Strawberries (garden strawberries), like other perennial crops, require competent and constant care. Some summer residents are limited to spring dressing strawberry plots and after harvest leave without additional nutrition until next year. Such agricultural practice does not bring positive results. Fertilizer should be applied regularly throughout the season.
When to feed strawberries and why is it important?
Experienced gardeners developed a consistent fertilizer schedule for garden strawberries:
- in spring - when the snow melts, before the growing season;
- in summer - at the end of fruiting;
- in the fall - until the first frost.
Do not feed strawberries when berries have already appeared on it. Otherwise, the crop will be with a touch of fertilizer applied and may acquire toxic properties.
The autumn stage of care for perennials consists of top dressing and preparation for winter. It is during this period that the foundations of the future harvest are laid.
Autumn top dressing of strawberries is performed twice:
- In early September, when the leaves are still green.
- In the second half of October, before the cold snap.
Timing can be slightly adjusted depending on the climate and the variety of berries. Removable strawberries in September will give birth. You can carry out the first dressing immediately after harvesting, but always before the cold weather.
Autumn feeding strawberries has the following effect:
- strengthens bushes, weakened after abundant fruiting;
- improves the quality of soil depleted during the season, improves air permeability, which is very important for maintaining moisture;
- stimulates the formation of fruit buds.
Without autumn dressing, the plant will weaken immunity to diseases, and young shoots may not survive the harsh winter. As a result, the economy will suffer unjustified losses.
How to fertilize strawberries?
To feed garden strawberries are used:
- organic compounds;
- minerals;
- combining a mixture of organics and minerals;
- complex preparations.
Organic fertilizer
Organic fertilizers for strawberries can be very different. They need to be selected taking into account a certain plant variety and climatic conditions in which it grows.
Replacing mullein or chicken droppings - green fertilizers, for example, nettle tincture. To prepare, they pack a large container into 2/3 of the nettle and pour water to the top, leaving a gap for fermentation. If possible, add slices of stale bread.
After 10 days, dilute the resulting tincture with water 1:10 and use for root dressing of plants. Fertilizer with nettle absinthe improves strawberry plantation and gives the berries a subtle flavor.
At the aisles, spread beveled green manure (e.g. lupine), or any grass without seeds, sprinkled with sand or a thin layer of soil.
Yeast is somewhat different from traditional organics, these are living single-celled mushrooms. But they are also great for autumn top dressing. The yeast contains:
- nitrogen;
- fats
- proteins;
- carbohydrates.
All these substances are necessary for garden strawberries, both during fruiting and in preparation for hibernation. Yeast infusion brings strawberries important micronutrients, B vitamins and phytohormones. To prepare the solution, take:
- yeast 100 g;
- warm water 2 l.
Dissolve the yeast in water, and add liquid sourdough to a bucket of water (8 L). Wait 5 hours and root-feed.
Cow or bird droppings
Cow dung or humus is used to mulch row-spacing, add to the holes during planting (in the fall, repair strawberries are transplanted). The substance decomposes slowly, supplying the earth with necessary nutrients for 2-3 years.
Cow excrement is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. By the composition of beneficial organics, they far exceed the waste of other pets.
Unlike cow, it is unacceptable to fertilize plants with dry bird droppings! This is a very active substance that can burn the root system and leaves.
To feed garden strawberries, an aqueous extract of bird droppings, at a concentration of 1:30, is suitable. Before use, the liquid is kept for 2 days and poured into the grooves between the rows. With this method of application, fertilizer gives strength to plants and regulates the acidity of the soil. But excessive consumption of bird droppings increases the percentage of nitrates, which can adversely affect the quality of berries.
In the video below, the gardener talks about how to use bird droppings to fertilize strawberries:
Mullein
The solution is used for root feeding of garden crops. Fertilizer is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Mullein is well absorbed by plants and has a beneficial effect on soil composition.
To prepare mullein, fresh manure is poured with water in a ratio of 1: 5, mix thoroughly and incubated for 2 weeks in a tightly closed container, stirring once a day. After 2-3 days, after the start of fermentation, the liquid is ready.
Before use, we dilute the fermented mass with water 1:10 and fertilize the plantation. Do not pour over 1 liter under the bush. Avoid direct liquid on a leafy outlet.
Wood ash
The ashes of a burnt tree, weeds and twigs or stalks of sunflowers are effective micronutrient fertilizers. Bushes of wild strawberries are sprinkled with ash, water infusion is made to nourish the roots.
Recipe:
- ash 1 cup;
- water 10 l.
With a solution, conduct root dressing, not more than 0.5 liters per bush. When using, mix the liquid so that the ash does not precipitate.
Ash is added to mullein and some solutions of mineral fertilizers, but such mixtures must be made strictly according to the recipe:
- Mullein 1 l;
- wood ash 500 g;
- water 10 l.
Pour under a bush, not more than 1 liter per plant.
Wood ash is not only a nutrient, it also has the following effects:
- regulates soil acidity;
- promotes the decomposition of organic fertilizers;
- strengthens the roots of plants;
- fights harmful insects and diseases of garden crops.
Mulching strawberry beds with dry ash is useful for preventing gray rot and protecting against pests. Do not use ashes for printing plants from printing products and other household waste. The presence of harmful dyes can adversely affect plant health and the quality of berries next year.
The sunflower ash, buckwheat or grass contains much more potassium than wood. The least useful elements are in the ashes of spruce firewood and wheat straw.
The following video will discuss the use of ash for fertilizing strawberries:
Slurry
The difference between mullein and slurry is the presence of bacterial infections in the latter. To prepare cow manure, dilute with water in a ratio of 1: 8 and insist 2 days. The method of application is similar to a solution of mullein.
Organic fertilizers are necessary to stimulate growth and fruiting, but their overdose is detrimental to plants. When growing strawberries on highly fertile soils, one should not add organic matter in full annually. After liquid replenishment, water the beds abundantly.
Mineral fertilizers
The simplest way to fertilize with mineral fertilizers is complex preparations, for example: “Kemira autumn” or “Tsitovit”. Before applying mineral mixtures, carefully read the instructions on the packaging.
The most necessary components of top dressing are potassium and nitrous salts. They are used for dry and liquid fertilizing and are certainly combined with watering strawberry beds.
Potassium
The importance of potash fertilizers for growing garden strawberries cannot be overestimated. Potassium prolongs the term of preservation of berries, makes them sweet and very tasty.
A clear sign of a lack of potassium in the soil is the brown ends of the leaves and the unusually acidic strawberry fruits. For top dressing, the potassium salt is dissolved in water 2 g per 1 liter and made between rows.
To nourish the roots, take a mixture of 15 g (1 tbsp.) Of potassium salt and 20 g of nitrophoska, then dissolve in 10 l of water. Nitrofoska is an instant chemical compound that includes phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. The resulting mixture is enough for 10 strawberry bushes.
Watch the video on introducing a complex preparation that includes potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen:
Nitrogen
To replenish the soil with nitrogen, you need urea or ammonium nitrate. Nitrogen accelerates the growth of berries, gives a rich red color and improves the gastronomic qualities of strawberries. But, subject to the correct dosage of fertilizer.
Excess nitrogen will lower the sugar content in the fruit. The main indicators of nitrogen deficiency are stunted and pale leaves, small fruits, weak plant whiskers. For application under the bush, urea is bred in a proportion of 1 tbsp. l 10 l of water, this is enough for 20 bushes of strawberries.
A mixed solution is made from industrial and organic fertilizers:
- water 10 l;
- ash 1 tbsp .;
- Mullein 1 l;
- superphosphate 2 tbsp. l
Use for fertilizing between rows at the rate of 10 liters per 1 square. m plot. Combined mixtures are prepared immediately before application to the soil.
Hydrogen peroxide is also used to fertilize garden strawberries. The extract effectively increases the level of oxygen in the ground air, which helps plants absorb nutrients. To prepare the solution, take:
- water 1 l;
- hydrogen peroxide (3%) 2 tbsp. l
Use 200 ml per bush for root dressing.
Mineral fertilizers affect primarily the plants themselves, and do not improve the quality of the soil. In weak and depleted areas, it is recommended to combine mineral dressing with the introduction of organic matter.
Compared to organics, mineral fertilizers have no unpleasant odor, and they are more convenient to use. But their application requires strict adherence to recommended standards.
Features of autumn top dressing
An important aspect of autumn care is the timing of liquid dressing. Feeding with liquid solutions is desirable to complete before October. Do not apply liquid fertilizers if freezing begins soon. Failure to comply with this rule will damage the root system of plants.
For October feeding garden strawberries use exclusively dry mixes.
The purpose of fertilizer in the autumn period is to restore and strengthen plants weakened by fruiting and to saturate the soil with nutrients.
Do not overfeed strawberries in the fall. Otherwise, instead of falling asleep for the winter, it will begin to grow again and die with the onset of cold weather. If for some reason in the autumn it was not possible to feed strawberries on time, set aside the fertilizer until spring.
2 days after the liquid feed, mulch the area with sawdust and chopped bark of coniferous trees. Read about strawberry mulching here. Such a measure will scare away harmful insects located for the winter under the bushes of wild strawberries.
Preparing strawberries for the winter
Arrangement of the wintering season for strawberry plots begins in the summer. In order for plants to safely survive the cold season and enjoy a high yield, it is necessary:
- Timely perform summer and autumn dressing.
- If the weather is dry in September-October, water the strawberries 1-2 times a week.
- No later than the beginning of September, clear the site of weeds and treat with special herbicides for strawberry beds. Later weeding is not recommended, because a damaged root system will not be able to recover to frost.
- For repairing varieties, treatment with herbicides is not possible during this period, postpone the procedure until the end of the berry harvest.
- After removing weeds and carrying out liquid replenishment, treat the plants with protection against parasites and diseases.
- Full pruning of leaves is best done in early autumn, so that the strawberries have time to recover to frost. Later, it should be limited to selective removal of old and diseased shoots. Do not leave trimmed parts between the beds, pests can settle on them.
- Do not cover the strawberries until the first frost. Short-term minus temperatures will harden the plants, and they will easily tolerate real frosts. Branches of conifers are ideal for shelter, but you can use fallen leaves or straw.
- Do not lay the film directly on the beds. Warming with spunbond material or other artificial fabrics requires the construction of a frame.
Preparing strawberries for winter is not very difficult and costly, but extremely necessary chores. Spring will come and the berry plantation immediately, without delay in restoration, will begin to grow, bloom and delight with an abundance of delicious and juicy berries.