The best varieties of marshmallows

Strawberry Marshmallow - variety description, photo

The strawberry variety Zephyr belongs to the Danish selection. It is grown in private households and for commercial purposes. A high yield can be obtained both in the open field and in greenhouse conditions.

Strawberry Marshmallow - variety description

Strawberry Marshmallow belongs to the very early varieties. The bushes are compact. The leaves are pubescent, located on long (up to 10 cm) erect stems. Peduncles are directed upwards, strong, do not bend to the ground under the weight of the berries. Each peduncle carries up to twenty buds. The variety reproduces with a mustache, which always forms in sufficient quantities.

Strawberry marshmallow during flowering

In the open field, Zephyr can withstand temperatures down to 35 degrees Celsius if there is a sufficient layer of snow on top of the bed. In winters with little snow, the root system dies at minus 8, and the aboveground outlet - at minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Marshmallow is a strawberry with increased resistance to diseases and unfavorable growing conditions. It does not withstand prolonged drought, is not affected by rot, powdery mildew, fusarium.

Strawberry Marshmallow bears well and is resistant to diseases

Zephyr enters fruiting in the first year. In the open field, the berries ripen in the third decade of May, in the greenhouse - 2 weeks earlier. Maturation is amicable. The berries are firmly attached to the peduncle, do not lie on the ground. Up to 1 kg of harvest is harvested from one bush.

Characteristics of strawberries Marshmallow

The Zephyr variety is large-fruited. Crimson berries with a shiny surface, voluminous, have a strong stalk. The shape of the fruit is blunt-conical or comb-like, ribbed. The flesh of berries without voids, pale pink, with rare white veins. The taste of strawberry Marshmallow is marked as good - the pulp is tender, juicy, rather sweet. The aroma is pronounced.

Strawberry Marshmallow

The Zephyr variety is characterized by one-dimensional fruits - by the end of the season, the berries do not become smaller. Their average weight is 20 g, but specimens of 40-60 g are often found. The berries have an excellent presentation and do not flow for a long time, which is attractive when grown for commerce.

Marshmallow strawberries are recommended for fresh consumption. It is also suitable for freezing - the berries do not lose their taste and shape.

Growing strawberries Marshmallows - planting and care

The strawberry variety Zephyr is not pretentious in care, however, for abundant annual fruiting, it is worth adhering to certain rules of agricultural technology.

Landing

For the Zephyr variety, you should choose a flat area with soil of neutral acidity. The best predecessors will be beets, onions, all types of cabbage. Before planting, humus or compost is introduced into the soil at the rate of 5 kg per square meter in order to enrich it with useful elements and improve air permeability.

Planting strawberries marshmallows in open ground

Zephyr belongs to non-remontant varieties. The best time for planting it is mid-August, so that the bushes get stronger and give a full harvest next spring.

The compactness of the bushes allows you to plant strawberries at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. Seedlings should have at least three well-developed leaves and a tuberous rhizome. After planting, the beds are watered and mulched with straw.

Watering

Marshmallows are drought-resistant varieties, but sufficient moisture must be provided to increase the size and number of berries. During the period of growth and pouring of berries, watering is abundant every 3-5 days, when ripe, the rate and frequency of watering are reduced.

Strawberry Marshmallow Care

In the spring, the bushes need to be treated with copper-containing preparations for the prevention of diseases and loosened the aisles.

After harvesting (after two to three weeks), the old leaves need to be cut off, leaving the young rosettes. Strawberry Marshmallow, reviews of which are given below, produces a large number of tendrils. To prevent the planting from thickening, the mustache must be trimmed at the stage when the first rosette has not yet formed on them.

Pruning strawberries Marshmallow after fruiting

After fruiting, strawberries are fed with slurry or chicken droppings. Raw materials are soaked in water in equal proportions and allowed to ferment for 10 days, after which they are diluted with water 1 to 10. Water the strawberries under the root with a solution, spending 6-8 liters per square meter. m. After feeding, sprinkle with clean water is carried out.

The Zephyr variety bears abundantly in one place for four years, after which it needs to be transplanted. To grow seedlings, the mustache is taken to the side and the resulting sockets are rooted.

Strawberry Marshmallow needs insect pollination. In the greenhouse, during flowering, you need to provide access to it for bees and bumblebees, placing sweet baits. Otherwise, for the formation of ovaries, pollination will have to be carried out manually with a brush.

Preparing for winter

In autumn, strawberries need to be fed to increase their winter hardiness. For this, a solution is prepared from nitrophoska (40 g) and potassium sulfate (30 g) per ten liters of water. Under each bush, 1 liter of the finished solution is added.

Bare necks of strawberries must be spilled before the first frost, otherwise the plant will die. In regions with snowy winters, strawberries do not need additional shelter. If, according to forecasts, a winter with little snow is coming, it is worthwhile to play it safe and lay branches or spruce branches on top of the strawberries, which will keep the snow in the garden and serve as an additional insulation.

Strawberry Marshmallow - reviews of gardeners

Among gardeners, strawberry Marshmallow has been known for a long time and is popular. Despite this, the reviews about her are mixed. Most summer residents confirm that marshmallows ripen very early and amicably, practically do not get sick, tolerate dry springs and severe winters well, have high keeping rates and transportability.

Strawberry Marshmallow has positive reviews for its high yield

There are also unsatisfactory reviews about the variety. The most frequently noted comparison with other promising varieties (Honey, Olvia, Clery), where Zephyr shows a lower yield and taste of berries. Also, not all gardeners are satisfied with forcing a large number of mustaches, which increases labor costs when growing strawberries.

Outcome

Strawberry Marshmallow is distinguished by high frost and drought resistance, as well as persistent immunity to many diseases. Sorite berries are attractive, large in size and taste good. Having stopped your choice on this variety, and with a little effort, already at the end of May you can enjoy the fragrant berries grown on your own plot.

Every strawberry gardener tries to choose the best variety in taste and yield. Breeders are trying to satisfy these demands and create more and more new varieties.One of the interesting varieties of foreign selection is the Marshmallow strawberry, which brings very early harvests.

The history of growing strawberry marshmallows

Strawberry Zephyr is relatively little known in Russia, although it has been popular in Europe for a long time. This variety originated in Denmark, and since the mid-1960s has been actively cultivated in Norway, from which we can conclude that this variety is well suited even for harsh climatic conditions. It can be cultivated both in open ground and in greenhouses. Due to its high yield and good transportability, it is suitable for commercial cultivation.

Harvesting strawberry Marshmallow suitable for industrial cultivation

Description of the variety

Strawberry Marshmallow - very early, ripens in the second half of June, 8-10 days earlier than the Korona variety. The bushes are large, with erect, strong peduncles, which are located at the same level as the leaves or slightly below. Berries never fall to the ground... The leaves are large, dark green, with a corrugated surface, sitting on long (8-10 cm) petioles. The surface of the leaves is pubescent.

Strawberries bloom profusely - at least 20 snow-white flowers are formed on each shoot, each of which gives an ovary.

Marshmallow blooms with beautiful large flowers

In mid-June, elegant bright red berries with shiny skin begin to ripen in unison. They have an obtuse conical shape and can be ribbed or scalloped. The juicy pulp of a pale pink color and pleasant consistency has a small amount of white veins, without voids. The berries are quite large in size, weighing from 17 to 35 g, sometimes up to 50 g... The berries have a pleasant aroma and sweet, dessert taste.

Like other strawberry varieties, Marshmallow has a number of beneficial properties. Its juice and pulp contain folic, malic and salicylic acids, a large amount of vitamin C, trace elements (magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus). The strawberry "diet" is recommended to normalize digestion, relieve symptoms of hypertension, and lower blood sugar levels.

Strawberry Marshmallow - video

Characteristics of the strawberry marshmallow variety

Strawberry Marshmallows have both positive and negative qualities.

Advantages:

• early maturation in the open field and very early (mid-May) when grown under a film;
• long fruiting period;
• high yield (up to 1 kg per bush);
• good survival rate of seedlings and quick entry into fruiting (with spring planting, it can yield a crop in the same year);
• presentation, good taste and resistance to transportation;
• high winter hardiness (up to -35 ° C in the presence of snow cover, in snowless winters up to -16 ° C);
• drought tolerance;
• good resistance to a number of diseases: rot, powdery mildew, fusarium, spotting.

The disadvantages of the variety include:

• susceptibility to mold and mite infestation;
• reduction in the size of the berries by the end of the fruiting period.

Features of planting and growing

Strawberry Marshmallows, like most other varieties, can be propagated by a mustache, dividing the bush and seeds.

Strawberry propagation

There is an opinion that strawberry marshmallow does not reproduce well by seeds, however, gardeners' reviews indicate that this is not entirely true and it is quite possible to get full-fledged plants with signs of the variety from marshmallow seeds.

I will share my experience of growing strawberry marshmallows from seeds. The seeds were sown at the end of February directly into the ground (without stratification), or rather, into the snow. Small dark strawberry seeds are very convenient to sow in the snow, as they are clearly visible. In addition, when the snow melts, the seeds themselves are drawn into the ground. The stratification is natural and all the seeds germinate perfectly. Most of the resulting bushes repeated the properties of the parent plant.

Strawberry Marshmallows develop a sufficient number of mustaches, so many people prefer this particular breeding method.... You need to choose the most prolific plant and use the first (at least the second) sockets on each mustache, and the rest you just need to remove. In order not to clutter the garden bed with rooting sockets, you can substitute a separate container with soil under each of them, and after rooting the outlet, cut the maternal mustache and transplant the resulting seedling to a permanent place.

If you root each outlet in a separate cup, it will be much more convenient to transplant young plants to a new place.

The division of the bush is more often used for low-mustache or no-mustache varieties, but this method is also suitable for varieties with a large number of mustaches. By the end of the season, 10 or more growth points can form on the strawberry bush. Such a bush can be divided into parts (horns) so that each of them has at least a couple of roots.

The overgrown bush must be divided into separate bushes (horns)

If the bush is divided into 3-4 parts with a sufficient number of roots on each of them, then you can leave part of the leaves, and with a small number of roots, it is better to remove all the leaves when planting. To divide the bush, you need to take it with both hands and, slightly shaking it, "pull it apart" into separate sockets.

It is best to plant the sockets obtained by dividing from spring to September. With a later planting, the plants will not have time to take root until frost and will die.

Right before planting, the bush is carefully divided by hand into separate sockets.

To stimulate the growth of the root system, strawberry plants are regularly spudded, raking the earth to the outlets. Only the growth point (heart) should not be allowed to fall asleep, otherwise the plant will die. Remember that high humidity is needed for good rooting.

Delenki root best in a greenhouse (in partial shade) with a thickened planting of 10 by 20 cm. The root system becomes powerful in 25–30 days, then the plants can be transplanted to a permanent place.

If, when dividing the bush, part of the horns broke off without roots, they can also be rooted. It is necessary to cut off all the leaves from the horn and plant them in a greenhouse arranged in the shade. It is necessary to maintain high humidity not only of the soil, but also of the air. This is done using a fogging device or simply spray the plants with water 5-10 times a day until they are completely wetted. The greenhouse should be opened as little as possible.

Soil preparation and planting

Seedlings obtained by any of the above methods are planted in a permanent place in April or August according to a 25x30 cm scheme.August planting (in the last decade) is considered preferable, since the plants have time to root better by next spring and will give a bountiful harvest. In fairness, it should be noted that even with spring planting, Zephyr grows rapidly (a full-fledged large bush is obtained after 3 months) and can bear fruit in the very first year.

The place for strawberries should be set aside as even and sunny as possible, protected from drafts, otherwise the berries will not pick up sweets.

Good predecessors for strawberries are beets, carrots, cabbage, onions. Zephyr is unpretentious to soil conditions. The preferred soil is loose, breathable, neutral soil.

Strawberries Marshmallows cannot be kept in one place for more than 4 years in a row!

When planting in spring, the soil must be dug up with organic fertilizers and watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (for disinfection). It is advisable to make the beds higher so that when watering the berries they do not splash with mud. It is recommended to sprinkle sand along the bed, which will retain moisture.

If strawberries are grown in a greenhouse, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with compost one year before planting. The distance between the rows should be 50-60 cm, and between the bushes - 40-45 cm.

Bushes are planted in the morning or in the evening in pre-moistened holes with a depth of at least 25 cm with the addition of two tablespoons of ash. When using seedlings with a closed system, shake off the soil and prune too long roots.When planting, the roots should point down.

Sprinkle with soil carefully so as not to cover the heart. After planting, the plants are watered with warm water, and to retain moisture, mulch the soil with straw or hay.

Planting strawberries - video

Strawberry Marshmallow Care

Strawberry Marshmallow does not require any special care - ordinary watering, weeding and dressing are enough.

Although the variety is drought tolerant, it should be watered regularly, once a week. During the formation of buds and ovaries, the need for moisture increases. With insufficient watering, the bushes will not suffer, but the yield will be noticeably smaller and worse in quality. Before fruit setting, watering can be carried out by sprinkling, and after the appearance of the ovary - along irrigated furrows. The best irrigation method is drip irrigation.

Young planting of strawberries responds very well to sprinkling

Because of its high yield, strawberry plants extract a large amount of nutrients and trace elements from the soil. Without regular fertilizing, the soil is quickly depleted, which negatively affects the yield. Zephyr needs feeding 2 times a month. It is recommended to use ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium salt, taken in equal proportions.

Remember that you should not feed strawberries with chlorine-containing fertilizers!

To increase the level of productivity, it is useful to apply various organic fertilizers, for example, a mixture of peat with humus.

I was able to increase berry setting in the following way. In early spring, after removing old leaves, the plants are sprayed with a solution of mullein in a ratio of 1: 3, then a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate with the addition of 10 drops of iodine for every 5–6 liters of water. Before flowering, strawberry bushes were sprayed with boric acid solution (10–15 g per bucket of water).

The soil must be kept loose. After watering, you need to remove weeds and mulch the soil surface. You need to loosen the soil 6-8 times per season. To stimulate good growth of the bushes and the establishment of the crop, you need to regularly remove the whiskers (if they are not required for reproduction) and old leaves. This operation is carried out with a secateurs every 10-12 days. To reduce labor costs for weeding and loosening, you can cover the beds with black film or agro-fabric.

When grown in a greenhouse, Marshmallow plants require frequent ventilation to prevent fungal diseases, as well as a gradual increase in air temperature. In the first period after planting, the humidity should be maintained at a level of at least 80–85%, and at the beginning of flowering it should be reduced to 70%. To accelerate ripening, it is useful to use artificial lighting for 8-10 hours a day.

Growing strawberries in a greenhouse - video

Strengthening the aroma of berries can be achieved by laying out needles around the strawberry bushes.

Protection from pests and diseases

In general, strawberry marshmallows are quite disease resistant. Treatments with a solution of copper sulfate (2-3 tablespoons per bucket of water) will help prevent diseases of the root system.

Strawberries cannot be processed during flowering and fruiting!

Unfortunately, Marshmallow easily gets sick with gray mold - one of the most common diseases affecting the entire aerial part of the bush. The lesion is especially noticeable on fruits that turn brown, soften and become covered with a gray bloom (with high humidity, also a fluffy white mycelium). Treat the disease with Fundazol, Topsin M, Euparen. Treatments begin in the first ten days of April and are repeated 3-4 times with an interval of 7-9 days.

Affected berries are covered with a gray bloom and soon dry up.

Of the pests, one should be wary of the strawberry mite, which is especially activated at high humidity. This pest settles on young strawberry leaves, sucking juices out of them. The leaves turn yellow and deform, becoming wrinkled.An oily coating appears on the surface, and then the leaves dry out.

Leaves affected by mites shrivel and dry out.

To combat the tick, you need to remove and burn all plant residues around the bushes in the fall and spring. Before planting, young rosettes (holding them with their roots up) are dipped in a solution of karbofos (75 g per bucket of water). In the spring, you can spray the affected plants with Karate and Arrivo preparations, in the summer (during the formation of the mustache) - with Mitak, Omite, and in the fall with Isofen or Chloroethanol (60 g per bucket of water).

Collection, storage and use of the crop

Strawberry harvesting Zephyr begins early, in the second decade of June. The berries ripen almost simultaneously. They should be collected in the morning or evening. For transportation, the berries are best picked with fruit and put in shallow plastic containers. The berry is well tolerated.

Strawberries can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Marshmallow tastes very good and, as foreign sources say, "is a good snack, but not good for jam." Berries are very good for freezing, do not lose their appearance and shape.

Strawberry harvest Marshmallow - video

Reviews of gardeners about the variety of garden strawberries Zephyr

Strawberry Marshmallows will not cause much trouble when growing. Perhaps this strawberry is inferior in taste to some varieties, but its early and high yield compensates for this shortcoming.

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Marshmallow is a delicate airy delicacy, which is very difficult to refuse. However, you don't need to do this, since marshmallows are one of the few sweets that are considered healthy. It is given for afternoon tea even in kindergartens and schools. Adults sometimes also want to indulge in a delicate dessert, the main thing is that it is the "right" marshmallow. The composition of some modern delicacies is far from the original recipe - often dyes, preservatives, emulsifiers and flavors are added to it to reduce the cost. They can be considered harmless at a stretch.

Classic recipe

What should be a healthy and tasty marshmallow? According to the classic recipe, it should include fruit puree (most often apple), whipped proteins, sugar and a jelly-forming substance (pectin, agar-agar, less often gelatin). Obviously, the taste and color of natural marshmallows will depend entirely on the fruit puree. Since apple is most often used, the soufflé turns out to be snow-white. When adding berry puree, the color may turn out to be slightly pinkish, but not bright pink.

It is worth noting that if the marshmallow from the store has a too bright shade or, conversely, a grayish color, it means that it is made from unnatural ingredients. This can be easily verified by reading the information on the packaging. In addition, the composition of marshmallows in accordance with GOST does not allow the use of foreign impurities, therefore, if the package has an inscription "GOST 6441-96", then this is a useful delicacy. True, it is worth paying attention to the fact that natural marshmallows in a package can be stored for no more than 1 month. If the expiration date is longer, then preservatives have been added.

Variations on a theme

Of course, over time, the production technology and the recipe of the classic marshmallow have been modified and complicated. As a result, a considerable number of different types of marshmallows are flaunting on store shelves today: vanilla, chocolate, crème brulee and others. Unfortunately, ordinary white marshmallows are no longer happy with the modern buyer. The composition of the "multi-colored" species, you guessed it, will not be so natural. But still, occasionally you can indulge yourself with a harmful product ... But occasionally!

So, any marshmallow with different flavors (vanilla, coffee, crème brulee, cranberry or ice cream) is likely to contain artificial or identical to natural flavors and colors. This is due to the fact that the technological process does not allow the addition of natural ingredients. Otherwise, the price of natural raw materials will make the delicacy simply inaccessible to the buyer.So, vanilla marshmallow very rarely contains natural vanilla, it is usually replaced with cheaper vanillin. But even housewives do this, not just factories.

We should also mention chocolate covered marshmallows - one of the most popular desserts. Of course, the presence of the glaze makes it tasty, but less useful. Moreover, it often contains not natural cocoa butter, but its equivalent, for example, lecithin. Obviously, the calorie content of marshmallow in chocolate will be much higher than usual. However, even ladies watching their figure can afford such a delicacy for breakfast.

Marshmallow "Chamel"

This trademark sells both chocolate-covered marshmallows and just marshmallows. The composition in both cases is almost the same: sugar, applesauce, molasses, dry egg white, lactic acid, apple powder and flavor identical to natural. "Almost" is a classic recipe, isn't it? Unglazed marshmallow "Chamel", the composition of which is given above, is produced in three types: apple, with ice cream flavor and with vanilla aroma.

Marshmallow in chocolate "Chamel", as we have already learned, has a complex composition. So, the glaze includes cocoa powder, cocoa butter or its equivalent, lecithin, flavoring and milk sugar. The marshmallow itself has the same composition as the usual one. Here the manufacturer decided not to change the already proven recipe. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that not only marshmallows of the usual size are produced, but also small marshmallows “for one bite”. True, the assortment consists of only 3 varieties: classic, coffee and with ice cream flavor.

Zephyr "Neva"

The composition of this delicacy is as close as possible to the classic recipe. It is the use of natural raw materials and a minimum amount of artificial additives (usually only flavors and dyes) that makes it popular with consumers. In addition, the Neva factory under the Lanezh trademark produces more than 10 different types of marshmallows. On store shelves, you can find Neva marshmallows, white, white-pink, vanilla, crème brulee, cranberries, in dark and white glazes.

Of course, such an assortment will satisfy the most demanding customer. And if you consider that the price of this marshmallow is slightly lower than that of its closest competitors, it simply has no equal. In addition, the "Neva" factory took care of patients with diabetes mellitus and released a series of fructose-based marshmallows.

Benefit and harm

So why is marshmallow so useful? It contains applesauce and pectin that improve digestion, remove harmful substances and toxins from the body, and strengthen the immune system. It is easily and quickly absorbed by the body due to the presence of light carbohydrates. True, because of them, people who are prone to obesity should not lean on marshmallows. Its caloric content per 100 g of product is 321 kcal. If we consider that these are usually 3-4 pieces, then a slight sweetness is obtained at all. The most important thing is that only natural ingredients are included in the marshmallow, then you can be sure of its benefits.

Homemade marshmallows

The composition of the treat, prepared with your own hands, is completely natural. Having modern technology, you can easily prepare healthy marshmallows at home, and strictly observe the GOST recipe.

Soak 4 teaspoons of agar in 160 ml of cold water and leave. Bake 4 large apples in the oven until tender, rub them through a sieve to make a puree. In total, you will need 250 g. If you wish, you can add vanilla sugar to it and cool completely. Bring the agar to a near boil over the fire so that it dissolves in the water. Add 490 g of sugar, bring to a boil and cook over low heat until a thick syrup is obtained. Remove, cool slightly.

During this time, the applesauce just came up. Add 1/2 egg white to it and beat until the mixture turns white. Next, send the rest of the protein and beat until fluffy. Add agar: pour it in carefully, in a thin stream, without stopping beating.Quickly, using a pastry syringe, place the marshmallows on the parchment. Leave to dry for 4 hours, then blind in pairs and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Homemade marshmallows are ready!

Garden strawberry variety Zephyr is one of the early Danish varieties. Having appeared on the domestic market relatively recently, it was able to gain popularity among gardeners and earn many positive reviews. The high rating of Zephyr is primarily associated with its yield and frost resistance. In addition, the variety has good disease resistance and excellent transport tolerance.

Description of the variety

Strong fruiting stems.

Pleasant taste and strawberry aroma.

Dense flesh without voids.

Marshmallow was bred by Danish breeders who did their best to adapt the gentle horticultural culture to the harsh northern climate.

• Bushes are vigorous, compact, with powerful peduncles and a large number of inflorescences.
• Peduncles are always directed upwards, and do not bend even under the weight of large berries.
• The leaves are pubescent, slightly corrugated.
• The permeation is high, so this variety can be easily propagated on its own.

Fruits and yield

The Zephyr variety is very early, and one of the first to yield a bountiful harvest of tasty aromatic berries.

Strawberries of the Zephyr variety are distinguished by the fact that, when planted in spring, they give a good harvest already in the current year.

Bushes begin to bear fruit in the first year. Planted in the open field, they delight with the first ripe berries already in the third decade of May. If strawberries are grown in greenhouse conditions, then the harvest can be harvested a couple of weeks earlier.

• Fruits are conical, ribbed, large, reaching 50-60 g.
• The skin is dark red with a glossy sheen.
• The pulp is juicy, very dense, without internal voids.
• The color of the core is pale pink, with light streaks.
• The taste is pleasant, unobtrusive, the aroma is characteristic strawberry.

Under favorable weather conditions and ensuring proper care, Zephyr is able to give up to 1 kg from each bush... Despite the fact that the variety does not belong to remontant, subject to all the requirements of agricultural technology, it is able to bear fruit throughout the summer.

Features of the variety

A feature of the variety is the fact that the berries do not shrink throughout the entire fruiting period.

This variety has powerful erect peduncles and many inflorescences.

A great advantage and convenience in harvesting is considered not only the tallness of the bushes, but also the location of the berries: despite their great weight, they never lean to the ground, ripen at the same time.

The berries have a very attractive appearance, and for a long time they are able to keep their shape without spreading. Due to this feature, Marshmallows are often grown for commercial purposes.... In addition, the variety is versatile, and is equally suitable both for fresh consumption and for freezing, in which the berries do not lose all their useful properties.

Winter hardiness

Marshmallow perfectly tolerates even the coldest winters, withstanding temperatures as low as -30–35C.

However, strawberries can only survive severe frosts if there is a snow cover. In the absence of snow, the root system develops irreversible consequences at temperature -8C, and at the aboveground part - when the temperature drops to -10C.

The variety tolerates dry weather well, has a pronounced immunity to many common diseases and pests of strawberries. Due to its increased resistance to many adverse external factors, Marshmallows can be grown in regions with harsh climatic conditions.

In the summertime, strawberry Marshmallows can go without watering for a long time, so it is not threatened with drought.

Planting rules for strawberries Marshmallow

In order for Marshmallow to regularly bring a good harvest, it is necessary to provide it with conditions even at the stage of planting seedlings.

Seat selection

Marigolds are good precursors for strawberries; during flowering they are crushed and embedded in the soil to suppress fungal spores.

The most suitable site for this variety of garden strawberries is well-lit, with light partial shade, flat area, reliably protected from winds from the north and north-west... Zephyr does not have special requirements for the composition of the soil, but it is still better to plant it in soil with an acid-base balance.

As practice shows, strawberries will feel good in the ground, where carrots, cabbage or zucchini grew before them.

Boarding time

Saplings are best planted permanently in April or late summer, and a mature shrub can be planted in October as well.

Adult strawberry bushes Marshmallow is recommended to be replanted in the middle of autumn.

Experts recommend choosing already rooted seedlings with several leaveswhich are sold in separate pots. In this case, planting will be less traumatic for a young plant, since planting is carried out by the transshipment method.

Planting marshmallow seedlings is best in the evening or in cloudy weather, since bright sunlight can weaken already not yet matured plants. Experienced gardeners cover them with wide leaves, thus providing protection until the young strawberries take root in their new location.

Soil preparation and planting

Seedling holes are dug in loose, pre-prepared soil.

• For each seedling, dig a hole with a diameter of about 30 cm, keeping the distance between the future bushes of 0.5 m.
• To increase the yield, it is recommended to add any organic fertilizer to the wells. For these purposes, wood ash, peat, compost or humus are most often used.
• But do not add too much organic matter - two tablespoons of any of the listed fertilizers for each well will be enough.

Too long roots of seedlings must be pruned before planting.

To protect strawberries from infection with various diseases, seedlings should be treated with any solution that contains copper sulfate.

To repel insect pests, it is recommended to mulch strawberry beds with needles, which, among other things, will give the berries a special aroma.

Watering

The best way of watering is a drip system, when strawberries receive moisture in a timely manner and in the right amount, but water does not get on the leaves and fruits.

Immediately after planting, the crop needs abundant moisture.... Water the seedlings regularly, making sure that the soil does not dry out. But you should also periodically loosen the soil near the bushes: this ensures the penetration of oxygen to the root system, improves nutrition and air exchange.

When growing marshmallows in greenhouse conditions, strawberries should be provided with frequent and regular ventilation. This measure will avoid the development of many diseases, as well as gradually harden young plants.

Choosing Marshmallow for planting, it should be remembered that this variety is able to bring a good harvest in one place only for four years.... If you do not carry out a timely transplant of strawberries to a new place, it will begin to rapidly degenerate.

Care features

Young strawberry bushes will thrive if the soil around them is covered with mulch.

Zephyr can hardly be called a whimsical and capricious variety that requires the vigilant attention of a gardener. However, he also needs careful care, which includes the basic rules of agricultural technology.

Watering

For full growth and development, Marshmallow needs regular watering.

This is especially important during bud ovary... It is only important to ensure that water does not get on the leaves and berries, since moisture can provoke the development of diseases.

It is possible to irrigate strawberries from above only before flowering; later, such watering can provoke diseases of leaves and fruits.

Loosening

To improve aeration of the soil, do not forget about loosening.

It is best to do this every time after rains or watering, until the soil has time to dry and become covered with a thin crust. It is especially important to regularly loosen the soil near strawberries in prolonged rainy weather, because due to a lack of oxygen in the soil, plant growth may stop.

If desired, loosening can be replaced with mulching with humus, needles, sawdust, peat.

Pruning

The mustache should only be left on the uterine bushes selected for breeding.

Throughout the growing season, you need watch out for strawberry bushestimely cutting and shaping.

For better growth, it is necessary to remove excess mustache, old leaves.

Top dressing

To get a good harvest, do not forget about periodic feeding.

During ovary and fruiting, the soil is enriched with suitable mineral compositions twice a month. Once a year, strawberries are fed with peat with the addition of humus. A nutrient solution made from poultry manure or manure has also proven itself well.

It would be good to cover the soil around the strawberries with humus or compost, thereby adding top dressing and at the same time mulching the plantings.

Care after fruiting

Having collected the last berries, you need to take care of the bushes in order to thereby ensure yourself a high harvest next year.

Before the onset of cold weather, Marshmallows should be regularly watered and loosened, fertilized, pruned and mulched.

Thanks to this care, strawberries will not only please with high-quality fruiting, but will also be able to survive the cold winter without loss. Before the first frosts, it should be covered with fallen leaves, and on top - with spruce branches.

Shelter with fallen leaves mixed with pine needles.

Pests and diseases

The Zephyr variety is characterized by increased resistance to many diseases and insect pests.

Prophylaxis

However, even with such a hardy strawberry, it is better to insure yourself and carry out preventive procedures.

• Before budding begins, the bushes are recommended to be processed intavir or karbofos... Thanks to spraying with these preparations, it is possible to destroy the larvae and adults of weevils, nematodes, ticks, slugs.
• With the arrival of autumn, the bushes are recommended to be treated with a solution containing ash or vinegar.

Video about planting strawberries at the end of summer