Fleur strawberry variety
Fleur is a non-repairable variety of garden strawberries (strawberries) of a very early ripening period, universal use. It was bred in the Netherlands in 2004 by specialists from Flevoplant B.V. The author is Marcel Suiker. At the time of its appearance, the novelty stirred up the strawberry market, forcing the attention of many farmers and gardeners. She squeezed out such "giants" of the assortment as Honey and Clery, gained particular popularity in the countries of Scandinavia, in northern and central Germany. However, over time, Fleur lost ground a little. Recommended for cultivation both for personal consumption and for selling berries to the market, equally suitable for cultivation both in open and protected ground, in tunnels and greenhouses.
The plant is vigorous, multi-grooved, tall, moderately leafy, open type, very compact. In height, strawberry bushes reach 20-25 cm, in diameter - 40-45 cm. Leaves are medium-sized, with a serrated edge, bright green in color. The petioles are long and strong. The flowers are quite large, about 3-4 cm in diameter, five-petalled, white in color. The peduncles of the variety are powerful, 10-16 cm long, located at the level of the leaves, and lie on the ground under the weight of the harvest.
Fleur berries are medium and large in size, regular elongated-conical shape, in the total mass are very one-dimensional, as for selection. The peel is a deep red color, when fully ripe, it acquires a dark red hue, with a very intense shine. Achenes yellow, small, depressed to medium depth. The pulp is light red, dense, juicy, aromatic. There may be voids inside the fruit. Our heroine has the highest Brix (the amount of sugar in the pulp) among the early ripening varieties (data for 2012, Great Britain).
The taste of the variety is very good, the berries are sweet, with a slight unobtrusive hint of sourness, with a multifaceted aftertaste and a wonderful aroma, playing with strawberry and fruit tints. Not all gardeners and farmers highly appreciated the taste of this strawberry, however, the problem most likely lies in improper agricultural practices, or in unfavorable weather conditions of the season. Fleur fruits are universal in use, are equally good both fresh and processed, suitable for freezing, perfectly decorate desserts. They calmly tolerate transportation over short distances and short-term storage, but long-distance transportation will survive rather badly - the presentation will deteriorate, the fruits will darken and "dry up". This is what the originator says, but in fact, everyone has it differently, someone successfully transports the crop over long distances, others do not dare. Of course, the timing of harvesting also plays a role here - overripe berries do not tolerate transportation worse.
The average weight of fruits in the season is 30-35 grams, Fleur is distinguished by the uniformity of the size and shape of the berries, besides, ripening occurs amicably, the plants yield the harvest in a short time, the fruiting is stable, the berries do not shrink by the end of the season. The variety is called ultra-early, it ripens 2-5 days earlier than Clery and 10 faster Darselect, around mid-May. However, it should be said that in different regions our hero can behave differently, for example, in Central Russia he can already be called mid-early - ripening begins around the beginning of June and even later. The strawberry yield is average, about 500 grams of berries per bush, but with intensive agricultural technology it can be even higher. According to reviews, indeed, this variety is not the most high-yielding, but this nuance is more than covered with excellent taste and early amicable ripening.
The variety is relatively resistant to powdery mildew, more sensitive to it at the end of the fruiting season. Moderately resistant to late blight and verticillary wilt. Plants are very sensitive to herbicide treatment.In general, Fleur's immunity is quite relative, in someone she is affected by spots, is prone to root rot, in a word, do not forget about timely high-quality prevention in order to avoid surprises. Strawberries are relatively winter-hardy, in cold regions they require good shelter in winter, the same applies to spring - return frosts can damage the flowers. However, there is one interesting nuance - the variety prefers low temperatures during the formation of the crop, when the fruits are still green. In such conditions, the berries gain size and density better.
The heat resistance of the variety is extremely low, high temperatures and sunshine can leave you without a good half of the harvest - the plants drastically reduce productivity, and the fruits are baked in the sun and turn, as they say, into compote. The drought resistance of strawberries is also low; planting should be ensured with regular watering. In general, it should be said that Fleur is quite sensitive to various weather disasters, and she will not show good results in all regions. The best option would be to grow in greenhouses under controlled conditions.
The variety is very whimsical to care for, picky about the soil, needs constant attention. In principle, agricultural technology is quite standard, but it is important that all basic activities are carried out efficiently and on time. You will have to work very hard to achieve really great yields. From the nuances, a couple of points can be distinguished, otherwise the agricultural technology is typical for the culture as a whole. Firstly, due to the compactness of the bushes, they can be planted quite tightly, at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. Secondly, according to some reports, the variety is demanding on the content of zinc in the soil, and in general, do not skimp on top dressing, pay special attention to mineral complexes.
Fleur is clearly a noteworthy strawberry that has collected mixed and contradictory reviews, which agree only on one thing - the taste of this variety is one of the best in the segment of early varieties. Otherwise, the opinions of gardeners and farmers are very different, moreover, in different climatic conditions, plants behave completely differently. In short, try to grow Fleur yourself to understand how good she is, and whether she can show her full potential in your region.
