Elsanta

Strawberry variety Elsanta — a mid-early dessert variety developed in the Netherlands in 1981 by hybridizing the Holiday and Gorella varieties. The plants of this variety are large, upright, with good leafiness and moderate branching. Leaves are large, green, slightly concave. Berries have a regular round-conical shape without a stem, bright red color with strong gloss, and weight ranging from 10 to 50 grams depending on growing conditions. Flesh is firm, ranging from bright pink to bright red, juicy, with a tangy-sweet flavor and rich aroma, making this variety especially attractive for fresh consumption and for making jams and jellies. Elsanta has high yield — about 1.5 kg per plant and average yield of approximately 7 tons per hectare. Berries have high flesh density, ensuring excellent transportability over long distances and storage at room temperature for up to three days without quality loss. The fruit stem detaches easily, facilitating harvesting. The variety is resistant to white and brown spot diseases, and to a minor extent to gray mold. However, it is susceptible to powdery mildew and root diseases. Cold resistance of Elsanta is weak, therefore additional winter protection and mulching are required for successful cultivation in open ground. This variety is well-suited for cultivation in plastic tunnels, which allows extending the fruiting period and increasing yield. Due to its versatile characteristics, Elsanta is suitable for fresh consumption, freezing, and processing, making it one of the best strawberry varieties for various purposes.