- Authors: All-Russian Institute of Selection and Technology of Horticulture and Nursery
- Name synonyms: Fragaria ananassa Vityaz
- Taste: sweet with sourness
- The size: large
- Weight: 30-40 gr
- Yield rate: high
- Yield: 1.3 kg / m2
- Repairability: No
- Ripening terms: mid-early
- Appointment: universal
Strawberry is one of the favorite summer desserts. Many gardeners grow it on their backyards, but in order to get a good harvest, the plant requires some attention in growing. One of the popular varieties is Vityaz, we will consider its characteristics and features in this article.
Breeding history of the variety
The Vityaz variety was bred by breeders from the All-Russian Institute of Selection and Technology of Horticulture and Nursery as a result of crossing the Festivalnaya Chamomile and Surprise Olympiad varieties. In 1997, the institute submitted an application for the variety to be included in the State Register. Only after 2 years it was approved. Vityaz is suitable for growing in the Central, North-West and Volga-Vyatka regions of Russia. Has a synonym for the name Fragaria ananassa Vityaz.
Description of the variety
The plant has a semicircular, slightly spreading, low, but powerful bush. It is decorated with slightly concave, moderately bubbly green leaves. The bloom consists of small flowers that barely rise above the green mass. On one bush, there can be about 9 of them.
Ripening terms
Vityaz has an early ripening period, depending on the region, fruiting may begin in late June or early July. It is not renovated.
Yield
The variety is very productive, about 1.3 kg of aromatic berries can be harvested from one m2 per season.
Berries and their taste
Red berries, rather large, have an oval-conical shape. Their mass varies from 30 to 40 g. They have a juicy and firm pulp with a sweet, slightly sour taste. Due to these characteristics, the fruits can be transported over long distances, they do not flow and retain their shape well. They can be used both for fresh consumption and for canning and freezing. The berry contains 9% sugar, 12% acidity and vitamin C - 60 mg%.
Growing features
The strawberry bed should be in a sunny place. Do not plant where carrots, parsley, onions or tulips have grown before.
Site selection and soil preparation
The variety prefers moderately moist, loamy or fertile neutral soil. Strawberries do not require complicated care, but it is better to adhere to some rules in growing. Before planting, the seedlings are cleaned of dried foliage and dipped for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then washed in running water. They can be planted in spring or autumn.
The knight loves watering, with a lack of it, the yield decreases. Watering is necessary as the earthen coma dries up. Particular attention is paid to watering in spring and autumn. It should be abundant and regular.
Pollination
The plant is self-pollinating, so it does not need additional pollinators.
Top dressing
Before planting seedlings in the garden, it is necessary to apply complex fertilizers, it is better if these are potash additives.
Throughout the growing season, strawberries can be fertilized twice; for this, complex fertilizers are applied once, and biological products can be used for the second feeding. In the spring, you can spray the bushes with urea, thanks to which the growth of the bush is stimulated.
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
This variety is quite frost-resistant, but this applies to regions where there is a lot of snow in winter. In regions with little snow, it is better to cover the bushes with mulch, foliage or sawdust.
Diseases and pests
Knight is very resistant to various kinds of diseases, especially powdery mildew. Lesions with brown and white spots were occasionally seen. There is a relative resistance to gray mold. May be damaged by strawberry mites.
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
The variety propagates by dividing the bush and layering. For cultivation by layering, it is necessary to transplant the process into a stationary place for growth. For reproduction by dividing the bush, you need to dig out the rhizome and divide it into the required number of parts, each of which can be planted in a separate hole. This is usually carried out in the fall, so that in the spring the already established bush will devote all its strength to fruiting.
Review overview
Having studied the reviews of gardeners, it can be noted that, despite the low tasting characteristics, the variety is popular due to its unpretentiousness, pleasant taste of berries, and their keeping quality. The variety is suitable for commercial cultivation.