Summer is the time for berries in Russia. We follow them into the forest, grow them on our own suburban areas, we buy cute looking grandmothers in the neighboring market, or we are content with what the hypermarkets brought for us from abroad. We love berries because they are delicious and contain a wealth of vitamins. But this often happens: our native Russian language, coupled with historical circumstances, casts doubt on our knowledge of something. So in the case of berries: strawberries or victoria?
In fact strawberry Is a well-known herbaceous horticultural crop. The natural range of this plant is Europe. It is also grown there as cultivated plant. Victoria same - this is one of the names of garden strawberries. Strawberries are also related to strawberries: strawberries for her are hyponyms, i.e. the name of the plant genus in this case. So here's victoria and strawberries - different types one kind. Accordingly, they are similar in appearance, have similar taste characteristics, but differ in some parameters. For example, Victoria does not occur in the wild in nature. In our country, it is one of the most common cultivated berries, while real strawberries are almost never cultivated here. At the same time, the name applies to all types of garden strawberries, even those that are not Victoria, since this is the most popular type of this plant in Russia. Also strawberries have less large berries, but it is believed that they are sweeter and more fragrant (although it all depends on the specific variety, plant care). Strawberries do not spread on the ground, like strawberries, they are quite high even compared to the level of the leaves. Also, Victoria is a monoecious plant, and strawberries are dioecious (that is, male and female flowers are usually not located on the same bush).
Strawberry 
Victoria
Conclusions site
- Strawberries and victoria are plants of the same kind, but different types of strawberries
- Strawberries are grown more in Europe, while Victoria is grown in Russia.
- Strawberries and Victoria have some differences in the structure of the plant, such as the size of the berries (Victoria is larger), differences in the vegetative system, as well as taste.
In those immemorial times, when botanists were not yet subject to the desire to classify all the vegetation growing on Earth, there was either a shrub or strawberry grass. It was known as fragaria, which means fragrant in Latin. Over time, it was divided into species such as wild strawberries (Fragaria moschata), oriental strawberries (Fragaria orientalis) and forest strawberries (Fragaria colliana). At the same time, dioecious strawberries, that is, the one in which female and male flowers are located on different bushes, was called strawberries . Round form berries of this species and gave her the name: club - ball - nodule - strawberry.
Excursion into history
Somewhere in the early 17th century. from the eastern part North America meadow strawberries, later called Virginia (Fragaria virginiana), were brought to the territory of Europe. A century later, the Frenchman A. Frezieux brought to Europe from Chile several bushes of unprecedented strawberries (Fragaria chiloensis) with sweet fragrant light pink berries. One of the bushes was donated to the Paris Botanical Gardens, where it crossed with the appearance of Virginia strawberries. As a result of such a crossing, there appeared one that is well known to us from our household plots and is mistakenly called Victoria. The name "Victoria" took root and gained meaning for all cultivated strawberries.
Thus, not every strawberry is a strawberry, not every strawberry is Victoria, but beauty Victoria herself is a strawberry, as well as any other, in fact, a strawberry. In fact, Victoria is a strawberry variety named after an English monarchical person. It was brought to Russia by one of the first in late XVIII century, and therefore acquired the meaning of a common noun. In fact, over two thousand are distinguished within a species of these varieties! Among them are Alexandria, Baron Solimakher, Yellow Miracle, Lord, Victoria, Zenga Zengana, Bagota, Red Gauntlet, Festivalnaya.
The Victoria variety is cold-resistant and resistant to pests and other diseases. Plants are decorated with wide leaves of deep green color, form large and strong bushes. The berries are large, sweet, aromatic, bright red.
Victoria (strawberry) bears fruit once a year. On the territory of Russia, it is widespread in the southern part, cultivated on household plots and in horticultural farms for a long time.
Due to its rich taste, it is actively used in cooking, and the ability to retain useful substances for a long time has become the reason for its popularity among hostesses during the conservation period.
Soil preparation
They start by preparing the ground. You need to plant seedlings in the previously dug ground. For planting plants choose a flat area, preferably with a slight slope to the west. The site should be not blown by the winds, otherwise there will be little snow on the garden bed in winter, and the plants themselves will freeze in spring.
Victoria (strawberry): breeding secrets
For the ripening of berries on the bushes, as well as in order to avoid their rotting, seedlings are recommended to be planted in rows at a distant distance from each other. You can outline the beds with a rope attached to the pegs on both sides, so that the beds will be even and neat. Holes are made along the rope, into which the selected sockets are planted. For convenient plant care and berry picking, planting is done in a ridge 10-15 cm high.
Experts recommend breeding Victoria in May, and not in August, when a flowering rosette is planted in the ground.
In order to get large berries in the summer, it is necessary to select outlets with large inflorescences... You don't need to use Netherflowers.
The socket is dug out with a clod of earth in order not to damage the root system of the plant. Thanks to this, the plant does not get sick and quickly takes root in a new place. The first two or three rosettes from the mother plant are among the best for reproduction.
Strawberry Victoria: a description of plant care
Victoria (strawberry-strawberry) loves watering very much, it is necessary to water it at least 10 times per season. For getting good harvest seedling beds need care and treatment, namely the removal of weeds in the weeding process.
It is better to mulch the land around the bushes with straw, sawdust or wood shavings. This technique will keep the berries from contamination and gray mold infection. It is imperative to loosen the soil around the plants, to huddle in the event that their root system is bare. Strawberry care consists in digging out and planting rosettes with large inflorescences, discarding unusable rosettes with small inflorescences, without inflorescences or rosettes with a stiff root. Following the recommendations experienced gardeners, every year you and your family will rejoice bountiful harvest homemade fragrant strawberries!
The harvest for the gardener is joy and pride, because at this moment you can see the fruits of your labor. And if these fruits are sweet delicious berries, it becomes doubly pleasant. The most common berries in our country are strawberries and wild strawberries; the name "Victoria" is often used. But many gardeners don't even know the difference between these seemingly similar berries. So what's the difference?
The history of plants
Strawberries have won human attention many centuries ago; in Russia their mass cultivation in gardens began in the 14th century. Strawberry was originally a type of strawberry called "green strawberry". It is distinguished by its round berries, thanks to which the strawberry got its name - the berries are like balls. In the process of cultivating this strawberry in the orchards, a little later, a hybrid of green strawberries and wild strawberries was obtained, thus obtaining a fragrant nutmeg (musky) strawberry.
Having noted the excellent taste of this type of strawberry, according to the Tsar's decree, strawberries began to be grown in russian gardens along with wild strawberries.
But Victoria appeared relatively recently, in the 18th century, when in Europe there was an accidental crossing of 2 species of strawberries - Chilean (imported from South America) and Virginia, which at that time was successfully cultivated in Europe. In the process of crossing, surprisingly large berries were obtained, distinguished by a bright aroma. It was this first hybrid that was brought to Russia and was named "Victoria" in honor of the British queen. Victoria is also referred to as a pineapple strawberry.
Since then, a lot of time has passed and breeders have brought great amount different varieties strawberries, but many gardeners often use the name "Victoria" for all types of strawberries and strawberries growing in the garden, which is fundamentally wrong.
Main characteristics
Strawberry is perennial plant, fairly frost-resistant and easily cultivated in any climate. Strawberries belong to the Rosaceae family. Taking into account the varieties bred by breeders, strawberries have more than 150 varieties. The birthplace of this berry is East Asiafrom where it spread to Europe and America.
Strawberries have creeping shoots, called "whiskers", they root very easily. Root system not deep - about 30 centimeters. Leaves of complex shape, are on petioles up to 10 centimeters long. Strawberry bushes (musky strawberries) have the maximum splendor, their height reaches 30 centimeters, the smallest bush has plain strawberries, the size of which reaches only 10 cm.Flowering with white medium-sized flowers from May to July (until the first fruits ripen). The berries are of the “multi-root” type with numerous seeds on the surface. The color of the berries ranges from pale pink to deep red.
Common features
Chemical composition berries garden strawberry and garden strawberries are almost identical. They consist of more than 90% water and contain a large amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals and microelements.
Thus, there is no need to argue about which of these two berries brings more benefits to the body.
The content of vitamin C in strawberries and strawberries is very high, which makes them extremely useful for stimulating the body's defenses, as well as extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Vitamin A is good for skin and eye health, B vitamins are responsible for stress resistance and regulation nervous system... Microelements such as potassium, magnesium and sodium regulate the work of the heart, calcium and phosphorus is good for bones and teeth, pectins have a positive effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract.
Due to its rich composition, strawberries are excellent in the fight against such diseases:
- infectious and viral diseases;
- inflammatory diseases;
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- endocrine system diseases, diabetes of varying severity;
- diseases of the kidneys, liver and biliary system;
- inflammatory diseases of the skin.
Both plants have increased frost resistance and have similar growing conditions. Strawberries like to grow in sunny, windless places, preferably near some kind of fence, so that the garden bed is not blown by winds in winter. Strawberry prefers fertile soil, prone to decay of roots in wetlands.
Plants that are preferable to grow near strawberries - corn and legumes... Growing close to the nightshade family can be a challenge.
As for caring for strawberries, she loves loosening the soil and abundant watering. These plants are very responsive to introduction organic fertilizerswhich increase the plant's immunity and affect the yield.
How do they differ from each other?
Botanically, Victoria and strawberry have significant differences. For example, Victoria is a monoecious plant, that is, it is capable of self-pollination, flowers of both sexes are present on its bushes, which makes pollination easier, a lot of ovary is formed. Strawberry - dioecious plant, that is, flowers of the same sex grow on its bush, which makes pollination more problematic.
In order for strawberries to be successfully pollinated, it is necessary to have strawberry bushes with male flowers that will not bear fruit. An area where strawberries are grown should have at least about a quarter of male plants for successful cultivation berries. Due to the low yield of this crop, strawberries are not grown on an industrial scale.
The structure of the peduncles in strawberries and Victoria also differ. Strawberry flower stalks are above the leaves, directed upwards, bloom very profusely. Victoria's flower stalks are closer to the ground, it is advisable to mulch her bushes so that the berries do not lie on the ground. Victoria blooms are not as plentiful as those of strawberries.
On this basis, even in the spring, it is quite easy to distinguish strawberry bushes from Victoria.
The size of the berries for these two berries is very different, for strawberries the berries are small (up to 5 grams in weight), but very fragrant. Victoria has berries correct shape, large, with big harvestness, but by taste inferior to strawberries. The color of the berries is also different. Victoria berries, as a rule, have a uniform rich color, reaching burgundy tones. Strawberries are pale and may be completely white on the shady side.
The strawberry leaves are lighter in color than Victoria's. From this difference, it is easy to determine which variety of bushes grow in the garden. Victoria can be harvested for a long time, as this variety is endowed with the property of repair, unlike strawberries, which bloom and bear fruit only once a season.
You will learn more about the difference between strawberries, victoria and strawberries in the following video.
Variety "Victoria" was obtained through the crossing of garden and forest strawberries in Europe in the 18th century. First, Virginia meadow strawberries were brought there from America, and later - Chilean. By crossing these species, the breeders of that time received large-fruited garden strawberries and named one of the varieties in honor of the Queen - Victoria. It was the first variety of large-fruited strawberries that came to the territory of Russia. Therefore, it was this name that eventually stuck with all other varieties.
What is it, what does it look like and is it a strawberry?
Large red berries now growing in almost every area, many mistakenly call strawberries or "Victoria". In fact, these are garden strawberries, and real strawberries are rarely grown. Strawberry (from the Old Russian "ball, spherical body") is a dioecious plant - it has male and female bushes, which complicates pollination and care. At the same time, only females bear fruit, and males only bloom, without forming ovaries, and quite aggressively occupy space. Because of this, strawberry yields are much lower than that of monoecious garden strawberries.
In addition, real strawberries are smaller than garden strawberries, have a lighter flesh, and their berries rise above the bush. Strawberries have berries, due to their large weight and size, hidden under the leaves and hanging low above the ground - hence its name.
Strawberries are a heat-loving plant that loves the sun. And strawberries feel better in the shade. Of the advantages of strawberries, one can also note the fact that they are more frost-resistant. Features and description of the "Victoria" variety:
- large strawberry bushes, with powerful leaves of deep green color;
- the flowers are white and there are a lot of them on the bushes - about a kilogram of "Victoria" can be collected from one bush in a season;
- red berries with small seeds and pink pulp;
- the average weight of fruits is 10-15 grams, the largest ones reach 50 grams;
- to taste, Victoria berries are sweet (sugar content about 9%), slightly sour and very juicy.
The variety loves warmth and sun, ceases to bear fruit in the shade. This is another difference from strawberries. Frost-resistant, but in the absence of snow and temperatures below -8 ° C can die.
Benefit and harm
Victoria is extremely tasty and healthy. It contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals and saccharides.
- Victoria's antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties help prevent colds. It contains the same amount of vitamin C as lemon. Eating garden strawberries will help you recover several times faster.
- In case of cardiovascular diseases, it should be taken as food to lower blood pressure, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, cleanse the blood of cholesterol and prevent blood clots. Important! If enapril is taken to reduce blood pressure, then strawberries should be abandoned - such a "partnership" will complicate the work of the kidneys.
- Helps fight obesity not only due to its low calorie content, but also due to the high content of plant antioxidants - anthocyanins.
- Bones are strengthened by maintaining a large number potassium, magnesium, salicylic acid and deficient vitamin K. These components help keep bones healthy.
- Improving memory is due to the same anthocyanin. This is especially important for the elderly as a prevention of partial or complete memory loss.
- To reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, garden strawberries are dried and ground into powder.
- The high fiber content in the berry contributes to the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It soothes the liver and prevents constipation.
- Vitamin C helps maintain eye health. It prevents retinal aging, glaucoma, cataracts and night blindness. It also speeds up the repair of the cornea of \u200b\u200bthe eyes.
- The diuretic properties help to eliminate excess fluid from the body and prevent swelling.
- Anti-aging properties are also used for cosmetic purposes. Ellagonic acid in the composition protects skin cells from damage and wrinkles. Strawberry masks make the skin smoother. Contains in strawberries and vitamin B7 - an important component for beautiful hair.
Apart from all useful properties, it is worth noting and possible harm from the use of "Victoria".
- Garden strawberry is a strong allergen, so you need to be careful and know when to stop. Especially children should be given it in small amounts.
- Excessive consumption increases the acidity of gastric juice and impairs the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
- A low-quality product will also do more harm than good. You can check this by appearance. Good berries leave marks on the walls of the container. If no such spots are found, it means that the strawberries were abundantly processed with chemistry. If the flesh in the middle of the berry is white, it means that it contains a lot of nitrates. And most importantly - a rich aroma. If "Victoria" almost does not smell, then such a product should be discarded.
Planting and leaving
Growing garden strawberries begins with the right choice location, soil preparation and planting.
Victoria prefers sunny areas with light sandy loam soil. In extreme cases, loamy is suitable. Strawberries will not grow on heavy clay and swampy soil.
The site must be protected from strong winds and be illuminated by the sun all day. Erect high bed not necessary, since in winter this will lead to freezing and death of the root system.
The soil must first be dug up with fertilization. For one square meter 5-7 kilograms of humus, 20 grams of ammonium nitrate, 20 grams of potassium chloride and 25 grams of superphosphate are introduced.
It is recommended to make seedling holes at a distance of 30 cm between adjacent plants and at a distance of 40 cm between rows. This will prevent infection of all bushes in case of illness of any one, will facilitate maintenance and the bushes will be better blown with fresh air.
The depth of each hole is about 20 cm. Before planting, they must be well spilled with water.
Planting material you can buy in the nursery or take shoots from existing plants. Sockets are suitable only from healthy bushes from two years old, and you need to choose the closest ones to the mother. Dig up the shoots very carefully so as not to damage the roots, preferably together with a lump of earth. The dug out sockets are immediately placed in the prepared holes and covered with earth. Water the entire bed again.
After planting, caring for "Victoria" is reduced to watering, mulching, feeding, loosening, weed and pest control.
Watering is recommended only during dry periods, 1-2 times a week, with warm, settled water.Preferable drip irrigationso you can use a lawn sprayer. If there is enough precipitation, then “Victoria” does not need additional watering.
- Mulching is done twice a season. Immediately after planting, the soil is covered with sawdust, wood shavings, straw and grain waste. It is necessary to ensure that the leaves of the bushes are not sprinkled. The second time this season, mulching must be done after harvest. A layer of mulch prevents the development of rot in the berries, retains moisture in the soil longer and helps protect the roots from freezing in winter.
- Fertilization and feeding is done twice a year.The first time "Victoria" must be fed before flowering. As mineral fertilizer take 2 tablespoons of nitrophosphate, 1 spoon of potassium and 10 liters warm water... Organic can be fertilized every week. As such a top dressing, you can take a green solution from weeds or a solution from baker's yeast. To prepare a yeast solution, you need to take a spoonful of yeast, pour a liter of water, leave for a couple of hours and add the mixture to 10 liters of warm water.
- Loosening the soil is necessary to supply it with oxygen.Since the roots of garden strawberries are located close to the surface, loosening must be done very carefully.
- Weeds and whiskers are removed throughout the season.It is recommended to remove the mustache for better fruiting strawberries, and to prevent their overgrowth throughout the site. It is also necessary to remove all damaged leaves.
- Disease and pest control.Only white spot and strawberry mite pose a significant threat to Victoria.
White spot first manifests itself as red spots, then their center becomes white and holes appear. The disease affects not only the leaves, but also the whiskers and fruit-bearing strawberries. To get rid of the virus, the plant is thoroughly sprayed with Bordeaux liquid (1%).
This disease appears with excessive moisture, therefore, for prevention, it is important to adjust the irrigation processes. Before flowering, you can spray the bushes with a solution copper sulfate (3%).
It is not difficult to notice the appearance of a strawberry mite: the leaves wrinkle, dry and turn yellow. On the reverse side appears white bloom... In the fight against this insect, such means as Fitoverm and Omite have proven themselves well. You can also use the "Clean Garden" and "Zolon". Warm solution all the bushes in the garden are sprayed from these preparations, and after three days they are covered with a film. With the help of the greenhouse effect, it will be possible to achieve the destruction of all pests.
Preparation of "Victoria" for winter begins in August. For this, they stop feeding the strawberries, the extra mustache and sockets are removed, the earth is dug up between the rows. Closer to the cold, the beds are covered. For this, straw, coniferous branches and any organic breathable materials are suitable. It is not recommended to use synthetics, it can provoke plant decay.
Collection and storage
Victoria berries are considered ripe if they have acquired a bright red color right down to the tips. The fruits of garden strawberries are not stored for long, so the harvest should be done as needed. The best time is morning or evening. It is not recommended to pick strawberries after rain - wet berries will quickly deteriorate.
As a collection container, a low wooden box... So the berries are less crumpled and can "breathe". The best option there will be the use of several containers at once - this way you can immediately sort out large, small and slightly crumpled berries.
You can harvest the crop with your hands or with small scissors, cutting off the fruits along with the sepals.
Harvested crop need to be recycled as quickly as possible. Over time, the berries deteriorate and lose their beneficial properties.
Fresh "Victoria" can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. From berries for the winter, you can harvest jam, compote, jam and much more.
Freezing will help keep the strawberries fresh. To do this, the berries need to be washed, dried and put into bags or special containers. In winter, frozen strawberries can be added to baked goods, rubbed with sugar, boiled fresh jam or compote.
Victoria jam in five minutes
When using this recipe for a short time heat treatment useful vitamins are preserved in the berry.
For cooking, strawberries must be washed, peeled of sepals, covered with sugar and left for several hours. For one kilogram of sugar, two kilograms of berries are taken. After the strawberries let the juice out, you need to put them on low heat and bring to a boil. After boiling, cook for 5 minutes, periodically skimming off the foam.
Pour the finished jam into sterile jars and close hermetically.
And Victoria - many gardeners are very often confused about these names. Looking ahead, it should be said that in most cases this is what they call large-fruited strawberries. So, where these names came from and how to properly name these berries, this will be discussed below.
Strawberries are a genus of herbaceous plants, including both wild species: meadow strawberries and wild strawberries, and domesticated ones. For example, pineapple strawberries. Characterized complex leaves trifoliate and shoots spreading in different directions, which have the ability to easily root.
Strawberry flowers are bisexual. The root system is fibrous, located at a depth of no more than 20-25 cm. The fruits are complex, represented by false berries. The seeds are small enough, located on the surface of the berry. The flowering period is at the end of May. Fruiting begins in July.
Strawberry is the collective name for several related species. Most often, this is what the common people call large-fruited strawberries, obtained as a result of crossing of two wild-growing species - Chilean and Virginian strawberries. The word "" itself comes from the old Russian "club", which means coiled, round. Also, strawberry is often called a type of green strawberry. It grows in abundance in meadows and forest edges.
Victoria is one of the first varieties of large-fruited garden strawberries. It was first introduced to Russia in the 18th century.
It is a varietal variety of pineapple strawberry, which is widely grown as a fruit crop.
The name "Victoria" stuck very firmly on the strawberries. This happened for one simple reason. When this culture was first introduced to the territory of Russia, then there was only one of its varieties, Victoria. And when someone asked what kind of newfangled berry it was, they answered that it was "Victoria". Since then, this confusion has gone, the name of the species has changed with the name of the variety.
The main differences between strawberries and Victoria
For clarity, you can consider the main differences between strawberries and victoria. So victoria:
Strawberry:
- Has dioecious plants. That is, there are only female flowers on one bush, and only male flowers on the other. Therefore, when growing it, it is necessary to plant at least a quarter of male plants, which will act as pollinators.
- Uneven color of berries. On the sunny side, it is reddish-purple, with shaded pink or white.
- The weight of the berries does not exceed a few grams.
- Low yields. This is due to the male plants and smaller berries present in the garden.
- The crop is harvested only once.
It is these facts that will help you understand the berries.
Breeding Achievement - Dwarf
The selection of berry crops does not stand still. And as a result of crossing of two closely related species of garden strawberry and nutmeg strawberry, a completely new culture was obtained - the earthworm. It is characterized by tall and well-developed bushes and flower stalks that rise above the leaves, which, even when loaded with berries, remain upright.
Zemplunika has almost 100% knotty. Almost every one of her flowers turns into a berry. have a deep red color with light purple hues. Their flesh is dense with a light nutmeg aroma, the taste is somewhat reminiscent of wild strawberries.
The use of earthworm berries is universal. They are equally good both fresh and for processing. When boiled, they retain their shape well, practically without boiling. The ripening period of berries falls on the end of June and beginning of July.
While watching the video, you will learn about growing strawberries.
From all the above differences, the following conclusion can be drawn. Victoria is an old variety of large-fruited garden strawberries, which are most often sold in the market as strawberries. On this moment a lot of other more promising and productive varieties this culture. And the name Victoria has simply become synonymous with the species.
