Strawberry Mashenka: a description of the variety, reviews

Derived almost fifty years ago, the variety of the strawberry Mashenka, often referred to as the Moscow Jubilee, is still very popular among Russian gardeners, due to the excellent taste and classic flavor of berries, their large size and rather high resistance to traditional diseases.
The peculiarities of growing this magnificent garden berry will be discussed in the article.

Strawberry Mashenka: description of the variety

Favorite of Russian gardeners Mashenka has a number of advantages, one of which is that first-order fruits are of quite impressive size due to the adjacent connection of several flowers and the development of one joint fetus. That is why the weight of the first berries can reach 100 grams. The further fruits of already more modest sizes, but also their weight in 30-40 grammes is norm for such culture, as a strawberry Mashenka. Comments of amateurs growing this variety, confirm that it practically does not form small fruits.

The bush is powerful, sredneraskidisty, but rather compact, since strong cuttings with leaves, surrounding the core, stand from the ground almost at right angles. The leaves are large bright green in color. Strawberry Mashenka, whose photo is presented, is intended for garden cultivation and is not grown at home. The berries are comb-like, slightly flattened from above and from below the shape, and the excellent burgundy scarlet color of the ripened fruit increases their high commodity properties.

Variety of strawberry Mashenka has several other advantages, among which there is a special transportability, which is possible due to the dense flesh of berries. In addition, the excellent yield of this early-maturing variety, the ability to reproduce quickly and to withstand diseases are the best cultural recommendations that support its high rating.

The disadvantage is that the strawberry Mashenka is very sensitive to low temperatures and the effects of scorching sun rays, which is manifested by the appearance on the leaves of dark burn marks.

Soil preparation

The peculiarity of the variety is intolerance of low temperatures, therefore the most acceptable time for planting young plants is May or August. Fertilization decreases every year, and so that the crops do not disappear in the course of time, it is necessary to plant the strawberries on well-prepared soil, and subsequently properly feed the plants and take care of the garden where the strawberry Mashenka is planted. Comments of gardeners are unanimous in the definition: with competent care, grinding of berries is not observed.

2 weeks before planting prepare the soil. First of all, insecticide treatment is carried out from larvae of beetles. Next, they form a garden bed, dig through the soil, introducing 10-15 kg of humus and 5 kg of sand per square meter, since the Mashenka strawberry develops better and yields crops on light permeable soils. Usually on the ridges the culture is planted in rows, the distance between which is not less than 0.5-0.6 m. Experienced gardeners often use a row for planting garlic. These two plants perfectly coexist, in addition, garlic scares off pests, which makes life easier for strawberries.

How to get a healthy planting material

Buy seedlings should be in specialized stores or nurseries, from suppliers with a good reputation. Do not go to market traders who offer inexpensive but unchecked goods, as no one can guarantee the purity of the variety or even the health of the seedlings.

If your plantation is already growing Strawberry Mashenka and want to multiply or rejuvenate planting, it is necessary to conduct a so-called clonal selection. This is done to improve the quality of planted shrubs and increase their yield. Fruit-bearing shrubs should be carefully examined and identified the most productive specimens (they should have more berries than mustaches), which are then taken from the first rosette from each strong mustache. The bush intended for clonal selection should be healthy and not have the slightest signs of any defeat. Marked rosettes are slightly bogged down for better rooting, and the continuation of shoot-a-mustache is cut off. After a couple of weeks they turn into a full planting material.

Strawberry Mashenka: growing from seeds

Reproduction by seeds is considered the most laborious method. But it is he who guarantees the receipt of healthy and quality plants with all sorts of varieties. The seeds of strawberries are very small. They are sown in seedlings in early spring in a prepared soil consisting of equal parts of garden soil, peat and vermiculite, moisten planting and cover with a film. The containers are installed in a bright place and maintain a constant room temperature. Seeds germinate in 8-12 days, but the film coating is better to remove after the plants grow stronger and grow. Seedlings are ready for independent life in the open ground, when they grow to 10-12 cm and will have 5-7 of these leaves. Plant seedlings in the beds in June-July.

Landing

Prepared shallow holes (10-12 cm) are well spilled with water. Separated from the mother bushes and dug rooted sapling saplings are placed in the wells so that the roots do not bend upward, and the growth kidney-core is on the surface of the soil. Plants are carefully closed, compacted around the bush and watered again. This is important for the quickest survival of the plant in a permanent place. In addition, generous irrigation eliminates the possibility of formation near the roots of air voids.

A dull, low-heat day is most suitable for planting. The interval between bushes should be kept within 45-50 cm.

Care

Strawberry Mashenka, the description of which is presented in the article, is characterized by good survival and high adaptive qualities to weather conditions. In addition, this variety is very unpretentious, and the implementation of certain agrotechnical rules will help increase the yield. It should be remembered that:

• Watering plants better in the morning;
• Periodically bared roots of bushes should be sprinkled with earth;
• Remove weeds and formed whiskers (unless an increase in the plantation is planned);
• Conduct regular loosening of the soil, which increases the aeration and access of oxygen to the roots.

How to care after harvesting

After the harvest is collected, Mashenka activates the bookmark of flower buds for the next season. And the volume of fruit formation depends on how productive the care for it will be in this period.

Pruning old leaves is the very first activity after harvesting, as diseases and pests that are certainly present on them will pass to the young foliage appearing in the second wave of building up the green mass. Remove the old leaves should be neat, without damaging the central hearts of the bush and young leaves. At the same time, the soil is carefully loosened by humming bushes.

Then the plants are fed with any full mineral fertilizer with microelements (20-30 g / 1 m ² ). Until the end of the planting season, strawberries should be moderately moistened. These simple manipulations will increase the yields of future seasons.

The article shows the culture of the strawberry Mashenka. The description of the variety gives an idea of the plant, its features and advantages.