Pineapple strawberries are easy to recognize by the white color of the berries. It combines dessert varieties that are grown in almost all regions of Russia. We learn about the features of this unusual strawberry, how to plant, grow and propagate it correctly.
Pineapple Strawberry
Red Pigment Missing in Pineapple Strawberry
Pineapple strawberry tolerates winter well
Characteristics of Pineapple Strawberries
Pineapple wild strawberry is a perennial herbaceous plant that gardeners appreciate for their excellent taste and original appearance. Her berries lack the pigment that makes them red.
It is believed that the white variety owes its name to a special taste in which pineapple notes are felt. In addition, “garden strawberry” in Latin sounds like “ananassa”.
The appearance of the bushes
The bushes reach a height of 30 cm and have a powerful structure. She has many large bright green leaves planted on long petioles.
Description of the bush:
- the edges of the leaves are serrated, at the ends there are curves;
- petioles up to 20 cm long;
- on the leaves there is a slight pubescence;
- shoots - creeping, rooted in nodes;
- flowers - large, bisexual, white, with five petals and many stamens;
- diameter of flowers - 2 cm, peduncle length - 3-5 cm.
What do the fruits look like?
Berries of pineapple strawberries are small, have a classical form for this crop.
Description of berries:
- diameter - about 2.5 cm;
- color - initially green, then white, cream, pink or yellowish with red grains;
- weight - 6-8 g;
- taste - sweet and sour;
The ripeness of berries is judged by the color of grains drowned in white berries. As soon as they turn red / yellow, strawberries are ready for harvest.
Winter hardiness and disease resistance
The variety is relatively winter-hardy. He is able to show good harvests in the south and in the middle zone of Russia. It successfully survives winters at which the temperature does not fall below –20 ° C.
So that strawberry bushes are likely to overwinter, they are insulated before the onset of frost. When snow appears, snowdrifts are raking up strawberry beds.
The greatest danger to pineapple strawberries is fungal infections. Especially often this berry is struck by gray rot, which develops due to waterlogging - in rainy weather or with too frequent watering.
Ripening period
The flowering time of a variety depends on the climatic conditions of a particular region and the current weather. In the south, strawberries bloom in April, in the middle lane - in May. The first berries appear around the end of June. Repairing varieties of white strawberries give several crops per season.
Productivity and application
The average yield is 1 kg of fruits per 1 sq. Km. m. This is not the highest rate. Many varieties of garden strawberries give 1.5-2 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
Scopes of pineapple strawberry:
- cooking - desserts, sauces are prepared from it;
- cosmetology - make face masks from acne and age spots;
- medicine - prepare antiseptic solutions and infusions.
It is not recommended to freeze strawberries. To prepare berries for the future, compotes are prepared from them, jams and preserves are boiled.
Pineapple strawberries are sometimes used for decorative purposes. Bushes with pink flowers look especially beautiful on a green lawn.
Transportability
Pineapple strawberries, like all other varieties with white berries, do not tolerate transportation. Berries transported in crates, crumple, let in juice and quickly lose their presentation. For sale, growing white varieties is impractical.
Pros and cons
Pineapple strawberries attract amateur gardeners with their unusual appearance. It is quite in demand and is found in many personal plots, despite serious shortcomings.
Pros:
- White berries do not attract birds. More likely to keep the crop intact.
- Pleasant taste and aroma. Children with an unusual “pineapple” flavor are especially popular with children.
Minuses:
- medium-sized berries;
- poorly transported - berries are transported only in a small container in one layer;
- low productivity;
- susceptibility to rot.
Planting strawberries
Pineapple strawberries are undemanding, but there are a number of points that are taken into account during planting. In order to rely on a good crop, it is important to grow or acquire high-quality seedlings and plant them on time, observing all the rules of agricultural technology.
Seedling Selection
To grow strong strawberry seedlings, gardeners carefully take care of the seedlings for 2-3 months - they water, feed, and provide optimal conditions for growth.
If there is no time, desire or opportunity to engage in growing seedlings, it is purchased in nurseries or in the market from trusted sellers. When buying, pay attention to the quality of seedlings - it is easy to determine by external characteristics:
- Seedlings should not be shriveled, rotted, dried or sluggish. Leaf blades are clean, uniformly green, without spots or splashes.
- The roots are fibrous, fresh, without dried branches. The optimal length is 8-10 cm. If seedlings are sold in glasses / pots, their entire volume should be filled with the root system of the seedling and even go beyond its borders.
- Petioles are of medium length, on each 3-4 leaves, no less.
Site selection and soil preparation
Pineapple strawberries are thermophilic. In regions with a harsh climate, it is grown mainly in closed ground. In the middle lane, the berry is arranged on the south side of the site.
Direct sunlight in the beds with white strawberries is not welcome - because of them the berries turn pink. To prevent discoloration, the beds are shaded with agrofiber.
Site Requirements:
- Soil type. The variety grows well on any soil, but shows the highest yields on black soil, in which wood ash is added.
- Soil acidity. The optimal level is 5-6.5 pH.
- Moisture. Culture does not like stagnation of water. It is contraindicated to arrange glutes in the lowlands.
If water stagnates on a site, gardeners make high beds. The second option is to increase the level due to imported land. By planting berries on a hill, you protect them from waterlogging, including in rainy summers.
Strawberries grow well in areas where root crops, legumes and crops were grown.
How to make a bed:
- dig the soil 25-30 cm deep in the fall;
- during digging, remove debris, rhizomes, plant debris;
- for digging, add 5 kg per 1 sq. m organic matter (humus, compost) and 40 g of complex mineral fertilizers.
Fertilizers introduced in the fall are completely dissolved and absorbed into the soil, and it acquires the necessary fertility. If it was not possible to prepare the site in the fall, the beds are prepared in the spring, but no later than 2 weeks before transplanting.
The timing
The timing of strawberry planting depends on the climate and current weather. Seedlings are sown 2-3 months before planting seedlings in the ground. In the middle lane, sowing begins from about January 15 to February 15. In the southern and northern regions, the climate is adjusted.
Strawberry planting conditions:
- seedlings ready for planting - at least 6 leaves;
- the soil warmed up to + 15 ... + 17 ° С.
The timing of planting strawberry seedlings in the ground:
- middle lane - tentatively from April 15 to May 15;
- southern regions - Happy April, 1;
- northern regions - from May 1st.
The scheme and technology of planting in the ground
Pineapple strawberry seedlings are planted in one or two lines. When choosing a planting scheme, the method of irrigation, the spreading of bushes and other factors are taken into account.
Landing patterns:
- Single line. Bushes are planted in rows, observing intervals of 20-30 cm. The row spacing is 60-90 cm.
- Two-line. The interval between the bushes is 20 cm, between the lines - 30 cm, between the rows - 60-70 cm.
In the aisles over time, mustaches and sockets appear, which gardeners use for the vegetative propagation of strawberries. If the berry is designed only for harvesting, the growing mustache is cut off so that the bushes spend all their energy on the formation of berries.
How to plant seedlings:
- Make small holes in the beds. Make the diameter and depth so that the root system of the seedling is comfortable in it. Throw some wood ash into each well.
- Pour water into the wells — approximately 0.5 L each.
- When the water has absorbed, proceed with planting. Install the seedling in the hole so that its root neck is flush with the surface of the earth.
- Gently spread the roots and fill the hole with soil, slightly compact it.
- Water the beds. Use warm, settled water for irrigation - this prevents the risk of disease.
- Mulch the beds with humus or other mulch to prevent evaporation of moisture.
If there is a risk of frost, cover the plantings with cover material for the night. It also helps in rainy weather or in the scorching sun. When covering the beds, be sure to leave the sides open - for air to pass through.
Caring for Pineapple Strawberries
The yield and quality of berries - their taste and size - largely depend on compliance with agricultural technology. White strawberries need constant care.
Watering
Pineapple strawberries require regular hydration for growth and fruiting. The rate and frequency of watering varies with the development of the bushes and depends on weather conditions.
Features of watering strawberries Pineapple:
- moisten young seedlings often, but little by little;
- the first weeks, pour bushes from above by sprinkling;
- after a month, increase the watering rate and water the flowering beds every 10 days - 20 liters per 1 sq. km. m;
- during fruiting, increase the rate of irrigation to 30 liters per 1 square. m;
- watering the berry is recommended in the morning;
- water temperature should not be less than +16 ° C;
- the minimum number of irrigations per season is 6.
In hot weather, the frequency of watering is approximately doubled, beds are watered every 3-4 days, and young seedlings - every day.
Weeding and cultivation
Loosening is carried out after each watering or rain - as soon as the water is absorbed, and the soil dries enough so as not to stick to the choppers. This measure prevents the formation of crust, which prevents air from reaching the roots.
It is forbidden to loosen the soil closer than 5 cm to the strawberry bushes so as not to damage the roots.
Simultaneously with loosening, weeding is carried out. Weed vegetation is not only able to obscure the berry, but also serves as a breeding ground for diseases and pests.
Top dressing
Gardeners make the bulk of fertilizers during the preparation of the beds. After planting, the berry is fed at the stages of flowering and the formation of berries.
Feeding schedule:
- In the spring, before flowering, they make a complex fertilizer, for example, Nitrofosku.
- During budding, they give organics - solutions of mullein or chicken droppings, wood ash.
- During flowering, potassium-phosphorus mixtures are applied under the root. Nitrogen at this stage is contraindicated, since it stimulates the growth of green mass, and all the forces of the plant should be directed to the growth of berries.
- After harvesting, the berry is fertilized with a nitrogen-containing complex.
Top dressing is applied only under the roots. Neither water nor fertilizer solutions should fall on the leaves, otherwise they will cause burns.
Mulching
Mulching involves sprinkling soil with loose material. This agricultural event is carried out after watering.
Mulching Effect:
- prevents the growth of weeds;
- protects the soil from insects;
- retains moisture evaporation;
- protects the soil and roots from drying out in extreme heat.
The berries are mulched with various materials - needles, straw, mowed grass. The optimal layer thickness is 3-5 cm.
Trimming mustache and leaves
If strawberry bushes grow too actively, the plant has to spend energy on feeding mustaches and rosettes, which negatively affects crop yields. Correct the situation by removing excess parts.
Trimming Rules:
- The main pruning is carried out in autumn, when the berry fruit has completed fruiting.
- Trim bushes with sharpened and sanitized garden tools. Remove all dried leaves and damaged parts of the bushes, cut a mustache.
- Leaves are cut not at the root, but at a height of 10 cm from the soil.
- The bushes, which are supposed to be used for reproduction next year, leave a few mustaches.
Preparing for the winter
Pineapple strawberries may freeze in frosts below –20 ° C. In regions with cold winters, the berry is insulated. Before sheltering the plantings, several more important agricultural activities are carried out:
- Spud the bushes.
- Water the beds abundantly. After irrigation watering, do not loosen or weed the planting so as not to damage the roots of strawberries.
- Mulch the plantings with a thick layer of mulch - about 8-10 cm.
- Throw strawberry bushes with straw or agrofiber from above.
Pest and Disease Control
Pineapple strawberries are mainly affected by fungal diseases, which provokes high humidity. The variety is sick:
- white spotting;
- powdery mildew;
- white and gray rot;
- Fusarium wilting.
For prevention, it is recommended to spray the berry:
- before flowering - Actofit, Fitoverm or other fungicides;
- before and after flowering - Actellicum, Intervirus, Karbofos and other insecticides.
The insecticides used protect strawberries from raspberry-strawberry weevil, sawflies, leafworms, leaf beetles and spider mites. Strawberry bushes are also capable of damaging the bear, aphid, bronze, May bug and many other insects.
Breeding
Today on the market are different varieties of white strawberries. Under the “pineapple brand”, various varieties and hybrids are sold, which differ in the shade of berries, ripening dates, and methods of reproduction.
Among white strawberries there are bezosny repair varieties. They are propagated only by seeds or division of the bush. Hybrids, on the contrary, are not planted with seeds, because varietal characters are not transmitted in this way.
When purchasing white Pineapple strawberries, be sure to specify how to subsequently propagate it:
- The seeds. They are sown on seedlings, which are then planted in open or closed ground.
- Mustache. Outlets grown on a mustache are separated from adult bushes, and transplanted to new beds.
- By dividing the bush. The mother plant is dug up, carefully divided into parts and planted in new places.
Harvesting and storage
Berries are picked in the morning or evening in dry weather. If they are supposed to be transported, they are torn off with the stalks. Fruits are placed in containers made of plastic or wood, on the bottom of which fabric or paper is laid.
Berries are stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0 ... + 2 ° C. They are not washed before storage. If strawberries are bought on the market, they simply sort it out, removing rotten or empty juice. Under such conditions, strawberries can be stored for 3-4 days.
Reviews
Agnia, city of Murom. White strawberries are much sweeter than red. It does not freeze in winter. It’s bad that he doesn’t give a mustache, so after 3 years you have to divide the bushes into parts and plant them.
Dmitry, Kursk region It tastes pretty good. But if it’s damp, it rots heavily, it spreads right in the hands. In rainy summer crops can not be seen.
Regina, Moscow Region. We have a white strawberry growing in the country. I do not like it at all - there are few sweets, it tastes kind of watery. Red berries are both tastier and more beautiful. I don’t know why everyone praises her so much. But throwing a hand does not rise.
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The agricultural technique of growing white-fruited Pineapple strawberries is no more complicated than that of ordinary red-fruited varieties.To diversify your dessert with white berries, plant this unusual look in the garden. He will not give you much trouble.
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