Strawberry Elan

The high-yielding strawberry variety Elan was appreciated by many gardeners from the best side. By its origin, culture is a hybrid. It is successfully grown in open and closed ground, as well as on vertical beds. The novelty of the Dutch selection of Elan strawberries is distinguished by a long fruiting period, lasting until frost.

Characteristics of the Dutch hybrid

Getting acquainted with the description of the Elan strawberry variety, photos, reviews, it is worth noting the origin. The culture is the brainchild of Dutch breeders. For domestic gardeners, the hybrid is new, but has already spread to all regions with a warm climate.

The popularity of culture brought positive characteristics. Elan F1 strawberries will give birth from the first days of June until late autumn, until night frosts hit. Powerful bushes throw out a large number of mustaches, thanks to which many rosettes with peduncles are formed. The berries are tied large, with an average weight of 30–60 g. A hybrid is grown in an open, closed way, and even in flower pots. In the greenhouse, remontant Elan strawberries give a larger yield than on the street. Additionally, the growing season is extended. Adaptability to the closed method of cultivation allows planting Elan in heated greenhouses in cold regions. The best planting scheme is 5-6 seedlings per 1 m².

The hybrid does not require special care. Standard procedures that apply to all strawberries are in demand: weeding, watering, feeding, trimming mustaches. With a closed method of growing, the yield from a bush per season reaches 2 kg. In open ground, the indicator is less – up to 1,5 kg. The berries grow in a conical shape. Ripe pulp is dense, juicy, acquires a red color and a pronounced strawberry aroma.

Positive and negative qualities of a hybrid

There are rarely bad reviews about remontant strawberries Elan, which indicates the absence of significant shortcomings. The positive features include:

• stable and high yield;
• excellent taste and pleasant aroma;
• a long period of fruiting, which can continue in a heated greenhouse until December;
• Elan bushes develop well in low light;
• the hybrid is resistant to pathogens of fungal and bacterial diseases;
• with an open method of cultivation, the Elan strawberry variety withstands harsh winters and summer temperature fluctuations;
• remontant strawberries do not require special care, they grow in one place for 3 years, and then they are transplanted so that the berries are not crushed;
• Elan strawberries are universal and suitable for all types of processing, decorating confectionery, freezing.

Gardeners attribute the mandatory procedures for abundant feeding in the fall to the disadvantage of the Elan variety. Prolonged fruiting depletes the bushes. If strawberries do not replenish the lost nutrients, then weak plants will freeze out in winter. The remaining bushes in the spring will bring a poor harvest.

Planting seedlings

You can propagate the Elan variety with a mustache, purchased seedlings, dividing the bush or by seed. The first three options are easier. If you managed to get only seeds, then you will have to grow seedlings of remontant strawberries yourself:

• Sowing strawberry seeds is similar to the process for other garden crops. Substrate from garden soil and humus is collected in boxes. You can buy ready-made soil. Sowing seeds of the Elan hybrid is carried out in rows. From above, the grains are crushed with soil and river sand. Watering is carried out with a sprayer. Boxes with sown grains of the hybrid are covered with foil and sent to a warm room.
• After the mass germination of crops, the boxes are opened. After a couple of days, the air temperature is lowered to +18^оC.
• A month later, the grown seedlings of the Elan hybrid dive into cups, where they will grow until planting in the garden.

Elan strawberry seedlings are planted on an open bed in early May, when warm weather sets in. With the greenhouse method of cultivation, early planting dates are adhered to. Hybrid Elan, like all strawberries, loves areas well lit by the sun, ventilated, but without drafts. The maximum allowable groundwater level is 80 cm. If the layers are higher, Elan seedlings may get wet. The acidity index of the soil before planting is adjusted to 5,7–6,2.

A bed for strawberry seedlings of the Elan variety is prepared in the fall or a month before planting. The site is cleared of weeds. The earth is dug up on a shovel bayonet simultaneously with the introduction of organic and mineral fertilizers. Rows are laid out on the bed with a row spacing of 50 cm. A hole is dug every 30 cm. The seedling is taken out of the glass, and together with a clod of earth is lowered into a hole. After backfilling, the soil around the bush is pressed by hand, and then watered with warm water.

Features of cultivation and care

Unpretentiousness in care does not mean that the Elan variety will grow and bear fruit well. To get a good harvest, you need to follow simple steps:

• moist, but not swampy soil is maintained in the garden to ensure good growth of the bush and pouring berries;
• in the spring, the soil is mulched, which allows it to retain moisture and prevents flowers from touching the ground;
• all the first flowers on newly planted seedlings are plucked;
• a maximum of 5 mustaches are left on each bush, and all the rest are cut off;
• do not allow overgrowing of the beds, otherwise the yield will decrease, and the berries will grow small;
• cutting off excess foliage allows you to direct nutrients to the development of berries;
• autumn transplantation of seedlings is carried out before the onset of frost, so that the strawberries take root and endure wintering;
• dressings are applied in spring and summer, but the most necessary one is in the fall, when the plant needs to recuperate after long-term fruiting;
• organics and mineral complexes are used for top dressing, but you can’t overdo it with the dosage, otherwise juicy foliage will grow instead of tasty berries;
• for the winter, a bed with Elan strawberries is covered with mulch, spruce branches or agrofibre.

If Elan strawberries are grown indoors, do not forget to ventilate the greenhouse, maintain the temperature and provide artificial lighting.

Pest control and preventive measures

According to reviews and descriptions, Elan strawberries are resistant to diseases, but the culture is not immune from the epidemic. Mass infection with a fungus is observed in rainy summer. The whole plant is affected: foliage, berries, stems, roots. During the epidemic, there is a threat of brown spot disease, Fusarium wilt. Powdery mildew is a big threat. Ants, mites, weevils and other harmful insects bring additional damage to the crop.

Strawberry diseases can be avoided if preventive measures are taken in a timely manner:

• After wintering, the top layer of the earth is changed in the garden. Since autumn, harmful insects have been hiding in the ground, and with the onset of heat, they begin to wake up and eat young shoots of strawberries.
• The earth around the bushes is loosened after each watering. Weeding helps to get rid of weeds and increases the oxygen supply to the roots.
• Damaged leaves, flower stalks and berries are cut off. Remove excess mustache.
• Watering is done regularly, but do not allow waterlogging of the beds. From a glut of moisture, the berries and the strawberry root system will rot.
• Plantations with strawberries are sprayed with preventive drugs. The ash is used to control parasites.

Prevention helps to avoid infection of strawberries even in the event of an epidemic.

Tiered growing method

In small areas, you can grow a lot of strawberries in high beds. The most popular are tiered structures in the form of a pyramid. Boxes of different sizes are filled with soil and stacked on top of each other. With such success, you can use flower pots or build a pyramid from planks.

The Elan hybrid grows on a high pyramid no worse than on a garden bed. Harvest is made easier for the gardener. The berries are always clean, as there is no possibility of contact with the ground. To organize irrigation, gardeners equip a drip system. It is inconvenient to water the upper tiers with a watering can. For the winter, the pyramid is wrapped with two layers of dense agrofibre. Bushes with soil on top fall asleep with mulch. A good result is obtained if, during the manufacture of the pyramid, the side walls are insulated with foam. Thermal insulation in winter will not allow the soil to freeze, and in summer it will protect against excessive heating by the sun.

A tiered bed with strawberries can replace a beautiful flower garden and decorate the yard. The pyramid looks spectacular all summer, hung with red berries. Marigolds can be planted between the bushes. Flowers will decorate the garden and protect the strawberries from the nematode. A couple of bushes of undersized sage are planted near the pyramid. On the upper tier of the pyramid, you can plant a bush of marshmallow to shade strawberries from the scorching rays of the sun.

Reviews

Gardeners leave a lot of reviews about Elan’s strawberries, and now let’s look at the most interesting of them.