A great many strawberry varieties have been bred now. But no matter what novelties gardeners cultivate, among the beds there are always old, unpretentious varieties that have been tested for years, possessing qualities that do not allow them to be abandoned. Strawberry variety Marshall was bred in the century before last, but now continues to be grown by amateur gardeners.

History of Variety Breeding

Strawberry variety Marshall was obtained by American Marshall F. Ewell in Massachusetts in 1890. He began to gain popularity after the Second World War, and fell to the hearts of Europeans. Due to its unpretentiousness, frost resistance, vitality, high yield and taste of berries, it continues to be in demand and grown in private areas, but for industrial production is no longer as relevant as before.

Did you know? Italians have found that strawberries help fight aggressive forms of breast cancer. Scientists believe that this berry reduces the activity of genes that provoke the appearance of metastases.

Description and Characterization of Strawberry Marshall

It forms a large, sprawling bush up to 20 cm tall with dense bright green foliage, developed roots and increased mustache formation. Large leaves have long petioles. Peduncles are also tall and straight, but fall to the ground under the weight of berries. During fruiting, it is not always possible to consider the fruit due to the density of foliage. Though, it should be noted that the berries of this variety are large in size and weigh an average of 30 g.It is recommended to transplant it to a new place after 6 years. The first fruits are the largest, some of which reach 100 g, then they are smaller, but not much. Their shape is somewhat heterogeneous, mostly in the form of a slightly flattened wide cone. The berries are bright red with a glossy surface. Juicy pulp of a lighter red tone, without voids, somewhat loose, loose. It has a pleasant strawberry aroma and a sweet and sour harmonious taste. Productivity is high - at the level of 1 kg per bush. Fruits in the first days of June, not a repair variety.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• Strawberry Marshall has many positive qualities:
• excellent taste;
• high frost resistance;
• ability to tolerate heat, drought, spring frosts and other adverse climatic conditions;
• long term of use of beds;
• good and stable productivity;
• a voluminous bush often clogs weeds so much that the need for weeding disappears;
• ease of reproduction.

• The disadvantages of this variety are as follows:
• susceptibility to diseases and pests;
• the rainy season negatively affects the plant and the quality of the fruit;
• berries are poorly stored and transported;
• unsuitability for freezing whole fruits;
• the taste of berries is not revealed in bad weather or insufficient maturity;
• constantly have to fight with a mustache.

Features of planting strawberries

For strawberries of the Marshall variety, you need to choose the right time and place of planting, and then plant it correctly.

Landing time

Planting time depends on the region, weather and the desire of the gardener. In the southern regions, strawberry seedlings can be planted in spring (early March) or in autumn (October). In another locality, strawberries are planted in late summer - early autumn. You can plant bushes in the summer, if it is rainy.

Choosing a place to land

Strawberries Marshall must choose a well-lit place. Even in the hot sun, large leaves of the bush will shade the fruits and prevent them from overheating. In the chosen place there should be no stagnation of water, dampness and drafts. Small southward slopes are preferred, but steep slides should be avoided.

Important! Strawberries should not be planted after or near solanaceous crops. It is better to return it to the same place in 4-5 years.

Strawberries love light nutritious soils and the best soils for it are chernozems and gray forest soil, sandy loams and loams are suitable. Most preferred is a slightly acidic soil reaction within the range of 5-6 pH. Too acidic soil is lime. The best predecessors for this berry will be greens, cabbage and other cruciferous, legumes and garlic.

Site preparation

The site is prepared a month before transplanting, or at least a couple of weeks before it. With spring planting, this is best done in the fall. The soil should be cleaned of weeds and debris and dug up with the introduction of organic fertilizers and sand or sawdust (if necessary, increase friability). 6-10 kg of humus, 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potash and nitrogen-containing fertilizer are used per 1 m². It is recommended to treat the soil from pests, weeds and diseases with ammonia water (1 kg / 5 m²).

Important! The center point of the strawberry bush should be just above the surface of the earth. Its deepening or too high position can lead to the death of the plant.

Direct landing

Strawberries should be planted in the evening or on a cloudy day. It is not allowed to leave bushes in the hot sun. If seedlings are used in containers, then they are well watered before planting.

The landing itself is carried out as follows:

1. Before planting, the roots of the plants are dipped for 5 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed. Too long roots are cut to a size of 10 cm.
2. At a distance of 40 cm, dig holes in the rows and make the same row spacing. Depth should correspond to the root system of the bushes.
3. The pits moisturize. If the bed was not fertilized, now the fertilizer should be added to the hole and then watered.
4. The bush is placed in a hole and neatly, but rather densely covered with soil and rammed. The roots should be straightened and not bent.
5. Planted plants are well watered with cold water.

Video: planting strawberries

Plant care

To get a good harvest of this sweet berry, you need to organize good nursing care.

Important! Watering and applying fertilizing should be done under the root, since moisture on the foliage can cause burns.

Watering and feeding

Planting with strawberries should be watered regularly from the beginning of May. The process itself is preferably carried out in the morning or evening hours. Drip irrigation is best for this. In dry weather, moisten the soil 3 times a week. In non-hot weather, watering is carried out 1 time in 7 days.

To get a good harvest, you need to make nutrients at least 4 times during the whole season:

1. In early spring. Apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers. For this purpose, nitroammophosk is well suited, which is used in a ratio of 1 table. spoon per 10 liters of liquid. Instead, you can use organics - infusion of mullein (chicken droppings) in a ratio of 1 to 10 (12).
2. During flowering. Make fertilizer containing potassium. A solution of chicken droppings with wood ash or potassium nitrate is well suited.
3. After harvesting and pruning leaves use nitroammophosco in the ratio of 3 table. tablespoons per 10 liters of liquid;
4. In August use urea at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters.

Soil care

Planting with bushes must be constantly loosened to improve the flow of moisture, nutrients and oxygen to the root system. Loosening of the soil is carried out after moistening the soil. Simultaneously with this process, weed removal is carried out, which draws moisture and nutrients onto itself, which negatively affects the plant culture.

So that the soil does not dry out and less weeds appear, it should be mulched. For this purpose, straw, sawdust, needles, compost and even cardboard are used. After this procedure, the berries do not touch the soil and do not rot, and also remain cleaner.It will be good to use agrofibre, then the need to fight with a mustache will still disappear

Diseases and Pests

Strawberry variety Marshall has a weak immunity. This plant crop can be affected by the following diseases:

1. Gray rot. This fungal disease can be detected by a grayish coating, which causes the process of rotting berries. To combat rot, chemical preparations “Fitosporin” or “Fito-plus” are treated.
2. Fusarium The disease is detected by brown spots on the leaves and petioles. In this case, immediately at the first sign, dig up diseased specimens and dispose of them. The soil where the affected bush grew should be watered with a strong solution of manganese.
3. Powdery Mildew In this case, a whitish powdery coating appears on the leaves, and they are deformed. For treatment, you can use folk remedies. You can carry out the treatment with a solution of milk and iodine (30 drops per 1 liter). The use of the chemical product "Topaz" also gives a good result.

Strawberries can be invaded by the following pests:

1. Nematode. Represents small worms (up to 1 mm). They feed on plant juice.
2. Weevil. These are small bugs about 0.5 cm. They affect the color and leaves.
3. Whitefly These small butterflies with white wings about 1.5 mm long, together with their larvae, settle on the back of the leaves. Usually live in greenhouses. Whitefly releases a sticky substance that provokes the appearance of fungal diseases. The larvae of such a pest feed on plant sap.
4. Strawberry mite. Such a small insect is found on the thinnest cobweb. When it appears, the leaves turn yellow and dry.

To control pests, chemical preparations such as “Karbofos” are used, as well as folk remedies - spraying with tobacco, garlic solution with the addition of laundry soap. The smell of planted next to the nails, marigolds, garlic and onions will help scare away these insects. We should not forget about preventive measures and clean the beds of old leaves, change the mulch, and carry out preventive treatments with Bordeaux mixture.

Harvesting and storage

Strawberries are harvested as they mature in the morning or evening hours. To keep the berries longer, they must be torn off with tails and put in wooden boxes, the bottom of which must first be covered with sheets of paper. It is necessary to pluck whole and intact berries, and rotten specimens must be discarded immediately.At home, a small amount of strawberry is best stored in a glass jar on the shelf of the refrigerator. Recommended temperature range for storage is +2 ... 0 ° C. Thus, strawberries can be stored for 3-4 days. Berries are good to consume fresh, but they are also suitable for processing. They make excellent jam, jam, compote, confiture.

Did you know? If an adult does not have allergies and other contraindications to the consumption of strawberries, then he can consume it up to 600 g per day.

Strawberry Marshall is distinguished by its endurance in adverse climatic conditions, gives good yields of delicious berries. She is unpretentious in care, but attention should be paid to protective measures against pests and diseases, timely remove numerous mustaches.