Late strawberries delight the gardener with delicious berries until the end of summer. Breeders have developed many of these varieties. A worthy representative of the late-ripening group is the Tago strawberry,
which we will now consider.
Variety characteristics
An overview of Tago strawberries, a description of the variety, photos, reviews, let's start with the main characteristics. In terms of ripening of berries, strawberries are considered medium late or even late. Bushes grow compact. The foliage is large with a light green leaf blade. The mature bush is dense. Strawberries of the Tago variety overwinter perfectly, which emphasizes its dignity.
The berries begin to ripen in early July. A distinctive characteristic of the Tago garden strawberry is the different shape of the fruits of the first and subsequent tiers of the harvest. The first strawberry resembles a tree bud. The shape of the strawberries of the subsequent tiers of the harvest is closer to a cone with a truncated top. The pulp turns bright red when ripe. When fully ripe, the skin darkens. The berries are large, dense, amenable to long-term transportation. By design, the Tago strawberry variety is recommended for cooking jam and compote.
Tago strawberries have no special requirements for the location and composition of the soil. However, gardeners noticed the fact that in sunny areas the berries grow larger and sweeter. Optimally position the garden bed in an open area. The best soil for strawberries of the Tago variety is black soil with peat additives. It is advisable to mulch the soil in the garden bed with straw. In addition to retaining moisture, mulch protects the berries from contamination. Subject to the conditions of agricultural technology, the Tago strawberry variety is rarely affected by fungal diseases.
The video provides an overview of the varieties of garden strawberries:
Strawberry planting time
Continuing the review of Tago strawberries, description of the variety, photos, reviews, it's time to talk about planting culture. Gardeners claim that strawberries can be planted in the garden at any time during the growing season. However, the best dates are traditionally considered early spring, as well as late August - mid September.
Autumn planting of strawberries is beneficial in the southern regions. From the end of August to the beginning of winter, a sapling of Tago strawberries will have time to take root. For cold regions with long winters, spring planting is preferable.
Strawberries grow on any soil, but it does not tolerate swampy and sandy areas. Optimal is a loose, slightly acidic soil with good air permeability. If water stagnates on the site, the roots of the strawberry will begin to rot. The maximum occurrence of groundwater is allowed at a depth of 70 cm.
For the spring planting of the Tago strawberry variety, the plot is prepared in the fall. The earth is dug up to a depth of 30 cm. Weed rhizomes are removed from the soil, while organic matter is introduced. 1 m2 the beds scatter about half a bucket of manure, peat, humus or compost. In the spring, just before planting the seedlings of strawberries of the Tago variety, a similar amount of wood ash, 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium are additionally introduced.
Garden strawberry Tago is planted in rows at a distance of 30 cm from each other. The aisles are made up to 70 cm wide so that the mustache has a place for engraftment. The holes are punched with a hoe to a depth of 25 cm and a diameter of up to 20 cm.The seedling is carefully sprinkled with loose earth so as not to damage the root system and lightly tamped by hand. Pour about 0.5 liters of warm water into the hole.
When filling the strawberry root system, it is important not to bury the heart. The seedling is immersed in the soil along the root collar. If you bury it deeper, the roots will rot. A fine dusting of soil threatens the rapid drying of the strawberry root system under the sun.
At the end of the planting of strawberry seedlings Tago, the aisles are loosened with a hoe. As the soil dries up, the plantings are watered. Until complete engraftment, the bushes are shaded during the day from the scorching rays of the sun.
If autumn is chosen for planting Tago strawberry seedlings, then the garden bed is prepared in three weeks. Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied simultaneously while digging the soil. The process of planting seedlings is no different from the actions carried out in the spring. However, the soil should be covered with straw so that early frosts do not prevent strawberries from taking root.
Care rules
Considering the garden strawberry Tago, a description of the variety, photos, reviews, it is worthwhile to dwell in detail on the rules of cultivation. Care involves regular watering, feeding, weeding from weeds... In the fall, the foliage is cut off and the strawberries are prepared for wintering.
In spring, the root system of the bushes may be open due to washing out by melt water or being pushed out of the ground by frost. After thawing the soil, they immediately start hilling. The roots of the strawberry sprinkled with soil are slightly trampled under the foot. The intervals between the bushes and the aisles are loosened with a hoe. In the future, weeding is performed at each appearance of weeds.
Mulching helps to simplify the care of the Tago strawberry plantations. Peat, small straw, sawdust give good results. Mulch prevents the formation of crust on the ground after each watering, reduces the growth of weeds. After 4–5 years, they are looking for a new site for Tago strawberries, since the culture does not grow for a long time in one place.
The flowering of strawberries of the Tago variety begins about a month after the beginning of the growing season. One inflorescence usually grows on the heart. From 5 to 27 flowers can form in the scutellum. Flowering lasts 4-6 days. In general, an entire strawberry garden can bloom for up to three weeks, but it all depends on weather conditions and the quality of care. During flowering, strawberries should not be treated with pest preparations.
Watering strawberries of the Tago variety is carried out regularly as the soil dries. Usually, the procedure for drought is carried out every three days. Strawberries love sprinkling, but during flowering, watering at the root is desirable. This can be done using a drip system or in the center of the row spacing to dig a groove 12 cm deep and let water through it from a hose. In the second case, after absorbing the liquid, the furrows are covered with soil to retain moisture.
At the root of a small plantation, Tago strawberries can be poured from a watering can, after removing the divider. It is good to take water from a storage tank, where it warms up to air temperature. Experienced gardeners have learned to attach a magnet to a water tap. The water passed through such a device has a positive effect on increasing the yield, as well as the size of the fruits.
You can determine the need for watering by soil moisture. On the garden bed, in different places, they dig holes 30 cm deep. If the soil taken from the bottom of the hole crumbles when crumpled by hand, then the strawberries must be watered. In cloudy weather and cool summers, the intervals between watering are increased to 7 days. However, while pouring the berries, strawberries of the Tago variety are watered a maximum of every 5 days.
Berries strongly draw out all the forces from the plant. To replenish nutrients, strawberries are regularly fed. Organic is the most popular among gardeners. Wood ash, dry compost or liquid solutions of fermented poultry manure are used.During the ovary, strawberries need minerals.
In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, the first top dressing is performed. You can sprinkle saltpeter over the garden, but it is better to add each strawberry bush with a liquid solution of a complex fertilizer. 2 liters are poured under a young plant, and up to 5 liters of liquid top dressing under an adult.
During the appearance of the color, a second feeding is required. Mullein is dissolved in water in a ratio of 6: 1 or bird droppings - 20: 1. After fermentation of the solution, 0.5 cups of ash are added to 10 liters of liquid. The feeding rate for each bush is from 2 to 5 liters.
The third feeding with mullein is done during rapid flowering, only 1 part of manure is diluted with 8 parts of water. At the end of fruiting in the third decade of August, Tago strawberries are watered with a superphosphate solution, dissolving 50 g of dry matter in 10 liters of water. Top dressing is needed to restore strength to the plant, and also helps to lay fruit buds for the next season.
Tago strawberries are transplanted to another place after 4–5 years. The process involves carrying out similar actions taken when planting seedlings for the first time. For reproduction, three methods are used: by seeds, by a mustache and by dividing the bush.
Testimonials
Reviews of gardeners will help you learn more about the Tago strawberry variety.
The collection should be based on resistant varieties. Dark green, shiny leaves are usually a sign of resistance to a variety of diseases. Such foliage is less affected by mites, spotting and powdery mildew. On strong peduncles located at the level of the foliage or higher, the berries are less affected by gray rot. Pay attention to these signs by reading descriptions or choosing strawberry seedlings at your garden center.