Kimberly garden strawberry is a Dutch variety that is successfully grown in all regions of Russia. The variety is ideal for commercial cultivation - hardy and unpretentious plants give a generous harvest of large and sweet berries. We learn about the features of growing Kimberly strawberries.
Garden strawberry "Kimberly"
Kimberly variety has excellent taste and good yield
presentation makes Kimberly one of the best grades for commercial use
Botanical grade description
A brief botanical description of the Kimberley variety:
- Bushes. Powerful, compact, not thick. Mustache is thick, few. But to increase productivity, even they need to be removed.
- Leaves. Large, concave, light green, glossy, the edges are serrated. The shape of the leaves is oval.
- Fruit. Sweet, large, glossy, with a caramel smell. There are almost no small berries. The pulp is dense, without voids. The shape is conical, the berry is like a heart.
- Flowers Large, white, bisexual. They have a lot of pollen - they are quickly and easily pollinated.
Peduncles are located low, almost near the ground. If the berries touch the soil, there is a greater risk of powdery mildew.
Kimberly Strawberry Qualities
Kimberly is a mid-early variety suitable for cultivation in the open ground and under the film. Suitable for any region, including Siberia and the Urals. The variety is considered promising - it is characterized by high productivity, resistant to any adverse conditions.
Main agricultural indicators:
Characteristics / Parameters | Description / Meaning |
Fruiting | non-repairing variety - bears fruit once |
Ripening time | last decade of may |
The average weight of berries | 20-35 g, maximum - 50 g |
Productivity | 1-2 kg per bush, per 1 ha - up to 150 c |
Taste | sweet but without cloying |
Scent | smells of caramel |
Disease resistance | medium (can be affected by anthracnose, as well as pests - slugs, weevils, etc.; resistant to gray rot, white and brown spotting and powdery mildew) |
Tasting Point | 5 (this is the highest score) |
Drought tolerance | high, able to survive a long drought, restored due to a powerful root system |
Frost resistance | high, withstands frosts down to minus 18 ° C |
Other grade features:
- The variety bears fruit once a season. With proper nutrition, the berries do not grow smaller during the entire harvest - it lasts about three weeks.
- Kimberly, only by established tradition, is called strawberries, in fact, it is garden strawberry.
- The variety is demanding on light. If there are few sunny days in spring, the bushes grow poorly and bloom late, and the berries lose their sugar content.
- In the northern regions, berries may not ripen in a short summer - the core and base remain white, they have little sugar, and the taste is medium.
- In the southern regions, the yield is negatively affected by heat during the fruiting period - the berries overheat, the bushes grow slowly.
- Berries are distinguished by good transportability, for a long time they retain their presentation.
- Fruits do not lose shape during heat treatment and freezing.
Watch the video review of Kimberly strawberries below:
How to choose the Kimberly seedlings?
For seedlings to survive the winter safely and bear fruit, it must be initially of high quality and completely healthy. Rules for choosing seedlings:
- Do not take seedlings on the market, from sellers unfamiliar to you and in places not intended for the sale of this product.
- When buying seedlings, pay attention to their appearance. The leaves should be monophonic, without spots and other damage, indicating infection with a fungal infection.
- Pale, shriveled or withered leaves are a signal that the seedlings have become infected with a serious illness. The plant will not only not grow and develop normally, but will infect another strawberry in the area.
- Seedlings with open roots should have a kidney-shaped root system at least 7 cm long.
- If seedlings are sold in containers, cups - with closed roots, they must fill the entire underground part.
- The roots should not be overdried - such a plant risks not taking root.
- Store seedlings purchased but not planted for several days by immersing the roots in water - this technique will not only prevent the plant from drying out, but also facilitate rooting.
Does the variety have flaws?
For farmers and amateur gardeners, the Kimberly variety has been known for about 10 years. This wild strawberry has established itself as a reliable and productive variety, but it has disadvantages:
- Fruits poorly in Kamchatka and the Northern Urals. In the northern regions, the variety does not reveal its taste.
- Fruiting is not friendly, extended for several weeks.
- In regions with severe winters, it freezes, and then it is difficult to recover.
- He loves warmth. In the cold years, grows poorly, loses productivity.
- Poor fruiting in regions with hot and dry summers. Here Kimberley seedlings take root worse than many industrial varieties.
- Demanding on moisture. In hot summers, berries that are not provided with proper watering, soften, become “boiled”.
- Kimberly belongs to the varieties of intensive cultivation - she needs regular top dressing and watering.
Dates and place of landing
There are two options for planting Kimberly seedlings:
- In the spring - in the first decade of May.
- In autumn - in August-September.
These are the dates for the middle band. In regions with milder climates, seedlings are planted mainly in the fall - at the end of September or even at the beginning of October. In autumn, the weather is milder and more favorable for young plants. In the northern regions, planting is best done in the spring so as not to put young plants to the test of low temperatures. How to plant strawberries in the spring, read here.
Kimberly berries are much tastier if grown in open field, rather than in a greenhouse.
How to choose a site for landing:
- The variety is very demanding on lighting - the sunniest areas are chosen for it.
- The site must be protected from gusty winds.
- The slope of the beds to the south is desirable.
- Soils are fertile, well permeable to moisture. It is advisable that the soil contains peat or sand.
- The site should be cleaned of plant debris, including the roots. If necessary, the soil is disinfected - do it in advance so that the seedlings do not destroy the toxic substances.
- Undesirable predecessors - tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other nightshade. Strawberries are planted after legumes, herbs, carrots, radishes, garlic, onions.
- Kimberly's neighbors should not be plants that attract the same pests as garden strawberries.
- On the site, the presence of marigolds, calendula, tansy, nasturtium, parsley, lemon balm, garlic, cilantro, fennel is desirable.
- You can not grow strawberries for longer than 4 years in one area - the soil is depleted, but a lot of parasites, bacteria and viruses accumulate in it.
How to plant strawberries?
Kimberly can be propagated by any of the existing methods - vegetatively, by seed or by dividing the bush. The most reliable way to obtain varietal seedlings is vegetative propagation. The bushes give a little mustache, and if a rare planting is used, they can be rooted in the aisles - without replanting the plant on a new bed.
Seeds
The procedure for growing seedlings from seeds:
- Shortly before the end of winter, seeds are placed in a container with universal soil previously moistened with a spray bottle. They are laid directly on the ground, without pressing.
- Cover the container with the seed film.
- Daily film is removed - to ventilate the landing.
- The soil is watered as necessary.
- When sprouts appear, the film is removed.
- When the plants appear a few leaves, the seedlings are hardened, and then planted in a permanent place.
This option of reproduction is not popular among gardeners, firstly, it is laborious, and secondly, when planting seeds there is a risk of losing some varietal qualities.
Mustache
This is the most popular method of reproduction among summer residents. Reproduction order:
- For propagation, mustaches choose biennial plants. Usually a mustache is removed for good fruiting. On the selected plants, the whiskers do not break off - they leave for divorce.
- When rosettes appear, their roots are slightly buried in the ground. The soil around the bush-sockets is watered.
- Sockets can be transplanted into containers so that they grow a little, and then transplanted to a new place.
Dividing the bush
The propagation method by dividing the bush is slightly less popular than the mustache. The procedure is as follows:
- Choose a powerful bush. Dig it up and divide the root into two or more parts.
- It is desirable that there is a heart on each separated part. Then the bushes are planted in a permanent place.
Seedlings
The easiest way to reproduce is to plant ready seedlings purchased at a specialized point, in a store or nursery. Seedlings are sold in two types:
- With open roots - It is advisable to immediately land it in the ground. If it does not work, the roots are immersed in water. Then, before planting, the roots are trimmed to a length of 7-10 cm.
- With closed roots. It is easy to plant such seedlings - you need to water it, and then transfer it together with a lump of earth into the landing hole.
Kimberly Care
The Kimberly variety does not require anything special - just standard care. The main thing is not to forget about the low frost resistance of the variety, and to warm the plantings for the winter.
Watering, weeding, cultivating
Immediately after planting, seedlings are watered daily. After the water is absorbed, the soil is gently loosened so as not to touch the roots. Drying and cracking of the soil must not be allowed. During cultivation, weeds are harvested along the way - they are easier to remove from moist soil. With age, the number of irrigations decreases.
Kimberly loves moisture - the soil should be moistened 30 cm in depth. In rainy summers watering is not needed, in hot weather the frequency of watering increases - bushes are watered every other day. Irrigation rate - 2-3 liters for one plant. The best way to water strawberries is drip irrigation.
Top dressing
Spring begins with the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers. They are introduced immediately after removing the shelter - cut dried leaves, loosen the soil, sprinkling previously nitrogenous top dressing. During the season, strawberries are fed three times.
Dates of application and composition of top dressing:
Application Period | Composition and doses of fertilizers |
Early spring | Fertilize with infusion of mullein / bird droppings (1: 10/1: 20), a solution of horse extract (10 l - 50 g), urea or ammonium nitrate (10 - 30 g). On the bush - 0.5 l of a liquid solution. We also recommend that you read our full article on spring strawberry dressing. |
Bud formation | Feed wood ash - 1-2 tbsp. l under one bush. Or a purchased mixture containing trace elements. |
Autumn - the end of the vegetative period | Superphosphate - 1 tbsp. Is poured into the grooves (depth 15 cm) made along the rows. at 1 p.m. |
To improve productivity, spraying is recommended:
- During flowering - a solution of boric acid (10 l - 1 g).
- In August, during the laying of the flower buds of next year, a urea solution (10 g - 15 g).
Do you need mulch?
Mulching is not mandatory, but it has an extremely positive effect on the state of planting and saves farmers from unnecessary labor. This agricultural event solves two problems at once:
- inhibits weed growth;
- retains moisture in the soil.
It is best to start mulching the soil during active flowering. Different materials are suitable as mulch - the soil is sprinkled with straw, dry grass, fallen leaves. On alkaline soils, sawdust and conifer needles are also allowed - they increase the acidity of the soil.
Before mulching, the straw and grass are dried in the sun - so that insects and weeds die.
Pruning
If the seedlings are planted before winter, all the foliage is harvested. A similar pruning is carried out annually at the end of the growing season - just before the frost. Thanks to pruning, the plant increases its power - its future productivity increases. To enhance the growth of shoots, the bushes are pruned harder - they leave only the stems.
Cut not only leaves and shoots, but also a mustache - during the growing season. This is done to direct the vital juices of the plant to the berries. If the mustache is not trimmed, there will be few berries. And their size will be smaller than usual.
The best option is to divide the bushes into two groups: for harvest and for reproduction. Or just spend one year on breeding — don’t trim the mustache, sacrificing a high yield.
Wintering
It is possible to refuse from Kimberly's warming in one case - if there is confidence in the presence of a large snow cover. Since there can be no guarantees in this regard, strawberry plantings must be covered.
As insulation use agrofibre, coniferous branches or special covering material. Straw and fallen leaves should not be used - they are full of larvae and rodents, from such insulation there is too much harm. You can’t cover the plantings with a dark film or cloth - plants are banned under them.
The best option for insulation is the construction of the arch with the subsequent tension of the covering material. Then air remains between the plants and the shelter - such a solution prevents freezing.
Kimberly Diseases and Pests
It is much more profitable to spray strawberries without waiting for signs of infection - if the plants start to hurt, they can be cured, in most cases, but yield losses are inevitable. An important advantage of Kimberly is the resistance to powdery mildew. This strawberry, in comparison with other varieties, suffers from this serious disease.
Kimberly's main pests are strawberry mites, aphids, nematodes, and strawberry weevils. Bushes affected by nematodes are almost impossible to save - a diseased plant is torn out and destroyed.
Pest and disease control measures:
- Broad spectrum insecticides spraying during leaf formation. Karbofos is usually used - 60 g are dissolved in a bucket, or Aktaru - 2-3 g. The drugs last 2 weeks, then the treatment is repeated. These drugs kill all pests - aphids, weevils, etc.
- According to a similar scheme, plants are treated with drugs for fungal diseases - on young foliage, and then after 2 weeks. Plantings are sprayed with systemic fungicides - Bordeaux mixture, Skor, HOM, Ridomil.
Preparations - insecticides and fungicides, are changed annually so that insects and fungi do not acquire immunity.
It is especially important to prevent damage by gray rot:
- Plant garlic between rows.
- Break dry foliage on time.
- Do not allow waterlogging of the soil.
- Remove weeds in time.
- Sprinkle with Topaz before flowering.
Other ways to control pests and diseases:
- Spraying with iodine solution - 10 ml of iodine are taken per 100 ml of water.
- Dandelion infusion helps fight pests - 0.5 kg of the plant is placed on a bucket of warm water.
- You can use garlic infusion. In 3 l of water, for a week, several frayed heads insist.
Scope of berries
An important characteristic of Kimberly berries is the density of the pulp. The fruits retain their shape well. They can be put in the refrigerator for 2-3 days without risking spoiling the crop. But the main destination of Kimberly is the dining room. Berries are eaten fresh. But nothing prevents them from making blanks - stewed fruit, jams and preserves. Freezing and drying is possible.
Grade Reviews
Nikolay E., Nevinnomyssk. The variety is excellent - harvested and tasty. And the berries are large. But there is a peculiarity - at the same time there are not many ripe berries on the bush. They sing gradually. And if you pick the berries all the time, then they do not fade - the first and last fruits are the same size.
Alexey I., Chelyabinsk region In our conditions, the berry grows excellently - for the winter, of course, we insulate. Berries ripen at the end of June, not particularly sweet - they see little of the sun. Taste for 4 points. Whiskers are not formed especially - but enough for reproduction.
Kimberly variety has so many advantages that just could not fail to interest gardeners. With the observance of simple agricultural technology, it is possible to achieve high yields even in harsh climates. A little effort, and a generous harvest of strawberries with a caramel flavor is provided.
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