Strawberry "Black Prince": variety description, photo. Black Prince strawberries - an aristocrat and a hard worker in your garden Video: we propagate strawberries by dividing the bush

Image copyright Matt Lieberman‏/Twitter

This photo of a strawberry cake is being actively discussed on the Internet. Why?

At first glance, we have just a picture of poor quality - perhaps the author went too far with filters.

In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated: the fact is that the red pixels are completely absent in the picture - which does not prevent us from seeing red berries.

The red color of strawberries exists only in our imagination: reason deceives us, since the berries are depicted on a blue background.

Things and colors look different in different lighting conditions - for example, under daylight office fluorescent lamps or in the soft lighting of a living room.

However, our brain independently corrects the image so that we still see red strawberries, regardless of where and under what circumstances we eat them.

This feature of human perception is called "color constancy".

"Your brain is saying, 'The light source I see these strawberries in is adding some blueness to them, so I'll automatically remove the blue content from every pixel,'" color perception expert Bevil Conway explains in an interview with Motherboard.

"And when you take the gray pixels and remove the blue, the result is that the image looks red to you," Conway explains.

Of course, we know that strawberries should be red. And it also helps the mind to correct the color of the image.

Then Matt Lieberman joined the discussion, posting on Twitter a slightly modified picture, which, however, also did not contain red pixels.

Many responded to Matt's post by adding gray rectangles to his picture for comparison. Carson Mall took color samples from several places that appear red to us and placed them on a white background.

Grey colour becomes more obvious if you consider each berry separately from the rest of the picture (for example, by covering the background in the photo with your hands).

Many people remember how in 2015 the Internet was divided into two camps, fiercely arguing with each other,.

Red-looking gray strawberries have a slightly different explanation, however, in both cases, we are talking about color correction, which our mind resorts to depending on the type of lighting.

This photo of a strawberry cake is being actively discussed on the Internet. At first glance, nothing special: just a picture of poor quality - perhaps the author went too far with filters.

Photo by MATT LIEBERMAN / TWITTER

In fact, everything is somewhat more complicated: red pixels are completely absent in the picture, but despite this, the human eye still sees red berries. The red color of strawberries exists only in our imagination: the mind deceives us, since the berries are depicted on a blue background.

Things and colors look different in different lighting conditions – for example, under daylight office fluorescent lamps or in the soft lighting of a living room. However, the human brain independently makes changes to the drawing so that we still see the strawberries as red.

This feature of human perception is called "color constancy".

"Your brain is saying, 'The light source I see these strawberries in is adding some blueness to them, so I will automatically remove the blue content from every pixel,'" the color vision expert explains. Bevil Conway in an interview with Motherboard.

Of course, we know that strawberries should be red. And it also helps the mind to correct the color of the image.

Then joined the discussion Matt Lieberman, posting on Twitter a slightly modified picture, which, however, also did not contain red pixels.

Many responded to Matt's post by adding gray rectangles to his picture for comparison. Carson Mall took color swatches from several places that appear red to us and placed them on a white background.

The gray color becomes more obvious if you look at each berry separately from the rest of the picture. Try covering the background in the photo with your hands.

In 2015, the Internet was divided into two camps, arguing furiously between themselves, what color is the dress: blue and black or white and gold.

A gray strawberry that looks red has a slightly different explanation, however, in both cases, we are talking about color correction, which our mind resorts to depending on the type of lighting.

Good variety requiring standard care

Grade: 5

Strawberries feel good in the Vladimir region, they normally endure long cold winters. But it does not respond well to prolonged drought and intense heat. The easiest way to reproduce is with antennae. On the bushes, they are formed powerful, and take root perfectly. Those that are closest to the mother bush are considered optimal. Depth of landing is of great importance. It is impossible to deepen strongly, and planting very close to the surface leads to the rapid death of the seedling.
Irrigation schedule is specific. Abundant moisture is required only a couple of weeks after planting and during flowering. During the formation of the crop, waterlogging leads to the ripening of watery, tasteless berries. In the fall, I remove all the mustaches so that the plants spend their energy not on their growth, but on preparing for winter. The organization of strawberry beds is unacceptable where tomatoes or potatoes used to grow due to severe depletion of the soil. The best option- in place of legumes or cereals.
The taste of the fruit is good, they are suitable for fresh consumption, for conservation and cooking. I tried freezing but didn't like the result. After defrosting, the peculiar aroma is lost, the taste is lost.

Grade: 5

Ripe berries look very unusual. They are dark dark red, almost black, with large quantity bright yellow grains. The fruits are large, have the shape of a cone with a blunt end. The pulp is always dense, has no voids and a large core. Sugar content and juiciness are high, the aroma is more reminiscent of strawberries. The safety of the harvested crop is phenomenal - up to 12 days in a cool room with good ventilation. Almost the entire crop can be transported from the dacha without loss. Berries do not crack, do not ooze and do not crumple.
The yield is consistently high, with standard care of at least 1 kg per bush. Strawberries are ideal for making homemade liqueurs, wines and liqueurs, they acquire an amazing aroma. Berries are distinguished by a high content of vitamin C and phytoncides. Eating it during the summer helps to significantly strengthen the immune system. The number of whiskers is moderate, you can do without their regular removal. Every year their number decreases. Each bush has many flower stalks that do not bend to the ground under the weight of ripe berries.
The strawberry mite poses a great danger. In the fall, I regularly inspect the bushes for the first signs of spotting, it is at this time that it appears most often.

Grade: 5

I have been cultivating strawberries Black Prince for many years, I bought them in the Voronezh fruit and berry nursery "Wonderful Garden". Good quality bushes then caught, now we breed ourselves, it breeds with a mustache, but seedlings are stronger from seeds. The variety itself is quite unpretentious, perfectly tolerates our winters, but I still cover it with straw. To drought resistance is average, I water regularly to get good harvest. The bushes are quite sprawling, I plant at a distance of at least 40 cm.
The berries are quite large. average weight- We have 30 grams, a beautiful maroon color, almost black, the pulp is sweet and sour, dense, strawberries can be stored for up to 10 days. Disease resistance is high, but very susceptible to the transparent strawberry mite. Fruits up to 6 years, then you need to renew.

Grade: 5

I bought myself a new variety of strawberries Black Prince for the experiment. I love sweet varieties, and this one is just like that. The bushes took root, for 2 years they grew quite large, tall. They don’t give much mustache, I saved everything and planted it on a new bed, over time there will be no mustache at all, only the old bushes. The berry does not degenerate over time, the harvest keeps good from the bush, does not shrink.
I liked the taste of the berries of this variety, it is really sweet. The texture of the berry is delicate, the skin is thin. The stalk is short and can choke in the hands when harvested, but I put this one in my mouth with particular pleasure. The aroma is very pleasant in the berry, for me it is the smell of summer. The color is rich, dark red, hence the name of the variety. I associate this color with a very ripe berry and causes appetite - when these berries are on our table, they are swept away in an instant and the very first.
Due to such a delicate texture, the berries do not hold their shape well during harvesting. I grind them with sugar and store them in the refrigerator, but I put other varieties with dense fruits in compotes or jams with whole berries. This strawberry variety is quite expensive, it is not as easy to propagate it as many other varieties, but this strawberry is worth it.

Grade: 4

I have several varieties of strawberries in my dacha, and Black Prince strawberries are the most convenient variety to care for. It is not necessary to renew the bed every 2-3 years, the bush grows well in one place for 10 years, and what is important - from year to year it does not begin to produce fewer berries or a smaller berry, but on the contrary, it only increases its yield over the years. I planted it once and that's it - a strawberry harvest is guaranteed every year.
The berry is tasty, sweet, with rich dark color. It is pleasant to eat it fresh, especially children love it, and in the form of desserts - jam, jam, compote, it turns out beautiful.
The variety is Italian, but it is quite ready for winter. I cover for the winter just in case, I don’t want this delicious variety lose. For propagation, I used strawberry whiskers, but she gives them only in the first years of life, you need to know this and not miss the moment, stock up on a bed especially for growing young plants in case of renewal. But you can buy a variety and buy it, it is found on sale.
Of the minuses, in reality the berry does not grow large, a maximum of medium size. The yield is also average, I have several beds of it, so that I have something to make blanks from. One garden bed is only enough to eat in season or for a change.

Grade: 5

I have an iron rule when planting strawberry bushes, there should be a distance of 20 cm between bushes and 60 cm distance between rows. Because the bushes grow and should not overlap one another with space. According to this principle, I landed the Black Prince.
I really like how the berries change their color as they ripen. At first they are white, then they begin to blush and turn scarlet, then more red and already, when the berry is ripe and ready to eat, it becomes burgundy, almost black. A ripe berry is very different in color from an unripe one. The taste of a ripe berry is wonderful, it is sweet, fragrant, fleshy, dense.
Also, the berries are large, so that the glass is filled, 7 pieces of berries are enough. That is, we have 15 rows on the plot, we harvest every day. Enough for us, and relatives, and for jam.
The most excellent thing about this variety is its remontability. She fructified at the beginning of summer, and then bears fruit again. The main thing is to have sunny weather. We water the bushes only during the flowering period. When there are fruits, we do not water them so that they do not absorb water, then the taste will be spoiled and the juice will flow. After eating fresh, the daughter's hands and face are dirty. This is the only downside.

In our country, gardeners are used to growing and consuming varieties of this crop that produce red berries. Today, however, white and other varieties are gradually gaining ground on the plots and plates of summer residents. One such variety is the Black Prince.

It is the fruit of the modern breeders of New Fruits, based in Cesena, which specializes in this particular crop. The fruits of this species are large, juicy in appearance and taste. It is a mistake to think that they are very dark in color in the usual sense of the word. No, the fruits have a dark red saturated hue.

By the time of full maturation, it actually looks like a black color. From a distance and in the shade, they can even be mistaken for black. But the seeds of strawberries of this still rare species are just really black. The seeds protrude strongly, so the strawberry is a little prickly to the touch.

Sometimes this berry is confused with the Black Swan strawberry variety. This is a frost-resistant strawberry, which, by the way, can also be bred.

Berry bushes of a rare species do not require special care compared to other varieties. They plant it in fertile soil, moderate watering and loosening - this is the main care for it. Interestingly, unlike regular strawberries, this species does not degenerate over time, but, on the contrary, its bushes produce more and more mustaches, giving more and more fruits. So you can safely plant black strawberries, popularizing it among gardeners. The taste of black strawberries is unusual, reminiscent of pineapple.

Garden strawberries - culture is almost mandatory on every garden plot. You will hardly meet a gardener who prefers to do without these lush green bushes with fragrant red fruits. And, of course, everyone strives to find exactly his own variety that will satisfy him according to all criteria for many years. It happens that in addition to taste and productivity, you also want to see something unusual, different from the usual. And here you can pay attention to the Black Prince variety, which stands out among others. A description of the characteristics of the variety and the rules for its cultivation will significantly help the gardener to get a quality crop.

Variety Description

The Black Prince appeared in the Italian city of Cesena, where he was bred through the efforts of breeders from the New Fruits company. Gardeners liked the unusual appearance and pleasant taste of berries so much that the variety very quickly began to gain popularity not only at home, but also abroad.

Name difference

Usually from gardeners in relation to culture you can hear the word "strawberry", which is not entirely true. Strawberry is a bisexual plant (having male and female flowers), which does not differ in rich fruiting, but grows very well throughout the site. It is easy to recognize these berries - they have a dark red color with a transition to white, a little hairy and have a pleasant musky aroma with an irresistible juicy and sweet taste. Their size is small, so gardeners only in rare cases specially plant this plant in the country. Most often it can be found in the forest, in glades and in the shade of bushes and trees, because most of all strawberries love shade.

Garden strawberries are a completely “domesticated” plant, which was created by man specifically for subsidiary farms, and does not occur in the wild. Of course, she always has good yields, and the berries are much larger. It tolerates drought well, and many varieties produce berries throughout the season (remontant). And the Black Prince variety should be called garden strawberries.

There is also strawberry - a forest plant, but often found on summer cottages. It produces small and extremely fragrant fruits, usually pointed cone-shaped. It is not difficult to recognize and remember it, because almost everyone who has been in the forests since childhood knows this wonderful berry.

Characteristics of the appearance and fruits of garden strawberries Black Prince

The fruits of the Black Prince are distinguished by their dark red (rather even deep burgundy) color, which at a distance is perceived as very dark, and in the shade you cannot distinguish it from black at all. That is how the variety got its name. However, it is not only the color that is remarkable.

The bushes are very powerful and prone to rapid growth. In height, they are even higher than all other varieties of garden strawberries. Sometimes they can be compared with others horticultural crops like potatoes or tomatoes. The leaves are medium in size, saturated dark green in color, have a slight relief. The shoots of this variety are almost erect, stand out for their height, and the fruits, when ripe, are at the very top, in plain sight. However, with abundant fruiting, branches with berries can tend to the ground under the weight of a ripening crop.

The berries are quite large (on average 45 - 50 g), cone-shaped, glisten in the sun. Very fragrant and have a sweet taste with a slight sourness. Seeds can protrude above the surface, which gives texture to the berries. The pulp is very dense, thanks to which garden strawberries can be successfully transported without fear of damaging the crop.

The black prince shows traits remontant varieties because it has an extended fruiting period. The first berries can be removed in mid-June (since the variety is medium-early), and fruiting ends in the last days of August. During the season, more than 1 kg of berries are removed from one bush, and with age, the plants begin to bring more and more yield.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of the Black Prince

Landing and care

Choosing a place and preparing the soil

Garden strawberries prefer open sunny places, but protected from the north wind, which in winter can blow snow from the beds, making the roots extremely vulnerable and susceptible to even slight frosts. ground water must lie at a depth below 60 cm, otherwise the roots will begin to rot. For the same reason, garden strawberries are not planted in the lowlands. Also avoid steep slopes, because in this case the moisture will flow down, not supplying the plants enough.

The variety is very demanding on the type of soil. Well suited for its cultivation sandy loam, gray forest soils, as well as light loams. It is useless to try to grow bushes on heavy clay and peaty soils, as well as muddy ones. After all, here root system even with good drainage, it will rot quickly. When grown on black soil, sand must be added.

Good predecessors for garden strawberries are legumes and cereals, as well as onions and carrots. It is not recommended to plant the Black Prince where cabbage, eggplant, and nightshade (tomatoes, potatoes) grew. Before growing garden strawberries, the selected place can be sown with green manure to enrich the earth with essential trace elements.

The soil is prepared 3-4 weeks before planting or in the fall, processing a layer of up to 30 cm. At the same time, rotted manure is introduced in a volume of 5 liters per 1 sq. m. Manure can be replaced with humus. Be sure to remove all plant remains from the ground, and in the future, make sure that weeds do not grow in the dug up area.

Soil acidity is important for the Black Prince variety, which prefers a neutral or low acidity. If the acidity level is increased, dolomite flour is added (for square meter consumed up to 300 g).

When and how to plant?

The variety is best planted in early autumn. However, in regions with hot summers, this can also be done from mid-spring (April to May). Bushes are planted according to the 40x50 scheme, since they tend to actively build up green mass, especially if they are periodically fed.

Before planting, the wells are shed with water (half a liter is spent on each). Then they take young bushes and straighten their roots. The so-called heart (point of growth, from where the bush throws out new rosettes and flower stalks) should end up 1-2 cm above ground level. There is a very simple way to check the quality of planting bushes - just pull lightly on any of them by the top, and if it freely comes out of the ground, then planting should be repeated.

After planting, the earth around each plant is compacted and watered. As soon as it is absorbed, the ground under the plants is mulched - straw can be used for this purpose. You can also use freshly cut grass. Many gardeners use covering material - spunbond or plain black film. Within two weeks after planting, garden strawberry bushes should be watered regularly (every day) and intensively.

As practice shows, the Black Prince garden strawberry can bear fruit for up to 10 years, if it is carefully and competently looked after.

How to water and feed

Garden strawberries need watering, during the post-planting period and during flowering, the bushes should be watered every day. The situation is quite different during fruiting, when daily watering will only harm the fruits, making them watery and unsuitable for storage and consumption. At this time, it is advisable to water the bushes only once a week, spending 10-20 liters of water per square meter.

Not every watering method is suitable for garden strawberries. Thus, sprinkling practiced by many gardeners, which usually has a positive effect on plant growth, in this case will have a negative effect when it comes into contact with berries and leaves. The crop from this will become tasteless, and the leaves in drops of water with direct sunshine may be burned. The most reliable, it would seem, watering under the root also has its drawback - water quickly washes away the top layer of soil, exposing the growing point of the bush, and at the same time the roots growing near the surface. The best way out of the situation is to dig grooves between the bushes and pour water into them.

Water temperature matters when watering. For example, using cold water it would be better to exclude, but the water heated in the day in the tanks (temperature about + 20 ° C) will become a pleasant growing condition for garden strawberries. That is why the evening hours are considered optimal for watering.

After each watering, the earth must be loosened so that a dense crust does not form on its surface, which prevents air from entering the roots. Mulching your garden beds will help retain moisture. top layer soil and relieve frequent loosening.

Top dressing is the factor that can make the bushes bear fruit for many years, if used correctly. Apply as a root (watering nutrient solutions), and foliar top dressing (scattering fertilizers on the surface of the earth or spraying), absolutely excluding chlorine in any form - garden strawberries categorically do not accept this macroelement. Half an hour before feeding, water the bushes, not allowing moisture to get on the growing points. When spraying the leaves of garden strawberries, especially carefully treat their underside, which absorbs the necessary substances.

Table: fertilizing garden strawberries

If you prefer to use natural ingredients instead of chemicals, then there are the following options:

• bird droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of one part to four, closed in a container and placed in a place illuminated by the sun. The resulting infusion after a week is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and used for its intended purpose;
• according to a similar principle, a solution is prepared on the leaves and stems of nettles, however, the proposed proportion here is 1:2;
• instead of fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus, wood ash can be used by pouring 50 g of it with a liter of warm water. The solution is left for a day, then filtered and applied.

Important care features

Garden strawberry care does not end after picking the berries. On the contrary, at this time, the crop must be monitored even more carefully, because the harvest for the next year will depend on your actions, and most importantly, the health of all the bushes.

Be sure to remove all old layer mulch, as over time it turns into a breeding ground for pests and various bacteria. Weed the soil and remove all yellow and dry leaves.

You can spud bushes and supply the soil with humus or biohumus. The roots of plants must be covered with earth. Loosen the soil well between the rows and water the garden strawberries with water (1.5 liters per plant).

Watering is carried out with an eye on the weather. With rare precipitation, water the plants at least once or twice a week. To save the bushes from various painful troubles, spill the beds a couple of times with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Remove all appearing mustaches, but the rest green leaves leave alone, they will become the basis for the new green mass.

When late fall sets in, provide additional warmth to the beds by covering them with spunbond or pine spruce branches so that plant roots can more easily survive the winter.

How to propagate garden strawberries?

Propagation of garden strawberries is not so difficult task. However, it all depends on the method you choose. Garden strawberries can be propagated in three ways: mustache, dividing the bush and planting seeds.

Mustache breeding

Variety Black Prince can reproduce with a mustache, but he builds them up in small quantities and only in the first three years of the life of the bush. The essence of this method is quite simple: you inspect the plant for the presence of a mustache with new young rosettes and choose those that are best developed. Then pin these sockets to pots of earth (it can be peat or plastic pots) and water well. After a couple of weeks, the outlet will have time to take root well in a new place, and after a mustache from mother bush get all the necessary nutrients. It remains only to cut it off from the supply channel and land it on the selected site, not forgetting about good watering. Garden strawberries planted in this way briskly start growing, and it does not need time to take root, because it already spends all the time in the open.

The division of the bush

Since the Black Prince variety will not share its mustache from the fourth year of growth, another method can be applied - dividing the mother bush. Usually, for this purpose, bushes are chosen at the age of two or three years, but in the case of the described variety, the age may be later. The plant is dug out of the ground and divided into several parts, each of which must contain at least one full rosette and well-developed roots, where new roots must also be present (they have White color). The resulting material is planted in the chosen place, watered abundantly and mulched.

It is necessary to use this method in spring or autumn, until the plant begins to bloom, or when it will gradually come to a dormant state.

Planting seeds

Planting seeds is the longest, painstaking and in a complicated way propagation of garden strawberries. However, if you manage to grow this crop in this way, you can safely consider yourself a skilled gardener.

Buy seeds in bags from well-known manufacturers, so you can count on a positive result for your enterprise. You can, of course, collect the seeds yourself, but they most likely will not retain varietal characteristics.

Before planting, it is advised to soak the seeds in Epin's solution - a couple of drops per 100 ml are enough. You can also soak the seeds on cotton pads - so they hatch faster. But usually gardeners practice direct planting directly into the substrate, which consists of humus (from leaves), river sand and garden soil(all elements are taken in equal proportions). Grooves are created in the substrate with an interval of 5 cm between them and a depth of 0.5 cm. Seeds are laid in these grooves (previously moistened), after which they are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. The container with seeds is transferred to room conditions and covered with glass. In the coming days, your task is to periodically pour water into the pan and remove the glass for ventilation. Usually, after one and a half to two weeks, the first shoots appear - it's time to expose the container to the sun's rays.

When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings will need to be planted at a distance of 2 - 3 cm from each other, while slightly shortening the tips of the roots to speed up their growth. When the plants acquire 4 - 5 leaves, they are again planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other.

A good option is to germinate seeds in peat tablets. Seeds are sown in the recesses that are in each tablet. All care will be to periodically add water to the pan. At the beginning of their growth, the plants will be supplied with all the necessary nutrients that are in tablets.

Growing garden strawberries from seeds has its own significant drawback: plants long time are at home and when transplanted to open ground may not take root if hardening has not been carried out. This procedure is simple - first, the seedlings are placed near the window (in April, the weather is most often cool outside) or taken out to the balcony for 15 minutes. Each time the hardening time is increased. Thanks to this event, garden strawberries will transfer transplantation to open ground without any problems.

Diseases and pests

The variety Black Prince has good resistance to a number of diseases characteristic of this culture. However, it is not uncommon for it to be affected by brown or white spotting. And these plants are just a tasty morsel for the strawberry mite. It is very important to know how to prevent these troubles or deal with them if they occur.

Table: characteristic problems of the variety