Description of the variety
A productive, infection-resistant, day-neutral, medium-ripening variety produces large, sweet fruits that are used for preservation and consumed fresh. Strawberry Aromas got its name due to its rich strawberry amber.
Bushes
Erect (raised habit is one of the characteristic features of the variety) bushes grow compactly, reaching a height of 40 cm. They have well-developed roots. The leaves are rounded, framed with teeth, raised above the ground. The growth of new foliage is intense. The peduncles are large, forming up to 50 fruits. The educational ability is high.
Berries
The average weight of the fruit is about 30 g; there are specimens larger than 40 g. The shape can be heart-shaped or conical. The color of the skin is bright red; during the ripening process, the berry darkens greatly. The fruits have a dense consistency (a little more tender than Albion), without voids, glossy, and store well. Can be transported in a breathable container over long distances.
Flavor characteristics vary at different degrees of ripeness. The ratio of sweetness and sourness depends on the care and climate of the growing region. On loams, carbonate soils, and pH imbalance, the berry is sour.
The darker the color of the fruit, the more intense the flavor of the aroma. The taste of Aroma is very similar to another popular strawberry variety - Honey.
Berries picked in the fall take longer to ripen, as they receive less light and heat. They are sweeter in taste and rich in aroma. This is a distinctive feature of Aromas among other remontant varieties
Productivity
Depending on the region, the first wave of fruiting occurs in mid-May or early June. The first fruits are few, but in the next wave 50-60% of the harvest ripens. The rest is in the fall. If the plant has been given due attention, then during the season the bush will produce 700-1200 g of fragrant berries.
Purpose and use of strawberry Aromas
The variety is suitable for both processing and fresh consumption.
- Due to the good yield, high transportability and keeping quality of Aromas berries, it is suitable for commercial production.
- Late ripening will please summer residents and gardeners, prolonging the pleasure from wonderful berries.
- It is good to use Aromas for freezing, providing yourself with vitamins for a long time.
- The NSD variety is better suited than others for growing at home on a windowsill and can please people who do not have land.
Growing remontant strawberries at home differs from growing them in the garden. To plant plants, you need containers or pots of a certain volume, prepared or purchased soil, and your own watering and fertilizing regimes. If you grow strawberries at home, you can enjoy the berries all year round.
a brief description of
Advantages of the variety
The strawberry variety Aromas began its march across European countries and the territory of the post-Soviet space recently, but has managed to establish itself well thanks to its many advantages:
- When fully ripe, the berries are sweet and aromatic;
- possibility of year-round cultivation under film;
- raised habit of the bush, which is convenient for loosening, fertilizing, and watering;
- good heat resistance;
- high transportability of the crop;
- resistance to many diseases, high resistance to mildew (downy mildew) and spider mites;
- high performance with proper care.
Disadvantages of the variety
- at the stage of technical ripeness, hard pulp;
- may chlorose on carbonate soils;
- the dependence of the taste and density of the berries on watering, soil composition and the presence of sunny days;
- Even with their high heat resistance, without watering the berries will become sour, and the plants themselves may die.
Video Review
Remontant strawberries are very popular among summer residents and gardeners. This is not surprising - by planting such plants, you can enjoy the aroma and taste of juicy sweet berries in late summer and even autumn. The Aromas variety is valued for its resistance to pests and diseases, productivity, as well as for its large fruits, suitable for harvesting and fresh consumption.
Landing
Aromas strawberries can be planted under a film and as a hanging balcony crop all year round. In open areas, planting is done on cloudy days in the last days of August and early September. In the south, planting can be done until the end of October. In spring, strawberries are planted immediately after the soil warms up to +15℃. Another option is to plant in the summer, at the end of July. Summer bushes have time to develop well before winter and will bear full fruit the next season.
Well-chosen neighbors in the area will help in the future to avoid many strawberry diseases, and also help increase productivity:
- marigolds will protect against nematodes;
- fennel will prevent the appearance of snails in the beds;
- onions and garlic act as natural disinfectants.
Peas and beans planted in the area in front of the strawberries will enrich the soil with microelements and form a loose structure. Good plant development is guaranteed by proper soil preparation:
- Acidic soils are limed in advance or dolomite flour is added to them, which, in addition to neutralizing acidity, will enrich the soil with magnesium.
- At least a month before planting the seedlings, the bed is dug up using a spade.
- Simultaneously with digging, 10 kg of humus, 2 cups of wood ash, 60 g of superphosphate are added per square meter of area; 40 g of potassium sulfate.
Aromas loves space and sun. Despite the fact that the bushes are not spreading, it is not recommended to thicken the beds. Aromas are often grown in a cascade method and used for landscaping fences. It should be taken into account that Aromas produces numerous rosettes, which also bear fruit.
Recommended planting pattern:
- 30 cm between plants;
- 50 cm between rows.
The first 10 days after planting the plants, daily watering is required, then they switch to the usual regime.
Garden strawberries Aromas are great for growing on a windowsill and can even please you with a tasty harvest all year round even in apartment conditions.
Agricultural technology
To get a consistently high strawberry harvest, you need to know cultivation techniques.
Predecessors and neighbors in the garden
Strawberries NSD greatly deplete the soil. When growing the Aromas variety in one place, it is impossible to achieve good yields; crop rotation is necessary. The best precursors for culture are:
- green manure (rapeseed, oats, phacelia, vetch, winter rye, buckwheat, lupine);
- legumes;
- greens (lettuce, celery, parsley);
- from vegetable crops - carrots, beets, onions, garlic, radishes, radishes.
Bad predecessors for strawberries are berry crops that are susceptible to the same diseases: currants, raspberries and gooseberries. Plants that require large amounts of nutrients are also not suitable. So, the following will be unsuitable:
Well-chosen garden neighbors will help avoid strawberry diseases, increase and preserve the harvest. Marigolds will repel nematodes, parsley and other aromatic herbs will repel snails and slugs, legumes will enrich and loosen the soil, and onions and garlic will disinfect.
Soil preparation
One of the main conditions for ensuring high and stable strawberry yields is timely soil preparation. Acidic soils with a pH below 5.5 must be limed a year or two before planting the berry. 1–2 weeks before planting the seedlings, dig up the soil to a depth of 20–25 cm, break up the lumps, and level the surface. Then organic and mineral fertilizers must be added. For 1 m2 add:
- up to 10 kg of compost;
- 0.5 liters of wood ash;
- 50–70 g superphosphate;
- 20–30 g of potassium sulfate.
Planting and propagation
Growing Aromas strawberries has one significant drawback: the bushes age quickly. It makes no sense to replant adult plants of a remontant variety, since they are short-lived even with very good care, so you need to renew the berry garden every 2-3 years.
Video: seedlings from seeds
Strawberry propagation methods:
The simplest option is propagation by layering. With sufficient watering, the mustache grows throughout the summer, especially abundantly at the end of August, when the temperature drops. You can plant seedlings all season, starting in July. The beds must be mulched with straw, sawdust, and agrofibre. Do not use hay, moss, leaves or freshly cut grass.
After planting strawberry seedlings, daily watering is required for the first two weeks (at least 0.5 liters per plant). Then you need to water less often, every other day is enough.
The compact size of the Aromas bush allows you to plant more plants
Planting strawberries on spunbond greatly simplifies the process of growing strawberries. Using this method, you can get the first harvest a week earlier and prevent the development of weeds.
Growing and care
Growing the variety is no more difficult than other remontants, with the only caveat: you cannot leave the beds with Aromas to chance, you will not get a high-quality harvest.
Watering
Strawberries are a moisture-loving crop and require regular irrigation, at least once a week. In hot weather, watering is done every day or every other day.
Lack of water, as well as waterlogging, negatively affect the taste characteristics and texture of berries, as well as the volume of the harvest. If there is a lack of moisture, the fruits will be dry and sour; if they are waterlogged, they will begin to rot.
Loosening, weed control
Weed control begins at the soil preparation stage. The roots of perennial weeds are carefully selected. Weeding is combined with loosening. Loosening should be carried out superficially to a depth of no more than 3-4 cm, otherwise there is a risk of damage to the root system. Planting on spunbond simplifies the process of caring for strawberries. Thanks to this modern mulching material, it is possible to prevent the development of weeds, as well as protect fruits from rotting, which often occurs upon contact with wet soil.
Removing a mustache
The plant produces a lot of tendrils. There will be no problems with reproduction. It is best to divide the berry garden into fruiting bushes and mother bushes. Remove all peduncles from the uterine plants and leave the mustaches of the first order, and remove absolutely all the mustache from the fruiting ones.
Top dressing
Regular feeding is important for the Aromas variety. Otherwise, the bushes may not be able to withstand continuous fruiting and die. It is recommended to adhere to the following scheme:
- In spring, nitrogenous fertilizers are needed - solutions of mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20). A bucket is enough for 12-15 strawberry bushes.
- During flowering, you can use ready-made complex fertilizers, for example, Plantafol or AVA, according to the instructions.
- During the summer, every 2 weeks the plant is fed with preparations high in potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The last potassium-phosphorus fertilizing is done in the fall.
When caring for Aromas strawberries, it is necessary to combine root and foliar types of fertilizing. Treatments are carried out in the evening, early in the morning or during the day, but only in cloudy weather.
Disease and pest control
Strawberry Aromas is immune to most infections and many pests. Resistant to powdery mildew, spotting, anthracnose, and spider mites.
Taking into account the continuity of fruiting, preventive measures are carried out using folk remedies. Otherwise, it will not be possible to obtain environmentally friendly products.
In early spring, mustard powder is scattered between the bushes, which will discourage slugs from eating strawberries during the season. During periods of prolonged rain, the beds are sprayed with a faint pink solution of manganese.
If the garden plot is densely planted and folk remedies cannot be used, fungicide treatments are carried out at the end of October or early spring, immediately after the snow melts
Preparing for winter
Aromas is a variety of medium winter hardiness. In the south there is no need to cover plants. In the northern regions of Russia, the assortment needs shelter. To ensure that the bushes go into the winter prepared, flowers and fruits are removed and damaged leaves are cut out at the end of September. The beds are mulched with compost or rotted manure. When frost sets in, they are additionally covered with agrofibre or other breathable material, for example, spruce branches.
Reviews
Don’t get confused when buying planting material - there is the “Aroma” variety - it is disposable, and there is the “Aromas” - this is neutral.
I have Honey, Aromas, Selva, Diamond, Albion in my arsenal. I tried to create a berry conveyor out of them. First, Honey bears fruit, then Diamond, then Aromas. Aromas is more productive than Diamant and Albion and larger-fruited than Selva.
I left the first two from the San Andreas, Albion and Aromas line. In my case, they are more productive and large-fruited. The taste is also the same. Now, if Aromas tasted like French varieties, then of course there would be no price for it.
Aroma is a neutral medium-ripening variety that can reveal its autumn potential in a warm region and compete with any late variety. Good stability and productivity will not leave anyone, even the most experienced, gardener indifferent.
