The Lambada strawberry belongs to the early varieties and is characterized by large, juicy berries. It is practically not susceptible to diseases and tolerates thickened plantings very well., thanks to which it has earned increased attention from gardeners. A detailed description of this variety can be found below.
Description of the strawberry variety Lambada
Lambada is an early ripening strawberry. The Netherlands is considered its homeland, where it was bred in 1982. It tolerates thickening of plantings very well and is capable of forming tall and open bushes under any conditions. The leaves of this variety are very large, have a bright green color. The ripening period is early, the plant is not remontant.
Winter hardiness of the Lambada variety is very good, it is resistant to most of the most common diseases. But powdery mildew can affect this plant. The fruiting period for the middle lane falls in mid-May and lasts until mid-July. The variety can easily endure winter without shelter, provided that the lower mark of the thermometer does not fall below -30 ° С... Lambada is suitable for both greenhouse and open field cultivation.
Characteristics of berries
The berries are cone-like in shape, bright red in color and of medium size. Up to 2 kg of crop can be harvested from one bush... The average weight of one fruit is 20 grams. The berries are very juicy and aromatic; in terms of sugar content, they greatly exceed those in other varieties.
The seeds are yellow in color, they are slightly deepened into the pulp. Poorly tolerates transportation, not adapted for long-term storage. During transportation, abundant juice production begins and the berries lose their presentation. The maximum yield of Lambada can be obtained by the second year of the life of the bush..
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
At first glance, Lambada only has advantages. This can include:
- increased frost resistance;
- sustainability to major diseases;
- long fruiting period;
- good ones taste qualities;
- undemandingness in care;
- ability bear fruit abundantly even with thickened plantings;
- universal purpose of berries.
This variety has almost no drawbacks. Moreover, if the crop could be transported over long distances and stored, then Lambada would receive the title of the ideal strawberry variety. Back here it is worth noting susceptibility to powdery mildew... But gardeners turn a blind eye to these minor flaws, since there are much more advantages.
Planting seedlings
Planting strawberries is best done in soil with medium acidity. It is pre-fertilized with complex fertilizers and loosened... The site should be as flat as possible and located in a sunny place. Planting is usually carried out in early autumn. Since young plants have not yet had time to take root, it is better to cover them for the winter. For these purposes, both sawdust and fallen leaves from garden trees, straw, etc. are suitable.
Shoots with a small root system seated at a distance of about 30 centimeters from each other in a nesting way... A young plant is planted in a prepared hole, the root system is straightened, covered with soil, and then pulled up a little. This is done so that the growth point is on the surface. After completing these works, the garden must be watered.
If you plant young plants in the spring, then the harvest can only be harvested next season. When planting in autumn, in the spring, the seedlings will delight you with the first berries.
The subtleties of growing
There are certain subtleties, given which you can significantly increase the strawberry yield in your garden. After a couple of years, the plants consume a significant portion of the minerals from the soil, so they must be replenished through the application of fertilizers. They need to be brought in at the rate of 0.5-1 liter per 1 bush... For young plantings, a solution of mullein and ammonium is well suited. The Lambada variety does not like very much when fertilizers are applied directly to the root.
At the beginning of summer, you need to pay attention to the color of the leaves. If it has a pale shade, then in June, liquid nitrogen fertilizers are applied along with watering.
During the season, the mustache is trimmed several times, and in the spring or after harvesting, old and dry leaves are removed.
Lambada is a moisture-loving variety, so the soil should not be allowed to dry out. It is necessary to water regularly, not forgetting that excessive accumulation of moisture can lead to rotting of the root system. To prevent the soil from giving off moisture so quickly, you can use mulching. It will also help prevent weed growth.
After the last harvest and the end of fruiting, old and diseased leaves from the plants are cut off. Next, the bed is fertilized with complex fertilizers (both mineral and organic are suitable) and treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
The variety is frost-resistant, perfectly tolerates wintering without shelter (if the frost is not more than -30 ° С). It is worth covering the plants only in the first year after planting, when their root system is not yet sufficiently formed. For these purposes, any covering material that is at hand is suitable. It is best to use spruce branches for these purposes.
Problems arising when growing a variety of lambada
In order for strawberries to bear fruit well, they need a lot of sunlight. Of course, Lambada may well grow in a small shade, but it will not be possible to get a bountiful harvest from it.
Too salty soil adversely affects plant growth and development... It may not only fail to please with delicious berries, but also perish.
Gardeners' reviews indicate that the Lambada strawberry, although described as a very productive variety, but in practice has established itself as a medium-yielding... None of the practicing gardeners have yet managed to get very high rates. It may well be that this is just the result of mistakes in care or the wrong choice of land.
Reproduction methods
Lambada reproduces by rooted rosettes... This is done in the fall, before the onset of cold weather. The variety produces many whiskers with good yields, so breeding problems have never occurred. Before rooting, the children are dipped in a manganese solution for 15 minutes, and then rinsed.
Can be propagated by Lambada and seeds... For this, a very ripe berry is kneaded with a fork and the pulp is soaked in water for a couple of days. As soon as the fermentation process has begun, everything is filtered through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. The seeds collected in this way are dried and stored until February.
Lambada seeds sprout very hard, therefore, require careful pre-planting preparation. In particular, they should be kept on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for a month before being sent to the ground.
In February - early March, seeds are scattered over preheated and sifted soil. After that, glass is laid on top and placed in a warm and bright place. After the first shoots appear, they can be dived into separate cups.
Diseases and pests
Lambada is very resistant to common strawberry diseases:
- gray rot;
- heart rot;
- trochanteric wilt.
Despite this, the variety can be affected by powdery mildew... If the disease manifests itself in the garden, then after the harvest is harvested, the plants are mowed. After that, the garden bed is treated with a fungicide, fed with a solution of boric acid (can be replaced with zinc fertilizers) and watered abundantly.
The situation with pests is somewhat worse, since tasty and aromatic strawberries can become a real treat for them. Landings can be amazing:
- strawberry leaf beetle;
- Chafer;
- bear;
- strawberry mite;
- aphid;
- spider mite;
- slugs;
- thrips.
With a severe defeat, each of them has their own methods of struggle and means for processing plantings. For prevention purposes, before flowering and fruiting begins, the garden bed is treated with a solution of copper sulfate and soap... You can add soda ash, colloidal sulfur, etc. to it.
Lambada is a very unpretentious strawberry variety. It is quite easy to grow and propagate it, and the taste of the berries is simply excellent.... By the way, it is for the taste that many summer residents prefer it. The only disadvantage is that the crop does not tolerate transportation well and quickly loses its marketability.