Zenga Zengana strawberry variety

Zenga Zengana is a non-repairable variety of garden strawberries (strawberries) of medium late ripening, universal purpose. Bred in Germany, the city of Hamburg, according to some sources, the author is Professor Reinhold von Sengbusch. The "parents" of the plant were the Markee and Sieger varieties. In 1952, the "novelty" was officially registered. It is considered the first variety suitable for deep freezing. Currently, it is grown mainly only on personal plots.

Between 1960 and 1970, this strawberry was one of the most common on commercial plantations. In the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, it has been registered since 1972, after four years of passing state tests. The preservation and distribution of the variety in Russia is officially carried out by the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, Viticulture, Winemaking" and the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "All-Russian Institute of Selection and Technology of Horticulture and Nursery". Zenga Zengana is zoned in the following regions of the country: North-West, Volgo-Vyatka, Central black earth, Central, Middle Volga, North Caucasian, Ural, Nizhnevolzhsky.

The plant is vigorous, tall, but very compact, takes a spherical shape. The variety forms a mustache little. The leaves are dark green, shiny. The flowers are white, collected in compact multi-flowered inflorescences. Strawberry flower stalks are rather weak, located at the level of the leaves or below, they lie on the ground under the weight of the crop.

Zenga Zengana has rather large, wide-conical berries, no neck, slightly angular. The skin is dark red; when fully ripe, it is maroon, shiny. Achenes are deeply embedded in the pulp. The pulp itself is intense red, dense, juicy, very aromatic. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour, very pleasant and very unusual, with a nutmeg undertone. However, it can be sweet and sour, depending on the weather conditions of the season and the literacy of agricultural technology, and sometimes the fruits can even be too sour. But in general, it should be said that the taste of this strawberry has earned a lot of praise, and, despite the abundance of other varieties on the market, Zenga Zengana is still on the list of favorites among strawberry lovers.

The berries tolerate transportation very well, they are quite easily separated from the stalk during collection, although many recommend picking them with it. In use, the fruits are versatile, excellent especially fresh, but perfect for any kind of processing. They are also ideal for frozen storage and whole fruit canning. The berries are very beautiful, have a good presentation, but there is one caveat - they are not particularly uniform in shape, ranging from rounded to elongated.

The average weight of strawberries is about 20-30 grams, there are specimens up to 80 grams, but they are observed only at the first harvest and are quite rare. Zenga Zengana is not famous for stable fruiting, the berries become much smaller by the end of the season. Moreover, according to the reviews of gardeners, the fruits have the largest sizes only in the first year of fruiting, then large berries can not be expected. The yield, according to nurseries, is about 1.5-2 kg per bush, but in practice the figure is often much less and does not exceed 1 kg. It should be said that in this regard, the variety is significantly inferior to the modern favorites of the strawberry market, moreover, it does not belong to the intensive type, and abundant "feeding" with a cocktail of fertilizers will not correct the situation. You should not expect a gigantic yield from an old German woman and plan to use it as a commercial variety. Currently, it is more of a delicacy, a kind of "rarity" that you really want to have on the site, and for commerce it is better to choose another variety, especially since the choice is now huge.

Zenga Zengana is distinguished by a rather extended period of fruiting, ripening occurs in the middle, middle or late periods, depending on the region of cultivation. The winter hardiness of plants is average; in winters with little snow, shelter is extremely necessary. In general, the variety is very well adapted to a wide variety of climatic conditions, and can be successfully grown both in the southern and northern regions of the country. It is worth mentioning, however, that strawberries cannot boast of drought resistance, and they hardly endure the heat. But these problems are easily solved by watering and shading. According to the State Register of Plants of the Russian Federation, the variety is moderately affected by various diseases. According to other sources, it has a very weak resistance to gray rot and white spot of foliage, but highly resistant to diseases of the root system. And if you rely on the reviews of gardeners, you can draw the following conclusion - the variety is affected by diseases no more often than others on the site, and with timely prevention it feels very good. The only thing is that the berries can rot while on the ground, but the problem can be solved by mulching.

There are no outstanding features in the agricultural technology of growing this strawberry; in the care of Zenga Zengana, it is quite standard and very unpretentious. Plants are able to grow on a wide variety of soils, the main thing is that the soil is fertile. Do not neglect timely fertilizing, watering, weeding, loosening the soil, as well as preventive treatments for diseases and pests. Also, do not forget about the timely rejuvenation of the plantation. The opinions of gardeners in this regard differ, some recommend not using plants for more than one year, others advise updating the planting material after 3-4 years. However, it should be said that the largest harvest of Zenga Zengana is given in the first two years of cultivation, then strawberries gradually “slow down”.

The disadvantage of this variety is its dependence on weather conditions. So, in rainy seasons, the risk of diseases increases, and the taste of berries deteriorates, becoming too sour. In hot periods, the yield may decrease, and the size of the fruits may decrease. On the other hand, some gardeners refute these claims, saying that strawberries show excellent consistent results in a wide variety of weather conditions.

To be honest, the reviews about our heroine are often very contradictory, and even many nurseries write radically opposite information in the description of the seedlings. And this can be explained by the following. The fact is that the very "original" Zenga Zengana is currently considered lost, and those "remnants" that are sold by nurseries are just a miserable parody of the variety. And it is often very difficult to understand what exactly is growing on your site - that same famous German woman, or some unknown plant very similar to her. In the circles of gardeners, disputes about this still do not subside. However, don't be disappointed! Our heroine is still very popular, and saplings can be obtained from private collectors. In any case, be careful when buying, buy only from reputable sellers. By the way, there are some other varieties that are similar in name to our heroine, but differ from her in their characteristics. Among them are Zenga Gigan, popular in the Baltics, and Zenga Tigaiga.

Let's summarize a little. This variety, tested by time and numerous observations of strawberry lovers in many countries, really deserves attention. It has quite good yields, excellent taste, ease of maintenance, and can be cultivated in a variety of climatic conditions. However, it also has disadvantages. The main one is inconsistency with modern standards.Zenga Zengana is no longer able to confidently compete with the “giants” of the strawberry market, inferior to them in many respects, and therefore is practically not grown on an industrial scale. The most significant disadvantage in this regard is a strong decrease in the size of the berries by the end of the fruiting season. It is this nuance that many gardeners do not like, and this is what makes them pay attention to modern popular varieties, including remontant ones.

Another feature that haunts gardeners who crave something perfect is the unusual taste of strawberries. It has a nutmeg hue and often quickly becomes boring, turning from a feature into a significant disadvantage. So to speak, the berries are "in the mood." On the one hand, I really want to have such strawberries on the site for a change, and on the other, why do I need them, if the household is reluctant to eat them. In a word, Zenga Zengana is a variety with a "twist", sometimes very controversial, but certainly wonderful, clearly deserving a place in your garden.