Queens of grades - Elizabeth and Elizabeth 2

Strawberry is one of the favorite plants for gardeners, producing delicious and aromatic berries. Every year, thanks to the efforts of professionals and amateur breeders, new varieties of strawberries appear. Despite this, there are varieties that have been favorites with numerous summer residents and farmers for several decades, giving stable yields. Strawberries Queen Elizabeth and her successor Queen Elizabeth II are the most popular remontant varieties.

Description of the variety Queen Elizabeth

The strawberry variety with the "loud" name Queen Elizabeth was obtained by English breeders more than two decades ago. A distinctive feature of Queen Elizabeth is large berries, which, with proper agricultural technology, can reach a weight of 85-90 grams.

The variety belongs to early maturing, remontant plants and produces a crop 3 times a year - at the end of May, in the middle of July and in September. Moreover, the berries can ripen until October in areas with a warm climate. Early fruiting is due to the fact that the buds on the plants are tied in the fall. To get early harvests, it is necessary to protect strawberries from freezing with the help of various shelters.

Strawberry Elizabeth has dense fruits that are highly transportable. The pulp of this strawberry variety is tasty, aromatic, suitable for making compotes, preserves and jams. Berries can be frozen for the winter, they do not lose their shape. It should be noted that by the fall, the taste deteriorates somewhat, the berries become less sweet.

Description of the variety Queen Elizabeth 2

In 2001, on the basis of the Koroleva Elizaveta variety, the Donskoy Nursery Ball bred a new "clone", a genetically identical form - the Queen Elizabeth 2 strawberry. The breeder of the new variety is M.V. Kachalkin. Interestingly, strawberry Elizabeth 2 appeared completely by accident.

Growing on plantations NPF "Donskoy nursery" grade Queen Elizabeth, the breeder drew attention to several plants that were distinguished by large berries and increased repairability. Fruiting waves in these plants were somewhat higher. This is how a new favorite appeared - Queen Elizabeth 2.

Elizabeth 2 differs from her predecessor in the following characteristics:

• earlier ripening (already at the end of April, residents of the southern regions can enjoy delicious berries);
• more powerful green mass;
• a larger berry;
• longer fruiting;
• less susceptibility to disease.

Repair strawberry Elizabeth 2, unlike her English progenitor, has erect peduncles at the level of the leaves.

Growing strawberries Queen Elizabeth from seeds

Growing strawberries from seeds is a time consuming but effective way to get the right variety of plants. Containers for seedlings no more than 12 cm high are filled with soil. Queen Elizabeth strawberry seeds germinate in the light, so you should not bury them in the ground. It is only necessary to moisten the soil before planting and evenly distribute the seeds on the surface, pressing a little to the ground. Landing is done at the end of January with the possibility of further additional lighting. If this is not possible, you can plant seeds in late February - early March.

For better seed germination, cover the container with glass after planting.

Plastic wrap is also suitable for this purpose. Strawberry seeds sprout in a light window. The glass or film must be lifted daily to allow air to enter for 8-10 minutes. The soil should be kept moist, for which it is convenient to use a spray bottle.

When sowing strawberry seeds, you need to know that they have a low germination rate (50-60%). Elizabeth strawberry seeds begin to germinate after 14-18 days. When the first leaf appears, it is necessary to increase the airing time to half an hour. As the strawberry seedlings grow, they should be accustomed to the environment.

When two leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate cups. Several plants can be left in the container where they grew. Watering the seedlings should be done with caution, otherwise the rosette may turn black and the plant may die. Lighting is of great importance for the correct development of seedlings. If there is not enough natural light, additional backlight.

Two weeks before planting strawberry seedlings in the ground, you need to start hardening it. For this, young plants are taken out into the street for a short time. In the future, the duration of the stay of seedlings in the fresh air should be increased. In 120 days after germination, Elizabeth strawberry seedlings are ready to move to a permanent place.

The agricultural technique of growing strawberries of the Queen Elizabeth 2 variety is similar to the cultivation of its English progenitor. Plants grown from seeds begin to bear fruit this year - in the month of September.

Planting Queen Elizabeth strawberries on the garden bed

Strawberries of the Elizaveta variety are a demanding crop that places high demands on soil fertility, therefore, the land must be carefully prepared before planting. Dig up the soil, remove all roots, break up large clods of earth and add humus in the amount of 7-8 kg per 1 square meter. For strawberries of the Queen Elizabeth variety and its genetically identical form, the presence of mineral fertilizers in the soil is important.

Phosphorus is introduced into the soil during planting, and nitrogen and potash fertilizers should be applied during the growing season of the plant.

When planting strawberries in the ground, the following dimensions must be observed:

• distance between plants - 20-25 cm;
• distance between rows - 65-70 cm;
• with a two-row planting, the distance between two rows is 25-30cm.

A prerequisite for planting strawberries of any kind is to place the outlet directly above the ground.

Deepening the socket into the ground, as well as placing it high above the ground, will lead to a lack of harvest. After planting, the strawberries should be thoroughly watered, and the soil around the plant should be tamped a little to remove the resulting voids. This technique will allow the roots to take root faster.

Strawberry Care Queen Elizabeth

Strawberry seedlings Elizabeth, planted in a permanent place, requires regular maintenance, which is as follows:

1. Regular watering is the key to a good strawberry harvest.
2. Removing weeds and loosening the soil after watering. In recent years, the method of mulching the soil around strawberries has been widely used, which prevents the growth of weeds and the need for frequent watering.
3. Strawberries Queen Elizabeth bears fruit all summer, so she just needs regular feeding with potash and nitrogen fertilizers.
4. To obtain large berries, the first flower stalks that appear in spring should be removed.
5. Strawberries of the Queen Elizabeth 2 variety are more resistant to diseases than their predecessor, however, gray rot may appear on them. During the entire growing season, it is necessary to carry out procedures aimed at combating diseases and pests.
6. The Queen Elizabeth strawberry variety provides the main crop of large berries in the first two years of cultivation. Strawberries of this variety must be planted every 2 years. The same applies to the Queen Elizabeth 2 strawberry variety.
7. Before wintering, remove all the strawberry leaves and cover it with a special material.

In the absence of a land plot, you can grow Queen Elizabeth 2 strawberries in portable containers. The variety is also widely used for winter cultivation in heated greenhouses.

How to grow a strawberry queen in the country - video