Content
Garden strawberries or strawberries, as it is commonly called, are very popular among Russians due to their unique taste and aroma. Among the varieties of this berry grown in homestead and summer cottages, there are old, but time-tested varieties that have not lost their positions to this day. One of them is Mice Schindler's strawberry. Read about this variety, its characteristics, advantages, method of cultivation and reproduction in this article.
Description
Strawberries of the Mice Schindler variety were obtained in Germany a little less than a century ago - in the 30s of the XX century. Its full name is "Frau Mieze Schindler". The variety was bred from the then popular varieties Luciida Perfect and Johann Moller. As a result of crossing them, a late ripening strawberry was obtained, which is distinguished by drought resistance and frost resistance.
Description of strawberry variety Mice Schindler and her photo:
- the bush is low, slightly leafy;
- the leaf is medium-sized, dense and smooth, its upper part is dark green, leathery, with a slight sheen, the lower part is silvery;
- peduncles are moderately high, rise above the leaves, thin, branched;
- forms a lot of whiskers, on some bushes they can be remontant;
- berries are small or medium, flattened-rounded, red, ripe - dark cherry, shiny;
- the weight of the first berries is 10-20 g, the average weight of the next ones is 5-10 g;
- the seeds are dark red, deep into the pulp;
- the pulp is light crimson, sweet, soft, tender.
In terms of taste, this old variety is still considered one of the best today. Its yield is average (up to 0.8 kg of berries per 1 sq. M). Strawberries of this variety are mainly consumed fresh; they are less suitable for juicing, canning and freezing.
Choosing a landing site
According to the description of the strawberry variety, Mice Schindler is undemanding to growing conditions, grows well in almost any soil, and is resistant to major crop diseases.
For bushes of this variety, you need to find an open, sunny place on the site. The soil should be light, loose, breathable, moisture-absorbing, but not waterlogged, saturated with nutrients. Strawberry does not tolerate dense and heavy soils, in them its root is deformed, cannot penetrate deeply, due to which the nutrition of the plant deteriorates and its growth stops. Sandy soil, which does not retain moisture well, is also unsuitable. From this it follows that it is not recommended to plant strawberries on clay and calcareous soils, but sandy loam and loam will be the best for it. The permissible soil acidity is slightly acidic (pH 5-6).
Legumes (peas, beans), crucifers (cabbage, radishes, radishes and mustard), garlic and herbs are good precursors for strawberries. Solanaceous and pumpkin crops are less suitable in this respect. You can plant this berry after the siderates: alfalfa, lupine, clover, etc. You can not plant it after sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke, as well as flowers of the buttercup family, for example, catchment, anemones, clematis, delphinium.
Landing in the beds
Planting young strawberry plants can be carried out in early spring, as soon as it gets warmer, or in late summer - early autumn. It is undesirable to plant in late spring and late autumn: poorly rooted seedlings may dry out or freeze out.Immediately before planting, the bushes need to be carefully examined and discarded those that have dried roots or leaves with traces of disease. For prophylaxis, it is advisable to process planting specimens with "Fitosporin".
Planting strawberries Mice Schindler is best in the evening and in cool weather. Approximate planting pattern: 20 cm between bushes and 50 cm between rows. This feeding area allows you to get the maximum yield from each planted bush. The depth of the hole should be such that the root system of the strawberry seedling fits into it without any problems. Before immersing the bush in the hole, you need to add some humus with wood ash to provide it with food for the first time. You need to deepen the seedling along the root collar. After transplanting, each plant must be watered with warm water. It is advisable to add rooting and growth stimulants, humate to it. It is better to mulch the soil around the strawberry bushes with straw, dry grass, leaves, or cover the ground with black agrofibre.
At first, while the seedlings take root, the soil under it must be kept constantly moist: it is necessary to water it daily or every other day. After rooting, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
Vertical beds
There is another option for planting strawberries - not on ordinary beds in a horizontal position, but on vertical ones. For the device of such beds, large dense plastic bags or pieces of plastic water pipes are suitable (you will need 2 pipes of different diameters, the one that is already needed for watering the plants). In bags and wide pipes, you need to make holes in a checkerboard pattern - bushes will grow in them, and in narrow pipes - many small holes through which water will penetrate to the roots of strawberries. They need to be inserted into wide pipes.
You can fill bags and pipes with ready-made substrate purchased from a grocery store, mixing it with peat and perlite. For irrigation of strawberries in such containers, it is best to adapt drip irrigation.
Growing
Gardeners' reviews of the Mitsie Schindler strawberry variety show that they are quite unpretentious and can do with standard care. At the same time, the yield does not suffer.
Here's how to care for these strawberry plants:
- Water in the morning or evening with lukewarm water as soon as the ground becomes dry. It is impossible to pour strawberries, because despite the fact that she loves water, waterlogging has a bad effect on her - the susceptibility to infection by rot and powdery mildew increases, winter hardiness decreases and generative buds are little laid, which leads to a decrease in yield for the next year. Watering can be done manually, but it is better to install a sprinkler on the beds or lay drip irrigation hoses.
- After watering or after heavy rain, loosen the soil (if there is no mulch). Loosening will not only prevent growth weeds, the presence of which next to the strawberries is unacceptable, but it will also prevent the formation of a crust that does not allow air to reach the roots.
- You can fertilize plants with organic matter (mullein, bird droppings, nettle infusion) or mineral complex fertilizers intended for berry crops.
- Treat with fungicides if diseases appear and insecticides when pests appear. To protect strawberries from weevils, marigolds can be sown near the beds.
- Collect berries as they ripen on the bushes. You should not overexpose them on the bush, overripe strawberries quickly become soft and disappear.
- In the northern regions of the Russian Federation, the bushes of this variety, despite the fact that it is considered cold-resistant, must be covered for the winter.
Mice Schindler's strawberries need to be replanted to a new location every 4-5 years. This will increase the yield of the bushes and minimize the likelihood of disease.
Reproduction
Adult strawberry bushes should not be kept for more than 5 years - after this age they grow old, deplete the soil, quickly lose productivity, and accumulate diseases. To create a conveyor belt of vitamin berries, you can plant a new bed every year and at the same time remove the oldest. It looks like this:
- 1 year - new planting;
- 2 years - strawberries of the 1st year of fruiting (with a still small harvest);
- 3 and 4 years - a productive bed;
- 5th year - after harvesting, the strawberries need to be harvested and vegetables must be grown in this place the next year.
A new plot can be obtained from the whiskers, which are formed in sufficient quantities in strawberries of the Mice Schindler variety. You need to take them from the most well-developed, healthy and fertile plants on which berries ripen, in all respects characteristic of the variety. As soon as a mustache appears on the mother bush, they need to be dug in for rooting, and in the fall they should be planted in a permanent place.
Feedback and video
Strawberries of the Mice Schindler variety have long been known to gardeners, so there is no need to wait for reviews about them.
Conclusion
Mice Schindler is an excellent strawberry variety that can be recommended for breeding by any gardener. It has the basic characteristics that are appreciated in this culture, so it will not disappoint its new owner.
I have been growing Mitsse Schindler strawberries for many years. The site is located in the north of the Moscow region, the land is scanty, I have no opportunities for the recommended care of strawberries. Despite such Spartan conditions, strawberries bear fruit well every year, and are ill very little. Every five years I renew it, replanting it to another place. I rate this variety as very good.