gardeners about Clery strawberries
“I grow strawberries for sale. Clary is perfect. Although the harvest is not so much, the berries themselves are magnificent: beautiful, uniform in size, shiny and sweet. What else does a buyer need?
“To be honest, the variety is not for everyone. Unpretentious in care. But here the berries are too sugary-sweet. Not quite ripe even crunchy, very hard. But for desserts and compotes, that’s it!”.
A magnificent appearance in a berry is not the main thing. But the harmonious combination of sweetness and sourness is important for many. If you have a sweet tooth and an esthete, then Clery is the perfect option for you.