Strawberry saplings Scala (Scala)

Late-ripening non-repairable strawberry variety Scala (Scala) – new 2019 from Italian breeders. Variety advantages: High yield, excellent strawberry taste and aroma. The berry retains its shape well during freezing and thawing, tolerates heat treatment.

Description of variety

Rock bushes fully correspond to their name: large, sprawling, with large light green leaves, strong abundant flower stalks (3-4 pieces per bush), powerful mustache.

Strawberry fruits are shiny, red-orange in color. For a late variety, the berries are very large: the first berry in the season reaches 50 gr., subsequent – 35-40 gr. The shape of the fruit is correct conical. Pulp – dense, pinkish red. Dessert strawberry flavor – sweet with sourness. Aroma – pronounced strawberry. Due to their high density, the berries are suitable for long-term transportation and storage, do not lose their integrity when boiled in syrup, frozen and thawed. Suitable for selling fresh and frozen, decorating desserts and cocktails at any time of the year, as well as making jams, jams, compotes.

Variety yield. Rock – late ripening strawberries. The main wave falls on July-August. Ripening and picking berries lasts up to 3 weeks. Up to 1-1.2 kg of fruits are harvested from one bush.

Planting and care

Due to the novelty on the Russian market, the Skala variety has not yet been fully studied for cultivation in different regions of the Russian Federation. However, he has already shown himself well in the southern latitudes and the middle lane. In regions with a cold, sharply continental climate and unpredictable return frosts, growing strawberries indoors is recommended.

In general, the variety is unpretentious in care, has good immunity to fungal diseases, shows a high yield even under adverse weather conditions, but at the same time low drought resistance – needs regular watering.

Planting. Strawberry seedlings of the Skala variety are planted in the ground in spring, summer or autumn:

• In the spring, they wait for the soil to warm up and the end of return frosts. At the same time, a plot for strawberries is chosen and prepared in the fall.
• Autumn planting is carried out a month before the onset of cold weather. The soil is prepared in 1 month.
• Summer planting falls in July, in which case young strawberry seedlings have time to take root and develop before the cold weather.

Spreading bushes of the Rock will need a spacious, wind-protected area, with enriched neutral or slightly acidic soil – light loam or black soil. For strawberries, a plot is not suitable where strawberries of a different variety, cabbage or plants of the nightshade family grew less than 3 years ago.

The variety is planted in a bush or trench method. In the first option, the bushes are seated in a checkerboard pattern, leaving a distance of at least 50 cm between them. With the trench method, rows are formed, maintaining a distance between rows of 50-60 cm, between bushes in a trench 30-40 cm.

The wells formed in advance are shed with warm water. Then the strawberry seedlings are lowered, making sure that the roots do not bend. Sprinkle with earth, which is slightly crushed. Then the planting is watered with warm water (1 liter under the bush), the root zone is mulched.

Irrigation. The strawberry variety Skala needs regular abundant watering. The first water supply is made in the middle of spring. By the beginning of flowering, watering is carried out 1 time in 7 days, in hot dry weather, plants are watered every 3-4 days. The organization of a drip irrigation system allows you to save time and effort, dose the water supply, and avoid getting moisture on the leaves and flowers.

Loosening and removing whiskers. After watering, the ground around the bushes is loosened to provide oxygen to the roots. Remove weeds as needed. Mulching the beds with black agrofibre will help prevent the growth of weeds and the reproduction of pests.

During the season, extra whiskers are removed from strawberries,  leaving a few of the strongest rosettes for propagation. Otherwise, the mustache will draw nutrients from the bushes, and the berries will begin to shrink.

Feeding

The large-fruited Rock actively takes nutrients from the soil, so their reserves need to be replenished. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied in early spring. In summer, before flowering and during the formation of ovaries, phosphorus and potassium complexes are added to increase productivity. In autumn, plants are watered with a solution of ash.

Preparing for winter.

Skala variety withstands cold temperatures up to –23°C. In cold regions, the site for the winter is covered with mulch (sawdust, coniferous spruce branches, straw). Special agrofiber or film will help to reliably protect strawberry planting from freezing.

Preparations