- Authors: introduced in Belgium in 1988
- Taste: sweet and sour
- The size: large
- Weight: 30-50 gr
- Yield rate: high
- Repairability: No
- Ripening terms: late
- Appointment: universal
- Description of the bush: medium height, large
- Berry color: Red
You can get a harvest of garden strawberries continuously if you use a remontant variety. Although the Vicoda strawberry is not one of these, the plant bears fruit for 4 weeks, and it is not too demanding to care for.
Breeding history of the variety
Dutch breeders managed to develop the described variety. After that, the patent for the plant was issued by Vissers, therefore, even today, even the planting material is only entitled to it.
The variety is not registered in the state register of our country, but in 2002 it entered the register of Belarus. The card for strawberries says that it is recommended to cultivate them in the open field. The entire territory of the country is suitable for this.
Description of the variety
The Vicoda strawberry forms a large shrub with sprawling foliage soon after planting. The greens are formed large, its color is dark green. The edges are slightly ribbed. The teeth are not sharp, wide. Stipules are always pink.
Antennae are formed on bushes in small numbers, even if the plant has been growing in one place for several years. They are of a pale red shade, of medium length.
Peduncles have dense pubescence, on one bush they form from 5 to 7 pieces in the first year. Their legs are short, always located below the foliage on the bush.
Inflorescences are large, spreading, with many flowers. Flowers do not curl, are formed large, white.
Ripening terms
Vicoda is a late variety when viewed from the perspective of ripening. The fruits begin to turn red in the second half of June. If this is a northern region, they may mature later.
The variety bears fruit intensively for a month. You can pick berries when the early varieties are already finishing harvesting.
Growing regions
Vicoda strawberries can be grown in the middle zone of the country. She has demonstrated high yields in the Urals and even in Siberia. Has shown itself well on the territory of Ukraine.
Yield
The described variety is universal. The yield is high.
Summer residents are preparing for picking berries already in mid-July. Up to 74 centners can be harvested per hectare, but this is on an industrial scale.
If grown in a garden, then from one bush it is easy to get up to 0.7 kilograms of ripe, tasty berries.
Most inflorescences appear in the second and third years after planting.
Berries and their taste
The berries are red in color, the tip often remains green. The shape of the fruits is round, they are large in size. The weight of one fruit can be 50 grams.
If you put strawberries in your mouth and chew them slowly, you can easily experience the cherry flavor. This is the aroma that the specified variety possesses.
The pulp, although dense, is quite juicy. The berries are easily transported and have a wonderful presentation.
When fully ripe, the berries acquire a glossy shine.
Despite the fact that the originator describes the taste of the berries of this variety as not very tasty, and in the register of Belarus they are marked as non-aromatic and sour, they have a high tasting score - 4.
Thanks to its versatility, the fruit can be eaten fresh, frozen and processed. When the berry is thawed, it does not lose its density and aroma, on the contrary, the latter only becomes brighter.
Growing features
You can plant Vikoda strawberries both early in the spring and in the fall. It is imperative to maintain a distance of 50 cm between the rows, since the bushes are quite voluminous.
Although it is easy to care for the variety, there are many features to keep in mind.
Unlicensed distribution of mustaches and other planting material is prohibited. If a gardener decides to purchase such products, he must be ready for re-grading.
There are those who say that this type of strawberry belongs to the remontant, but this is not true.
You can get a decent harvest if fertilizers are applied on time, watering is done, there are no weeds between the rows.
Vicoda loves moisture, and therefore requires frequent watering. It is desirable that it be of a drip type, because if moisture gets on the berries and leaves, this will only harm the plant.
Since the fruits ripen precisely in the hottest season of the year, watering is the main thing a gardener should pay attention to. If necessary, moisture is introduced into the soil every day.
Site selection and soil preparation
Not only Vicoda, but also other varieties with large fruits are sensitive to the quality of the soil. It must be fertile, evenly moisturized and well fertilized. Special attention is paid to feeding. Nutrients are advised to be applied three times per season, while regular watering should not be forgotten.
In summer, when the air temperature increases significantly and slightly decreases even at night, the soil around the strawberries is necessarily mulched. It is the mulch that allows you to maintain the proper level of moisture in the soil.
The pH is very important. Strawberries will not grow in acidic soil. Lime or dolomite flour can help in this.
When planting, thickening should not be allowed. The root system must have enough room to develop. After the seedlings are placed in the ground, they are watered abundantly, covering the root space with mulch.
Pollination
Pollination is not necessary, since flowers of both sexes form on the bush.
Top dressing
Before planting, no matter in what period it is made, digging the soil is done. Per square meter of area used, a bucket of humus with the addition of 300 grams of ash is required.
Strawberries need nitrogen fertilizers in early spring.Urea must be used very carefully, otherwise it can easily spoil the flavor of the berries. And they also do not use fresh manure, it must be refilled before it is introduced into the ground.
The end of May is the time when ovaries begin to appear. Nitrate and potassium sulfate are best suited as top dressing. Nitrogen is no longer added, otherwise foliage will develop, and not fruits.
Potassium improves the flavor of the berries.
When the fruits have already formed on the bushes, you can use organic feeding - yeast. Only 50 grams is required per liter of water. When the solution is infused, it is stirred in another 5 liters of liquid. Each bush requires 0.5 liters of such a product.
Foliar feeding has a good effect on Vicoda. It should be sprayed in the evening, after sunset, or early in the morning.
One of the important techniques in strawberry care is feeding. Regular fertilization guarantees a rich harvest. There are several different ways to feed strawberries, and each of them is designed for a specific period of plant development. During flowering, fruiting and after it, feeding should be different.
Frost resistance and the need for shelter
With the arrival of autumn, when there are no more fruits, the bushes are cut off. Removing old foliage is a must. The plants are winter-hardy, but they are still covered with straw, spruce branches or agrotechnical cloth. This is additional protection against freezing.
Diseases and pests
The berries of the variety are resistant to spotting, and they are not affected by a large amount of gray rot. But there are diseases that the summer resident will have to face:
powdery mildew;
verticillary wilting.
That is why preventive treatment with fungicides is indispensable.
Strawberries are often subject to many dangerous diseases that can seriously undermine their condition. Among the most common are powdery mildew, gray mold, brown spot, anthracnose and verticillosis. Before buying a variety, you need to inquire about its disease resistance.
Reproduction
It is not easy to propagate this variety, but with the right experience, you can expand your plantation. For seedlings, uterine plants are used, from which peduncles are removed.
At the end of summer, young rosettes are ready for separation. They take root quickly, hibernate easily in the open field. You can stimulate the formation of a mustache by shortening the root system during planting. The neck must be at least 6 cm before the shrub is ready for growing separately.
If a gardener makes a mass transplant of strawberries, then the division of the bushes can be used as a means of propagation. With the right approach, all young plants will quickly root and give a rich harvest.