"MUSTACHED" LITTLE STRAWBERRY - DAYAN AND RUYANA

В article about small-fruited strawberries saidthat all modern varieties are her beardless. And I have a very mustachioed small fry. ”

To answer this letter we asked the author of the article, a researcher at the fruit-growing laboratory of RGAU-MSHA named after K.A. Timiryazeva O. SYRITSO.

I suppose that the author of the question does not grow on the plot not a classic garden small-fruited strawberry, but Zemklunik varieties Diana.

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Once again I will remind all readers that the varieties of earthworms are artificially obtained hybrids

cultural pineapple strawberry (strawberry) and wild-growing nutmeg strawberry. All hybrids inherited from strawberries a large fruit size (15-18 g), and from a wild parent - a strong nutmeg aroma of berries, unpretentiousness, resistance to cold, major diseases and pests.

By the habit of the bush, the shape and size of the leaves, most varieties of dredges are very similar to strawberries. The only exception is the Diana variety, which, in all its external morphological features (bush shape, leaf size and color, peduncle size and shape), is practically indistinguishable from a vigorous variety of small-fruited garden strawberry of the Ruyana variety.

Among themselves, they can be distinguished only by 3 signs. The dredges of the Diana variety have round-shaped berries, Ruyan - elongated, pointed conical. Like all varieties of dredges, Diana forms a large number of whiskers - up to 40 outlets from the bush. Ruyana, like all varieties of remontant small-fruited strawberries, does not form a mustache in principle and in favorable years gives a second harvest at the end of summer.

For a long time, our gardeners were passionate about acquiring exclusively large-fruited varieties of wild strawberries of foreign garden selection. Varieties of dredges and small-fruited strawberries were forgotten. The last few years, when everyone understood how difficult it is to grow new foreign varieties of strawberries in our country (planting often needs to be updated, and there are practically no good whiskers for propagation), a new interest in less capricious and demanding varieties of dredges and small-fruited crops has reappeared.

Not everyone knows about the subtleties in the difference between the three types of strawberries. Due to the strong external similarities between small-fruited wild strawberries and dredges, Diana varieties are often sold in nurseries and garden markets under the blurry and inaccurate name of wild strawberries. Due to good yield, it is recommended that the variety be planted “carpeted” and used as a groundcover.

Also regarding this variety, I can say that Diana has very good resistance to the main pests and diseases. Resistance to viral diseases (the most harmful for garden strawberries) is low, for this reason the yield is unstable and highly dependent on weather conditions. In favorable warm years, the yield is up to 200-250 g per bush. The fruits are large, the mass of the first berry is 15-20 g. The skin and pulp are very soft, the fruits are not transportable.

In cold seasons, yield from the bush decreases, the size of berries decreases significantly (up to 4-6 g). It was in such years that confusing this dredger with small-fruited wild strawberries is simple as it is, if you do not pay attention to a large number of mustaches.