Strawberry variety Darselect

Darselect is a mid-early non-repairable variety of short-day garden strawberries. Bred in France in 1998 by specialists from Societe Civile Darbonne. To obtain were used varieties Parker (Parker) and Elsanta (Elsanta). This strawberry is very popular in European countries and is included in the list of the main commercial varieties in France. It is appreciated for its large fruit size, good yield, excellent taste and excellent presentation of berries. The variety is suitable for growing both on a personal backyard and in large areas for commercial purposes.

The plant is tall, erect, medium spreading, moderately leafy, with a powerful root system. The formation is average. The leaves are dark green in color, glossy, slightly pubescent, on long petioles. The flowers are bisexual, white. Strawberry flower stalks are long, located above the leaves, and tend to lay on the ground under the weight of the berries.

Darselect's fruits are predominantly conical in shape, but in general, they do not differ in uniformity - specimens are observed from elongated-conical to conical with a flattened blunt tip or rounded, sometimes crest-like ones can also form. By the way, the shape of the berries, as well as their size, depends on the climatic conditions of the season and the cultivation technique of the variety. The peel is red in color with a brick tint, elastic, shiny, under unfavorable stressful situations it can lose its luster. Achenes yellow, depressed to medium depth. The pulp is light red, juicy, very dense, but without crunch when biting, has a pronounced strawberry aroma.

Strawberry has a multifaceted taste with a perfectly balanced ratio of sweetness and unobtrusive sourness. The maximum taste of the berries is revealed when they are fully ripe, but unripe fruits are also very good, the taste does not predominate with acid, which is often the case with many commercial varieties. Thus, Darselect is very attractive for the market - berries at the stage of technical ripeness perfectly tolerate transportation, after harvesting they remain in their original neat form, very beautiful in appearance, and taste great. Fully ripe fruits also tolerate transportation, do not wrinkle or flow. They are versatile in use, suitable for any kind of processing, freezing, and, of course, for fresh consumption.

The average weight of Darselekt berries is about 20-30 grams, at the first harvest they are slightly larger - up to 50 grams. In general, their size and weight is extremely dependent on agricultural technology and growing technology, therefore it is more expedient to talk about such indicators: with intensive technology (abundant feeding and a full range of all necessary techniques), the average mass of strawberries will fluctuate between 30-35 grams, with moderate (without a lot of dressings and strict control over growing conditions) - 18-25 grams. The yield declared by the originator is 600-800 grams of berries from one plant, with intensive agricultural technology and up to 1 kg. According to gardeners, these figures are real and quite achievable, but directly proportional to the labor invested in cultivation.

Fruiting in Darselect is long and very stable, the berries are slightly smaller by the end of the season. Plants begin to bear fruit around the beginning to mid-July, a week or two earlier than Elsanta. Sometimes the variety can bloom again in the fall, but it will not tie a good harvest. There is one interesting point worth mentioning, especially relevant to those who grow strawberries for commercial purposes. The originator provides the following information: the productivity during harvesting is 17.5-25 kg / hour per person, while that of Elsanta is 11-15 kg / hour. To put it simply, the collection of Darselect is much faster and more efficient, and all thanks to the long peduncles, which make it easier to visually detect the berries.Another feature of the variety as a commercial one is a very low percentage of non-commercial fruits.

The variety is moderately resistant to various spots, root rot. Susceptible to verticillary wilting and powdery mildew, requires mandatory preventive treatments. Also very weakly resistant to strawberry mites and weevils. Our hero does not differ in winter hardiness either, he will not survive periods of little snow without shelter. Frost resistance in strawberries is also at a low level, covering materials are urgently needed in spring. Many gardeners noted that during spring frosts, it is Darselect that loses more flowers, while other varieties tolerate such periods relatively calmly. The plants are also unable to boast of drought resistance, and they may not survive the heat, moreover, the berries are baked in the sun. Therefore, it is extremely important to water the plantings on time and provide them with shading. Do not dismiss this nuance, since drought and heat will not only have a bad effect on the taste and size of the berries, they can really become fatal - without taking protective measures, part of the plantation can be ruined.

In general, according to gardeners, the variety is quite "tenacious", capable of recovering very quickly after various weather disasters. However, in stressful situations, yields can be significantly reduced. In addition, Darselect is very whimsical to care for and in exchange for a good harvest requires sufficient attention to itself. Consider the main nuances of agricultural technology in the list below.

• Strawberries are quite demanding on soils, they do not like carbonate soils, they will take root well only on fertile soil. Thus, before planting, the site must be properly prepared and the necessary fertilizers, both organic and mineral, must be applied.
• It is recommended to plant bushes at a distance of at least 35-40 cm from each other, no more than four copies are planted per 1 square meter. Excessive thickening leads to a decrease in the yield of the variety and an increased risk of disease.
• In the first year, the plants are unable to give a bountiful harvest, so gardeners recommend picking off flowers so that the green mass and root system develop better. Thanks to this technique, next year you will get a very good high-quality harvest. If you grow strawberries on an industrial scale and you need abundant fruiting in the first year, then foliar feeding and abundant watering will come to the rescue.

• Darselect is very hygrophilous and requires abundant irrigation. The best solution would be to install a drip irrigation system.
• Strawberries are extremely necessary for feeding, often foliar. The better you feed the plants, the more harvest you will get.
• For commercial cultivation, it is advisable to use strawberries in a two-year culture. The advantage of this variety is that it is capable of producing a bountiful high-quality crop for two years of use, while many other high-yielding varieties usually do not stretch to this level, as a result of which they are suitable for growing only in a one-year culture. Gardeners can replace planting material for 4-5 years of use, but the best option would be rejuvenation for the 3rd year. This is due to the fact that after the 3rd fruiting season, the yield begins to decline significantly.

In conclusion, let us summarize all of the above. Darselect has earned a lot of good reviews and is still actively gaining popularity among gardeners. Good yield indicators, excellent multifaceted taste, excellent presentation of berries, the ability to recover after unfavorable periods, the ability to grow in various climatic latitudes - all this is very appreciated by strawberry lovers. However, our hero also has significant disadvantages.Firstly, the variety is very demanding in care, it will not work to plant and forget. Secondly, the quantity and quality of the crop depends on the weather conditions of the season, but when grown indoors, this problem will not be a problem. Thirdly, in terms of yield, Darselect is slightly inferior to other popular varieties, but it continues to steadfastly hold on to competition at the expense of its other advantages. In a word, this strawberry is very good and in all its parameters is not worse than others, but it cannot be called especially outstanding. But she clearly deserves attention, so feel free to try to settle her on your site in order to evaluate her merits yourself.