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Strawberries of the English selection Florence can often be found under the name Florence and it is listed as garden strawberries. The variety was bred almost 20 years ago, but in our country it is considered a novelty. The parents of the culture are two varieties of garden strawberries. Hence the second name. For crossing, the productive varieties Vima-Tarda and Vikoda were taken. After the appearance of strawberries, Florence immediately fell in love with many gardeners because of the good taste of the berries.
Characteristic of the variety
To get a complete picture of the culture, now we will consider the description of the Florence strawberry variety, photos, reviews and learn the rules of agricultural technology. The culture received the main recognition among gardeners because of the delicate forest aroma and excellent taste of berries. The variety is in demand for industrial cultivation, as it has good endurance, as well as a high yield. Florence received all these qualities from the parent varieties of strawberries.
In terms of ripening berries, Florence is considered a late-ripening crop. The fruits begin to ripen when other varieties of early strawberries have already yielded. This period lasts from the end of June to the third decade of July. Under good growing conditions, about 1,5 kg of berries can be obtained per season from a bush. The fruits are characterized by dense pulp. In the mature state, the skin acquires a rich red color. The mass of one berry is in the range of 20–60 g. The shape of the fruit is conical.
Strawberries are delicious fresh. Berries are used for conservation, cooking sweet dishes, freezing. A big plus of Florence is that after defrosting, the fruits retain their shape, taste and aroma.
Considering the photo, the description of the Florence strawberry variety, it is worth noting that the bush grows powerful, but compact. That is, the plant does not fall apart on the ground. Peduncles stand on strong stems and protrude above the level of foliage. This is a positive characteristic of the variety, since it is easier for the gardener to treat plants with preventive pesticides.
From its parents, the Florence variety took a good immunity to common diseases. However, accumulation of moisture under plants can lead to root rot. Often this is observed in rainy summers or with a dense planting of strawberry bushes. Root rot can be prevented by arranging wide row spacing. And they often need to loosen. If strawberries are grown under film cover, frequent airing will help get rid of rot.
The Florence strawberry variety is characterized by a small number of mustaches. For a gardener, this indicator is positive, as it becomes easier to care for plantings. A small number of mustaches does not prevent strawberries from multiplying well. They grow strong and, when disembarking to another place, quickly take root.
Winter hardiness of Florence strawberries is high. The plant withstands frost down to -20оC. The variety was bred in England, and the climate there is humid and cool. The adaptation of the plant to such weather allows you to survive the cold rainy summer.
On the video review of the variety Florence:
In summing up the description of Florence strawberries, let’s look at the shortcomings of the variety:
- In hot summers, with a lack of moisture, productivity decreases. There are few berries and they are all small.
- In rainy summers, there is a threat of strawberry damage by phytophthora. Often appears gray rot or brown spotting. Such symptoms are observed in areas where a humid climate prevails, for example, the Moscow region. The extent of the spread of diseases depends on the growing conditions of Florence strawberries. The wetter the climate of the region, the wider the aisles are made for better ventilation of the bushes. It is necessary to avoid overgrowing the beds with grass. You may have to give up the mulch, because it will retain moisture under the strawberries.
- In cold regions and the same suburbs, the late Florence variety will not have time to fully give up its crop. Covering the beds with agrofibre will help to correct the situation a little.
Despite the large number of shortcomings, the variety has many positive qualities:
- Late appearance of peduncles in Florence occurs when the night frosts have completely passed. The gardener does not need to cover the strawberries at night. In the event of the return of a lost frost, the flowers will not freeze even without shelter.
- Strawberries tolerate hot dry summers with regular watering well. Berries are not baked in the sun and remain saturated with juice.
- In rainy summer, the sugar content in the pulp does not decrease.
- Florence fruits tolerate transportation well and can be stored.
Knowing the description of the Florence strawberry variety, its positive and negative qualities, the gardener will be able to clearly determine whether such a culture suits him.
Planting strawberry seedlings
Planting dates for Florence strawberry seedlings vary in different regions, but usually they fall at the beginning of September. In this case, gardeners take into account the climate. The colder it is, the earlier strawberries are planted so that it has time to take root before winter. A well-established plant in the spring quickly grows and immediately throws out flower stalks.
Spring planting of Florence strawberries is allowed, but then the first harvest will be only next year. Although many gardeners advise picking flowers even from autumn seedlings in the first year in spring. From this, all the nutrients go to strengthen the plant, and the next season, the yield doubles. Strawberries planted in the spring do not yet have time to take root and need to be covered from night frosts.
The place for the beds is chosen bright with frequent exposure to sunlight. Slight shading is allowed, but then the acidity in the berries increases. Florence loves soil with a lot of sand or loam. If the site is located on clay soil, then it is desirable to add a lot of organic matter to the garden. On swampy ground, you should not even try to plant strawberries. The fruit will constantly rot.
When buying Florence seedlings, you should immediately pay attention to the roots. If they are dried up, then 90% guarantee that the plant will not take root. It is better to buy seedlings in cups, where their roots are covered with earth.
The soil in the garden begins to be prepared a month before planting strawberries. The first step is to remove all weeds. For every 1 m2 beds pour 3 buckets of humus. Organics are leveled evenly over the site, after which they are dug up with the ground. With high acidity of the soil, chalk is additionally added. The bed itself begins to form 5 days before planting strawberry seedlings. During this time, the soil will have time to settle.
The landing process consists of the following steps:
- Holes are dug in the garden for seedlings. Their dimensions should correspond to the dimensions of the root system. Usually a hole with a diameter of 12 cm will be enough. The minimum distance between the holes is 40 cm. It cannot be reduced, since the Florence variety is characterized by a powerful bush structure.
- The soil in each well is moistened with warm water. It is enough to pour about 300 ml.
- A strawberry seedling is lowered into the hole. The root system is straightened, then sprinkled with earth and lightly pressed with your hands. In a properly planted seedling, the growing point should coincide with ground level.
- Planted strawberry seedlings Florence watered again. To preserve moisture, the ground around the bushes is covered with mulch. Wood chips or well-rotted humus will do.
In the southern regions, during the planting of seedlings, it is still hot on the street. To prevent excess foliage from pulling a lot of nutrients, the lower tier is cut with scissors. A bed with planted strawberries is covered with agrofiber and periodically sprayed with water from above.
Rules for the care of strawberries
According to numerous reviews, Florence strawberries are a strong crop, but bear fruit poorly under adverse conditions. With a lack of moisture, constant watering is required, otherwise the fruits will grow small and sour. Florence easily tolerates heavy rains if the soil has good drainage. For the full development of the plant and the timely ripening of berries, a long daylight hours is needed, which is not typical of the northern regions. Here it is better to give preference to other specialized varieties.
Based on the compiled reviews of gardeners, Florence strawberries are grown taking into account the following nuances:
- The thickening of the bushes affects not only the occurrence of diseases. This further reduces the yield. Thickening can be avoided by removing the mustache. For reproduction, it is enough to leave two shoots, and then after harvesting.
- Variety Florence loves top dressing. Plants are given nitrogen in the spring. This substance contributes to the rapid development of the bush. With the advent of buds and the first ovary, the plants are fed with potassium and phosphorus. Before wintering, humus is introduced into the garden. You can add strawberries with a solution consisting of water and fermented manure.
- Variety Florence is more adapted to the English climate. In the southern regions, plants will not be comfortable in the heat. From the sun they will have to be covered or shaded.
- It is advisable to cover strawberry plantations for the winter. Any straw, thin branches, needles will do. Shelter will protect the root system from freezing if the winter turns out to be without snow.
Pests need to be constantly fought. Most often, Florence is affected by root rot and powdery mildew. To prevent the disease, you can follow the rules of care, as well as carrying out preventive treatments. In the spring, starting with the first watering, Fitosporin is added to the water. The finished solution is watered with a bed at the rate of 4 l / m2.
Berries are picked as they ripen. Usually there are 8 to 10 crop waves per season. The fruits are plucked together with the sepals and the stalk. So that the berries do not crumple, they are put in small boxes.
In the video you can see how the harvest takes place:
Reviews
There are a lot of reviews about Florence strawberries, and now we will get acquainted with some of them.