Aprica strawberry variety
Aprica is a promising Italian variety of garden strawberries (strawberries) of early ripening for universal use. It was bred in Italy, originated by a consortium of Italian nurseries (CIV). The delightful novelty quickly gained popularity and was named one of the best in the segment of early maturing varieties. And here's why: the plants give a very generous harvest, have excellent resistance to diseases and adverse weather events, are not too demanding on the composition of the soil, and also feel good in a continental climate, tolerate frost and heat well. But the main thing in the beautiful Aprica is her berries. The novelty gives a first-class marketable crop, which is distinguished not only by its chic appearance, but also by its excellent taste. In short, this Italian woman is truly capable of capturing the hearts of not only farmers, but also amateur gardeners.
The plant is quite compact, tall, medium spreading, sufficient foliage. Bushes are slightly rounded. Leaves are large to medium in size, erect, bright green. Usulation is moderate. Strawberry flower stalks are long, rather thick, powerful, located at the level of the leaves or below. The flowers are not large, but they contain a large amount of pollen. The variety boasts excellent pollination and always sets a lot of fruits.
The berries are large, very beautiful, as they say, one to one. The shape of the fruit is correct, conical, stable throughout the entire fruiting period. The peel is a deep, bright red color with a glossy sheen that does not fade during storage and transportation of the crop. Achenes are yellow, medium-sized, occur at a medium depth. The pulp is firm, but not firm, juicy, aromatic.
Aprica's palatability has become a big controversy. The variety has recently appeared on the market, therefore its potential in different climatic conditions and with different agricultural background has not yet been fully studied. For example, German farmers believe that the taste of this variety is too simple, and therefore strawberries will not be in demand in the market. Kraege experts rated Aprica's taste by 4.3-5 points out of nine possible, and the suitability of the berries for storage - 6.8-7.3 points. At the same time, in Poland, this variety is equated with dessert, highly praising its taste. Gardeners also differ widely. Summarizing all the available reviews, we can say that the berries are sweet, have a balanced pleasant taste and a delicate strawberry aroma. Perhaps this Italian woman does not have a "zest", and the taste of strawberries may indeed turn out to be mediocre, but this depends on the preferences of the consumer.
Aprica berries perfectly tolerate transportation and storage, thanks to their dense skin and pulp, they do not flow or wrinkle, while maintaining a gorgeous presentation. The variety is recommended for commercial cultivation, as it is in high demand due to its excellent appearance and uniformity of berries in the total mass. The fruits are universal in use, good fresh, as a decoration for desserts, they also perfectly tolerate freezing, do not lose their shape when defrosting. The crop is suitable for any kind of processing.
The average weight of berries in the season is about 25-30 grams, at the first harvest, the weight of the fruits is slightly larger - 30-40 grams. Giants in this Italian are extremely rare, the size of the berries is very stable throughout the entire fruiting period. Aprica also does not sin with a shallow crop, although, of course, at the last harvest, the size of the fruits will be slightly smaller. This strawberry boasts a high yield of first class berries, which is a very valuable indicator for commercial cultivation.
The strawberry yield is high - up to 1.1 kg per bush. Do not forget that the productivity of plants is highly dependent on agricultural technology.And it should also be noted that the 1 kg per bush promised by the sellers of seedlings is a really serious bar for a non-repaired variety. Not every variety of neutral daylight hours is capable of producing this result. According to German farmers Kraege, Aprica's productivity is 6.8-7.3 points out of 9.
Strawberries begin to ripen early, although some sources classify the variety as medium early for no apparent reason. According to official data, the first harvest of Aprica begins 4-5 days earlier than the early ripening Clery... Thus, the collection period lasts from the last decade of May to the second decade of July. Fruiting is stable, the berries ripen evenly.
The variety has excellent resistance to negative natural phenomena. It tolerates return frosts well, and in general it is quite resistant to cold weather, unlike some other Italian novelties. However, it is too early to draw conclusions about its frost resistance and winter hardiness, since this strawberry came to the Russian and Ukrainian markets quite recently. Gardeners also note that the leaves shade the berries well, so the harvest is not baked in the sun, and the plants themselves tolerate heat and sun very well, without reducing productivity. The variety is also not particularly sensitive to rains and cold snaps - the berries do not lose their sweetness, do not rot.
Aprica's immunity is very good, the plants are resistant to diseases of the root system, various spots, rot and powdery mildew. However, one should not neglect preventive measures. Due to its excellent resistance to various natural factors, the variety does not require a large number of treatments, even in seasons with unfortunate weather conditions.
It is worth noting the great advantage of the Italian novelty - it can grow on depleted soils with a poor composition, or on heavy soils. But, of course, the productivity of plants in such conditions will not be high. Also, the Italian is very unpretentious in agricultural technology, it can be an excellent option for those who cannot devote much time to their plantings. Again, the yield will depend very much on the level of the agricultural background, so do not flatter yourself. In short, the more you take care of your strawberries, the more responsive you will get. In any case, the variety does not require excessive attention, abundant feeding and processing. Recommended for outdoor cultivation and greenhouses. Indoors, it is cultivated less often and, judging by the available information, in such conditions, its potential is significantly reduced.
Summing up, it should be said that Aprica has become a very striking addition to the range of early maturing varieties. Italian breeders have made strawberry lovers very happy lately, and Aprica is proof of this. Already a very good novelty came out that can please both farmers and amateur gardeners. At the moment, she has only one drawback - the high price of planting material.
