Strawberry Albion - culture of neutral daylight hours (NDM), a hybrid of American selection. To obtain high yields, good care is needed: watering, mineral fertilizing. Commercial variety with a long fruiting period, is of interest to farmers and amateur gardeners.
Description of strawberry Albion
Repaired variety of American selection. The work of California breeders. The Albion variety was bred in 2006 by crossing the large-fruited varieties Honey and Clery. Over the past 10 years, the Albion strawberry has established itself in the market.
Strong bush (20 cm), well leafy. The peduncles are tall, the berries are clean, they do not lie on the ground. The leaves are dark green, medium in size.
Large berries about 50g, regular, slightly elongated, shiny, red when ripe. The pulp is juicy, pink, dense, with a rich strawberry aroma.
Fruiting of a wavy type. Four crops are harvested from the plantation per season.
Approximate collection time: May, July, August, September... Productivity with good agricultural technology is high. Optimal weather conditions and high-quality care is 2 kg of berries from one bush per season. The average yield according to the description is 500 g per bush.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main value of the variety is long-term fruiting... A bed of strawberries Albion in the country - berries on the table throughout the summer. When grown on an industrial scale - 4 harvests per season... Dignity - harmonious, seasoned taste.
The taste score is high - 5 points. Important indicators: keeping quality, transportability. They are good for strawberries Albion. Berries do not crumple during transportation, retain their presentation.
It is important to note the good immunity to disease:
- late blight rot;
- heart rot;
- verticillary wilting;
- anthracosis.
Resistance to fungal diseases allows do without chemistry, and these are environmentally friendly berries and saving time for processing bushes.
It is necessary to talk about the shortcomings, but these are rather the characteristics of the variety that you need to know:
- harvest volume depends on weather conditions and quality of care;
- full-fledged sweet taste in ripe berries;
- prone to spotting (white, brown);
- plantings need to be renewed every 3 years.
Natural Growth Region
The variety was developed in California for regions with a mild, warm, humid climate. Presumably, the southern regions of Russia are ideal for growing Albion strawberries in the open field.
Despite its southern origin, Albion does not like high temperatures. With prolonged heat of 30 degrees, the yield drops.
In temperate climates, strawberries requires shelter... Greenhouses are the best option for industrial berry production. Under artificial lighting, LMD crops can be grown in a greenhouse throughout the calendar year.
Landing rules
Culture grows better on loose soil rich in humus... The best time for planting is autumn (late August, mid-October) - in the southern regions, spring - in the middle lane. The ridge is prepared in advance, humus and peat are added if necessary, and dug up.
Mineral supplements will not harm:
- superphosphate (100 g / m²);
- potassium salt (60 g / m²).
When planting strawberries in autumn, next summer, you can take the first harvests. When breeding with a mustache, the deadline for planting is mid-September.
The wells are arranged according to the scheme: a step in a row - 30 cm, the interval between rows is 40 cm.
Prepare seedlings for planting:
- shorten the roots to 10 cm if necessary;
- remove excess leaves;
- soak in a biostimulant solution or garlic infusion.
Distribute the seedlings in the holes, sprinkle with earth mixed with compost (humus), water. If the weather is sunny, shade the landing. Drizzle in small portions until the strawberries take root. Remove mustaches and peduncles.
When planted late in the fall, plants may not have time to prepare for winter. You need to take care of the shelter.
Care features
Carry out regular watering, adhering to the scheme 1 time in 5 days... Do not overmoisten the soil. With increased moisture in the earth, the taste of berries deteriorates. Drip irrigation is the best solution for Albion strawberries.
To retain moisture in the soil, it is necessary to use mulch (straw, hay, sawdust, black agrofibre). In her absence loosen the soil after each watering... Mulch not only retains moisture, it keeps bushes from overheating in hot weather.
Do not forget about fertilizers. Intense fruiting 4 times per season depletes the plant. The application of organic and mineral fertilizers must be carried out throughout the season.
Strawberries respond well to application:
- humus;
- slurry manure;
- biohumus.
In early spring, wood ash is added to them, in summer - complex mineral fertilizers. Foliar dressing should be carried out during flowering. Use fertilizers containing iron. Apply fertilizer during each flowering and ovary formation.
Reproduction
All breeding methods are possible:
- seeds;
- mustache;
- dividing the bush.
Signs of good seedlings: root collar diameter - 6 mm, 5 leaves, root length 7 cm.
The most reliable way is dividing the bush... Strawberry mustache Albion gives little, to get them you need to remove all flower stalks on the bushes. Root the first rosettes near the mother bush. Plant all subsequent sockets in the nursery. Seed reproduction is the most laborious, within the power of experienced gardeners.
Diseases and pests
With good resistance to a number of diseases, infection is possible mite, white spot, chlorosis... Preventive treatments using drugs will help:
- Topaz;
- Azocene;
- A solution of copper sulfate (10 l of water, 20 g of the drug).
Treat the plants with a solution of colloidal sulfur (10 l of water, 60 g of the preparation) if the plantation is affected by a tick. Two-time treatment with biofungicides (Fitosporin, Glyokladin) will protect plantings from rot. They are carried out after the snow melts and during the first flowering.
Iodine is a means to increase plant immunity.
Solution: 10 liters of water, 30 drops of iodine are recommended to be used for spraying Albion strawberries. This is a good remedy for disease prevention.
Any hardworking gardener can get a decent harvest of Albion strawberries. All it needs to grow and form fruit is fertile soil, adequate watering and regular maintenance.