Strawberry Ruby Pendant was bred at the All- Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Fruit Plants from very well-known and time-tested varieties Zenga Zengana and Fairfax. It was entered into the State Register in 1998. The variety has many advantages and almost no drawbacks, therefore it is becoming more and more popular with gardeners. Learn about the Ruby pendant strawberry variety, its characteristics and cultivation techniques.
Description
The variety Ruby pendant is mid-season, shows relative resistance to diseases and yields above the average.
Description of the strawberry variety Ruby Pendant and its photo:
- bush of medium height, semi-spreading type;
- powerful roots;
- leaf in moderation;
- flower stalks are umbrella-shaped, located below the leaf blades;
- mustache large;
- berry of medium size and weight (10-20 g), neat, classic conical shape with a short neck;
- the pulp is dark red, dense;
- the skin is also dark red, burgundy, shiny;
- seeds in a small amount, moderately pressed into the pulp;
- the taste is excellent, sweet;
- pleasant characteristic aroma.
The berries of the Ruby pendant ripen quite amicably, come off without effort, do not crumple. Due to their dense pulp, they are suitable for transportation and processing. They can be preserved: in compote or in jam, they do not boil soft and do not lose their shape, and when frozen, they do not lose their taste. The yield of the variety is average – slightly above 0,5 kg per bush. Of course, the variety is not suitable for growing for sale with such productivity, but it is quite suitable for home use.
Landing
According to gardeners’ reviews of Ruby Pendant strawberries, she prefers well-fertilized, slightly acidic and neutral soils. Her bush is quite large, so the plants need to be planted so that they have enough feeding area. When planting, you need to observe a distance of 35-40 cm between the bushes, a little more can be.
After all the seedlings are planted, the ground around them must be mulched with plant covering material or dense black agrofibre. Benefits of mulching double – weeds will not grow under the protective layer, that is, weeding is no longer necessary. This not only saves the gardener time and labor, but also allows you not to disturb or injure the plants once again. It is not necessary to loosen the soil every time after watering, since the soil under the mulch does not compact. And one more advantage of growing strawberries on mulched beds, especially when using synthetic material – the berries always remain clean after the past rains, they are not splashed with dirt. What strawberries look like Ruby pendant grown under agrofiber can be seen in the photo.
The only drawback of agrofibre is that the plants will have to be watered more often than usual, because rainwater does not fall under it. In this case, for convenience, it is better to equip the beds with drip irrigation so as not to worry that the plants lack moisture.
If you need to save garden space, you can plant strawberries in plastic pipes, large flower pots, car tires stacked one on top of the other. The advantages of this method of growing: it is easier to take care of the bushes on vertical beds, harvest too, you can install them anywhere on the site, for example, near the house, where they will also serve as a kind of decoration.
Cultivation
For the growth and fruiting of strawberries, all the basic elements are needed, but mainly potassium and phosphorus, nitrogen – only at the initial stage of growth. Therefore, it is possible to fertilize plants with nitrogen-containing fertilizers only in early spring, when they begin the growing season. At this time, the most suitable fertilizer will be organic – well-rotted compost or humus. It is better not to use fresh manure and mineral fertilizers, just as strawberries immediately increase their green mass from them to the detriment of flowering and fruiting. After the first top dressing during the season, nitrogen does not need to be used anymore. An excellent fertilizer for strawberries will be ordinary wood ash, which contains exactly the elements that it needs – potassium and phosphorus, as well as trace elements.
Fertilization timing:
- 1st top dressing – in early spring, when the snow melts and starts to warm up;
- 2nd – after the first harvest of berries, so that the strawberries can form flower buds for the next harvest;
- 3rd – after collecting the second wave of berries to prepare the bushes for winter.
During autumn feeding, it is necessary to provide strawberries with both phosphorus-potassium and nitrogen fertilizers, so manure and ash can be used. This is especially important for young plants planted this year.
Growing mustaches must be removed in time, leaving only the largest ones that will go for reproduction. The rest – pinch, preventing them from growing and taking root. There is no need to feel sorry for them, good strawberries will not work out of them, and they will pull food for themselves, which, of course, will affect the yield.
Ruby pendant bears fruit until late autumn. The first harvest ripens at the same time as the harvest of other mid-ripening varieties, the second – in the fall and continues until frost. It is best to pick berries at the stage of full ripeness – then they acquire a rich taste and strong aroma.
It is necessary to keep strawberries in one garden for no more than 3-4 years, especially remontant, to which the Ruby pendant belongs. If you leave the plants in the old place, then you can expect the crushing of berries and a decrease in yield. That’s why you need to transplant the mustache to a new site. They should be taken only from healthy and strong bushes that show excellent productivity. It is better to replant the mustache in early autumn, and not in spring – by winter they will have time to take root, begin to grow with the onset of heat, and will be able to use the winter-spring moisture reserves to the maximum, so it will be possible to harvest this year.
In the autumn, after fruiting is completed, all the bushes of this strawberry must be prepared for wintering:
- Cut off all old leaves, keep the youngest ones.
- Burn or compost waste.
- After about 1-1,5 weeks, the bushes need to be fed.
Then the plants must be covered to protect them from the winter cold. You can use hay, straw, sawdust, dry leaf, spruce branches. The layer of covering material should be quite dense, but not excessive, so that air can penetrate the plants.
Protection against diseases
According to the description, strawberries of the Ruby Pendant variety are unpretentious to growing conditions and quite resistant to various diseases, but in rainy and cool years it can be affected by gray rot and powdery mildew. Both diseases affect leaves, inflorescences and fruits in varying degrees of ripeness.
To prevent a decrease in yield, and even the death of plants, they must be treated with Bordeaux liquid or copper-containing preparations for preventive purposes. Spraying should be carried out 2 times – before flowering and after fruiting.
Another fungal disease that affects strawberries Ruby pendant is verticillium wilt. Most often, it manifests itself on clay soils and when crop rotation is not followed. For example, this disease can affect shrubs growing in a plot where solanaceous, cucumbers, pumpkins and melons, blackberries, chrysanthemums and roses were previously grown. Control measures: treatment of plants and soil with Bordeaux liquid or fungicidal preparations.
Testimonials and videos
The reviews that gardeners leave about Ruby Pendant strawberries show that it is in good demand among many of them.
Conclusion
Strawberry Ruby pendant is a real find for the gardener. It can be recommended for cultivation to anyone who wants to receive a crop of vitamin and remarkably tasty berries on their hundred square meters.
