Strawberry Elvira: a description of the variety, reviews

Strawberry Elvira is a large-berry variety with a rather early maturation period. This berry is very popular with most European farmers, and for some time now it has been rapidly gaining popularity in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Variety description

Strawberry Elvira was bred by Dutch breeders. It is quite suitable both for growing on household plots, and for industrial cultivation. It is extremely resistant to diseases affecting the root system, as well as to various fungal infections.

The bush of this strawberry variety has a spreading crown of medium size and density. Pretty large round berries can weigh from 40 to 60 grams. The fruit has a beautiful appearance: a bright scarlet skin combined with a glossy sheen. They have dense flesh of a dark pink shade with a unique strawberry flavor. It is interesting that the variety of strawberry Elvira differs in that it completely lacks even the slightest sourness in taste.

Advantages

In addition to good resistance to all kinds of diseases, berries have good transportability, since they easily carry long-distance transportations, while not losing any presentation at all. The yield of variety Elvira is about half a kilogram of fruit from one bush. However, with proper care, you can achieve twice as much.

To one of the merits of strawberry Elvira is its resistance to colds. This plant can tolerate frosts well up to -22⁰C without any shelter. If it is insulated, it can overwinter in even more severe conditions. This grade, which is very important, also tolerates high humidity.

This is considered a universal strawberry, because it can be consumed both fresh and made from it all kinds of delicious billets. In addition, it is ideal for the production of juice, liquors and other beverages. It can also be frozen, since even in this form it will be well preserved due to its own dense flesh.

Choice of a site and seedlings

In general, the strawberry Elvira is rather unpretentious. As mentioned above, the plant is resistant to diseases such as fungus and root rot, so it will grow well even in shaded and excessively wet areas. But in order to substantially increase the yield of this crop, it is necessary to plant the beds exclusively on fertile soil. The ideal option for this strawberry variety will be a partially shaded plot of land. Otherwise, excessive exposure to direct sunlight may be detrimental to this culture.

When choosing seedlings, you need to use only the part that is closest to the so-called mother's bush, because it is guaranteed to produce strong and healthy plants that will later yield a plentiful harvest of strawberries. In addition, you should pay special attention to the appearance of leaves. It should be holistic, not bitten by pests and have no diseases, since weak, defective and damaged specimens can not yield a good harvest. Therefore, it is better to reject such shrubs immediately.

Landing

Specialists recommend planting Elvira strawberries in open ground in spring or autumn. Seeds for this can be prepared throughout the summer, digging and fertilizing them. This variety is planted according to the usual scheme, which involves placing the plants at a distance of not less than 30-35 cm from each other. The same distance must be observed between the rows. When growing strawberries in greenhouses, this scheme can be sustained in a proportion of 25 to 30 cm.

Most often planting shrubs in a staggered manner, but the beds, located in the lowland or on excessively moist soil, placed in a one-line way to prevent the appearance of gray rot. At the time when the seedling is placed in the hole, its roots must be carefully and carefully spread out.

Before you start landing, you need to make sure that the soil is well moistened and warmed. To ensure that the roots of the seedlings are located in the hole as comfortably as possible, it is necessary to lower them practically into the liquid slurry formed from the ground and water.

Care

Loosening, weeding and watering are procedures that strawberries are simply necessary. Experts recommend to implement them simultaneously. With regard to loosening, it must be produced a maximum of 8-10 cm deep, otherwise the root system of the bush can be damaged. This procedure helps to saturate the underground part of the plant with oxygen and, moreover, prevents infection with rot and various fungal infections.

It's no secret that weeds grow always and everywhere, so this is an acute problem when growing strawberries. They are best picked up manually, grabbing along with the root. Such a method of weeding will avoid their further germination and spread across all beds.

Top dressing

A plant like the Elvira strawberry, the description of which is presented in this article, is quite responsive to the timely application of fertilizers to the soil. In order for nutrients to fully contribute to the proper development of bushes, top dressing is carried out exclusively during irrigation. This culture practically equally well perceives both organic, and mineral fertilizers. As for the latter, she prefers phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, and from organic - mullein, herbal infusions and poultry droppings.

It should be remembered that during flowering, formation and ripening of fruits, in no case should the plant be fertilized with nitrogenous compounds, because they are directed primarily at actively increasing the green mass. However, in the early spring such fertilizers will be simply irreplaceable. The periodicity of fertilizing looks like this: the first time fertilizers are introduced over the next two weeks after planting bushes, the second - during flowering, and the third - at the very beginning of fruiting.

Reviews

Strawberry Elvira has recently become very popular not only among amateur gardeners, but also among professionals. The latter note that its industrial cultivation produces good and stable yields. Many are pleased that the plant is unpretentious and well-being not only the frequent absence of sunny days, but also the cold winters inherent in the northern regions of Russia. In addition, everyone likes the unusual strawberry taste and aroma of these berries.