Remontant strawberries
Remontant strawberries fruit all summer, but not so richly as ordinary species. However, they can be tasted long enough, from the mid-June till the late autumn, when other strawberries do not have fruits. They bloom at the same time in white blossoms (first blossoms appear in May), set and ripen red berries, so it looks very gorgeous. The most commonly grown species in Lithuania are: ‘Muir’, ‘Selva’, ‘Ostara’, ‘Hummi Gento’, ‘Rapela’ and the most productive of them are: ‘Selva’ and ‘Hummi Gento’.
Remontant strawberries are to be planted in May, into the clean, loose, good-quality “Ekodurpeta” substrate made of medium fraction, ecologically certified peat (pH – 5,5-6,5; EC – 1,0-1,2 mS/cm). It contains certified organic additives that grant the proper plant vegetation up till 6 weeks. Also strawberries can be planted into the universal peat substrate, made according to the special recipe, of ecologically clean, fine (0-20) or medium (0-40) fraction peat, enriched with food additives and trace elements.
Prior to the strawberry seedlings planting, substrate shall be aired and additionally wetted. 1-3 seedlings shall be planned into the pot, container or hanging basket. Planted seedlings must be watered. The first appeared blossoms shall be picked out, to let the plant strengthen. When the strawberry begins to grow the runners, it shall be started to fertilize with 0,2 percent complex fertilizer solvent Nutricomplex (18:18:18) every 5-7 days. It shall be constantly watered to keep the substrate wet.
Remontant strawberries grow many runners, forming rosettes and having strawberries on the first year already, so they look very nice planted in a larger standing pots or containers as well as in the hanging baskets. Runners without having place for roots taking, are leaning over the sides of the pot, growing the new rosettes and pluming with the blooms and berries garlands – it is very beautiful and useful, thus the large strawberries beds are not needed only a few pots.
Plants must be specially prepared for winter: cutting down the leaves (leaving 2-3 at the pith) and berry bunches. Prior to the firs frost, the pots with the plants can be dug into the ground and covered with the fir branches or left in the balcony well covered as the sprouts would not frost, as they do not prepare themselves for winter as usual strawberries. The other option, the young rosettes can be planted in the beds and replanted back to the pots in spring after the spent winter. Young plants grow and fruit much better, than the second year sprouts after the winter. Every two years the plants in pots must be changed with the new ones.
Remontant strawberries pyramids in winter
Ist option. When remontant strawberries can be taken out of the pyramid.
If the strawberries are not very winded with each other runners and can be taken out one by one or at least with the separate bowls of the pyramid, then the sequence of actions shall be as follows: first it is necessary to cut the strawberry leaves (leaving 2-3 at the pith) as well as the part of longer runners and berry bunches if any are still present. If the strawberries are put into the pyramid only with the pots, they shall be taken out and slightly dug into the ground and covered with the soil. Before the first frosts they must be covered with the fir branches and prior mulched with the peat substrate. Remontant strawberries sprouts do not prepare themselves for winter as usual strawberries and are more sensitive for cold. If the strawberries were freely planted in pyramid bowls and not in the pots, then the bowls must be taken out of the stand, slightly dug into the ground and further making the same steps as described above. Such remontant strawberries preparation for winter is reliable and simple.
Other steps shall be made, if remontant strawberries were placed in balcony and there is no place to put them outside for winter season. Then the strawberry pots must be placed in plastic, wood or cardboard box, poured with peat of wood sawdust and after the temperature drop, they shall be taken to cool basement and left for winter. If the basement cannot be used, the prepared boxes with remontant strawberries sprouts can be left in the balcony and after the temperature drop, they must be thoroughly covered using the fir branches, straw, thick blankets or old fur.
The pyramid bowls where the strawberries were freely planted shall be treated similarly.
IInd option: When remontant strawberries cannot be taken out of the pyramid.
Sometimes, densely planted strawberries, wind with each other with runners and it is simply pity to separate them. First the strawberry sprout leaves shall be cut (leaving 2-3 at the pith) as well as long leaning and freely hanging runners (all runners shall not be cut) and berry bunches. After the temperature drop (till 0 +3 oC) pyramid must be covered with agro textile from all sides. If to cover too early, when the temperature is still +5-8 oC, strawberry sprouts still vegetate and get whiter without the sun light under the textile and due to the lack of air, they are simply suffocating and can swelter.
At the first cold (- 2-5 oC) it is recommended to cover additionally the whole pyramid with fir branches or straw and during the winter to check once in a while if the quality of covering is good as in case of wind tearing them, the plants can frost. This method requires less work, but more care during the winter.
Therefore, the recommendation to remontant strawberries growers is to decide prior to the strawberry pyramid planting how you can and will protect them in winter time. The most optimal protection of remontant strawberries in winter time is snow cover, but expect that the pyramid will be thickly covered with snow before the frosting is not realistic at the prevailing winter conditions and therefore, the growers themselves will need to take care of strawberries heat and protection.
