Clery
Clery *
A mountain scaled with success
PLANT: Clery has a medium-strong vigour with medium density. The variety is very rustic and is tolerant to diseases that affect the foliage (mildew!) and root system. Medium-high productivity of cold-stored plants and very productive misted tip plants, minitrays and trays. The plant is also well suited for production in difficult soils or with low impact environmental techniques, ideal for early production in tunnels or glasshouses.
In glasshouses Clery has a good second and third flush. In tunnels this is depending on the chilling hours.
FLOWERS: flowers rich in pollen with good resistance to frost.
BLOSSOMING TIME: very early
HARVEST: very early and concentrated, one to two weeks ahead of Elsanta depending on the cropping system.
FRUIT: regular, large and homogeneous fruit size, long conical shape, bright red, very firm, excellent and well-balanced flavour.
PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
Fertigation: Fertigation of Clery during the fall season (period of flower induction) and in the spring (production) is quite different.
In the fall season a fertigation scheme as for Elsanta can be followed.
In the spring care should be taken not to give too much nitrogen. And especially when the yield starts nitrogen should be limited and potassium increased.
Crop protection: Clery is not sensitive for root diseases and mildew!
Extra attention and treatments are necessary for Rhizoctonia and a preventive treatment is recommended. It is recommended to start the treatment in the fall season and to repeat the treatments especially in the case of a mild winter.
It is important to know that Rhizoctonia in Clery is a sign of a (too) high nitrogen level in the soil. In organic production Clery is not sensitive for Rhizoctonia!
Second flush: Clery has the capacity to have a second flowering and a second yield. Contrary to a second yield in Elsanta the quality of this second yield in Clery is of excellent quality.
After the first yield the crop is cleaned and gets an appropriate treatment depending on crop conditions.
TUNNEL PRODUCTION
Planting: The past years very positive results have been obtained with the use of misted tips in the production of Clery. Planting and regrowth of misted tips is very easy. For misted tips of Clery a planting date of 25 August seems optimal. Planting earlier increases yield but reduce earliness and fruit size.
Although irrigation after planting can be very reduced compared with a system with fresh plants (the plants can cool themselves from the beginning as they can evaporate from the beginning) irrigation should be done with frequent intervals but small doses after planting. As soon as the new roots grow into the surrounding soil irrigation can be limited and scheduled according to the conditions of soil and weather.
A planting density of 5 plants/m² seems to be optimal (25-28 cm in the row in case of double rows).
Skinning the crop: Clery needs far less chilling compared to Elsanta. Hence the Clery tunnels can be skinned early, resulting in a further increase of the earliness of the crop. It is possible to skin the crop from December on.
If the crop is skinned half February yield and fruit size increases. With an early skinning the second flowering and yield increases, but then extra care and treatments should be given against Rhizoctonia, especially in soils with a high nitrogen level.
Direct fleecing of the crop is not recommended.
GLASSHOUSE PRODUCTION
In the last few years it became clear that an early Clery crop can offer many possibilities:
- Clery early production
- Clery early production + second and third flush
- Clery early production + everbearer
Clery performs well in this growing method for a number of special characteristics:
- Low light requirements: even in low light, Clery grows (in spring) and colors (in autumn). Moreover, even at low light intensity the brix levels are at a good level.
- Good response to heating: Clery responds very well to the lowest heat. This allows Clery to be grown for early production with relatively low heating costs.
- Very easy pollination and fruit set: even in the very early weeks of January, when with low light levels bees and bumble bees are reluctant to fly, it is very easy to pollinate Clery so there is little misshapen fruit.
Planting: Clery for an early crop is planted from 15th of December. For the glasshouse production both tray plants or waiting bed plants can be used. Experience from the past two years shows that the plant density can be increased up to 16 plants per running meter. This without having a negative effect on fruit size.
Heating: Clery reacts very well on heating. Even with a moderate heating regime picking at the beginning of March can be achieved. There’s no use in heavy heating, as yield will be lowered and less elongated.
* Patented by CIV (Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti)