3 mid-season Sonata AB strawberry plants

Sonata strawberry plants produce large, bright red, juicy, melting, sweet fruits with a pronounced strawberry taste. This hardy, vigorous, non-remontant variety is cold-hardy, so it can be planted and enjoyed in any region without fear of frost. Its fruit is renowned for its good shelf life.

Not very susceptible to disease, Sonata strawberry plants produce large quantities of extremely tasty fruit.

How to grow Rumba strawberry plants?

Rumba strawberry plants can be grown in the ground, in pots, tubs or barrels, and enjoy rich, moist, well-drained soil that has been fertilized in advance. They prefer sunny exposures sheltered from cold winds, especially early varieties that are more sensitive to late frosts.

When to plant strawberry plants?

The best time to plant most strawberry plants is generally from summer to autumn, between mid-July and mid-October, so that they have enough time to root properly before the onset of winter and cold weather.

However, remontant varieties are best planted in spring, in March-April, when the soil warms up.

How to plant strawberry plants

One month to two weeks before planting, generously amend the soil in which the strawberry plants will be planted. Use compost or well-decomposed manure at a rate of 10 liters per square metre in poor soil, and 5 liters per square metre in good soil.

Plant strawberry plants on a mound 20 cm high, if the soil is moist and compact, and on a mound 10 cm high or flat, if the soil is well-drained and light.

Soak the clods of strawberry plants in a basin of water for 15 to 30 minutes before planting them every 40 to 50 cm, in rows 70 to 80 cm apart. Make sure the collar is level with the ground.

Remove all flowers from the plants, so that they can concentrate their energy on rooting, and water abundantly.

How to care for strawberry plants

To care for your strawberry plants:

• water the plants regularly in dry weather, during the weeks following planting, without creating water stagnation which could stunt their growth or even destroy them;
• mulch when fruiting;
• protect strawberries from birds with netting;
• clean strawberry beds in autumn;
• lightly hoe in spring to remove any unwanted plants.

When and how to harvest "Rumba" strawberries?

The fruit of this early, non-remontant variety can be harvested over a long period, from early June onwards.

Strawberries are delicate and fragile, and are picked by cutting the stem with a fingernail.

What's the difference between remontant and non-remontant strawberry plants?

There are two types of strawberry plants:

• Non-remontant strawberry plants: they produce a single harvest from May to July, depending on their earliness.
• Everbearing strawberry plants: they produce more or less continuously from June to the end of October, but are generally less hardy than non-everbearing varieties.

How to propagate strawberry plants?

Strawberry plants multiply very easily from their runners. These fine stems, emitted by the mother plant, crawl along the ground and take root at the nodes, bearing new seedlings.

To propagate strawberry plants easily:

• identify the most interesting mother plants for their vigour, fruit quality, yield, etc. ;
• select the four best runners from a mother plant in June or July, distribute them evenly around the plant and remove the others;
• fill several 8 cm diameter pots with good potting soil;
• make a hole in the ground where the seedling closest to the mother plant is located, for each stolon. The hole must be large enough to accommodate the cup;
• place the cups in each hole up to ground level;
• place the stolon seedlings on a level with the soil in the cups;
• immobilize the stolon with nails or staples to hold the seedling in the soil in the center of the bucket;
• cut off the stolon after the plantlet has been fixed; it must remain firmly attached to the mother plant;
• keep the potting soil in the cups moist until the seedlings take root;
• cut off the stolon connecting the young plant to the mother plant, 4 to 6 weeks later;
• water regularly and dig up the bucket a week later.

Which companion plants for strawberry plants?

Strawberry plants appreciate the company of plants such as :

• thyme ;
• marigold
• bean ;
• spinach ;
• borage ;
• lettuce.

Avoid planting near cabbage.

Shipping and delivery of "Rumba" AB early strawberry plants

• Orders are dispatched Monday to Thursday.
• Shipment to mainland France only.
• Shipping cartons designed for optimum protection of plants.
• Free shipping does not apply to plants.