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When doing gardening, many people think about how to start growing new and unusual plants... These include white strawberries. How to start growing this unusual berry will be described in detail in the description below.
What is white strawberry and its features
White strawberries are a hybrid obtained by crossing Chilean and Virginian strawberries... Such a plant grows on different continents, so over time, strawberries with an unusual color appeared. In the process of evolution of such a berry, the gene responsible for the red pigment was lost. With this, the ability of berries to cause allergies in people whose bodies cannot tolerate this pigment disappeared.
Strawberry variety White Swede
Berries of white strawberries are much smaller than that of red ones, except for the White Swede variety, which is sometimes even larger. Still unripe fruits have the same light green color as in red-fruited garden strawberries, and when ripe they acquire a slightly pinkish tint.
Varieties White Swan and Yellow Miracle have a yellowish tinge due to the many yellow seeds. The taste of white strawberries is very unusual - with notes of pineapple, strawberry, mulberry and wild honey. The berries themselves are very sweet, sometimes with sourness. In cultivation, they are unpretentious and grow in small bushes, not taking up much space on the site. They are not stored for long, so they do not go on sale - this is perhaps the only drawback.
Most popular varieties
Pineberry
Pineberry Strawberry
A popular type of white strawberry is the Pineberry or pineapple strawberry imported from Holland. Small berries (1.5 - 2.5 g) with red seeds and pineapple flavor... Garden strawberries are low-yielding, but unpretentious and resistant to various diseases.
Anablanca
Strawberry variety Anablanca
The variety was brought from France. Anablanca is a rare variety because it appeared relatively recently. In terms of properties and growing methods, it is similar to the previous species. The pulp is tender, pinkish due to long exposure to the sun... The variety is high-yielding, compact and, like Pineberry, is not susceptible to diseases.
White Swan and White Lotus
Strawberry white lotus
These varieties are imported from Japan. They reach a height of 15-20 cm, remontant... Berries of the White Swan variety, with the taste of linden honey, are weighing 2.5 - 4 g. The White Lotus strawberry is smaller and more oblong, the taste is dessert.
White Swede
Strawberry variety White Swede
Refers to large-fruited varieties. Berries reach a mass of 25 g and more... They are cone-shaped with a sweet and sour flavor of pineapple, mulberry and wild strawberry. Bushes are squat and spreading. This variety is resistant to pests and droughts, not afraid of cold weather.
How and where does white strawberry grow?
White-fruited garden strawberries are practically no different from ordinary ones, so they can be grown both in the garden and in the greenhouse. Small berry varieties can also be grown in containers. It is possible to plant in a non-sunny area, do not require abundant watering... If there is an excess of water, the berries will become watery, but retain their sweet, rich taste.
Growing white strawberries in containers
It is impossible to plant white strawberries with seeds, only a mustache.
To propagate a plant, you need to root the mustache in plastic containers, and then separate it from the bush.
Landing rules
White garden strawberries love warmth, so it is advisable to grow in greenhouses, but you can also grow outdoors.But on the site, this berry can not take root well in every place. A good place would be where the corn or legumes grew... If you previously grew cucumbers, tomatoes or potatoes, then the soil is not suitable for strawberries.
Do not plant white strawberries on soil that has been used for raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes, or cucumbers
Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary dirt, weeds, rhizomes. Having dug up the ground 30-35 cm deep, it is necessary to saturate the soil with mineral fertilizers: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. We prepare the holes 10-15 cm, pour a little water and place the seedlings with straightened rhizomes. Leave a distance of 20-25 cm between the bushes for their growth.
Is it necessary and how to properly cut the berry
Once a year, it is imperative to prune the bushes. Old leaves and whiskers take a lot of energy from the plant and therefore the yield of the bush decreases... This procedure can be carried out both in spring and autumn.
The best option would be to cover your garden strawberries for the winter. In this case, you should trim the bushes in the fall and be sure to remove the mustache. The mustache can also be removed as needed. During the summer, it is mainly the lower leaves of the bush that give all their strength, so they should be removed, carefully cutting off the lower leaves without damaging the upper ones, which already have buds for the next season.
To increase the yield, it is necessary to cut off some of the leaves and whiskers of the strawberries.
After removing the whiskers and leaves, pests and infections will not get on the strawberries. If there was no pruning in the fall, you must certainly do this in the spring.... It is necessary to remove the yellowed old and diseased leaves.
Care rules
Part of the care is feeding, which is divided into several stages:
- The first feeding is done at planting.... When peduncles appear, you need to make organic feeding with the addition of ash to it.
- When blooming the plant also needs feeding, at this time energy, water and microelements are expended for a plentiful and good harvest.
- Last dressing done during the laying of new buds for the next season.
In order for all minerals and moisture to reach only the berry, timely and constant weeding is necessary.
To reduce weeds and provide protection from the beginning of berry rotting, it is advisable to mulch the soil. A layer of dry grass spreads 8-10 cm above the soil. To protect the fruit from insects, you can tie the berries to the pegs.
Diseases and pests
Common gray rot forms a fluffy bloom on the berries. This disease is caused by frequent rains and is spread by spores. To eliminate it, you should get rid of all diseased leaves and bushes.
For prevention, before flowering, you need to spray the plants with an iodine solution - 10 drops per 10 liters of water. This procedure will also relieve other fungal diseases.
Of the pests are found:
- Nematode;
- Weevil;
- Spider mite;
- Medvedka and many others.
Most insects lay eggs in the strawberry fruit.... You should not plant a plant next to a raspberry tree, many pests will begin to multiply on strawberries.
Conclusion
All these tips and tricks will help you grow an unusual berry variety. Growing properly and providing good care, you can enjoy the pleasant and delicate taste of white strawberries for many years.
What do you think when you hear the word "strawberry?" You imagine sweet red strawberries with exquisite aroma, right? Strawberries are synonymous with red. However, there are varieties of white strawberries with aromatic and juicy fruits.
On the Internet, you can find the following names for white strawberries: white strawberry with pineapple flavor, pineapple strawberry, pineapple strawberry, etc.
Why are white strawberries white?
Let's first understand why regular strawberries are red. In the life cycle of a strawberry, the berries are green at first.But when the fruits ripen, then special proteins Fra a1 (Fragaria allergen 1) are included in the work and the berry turns red. White strawberries are either partially or completely devoid of this protein. Thus, even when the berries are ripe, they remain white rather than turning red. The genetics of white strawberries keep them from turning red!
White strawberries and strawberry allergies
Many studies show that strawberry allergy can be caused by a special protein that is involved in the ripening of berries. For people who are allergic to garden strawberries, it is possible to consume white strawberries that do not have Fra a1 protein.
White strawberry variety - Anablanca. A new and very rare French variety of white strawberries (wild strawberries). The berries are not very large 5-8 g, but there are many of them. The bushes are compact, so you can use a compacted planting to get a good yield per unit area. The fruits are sweet and juicy with white flesh, covered with attractive red seeds. The berry is very aromatic with notes of pineapple.
If the fruits ripen in direct sunlight, they may acquire a slightly soft pink hue. When many dark red seeds appear on the berries, they are considered ripe. High resistance to pests and diseases.
Many gardeners believe that Anablanca is the best white strawberry with exquisite taste and unique aroma.
The variety is prone to remontant and can yield one more re-crop.
White Swede - a large-fruited variety of white strawberries. Fruits are large (20-25g), regular conical shape. The berries are white with a pale pink tint. The pulp is sweet and sour with a pleasant aroma of wild strawberries. The variety is resistant to diseases of the leaf apparatus.
Pineberry Strawberry (White Pineapple). A variety of white strawberries native to the Netherlands, which was obtained by crossing Chilean and Virginia strawberries. The second name is “pineapple strawberry”. The color of the flesh can vary from white to orange. The berries taste like pineapple, while at the same time the fruit retains the texture of the strawberry. Pineberry is resistant to the most common diseases in strawberries.
The berries are not large, the average size is from 15 to 23 mm. Unripe pineberries are green, then turn white. Berries are considered ripe when dark red seeds appear on the strawberries.
White soul - a high-yielding small-fruited strawberry variety with creamy white berries. The variety was bred in Holland by the famous breeder Hans de Jong. Fruiting begins in spring and lasts until late autumn. During the season, up to 0.5 kg of sweet strawberries can be harvested from one bush. The berries are delicious with a delicious aroma that spreads quickly throughout the garden. When fully ripe, the taste is complemented by notes of pineapple and becomes unforgettable. After the fall in temperature, the taste and aroma remain unchanged.
The bushes are compact with a height of 15-20 cm, the optimal planting density is 10 seedlings per square meter. It can be grown both in partial shade and in a sunny place. The White soul variety is distinguished by its resistance to diseases and winter hardiness, and it tolerates drought well.
White soul strawberries are classified as hypoallergenic varieties that do not cause an allergic reaction.
We recommend white varieties for home business growing exclusive strawberries and small-fruited strawberries. For implementation, it is convenient to use small trays of 250 g.
Of course, most of us associate garden strawberries or strawberries with large, sweet, aromatic and exceptionally red berries. Modern breeding has destroyed this stereotype. Now you can find white garden strawberries, which bypassed many traditional "red" varieties in taste.
Breeding history
Surprisingly, garden strawberries with unusual white fruits were known in Europe several centuries ago. The hybrid was the result of crossing two wild varieties that grew on the American continent (Chilean and Northern or Virginian berries). The white strawberry nearly disappeared. However, in 2009, a group of Dutch breeders led by Hans da Jong recreated the unusual hybrid again, giving it the name Pineberry (pictured above). This was just the beginning.
Over the next years, a large number of new varieties of white strawberries were bred in France, Japan, Great Britain, Holland. They differ not only in shades of berry taste, but also in resistance to drought, cold weather, various specific infections, etc. In commercial cultivation, these hybrids are not yet so popular due to the high cost of planting material.
Features of white strawberries
This hybrid has such an unusual color of fruits due to the absence of a special protein in the Fra a1 genome (Fragaria allergen 1). Numerous studies have shown that it is he who is responsible for the red color of berries and is capable of causing an allergic reaction. In white-fruited varieties, protein is completely absent or is present in insignificant quantities. In this regard, unripe berries are colored green, and ripe berries are white, sometimes with a slight pink blush. This circumstance makes white-fruited varieties absolutely safe for allergy sufferers.
Berries of white strawberries are smaller compared to red ones.
White-fruited hybrids, as a rule, have compact bushes and brushes, which allows them to be used even in small areas. The yield is low, but the plants are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions, and diseases. They have a specific aroma and taste.
Among the many varieties offered by seed producers, it can be quite difficult to make the right choice. We invite you to pay attention to those described below. They have proven themselves on the positive side and have good reviews from gardeners.
White Swede
Variety of Swedish selection, medium ripening. It is characterized by large and aromatic berries weighing 40 g for the first collection and about 25 g for the next. The color of the fruits is almost white with pale pink sides, the shape is regular conical (pictured above). The pulp has a sweet and sour taste and a pleasant characteristic aroma. The plant forms medium-sized shrubs with few whiskers.
Reviews of this variety of white strawberries are exceptionally good. Summer residents note its drought and frost resistance. In addition, the plant tolerates temperature fluctuations in winter and thaws well, return frosts, is resistant to diseases of a fungal nature and is not of interest to birds.
White Swan
Bred by Japanese breeders, it is a dessert variety. Of course, its three main advantages are remontability, high productivity and the absence of a mustache. The plant forms a short (15-20 cm) and compact bush. The berries are snow-white, elongated, small, weighing only 2.5-4 g, but a lot of them are formed. They have a special taste with a hint of linden honey.
Sometimes the White Swan is confused with another variety of Japanese breeding, the White Lotus. The second hybrid has a lower yield and small white-yellow berries.
Yellow miracle
The variety of white strawberries, Yellow Miracle, appeared on the domestic market for a long time and is widespread in areas with a temperate climate. It was bred in Holland and is a remontant. The plant forms loose bushes 20-25 cm high. The berries have an elongated-conical shape, each weighing 4-5 g. The pulp is sweet, with an unobtrusive delicate aroma. At the beginning of ripening, the berries are yellow or amber in color, which gradually changes to light, banana yellow.
The variety is characterized by average winter hardiness and good immunity to pests and diseases.
Anablanca
The Anablanca variety of white strawberries was recently bred. It is rare to meet him on sale. However, if this happens, in no case pass by. The variety was bred in France. It is characterized by exclusively white or slightly pink berries weighing 5-8 g. Pineapple notes are clearly traced in their aroma and taste.
Anablanca is highly resistant to diseases, which makes it suitable for so-called eco-cultivation, i.e. without the use of chemicals.
The plant forms compact bushes, a compacted planting can be used. In warm autumn, the variety tends to bear fruit again.
At the mention of the word strawberry, we all have an association with a bright red aromatic sweet berry. In principle, everything is correct, but for some time now it is not so unambiguous. Today, strawberries are no longer an unconditional synonym for red - on the market, and therefore in the gardens, juicy fragrant, but absolutely ... white strawberries have appeared. And it is not her that our conversation today.
How did white strawberries turn white?
If you turn to the global network, you will find out that today there is a so-called pineapple (sometimes pineapple) strawberry, that is, the berries have a brightly burnt taste of a tropical fruit - pineapple. But more on that later, but first you need to understand why strawberries are white. In its traditional red “colleague”, when fruits, which are initially green, ripen, special proteins Fra a1 or Fragaria allergen 1 come into play, which leads to reddening of the berries. White strawberries are either partially or completely devoid of this protein, which provides a white color after ripening. That is, the inability of white strawberries to blush is at the genetic level.
The most popular varieties of white strawberries
Anablanca. Newly developed by French breeders. More visually similar to strawberries. Not very large berries weighing 5-8 g hang on the bushes, however, there are many fruits. The bushes are compact in size, which allows the planting to be applied in a compacted way, which means that a rich harvest will be obtained from the allocated area. The fruits have a white juicy sweet pulp, strewn with appetizing red seeds on top. They have a pleasant aroma with notes of pineapple. For ripening, direct sunlight is necessary, but at the same time the berries can acquire a slight pink tint. When multiple red blotches appear, the fruits are considered ripe. The plant and fruits are characterized by high resistance to pests and diseases. According to many gardeners, Anablanca is the best variety of white strawberries.
White Swede. It is considered a large-fruited variety - the weight of fruits with a regular conical shape reaches 20-25 g. They have a delicate pink tint, and the pulp has a sweet and sour taste and aroma of wild strawberries. Among the advantages, it is worth noting the resistance to diseases of the leaf apparatus.
Pineberry. Originally from the Netherlands. Obtained by crossing Virginia and Chilean strawberries. The color of the flesh can vary from pure
white to orange. The palatability is very similar to pineapple pulp, while the texture of the pulp is identical to that of traditional strawberries. The variety is resistant to the most common diseases. Pineberry fruits are small in size - 15-23 mm in diameter. Unripe berries are green and turn white during ripening. With the appearance of characteristic dark red blotches, the fruits can be considered ripe.
White soul. Differs in high productivity, but belongs to small-fruited varieties. Ripe berries are creamy white. The author of the variety is the Dutch breeder Hans de Jong. Fruiting from early spring to late autumn. One bush gives an average of 0.5 kg of sweet fruits with pineapple flavor.
