Elsanta is a Dutch variety that has long remained the standard of strawberry flavor and productivity. Bred for industrial cultivation, this unpretentious and productive garden strawberry (popularly referred to as strawberries) quickly became popular among gardeners and farmers. We learn how to grow Elsant in our climate.
"Elsanta" is considered an elite strawberry and has high flavoring characteristics
the Elsanta strawberry variety is one of the first berries that appears in the summer
some berries of the Elsanta variety have this size
A brief history of the variety
Elsanta is a relatively young variety. He was bred in the Netherlands, at the end of the last century. Parent varieties are Holiday (Holiday) and Gorella (Gorella). The variety was introduced to the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2007. This garden strawberry, in accordance with the highest European standards, has become a kind of standard for an industrial variety. In the Netherlands and Belgium, Elsanto is still actively planted in greenhouses.
Strawberry Description
Short botanical description:
- Bushes. Medium-sized, sprawling, well leafy. Outlets and mustaches are formed a little. Plants require a lot of space - when thickened, productivity drops sharply. On the bush there are many ovaries that are evenly spaced on it. Peduncles are strong, located on the same level with foliage.
- Fruit. Medium, bright red. Without a neck. The form is broad-conical, round. The surface is glossy, shiny. Easily come off the stalks. There are many seeds on the berries, they are yellow in color, slightly pressed. The pulp combines juiciness and density.
The main qualities of Elsanta
Characteristics of Strawberry Elsant:
- Maturing category is mid-ripening.
- Harvesting - 1.5 kg from the bush. From 1 ha collect up to 70-80 c.
- This is not a repair grade. Fruits in about 2-3 weeks.
- The berries of the Elsanta variety not only look appetizing, but also have an excellent taste. The juicy, scarlet-colored pulp has a sweet, sour taste.
- The average weight of berries is 45-50 g.
- The pulp is dense, so the fruits are well transported.
- Excellent preservation - at room temperature the berries do not lose commercial quality for 3 days.
- The variety is resistant to viral diseases, but is affected by powdery mildew and root rot.
- Winter hardiness up to minus 14 ° С. Poor winter hardiness is one of the disadvantages of the variety.
- Drought tolerance is low. For a period of intense heat, it is recommended to pull an awning over the landings. It is advisable to organize drip irrigation.
- The growing cycle is 4 years. Every 3-4 years, planting is updated.
- The purpose is universal. Berries are eaten fresh, made jam, frozen.
- The variety is suitable for open ground and for greenhouses.
- The variety is recommended for the Volga-Vyatka, West Siberian and North Caucasian region. It grows well in temperate climates.
An overview of the Elsanta variety can be seen in the video below:
The nutrient content in the Elsant berries is shown in table 1.
Table 1.
Substance | Content |
Sugar | 4,5-7,9% |
Acid | 0,78% |
With vitamin | 53.2-86.5 mg per 100 g |
P vitamin | 80-126.4 mg per 100 g |
Site selection and preparation
In the question of choosing a site, the Elsanta variety breaks stereotypes. Usually, the most sunny, well-heated areas are chosen for strawberry plantings. But this Dutch variety grows well even in partial shade.
Elsanta, unlike most varieties, is not demanding on soils. Moreover, this unique variety is not recommended to be fed with mineral fertilizers during planting. The plant must get a kind of hardening in order to subsequently grow and give good yields, even on poor soils.
Site preparation procedure:
- Dig the soil, breaking up lumps.
- During digging, select weed roots and plant debris.
- Fill the area with ammonia solution (10 ml per bucket).
- When the site dries up - after about a day, loosen it and prepare the holes.
It is best to plant Elsantha in the fall, but not earlier than the second half of September. Planted in the spring seedlings will give small berries. In the heat, the variety is not planted at all, since at high temperatures the seedlings begin to wilt. This leads to the fading of berries or to the death of bushes.
Elsantha seedlings cannot be planted in the heat, it is better to wait for a cloudy or even rainy day. Bushes planted in the heat will quickly fade and die.
Step-by-step instructions for landing
The order of planting seedlings:
- On prepared beds, dig holes 20 cm deep.
- Pour organic matter into the wells. For example, humus or rotted compost. The application rate is 3 kg per 1 square. m. It is also allowed to fertilize the soil with superphosphate and potassium chloride.
- Pour water into the hole, and put the seedling in the center, placing the roots strictly vertically - there should be no heel near the bush.
- Fill the roots with soil, ram with your hands.
- Mulch the planting to prevent weed growth. Suitable straw - wheat or rye, needles, sawdust. Pour boiling water over the mulch to kill the parasites that may be present in it.
Elsanta seedlings are most often planted in a two-line way. The distance between the rows is 30-40 cm. The interval between the bushes is 20-30 cm. The bushes grow very much, this must be taken into account when planting.
Features of agricultural technology
Elsanta strawberry has a number of unique features that must be considered when leaving. We learn how to properly care for the reference Dutch variety.
Watering and loosening
The variety does not tolerate drought. Elsanta is demanding on watering, they are especially important in dry periods.
Features of watering strawberry Elsant:
- Young seedlings are watered for a month every day - in the evenings. Subsequently, the frequency of irrigation is reduced to once a week.
- When fruiting begins, the soil must not be allowed to dry. The frequency of watering in the hot period is once every 4-5 days.
- The norm of watering in the heat is 10 liters of water per 1 sq. Km. m
- The best way to water is drip irrigation.
- On especially hot days of planting, they cover it with an awning.
Every two weeks planting, loosen and remove weeds.
Spring and autumn top dressing
The Elsanta variety is fertilized according to a special schedule. Gardeners do not advise to make mineral fertilizers until the 3rd year of life - by this time the plant is already depleted, and without feeding a good crop will not give. Until the third year, planting is enough organic matter introduced in the spring. Read more about spring feeding strawberries here.
Frequency of feeding:
- Fall. At the end of September, Elsantu is fed with organic and complex fertilizers.
- Spring. When the snow melts, they feed with urea or ammonium nitrate.
When using mineral fertilizers, aisles are watered so that the composition does not fall on the foliage.
Pruning
Having collected the last berries of the season, experienced gardeners always prune the leafy portion of strawberries. This is done to reduce the incidence of culture. Leaves are cut at a distance of 1-2 cm from the level of the horns. Cut the foliage with clippers or pruners.
Gardeners have long been arguing about strawberry pruning. There are two opinions:
- Against pruning. Argumentation - Pruning is not a natural process for strawberries. Foliage is an extra shelter for the kidneys.
- For pruning. Removing leaves stimulates strawberries to grow and increases future yields.
Strawberry leaves are pruned in August. At the same time, the stems are not affected - only foliage is harvested. At the same time, the soil is loosened, weeds are weeded out and the bushes are spudded.
Mulching
Before winter, strawberries must be mulched - with peat, needles, dry grass. This procedure is carried out after pruning and loosening. Mulch will prevent moisture evaporation and weed growth. Shelter strawberries later - when the real cold comes.
Strawberry wintering
Preparing strawberry plantings for winter begins in the fall and consists of several events. When the leaves are trimmed, and the soil is loosened and sprinkled with mulch, the plants are watered - this will be the last water-charging irrigation.
They cover strawberries only after the first frost arrives - the plants should be well tempered in order to better survive the winter. Gardeners prefer to cover plantings with natural materials:
- straw;
- dry foliage;
- lapnikom.
Also, special industrial production covering materials are used for shelter - spanbond, agrotex, etc. They are pulled over arcs placed over strawberry beds sprinkled with mulch.
Lapnik is considered the best natural shelter - strawberries under it do not vypryvaet.
Diseases, pests and their control
Elsanta is very resistant to viral diseases, verticillin wilt and ticks. Powdery mildew and bacterial spotting are affected in the same way as most popular varieties. The most sensitive part is the roots, they can rot and undergo fungal attacks. Most often, it is not advisable to treat such lesions, the bushes are completely removed.
Prevention of root diseases:
- before planting seedlings, disinfect the roots;
- avoid overmoistening of the soil;
- fertilizer control - it is important not to provoke the reproduction of parasites.
Table 2 lists common diseases and pests that can seriously harm Estelle strawberry plantings.
Pests and diseases | Symptoms | What to do? |
Powdery mildew | Leaves are twisted into tubules and turn purple, a white coating appears on them. Fruits are deformed, their taste worsens. | The beds are treated with a solution of copper sulfate. Sprayed with a solution of iodine. |
Late blight | Leaves and petioles turn brown, the edges of the leaves bend up. Berries become few, and when the roots die, the plant dies. | The disease is not treated. Bushes tear and destroy. The fight is only preventive - the purchase of seedlings in proven nurseries, disinfection of the roots before planting, treatment with a growth stimulator. Soil treatment with iodine solution. |
Medvedka | Damages the roots, as a result of which the bushes die. | The device traps in the beds. Bears come out of their holes in a soap solution. Landing near the beds of calendula and marigold. |
Slug | Appear with high humidity, eat berries and young leaves. | Cover the beds with agrofiber, mulch with sawdust, sprinkle with wood ash, spray with a saturated solution of common salt. |
Prevention of diseases and pests:
- destruction of dry, diseased strawberry foliage;
- digging and destruction of diseased bushes;
- planting movement after 3-4 years of cultivation;
- weeding and mulching;
- Autumn tillage with Bordeaux liquid or copper emulsion.
Most diseases and pests of strawberries can be dealt with using infusions and decoctions of herbs and other improvised means. To resort to chemicals in the most extreme case - when the problem is running.
Reviews for Elsanta
Nadezhda L., Petrozavodsk. A variety for the laziest. Very unpretentious strawberries. Easily propagated, seedlings of mustache and delenok take root without problems. Always a good harvest of berries - the main thing is to update the planting on time. Berries are good fresh, in compotes, jams. But we freeze the lion part - the berries retain the true strawberry flavor.
Evgeny D., Novosibirsk. Elsanta is my favorite variety. I’ve been growing it for a long time, and made conclusions. The main thing is not to plant bushes densely so that productivity does not fall. And in order not to spray the plantings, I save them from pests with flowers, onions and garlic - I plant them in the aisles.
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The uniqueness of the Dutch variety Elsanta - in its undemanding. This strawberry grows on any soil and in any climate, and almost does not need fertilizer. Having planted Elsant, you, spending a minimum of effort and money, will receive a plentiful harvest of berries with a reference taste.
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