Use fertilizer for strawberries in the fall. Autumn worries about strawberries: how to feed a sweet berry
One of the most delicious berries growing in middle lane- garden strawberries, which the people renamed strawberries. It is grown in private farms, on summer cottages, and even in pots on the balcony. This undemanding culture will bear fruit without much care, but if favorable conditions are created for it, it will pleasantly surprise you with a plentiful and tasty harvest. Fertilizers for strawberries increase it by at least 20-30%, and with perfect care, plantation productivity almost doubles, and up to 700 g of berries can be harvested from a bush during the growing season.
We are preparing a garden
Strawberries are planted both in autumn and in spring, in any case, the place for planting it will have to be prepared in advance. This plant loves moisture, but does not tolerate its stagnation, so the beds are made high, at least 30-50 cm high, during the winter they will settle by 10-15 cm. Caring for strawberries growing on such elevations is noticeably simplified, and the back gardeners have less pain after weeding.
At the base of the bed, you can make a drainage hole by digging a ditch of the same perimeter and filling it with sand. The procedure, of course, is laborious, but very useful, it provides the roots of the plant comfortable conditions, since excess moisture will go into the sand cushion.
The soil that was removed in the process of digging a hole for a sand "foundation" is mixed with manure or compost, adding mineral fertilizers. For 1 sq.m. soil take about 30 g and 10 g of calcium chloride, you can also add ash, at the rate of 0.5 l per 1 sq.m. After all the fertilizers have been applied, the resulting nutrient soil is laid out on a sandy base with a high collar, tamping the side sections with the flat side of the shovel.
For an environmentally friendly improvement of the fertile qualities of the soil, while the bed is "resting", you can add vermicompost to it. It is best to do this either in early autumn or late spring, so that the worms do not freeze, but begin active processing of humus. The consumption of this anaerobic fertilizer is 200-300 g per 1 sq.m. Vermicompost is also used for autumn planting- it is brought under strawberries at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon under the bush.
In the spring, you can cultivate the land before planting strawberries with various growth stimulants, for example, which is completely harmless to plants from the point of view of ecology, and contributes to the removal of nitrates from fruits and berries. Also for the initial cultivation of the land, ash is used, with which the earth is powdered. This protects the bushes from pests.
So that the edges of the strawberry ridge do not crumble, they can be strengthened with boards or plastic lemonade bottles with a capacity of 2.5 liters, which are stuck with their necks into the ground, creating an impromptu fence. Glass bottles also suitable for this purpose.
Berries, most likely, will have to be sheltered from birds and frogs. Therefore, at the corners of the beds for strawberries, as well as along its perimeter, it is necessary to drive in pegs (this can be done in the spring), which should rise 15-20 cm above its upper edge. During the ripening of the crop, ropes are pulled between them, and it is thrown over a fine mesh net (some gardeners use a fishing net) that protects plantings from unwanted guests.
Own seedlings
If necessary, dilute new variety, you can try to grow seedlings yourself, from seeds. In all other cases strawberry propagation is best done with a mustache and bush layering, it's faster and easier, and transplanting will only benefit the plant - it rejuvenates the bushes.
After the variety is selected and the seeds are purchased, the most difficult begins. Strawberry seeds, especially remontant ones (fruiting without interruption all season), are very small, it is difficult for them to break through the earthen layer, so they are placed in moistened sand for germination. You can also use disinfected soil as the bottom layer, but it is necessary to sprinkle it on top again, with sand, with a layer of no more than 0.5 cm.
The earth is watered with a solution of humate, the pot is covered with a film. You can wait a long time - from one to several weeks, depending on the variety and quality of the seeds. When sprouts appear, you need to wait for the third leaf to appear, and pick the seedlings into separate pots. If plantings were made in December - January, then this year it will be possible to try the first berries.
Purchased seedlings
It is better to purchase seedlings at the end of July- at this time, the plant is actively rooting new rosettes of the best quality, the cultivation of which in your garden will not cause much trouble. And next year you can get a pretty decent harvest from them, because flower buds are laid in August.
But in the autumn to buy seedlings - to wait another year for the harvest. Flower buds did not have time to form in it, so you won’t have to try the berries next summer.
Spring seedlings are also a good option., she overwintered, proving her vitality, full vitality and ready to move to new garden, where it can give a small crop when planted this year.
When buying strawberry outlets, you need to pay attention to their appearance. Saturated green color, powerful rosette core, well-developed roots are signs of quality cultivation. And if the leaves are wrinkled, have a pale color and dots on the surface - the seedlings are sick, and in no case should you buy it.
Scheme of fertilizing with organic fertilizers
autumn
The first time fertilizers for strawberries are applied in the fall. This top dressing is vital for a bush depleted during the fruiting period, as it contributes to its restoration. The chances of a successful wintering with top dressing are significantly increased. After the end of fruiting, the bush forms flower buds, and the next year's harvest directly depends on whether the plant has received the necessary nutrition. Top dressing of strawberries in the off-season is carried out after planting, transplanting or dividing the bushes.
Strawberries have been fertilized with organic matter for a long time. Usually, either manure is used, or. Fresh manure in the fall can be laid out in the aisles, during the winter it will overheat, and in the spring it will serve both as a source of nitrogen and as a mulch that protects plants from abundant growth of weeds.
Decayed manure - humus, can be used directly during the planting of strawberries. A chatter is made from it, which is poured into the pits where the sockets are transplanted. This method of use helps to save fertilizer. If it is simply scattered over the surface, then the recommended application dose is no more than 3 kg per square meter, otherwise the bushes can be damaged.
You can’t use fresh chicken manure - the roots of the plant will “burn out”. Either an extract is made from it, or it is strongly diluted, and the grooves between the lines of strawberries are shed with this mixture. This substance contains much more nutrients than organics of animal origin, it must be used with caution so as not to overdo it.
For the winter, the beds are mulched with straw, sawdust, or covered with fallen leaves. Under this warm “blanket”, the plants winter safely, and the next year, part of the mulch passes into the garden in the form of rotted organic matter, saturating it with nitrogen.
spring
The first treatment is done after spring loosening, when young leaves appear.. Many summer residents feed their strawberries during this period with heavily diluted bird droppings, which are close in composition to complete mineral fertilizer, and have almost the same effect. You can make an infusion from it. One part of chicken excrement and 20 parts of water are taken, all this is placed in a plastic container, mixed well and stored in a warm place. To reduce an unpleasant odor, you can add humate, for example,. The resulting solution is shed only between rows, avoiding getting into the root space. Chicken manure is an organic fertilizer with a long aftereffect, so it is not advisable to use it more than once a year, otherwise nitrates will accumulate in the soil, which will subsequently turn into finished products.
The second top dressing is carried out after tying the berries. For her use divorced. Of all types of organic matter, it is considered the best fertilizer for strawberries. It contains all the elements necessary for the plant- nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and sometimes even magnesium.
From fresh bedding manure, liquid top dressing is prepared as follows - fill a bucket with excrement by a quarter, and fill it with water to the top. Then they are kept in a warm place for 2-3 days, so that the infusion ferments, and ammonia comes out of it, removing uric acid with it, which can burn the roots.
But that's not all - the resulting mixture must be diluted again, so that 3-4 liters of water per 1 liter of working solution. Now you can water the beds with this liquid, spending 10 liters per 1 sq.m.
For the winter, if the strawberries are completely transplanted from the garden, they begin to intensively feed the earth. To begin with, green manure is planted in September, which in October must be dug up along with the soil. It would be nice to water the ground a few days after this procedure, so that the decay process is activated and the soil is more actively saturated with nitrogen fertilizers. Before the frosts, either cow dung is brought into the garden, and left to rest until spring.
In the spring they bring in to saturate the soil with potash fertilizers. The extract from this substrate can also be used for foliar feeding strawberries, which are carried out during its flowering. It helps make the berries sweeter, thanks to potassium, which transforms the metabolic processes in the plant, helping to accumulate sucrose in the berries. Also, this element, acting on the plant, prolongs the shelf life of berries.
If strawberries remain to winter in an old garden bed, or if it is planted before autumn, then it is necessary to mulch the root zone and the space between the bushes. For this you can use humus.
Feeding scheme with mineral and ready-made fertilizers
autumn
They begin to feed strawberries in early September, when there is still foliage on the bushes. At this time, you can make Kemira Autumn, about 50 g per 1 sq.m. When applying fertilizer for strawberries, you can not pour it into the center of the outlet, it will “burn out” and the bush will die.
The second top dressing is done at the end of October, after the leaves have been cut. Potassium humate is used for it. After that, the bed is mulched, and not touched until the end of March. Superphosphate can also be added at this time - it belongs to the category of fertilizers with a long dissolution time in the soil of active elements, so it is always advisable to apply it in advance.
spring
In the spring, strawberries can be fed with complex mineral fertilizer - in combination with ammonium nitrate (2: 1), about 15 g per 1 sq. m. V liquid solution with water, (especially clay soils), ready-made complex fertilizer Ryazanochka, Kemira Lux. it is impossible to feed in the spring, the urobacteria are not yet functioning, and this fertilizer is not absorbed.
The next top dressing is carried out in early June, for which we can recommend Kemira Lux or Kemira Universal, ammonium nitrate mixed with potassium sulfate, in a ratio of 1: 1, at the rate of 1 teaspoon under a bush.
The most necessary substance at the stage of berry formation is, therefore, the next summer top dressing, produced during flowering, must necessarily contain it. For example, you can use potassium monophosphate - 1 tbsp. for 10 liters of water, this amount is enough for 5 plants. Top dressing of the bush must be accompanied by abundant watering.
Pest protection
Strawberries have many pests, and dealing with them is not an easy task. They will come to the rescue folk remedies, the use of which will make the cultivation of strawberries better.
Folk ways of dealing with harmful insects been tested for centuries:
For example, from ants that like to settle in berry beds and eat ripe strawberries, ordinary vinegar essence helps, which is watered in places where there are most insects. The ants cannot stand the smell of vinegar, and rush to retreat as far as possible. Wood ash, introduced into the soil of the beds in autumn, will protect strawberries from many insect pests, such as aphids, and from unfriendly flora, fungus and mold. The distance to the base of the roots when dusting with ash should not exceed 10 cm, otherwise it will affect the plants Negative influence. From the weevil, dusting with tooth powder helps (the price of one pack is from 9 rubles, enough for 5-7 square meters), which must be repeated several times per season.
Very often strawberries are planted between the rows. This plant produces essential oils, the smell of which many insects do not tolerate. Calendula officinalis (colloquially marigolds) are also planted in the aisles for this purpose.
To protect against birds, as mentioned above, covering materials with a cellular structure are often used. But there is another way, more convenient, since access to the berries will not be blocked. To implement it, they take metal foil, cut it into strips and glue it to long sticks that are stuck into the garden.
Video: seminar on the secrets of growing strawberries
There is no gardener-gardener who would not grow strawberries on his plot. Correctly, it is called garden strawberries, but a different name has taken root among the people, and everyone is used to it. Feeding strawberries in the fall after pruning is an important part of berry care. Strawberries are the first of the crops to produce a crop, which is why they take care of them from early spring until flowering and fruiting, which lasts until the end of summer. But this does not mean at all that care is not needed after harvesting. Rather, on the contrary, it was during this period garden strawberry requires increased attention.
Why strawberries need autumn feeding after pruning
Fertilizers can be applied from the second year of life, until this period, the growth of strawberries will provide the substances with which the soil was enriched during planting
During the fruiting period, strawberries are defenseless. There are several reasons for this:
- berries attract many pests - slugs, garden toads, insects and even birds, which can simply cause irreparable damage to the bush, disrupting its ability to grow;
- during flowering and ripening, harvesting, it is impossible to use remedies against plant diseases and their pests;
- obligatory pruning after fruiting, when old leaves and unnecessary mustaches are removed, does not pass without a trace.
So closer to autumn, garden strawberries need to be fed even more than in spring.
Most gardeners believe that strawberry pruning should be done without waiting for autumn. The end of August is the best. Bushes should not waste their strength and energy on growing unnecessary mustaches and old leaves, they will still be useful to them after wintering.
Top dressing should be started immediately after pruning, but not before it. To get a good harvest in the spring, this should not be limited. At the end of October, you can once again feed the bushes preparing for the cold, at least with slurry.
Feeding with special preparations
These include mineral fertilizers. For strawberries, the main thing is that they contain phosphorus and potassium. Other components are allowed, but there are certain restrictions.
Part mineral fertilizers for garden strawberries, chlorine should not be included. It is destructive for this culture.
The main advantage of ammofoska over many types of fertilizers is the absence of sodium, chlorine and other aggressive components.
The most common type of such top dressing. It has the following composition and qualities:
- phosphorus improves the process of future vegetation and strengthens root system;
- nitrogen increases the production of essential vegetable protein;
- potassium maintains water balance;
- Sulfur helps to absorb nitrogen.
The drug is applied in 2 ways:
- directly into the ground - dosage 15–20 g/m row;
- with irrigation - 1 Matchbox for 10 liters of water.
When applying the drug to the soil, abundant watering is especially necessary.
IN autumn period it is allowed to use ammophoska twice - at the end of August and in October, while the frequency of irrigation must be strictly observed - re-treatment should be carried out no earlier than after 1.5 months.
A solution with nitroammophos is sprayed fruit plants in the evening or on cloudy days
Similar fertilizers are similar in composition and action. Nitroammophoska can be considered a somewhat modified type of ammofoska - magnesium is not included in it, but phosphorus dissolves more easily and faster here. The application frequency remains the same, but the concentration should be reduced to 10–15 g/m row.
Potassium salt
20 g of salt are dissolved in 10 liters of water and watered between the beds.
Superphosphate
It is bred at the rate of 10 g of the substance per bucket.
Watering should be done carefully so that the liquid does not get on the bushes and leaves, they can die immediately.
Kemira autumn
Feeding strawberries in the fall with the help of improvised means
After any top dressing, it is important to water the plant well.
These include organic, natural types of top dressing. They can be applied both separately and in combination with mineral fertilizers.
cow dung
It cannot be used in its pure form. It quickly heats up in the sun and this burns the plant and its roots. Therefore, it is recommended to dilute it at the rate of 1 liter of mullein per bucket of water. The composition is infused for several days, then you can process the beds with it.
bird droppings
It is bred in water and watered between rows.
A good result is the use of compost from food waste, wood ash or just cut greenery laid in the aisle. Greens can be soaked and make silage compost.
Video about caring for strawberries in the fall: pruning and fertilizing
Garden strawberries that have borne fruit should not be left unattended, they need to be thanked for the harvest and take care of the new one. Beginning gardeners definitely need to know how to feed strawberries in the fall after pruning. Then and on next year bushes will please you with tasty and large berries.
Fertilizer for strawberries allows you to increase productivity. In specialized stores you can easily find already ready mixes, but often gardeners prefer folk remedies. They are environmentally friendly and cheap. In addition, their excess will not adversely affect health. Of course, you should not ignore top dressing. They contain all the substances necessary for the development of plants. But remember that the dosage must be exactly matched.
Before fertilizing, inspect the bushes. Pay special attention to problem areas. So you determine which substance should be added to the soil. For example, if you see light spots on the leaves, then there are not enough organic elements in the soil. Apply strawberry fertilizer. If the plant does not bear fruit well, add phosphorus. Magnesium affects the taste of fruits and their size, and potassium is no less important.
2. HOW OFTEN SHOULD STRAWBERRY FEED?
Buy fertilizer for strawberries, when planting it must be used. When 3 leaves open, apply the mixture to the soil 1 time. It is forbidden to feed plants at the stage of bud growth. Strawberries should grow up, then you can add urea to the soil. Gardeners with the 1st top dressing of strawberries make a reduced dose. The fact is that in the future there will be several dressings. Look at the dosage in the instructions, divide by 2. Apply the indicated amount of urea to the soil.
When you know exactly which preparation to add to the beds, you can be sure of the yield and high taste of the berries. How to fertilize strawberries? good remedy considered "Ryazanochka". This complex drug who received positive reviews gardeners. For spring work suitable "Amofoska".
3. IF I DON'T WANT TO APPLY CHEMICALS TO THE SOIL?
Then you should pay attention to chicken manure. It is valuable because its composition repeats complex mineral fertilizers. Infusion is especially useful for plants. Mix 1 part chicken manure with 20 parts water. Close the container, put it in a warm place. After a few days, the infusion will be ready.
Please note that they can only be watered between rows. If you want to get rid of the mixture bad smell, buy the drug "Baikal". Add it as it is written in the instructions. Remember that chicken manure can only be fertilized once a year, then nitrates will not accumulate in the soil. You can replace this tool by introducing manure into the soil. Often gardeners add ash.
Feed the strawberries, the 2nd time this should be done when the plants are flowering. Add potassium, it has a positive effect on fruit growth. Strawberry fertilizer should be applied in early June. Buy potassium monophate. Take a bucket, the volume of which is 10 liters, add 1 tbsp. l. drug. Place carefully. The resulting solution is enough to feed 5 large strawberry bushes. Before watering the soil with a solution, water the beds well. Don't forget to use wood ash, with its help you fertilize the soil well with potassium. To deposit funds, gardeners use the root method. In addition, it is possible to fertilize strawberries in a foliar way.
Purchase mixtures in specialized stores. If you have any questions, it is recommended to get advice. What to feed strawberries? "Kemira Lux" - a remedy that is popular among many owners summer cottages. In addition, "Universal" should be used as a fertilizer. It will be useful to mix this drug with potassium sulfate, adding ammonium nitrate to the mixture. Strictly observe the proportion, a 1: 1 ratio is acceptable. Carefully study the information in the instructions, do not exceed the dosage. Such top dressing of strawberries is very effective.
Pour wood ash under a bush, 1 handful will be enough. After that, the strawberries need to be watered. If you prefer the foliar feeding method, make an ash solution. Take 1 glass of ash, pour it into a container. Pour 1 liter of water into it. Make sure it's hot. Close the container, the solution should be infused for at least 1 day. Pour 10 liters of water into the spray bottle, add the ash solution. Spray the plants. This procedure is also good because the ash solution effectively protects strawberries from pests. If there is no spray gun, then pour the bushes under the root at the rate of 1 liter of solution per 1 plant.
It is necessary to make mixtures if the plants are weakened. In addition, top dressing is required for one-year-old bushes that were grown from seeds and planted in the spring. You can add fertilizer for strawberries from mid-September. This must be done before the leaves fall. It is useful to water the beds with tincture of mullein. In October, when you cut the strawberry leaves, mulch the ground with pine needles or sawdust. They can be replaced with peat. Mulching will increase air exchange, and needles will protect against pests.
4. WHAT ARE THE SUBSTITUTES OF INDUSTRIAL MINERAL FERTILIZERS AND HOW TO USE THEM?
If you do not want to buy mineral fertilizers that are produced industrial enterprises, you can get by with biohumus. This effective top dressing strawberries. During the season, feed the plants 3-4 times, do not forget about mulching the soil. Many owners of summer cottages prefer to use folk remedies. It is useful to water the soil with a solution containing lactic acid bacteria. It is very easy to make it. Pour 10 liters of water into a bucket and add 1 liter of kefir. Slightly acidic soil is useful for the berry, it will give an excellent harvest. In addition, fertilizer for any strawberry when planted with a lactic acid solution will protect plants from pests.
If the plants are 2 years old, then in the spring they can be fed immediately after the snow has fallen, when the soil warms up a little. Pre-clean the soil from dry leaves, dead plants must be removed. It is recommended to mulch the soil with sawdust, but you can pour humus. In the spring, you need to feed each strawberry bush. Pour water into a bucket. Pour in ammonium sulfate, 1 tablespoon is enough. Then add at least 2 cups of manure, cow manure is best. Mix the solution thoroughly. Loosen the soil around the bushes, sprinkle the ash, and then pour the resulting solution. Fertilize if you want your plants to be healthy. In the spring they are a must.
Care for three-year-old bushes also includes top dressing. Use the same substances that you used when you fertilized the soil when planting strawberries. You just need to reduce the amount of fertilizer. For example, only 10 g of urea will be required. How to fertilize if the age of the bushes is from 2 to 4 years? Chicken manure is the best fertilizer. Take a container, fill it a third with litter. After that, pour water, stir and leave the mixture for 36 hours. Dilute the composition with water, observing a ratio of 1: 4. Fertilizers need to be applied between the rows.
Fertilize 3 times a year, be sure to do this before digging up the beds in the fall. Pour fertilizer into the soil. Feeding strawberries after picking berries is very important, do not forget to do this in mid-September. Before the beginning garden work don't forget to look at the plants.
5. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU FEED THE STRAWBERRY IN THE GARDEN?
On sale there are mixtures of different types. In total, 4 groups are distinguished, the following fertilizers can be listed: Complex fertilizer for strawberries. This is nitrophos, which manufacturers produce in the form of granules. This fertilizer is indispensable if there is little potassium in the soil and too much phosphorus. After flowering strawberries, add nitroammophoska to the soil. Water the bushes with plenty of water immediately after top dressing. Ammophos is suitable for any soil. The tool increases the resistance of the plant to diseases. Diammophos is produced in granules, which ensures uniform distribution of fertilizer in the soil.
potassium fertilizers. They are necessary for the growth of bushes. It is potassium that is responsible for the taste of fruits. You can easily determine the lack of an element by brown spots on the edges of strawberry leaves. Apply potash fertilizer in spring under strawberries. Phosphorus fertilizers. Universal are those that can be dissolved in water. In acidic soils, it is better to use sparingly soluble types of fertilizers.
Nitrogen fertilizers. They can be dissolved in water, they are suitable for feeding plants in spring and summer. Nitrogen fertilizers are essential to nourish the microorganisms living in the soil. Make only the number of elements indicated in the instructions. Do not exceed the dosage, in excess nitrogen fertilizers plants may die.
Conclusion: Strawberries are quite demanding on the soil. If you correctly approach the application of dressings, you will reap a good harvest.
6. WHAT IS BETTER TO FEED STRAWBERRY IN AUTUMN AFTER CUTTING?
The question of how to feed strawberries in the fall after pruning is asked by many gardeners. After all, it is from high-quality fertilizers and proper care depends on the future harvest of this berry.
Why feed strawberries in the fall?
Autumn top dressing is necessary to prepare plants for the winter period. Behind summer time in the soil where strawberries grow, all the reserves of nutrients come to an end. The fertilization process is carried out in 2 stages: the first time - in early September, at a time when there are still leaves on the bushes. This procedure should be performed only on a sunny day. The second stage of feeding is carried out in October, after pruning the leaves. special attention require one-year-old plants, because without the help of nutrients it will be difficult for them to survive the frosty winter. Of course, the yield level does not directly depend on the application of autumn fertilizers, but young bushes need to receive the necessary trace elements in order to increase the chances of a successful wintering. If you follow the schemes according to which top dressing is applied, then the berries will grow better and give a much larger yield.
organic type fertilizer
Fertilizing strawberries using organic matter is a win-win option, since it will also become a “fur coat” for the bushes that can protect the berries from cold and frost.
There are many useful organic substances, but most widespread received chicken poo. Its use should be moderate so as not to harm the plants. You can buy this tool at specialized points of sale, and then you should make a liquid infusion. To do this, you need to take water and litter in a ratio of 1:10, mix and infuse for 14 days. When applying, the resulting liquid must be added to water, with the same ratio - 1 liter per bucket of water. It is recommended to water the bushes after pruning, because if the infusion gets on the plant, this will lead to a burn. The solution must be poured directly into the ground. You can also make such a “drug” at home if gardeners have chickens. To do this, collect the litter and cover it with water in a ratio of 1: 3. After that, the solution must be put in the shade, and after 2 weeks, water the strawberries. (Concentrated top dressing must also be diluted with water - 1:10). In autumn, litter should be laid out between rows, but not more than 2-3 kg per 1 m².
You can also feed plants with dry mullein. The technology is as follows: take a mullein, dilute it with water, leave it to infuse, and then pour it between the strawberry rows. Another means by which garden strawberries will grow better is ash. The tool helps to feed and repel pests, in addition, it can replace superphosphate. In dry form, the ash is scattered over the site, but taking into account that a maximum of 150 g will go per 1 m². You can also make liquid top dressing: take a glass of ash, pour it into a bucket and pour 10 liters of water room temperature, let it brew for a day, then use 0.5 liters for each bush.
Before the start of winter, the beds are healed with peat, straw, sawdust and covered with tree leaves. Such a “blanket” will allow the plants to safely winter, and in the spring it will turn into rotten organic matter, which will saturate the bushes with nitrogen.
Mineral fertilizers The best options than to feed Victoria in the fall ( popular variety strawberries), phosphorus and potassium are considered. They are laid out dry in the garden or diluted with water, but experienced gardeners recommend choosing the second option. This is due to the fact that minerals are better absorbed in liquid form, but dry dressings are spent less. For this reason, wise gardeners manage to combine both methods. In the autumn, strawberries especially require high-quality mineral supplements, which can be bought at any point of sale where gardening products are sold.
Among useful minerals release nitrogen, which contributes to the excellent taste of the berries. The substance contains ammonium nitrate and urea. Urea is most often dissolved in water - take 1 tablespoon and add to a 10-liter bucket. 0.5 liters of liquid are poured under each bush, but an excess of funds can lead to a loss of sugar by strawberries.
For better growth of bushes, potassium is also used. potash fertilizer quite aggressive, because it contains a lot of chlorine. It is necessary to introduce the substance only in the fall, because during the winter-spring period all harmful particles will be washed out, and the culture will not suffer. Thanks to potassium salt, the berries are stored longer, become tastier and increase the sugar content, so this component must be added.
Phosphorus substances are also considered important for the active growth and fruiting of the crop. These elements are divided into soluble and insoluble.
Moreover, the first category is considered more universal, since it is suitable for acidic and alkaline soils. Sparingly soluble phosphates are used only in acidic soil. The phosphate group includes: vivianite, simple superphosphate, double superphosphate, precipitate, bone meal.
Preparing "autumn" top dressing on our own
It is easy to revitalize strawberries with other means that can be prepared at home. For example, fermented milk products are taken for this, because milk has a significant amount of amino acids. Perfect solution- whey, which is poured under each bush.
A good method is to apply bread as fertilizer. First, the wheat product is dried, then placed in water and left to ferment (it will take 6-10 days). Water is added to this mixture at a ratio of 1:10.
Nettle infusion, which is made in an enameled container, will also have a positive effect. Bushes of this stinging plant are added there, filled with water and a load is placed. The infusion is stirred daily, and before making the solution, it is diluted with water (1:20). The result of such a tool - useful material, which are easily assimilated by culture.
If you carry out autumn top dressing of strawberries, then you can expect a good harvest next summer.
Strawberries are a favorite of personal plots. She is adored by both adults and children, and in care she is not too capricious. The main thing is to know how to care for it, what fertilizers and when to apply.
Preparing for winter
Strawberries adapt very well to living conditions. And even without proper care, it is able to bear fruit and produce many shoots every year. However, to get a good harvest, you still need to work hard.
Small shoots of strawberries begin to bear fruit in the second year after planting. This is facilitated not only by the applied fertilizers, but also by microelements, which the soil is rich in. If you do not feed the plant, it will give a meager harvest, consisting of a few berries, or will not bloom at all.
Timely introduction of organic matter and minerals accelerates fruiting. The yield increases by 50%.
Autumn top dressing determines the nature of strawberry fruiting in the next season. Lack of nutrition negatively affects the formation of future flower stalks, and the general immunity of the plant.
Fertilizer applied in autumn:
- Forms resistance to severe winter frosts, as well as weather surprises in spring.
- Improves plant immunity, allows you to resist diseases and pests.
- Saturates the soil nutrients and oxygen.
- Increases the yield of berries in the next season.
- Improves the taste of strawberries, increases their size.
Before winter, strawberries are fertilized with compost, rotted manure, mineral elements (potassium, phosphorus), sprinkled with ash and mulched with sawdust, hay or straw.
It is forbidden to apply nitrogen in early autumn, as the strawberries will wake up sharply and give a lot of green mass. This will not only deplete the plant, but will also prevent full preparation for winter.
Terms of work
They are conditional. Determined by the strawberry variety. So, a remontant crop that bears fruit all summer needs to be fed already in early autumn, then after 1-1.5 months. The one that begins to bear fruit at the end of summer is fed in October-November.
Traditional varieties begin to fertilize from mid-summer - after the last berries have been harvested. Some gardeners pamper strawberries with fertilizer twice: in July-August and in September.
The exact dates are determined by the climatic features of each particular region. For example, in the south, the berry plant is fed only in November, in the northern regions (where it can grow) - until October.
Liquid top dressing is allowed to be applied about a month before the autumn frosts.
Soil care and tillage
In addition to autumn dressings, it is necessary to perform a number of works designed to prepare strawberries for the winter.
The culture that has completed fruiting is first thoroughly weeded, unnecessary whiskers are removed, processed by special means from diseases and pests.
Then they start trimming the leaves - manually, with a pruner or oblique. They do it in August. By removing the leaves, the development of the root system is accelerated. This will not only give strength to the plant, but also have a positive effect on its future fruiting.
Only the leaves should be cut, leaving the stems where the growth point is located intact.
In parallel with this, the plant is spudded, loosened or dug up the ground between the beds. Then all plantings are watered and mulched with foliage, sawdust, peat or even coniferous needles.
Some gardeners advise not to touch the weeds until spring. There is no harm from them anymore. However, when they are removed, the root system of the plant can be damaged, which will negatively affect the immune system.
In some regions, strawberries are covered for the winter, excluding its freezing and further death. This should be done with the onset of frost, so that the plants do not begin to rot. In regions with massive snow cover in winter, no shelters are needed - the berry is perfectly protected from the cold by an impressive layer of snow.
What fertilizers to use?
Strawberries, like other crops, need complex fertilizers. Not only the growth and development of the plant, but also the number of berries, the speed of their ripening, and even taste qualities depend on their introduction.
organic
Natural raw materials saturate the soil with nutritious humus. It makes the earth loose, well-moistened, saturated with oxygen.
Nutrient components are rapidly absorbed, and the plants themselves recover well after exhausting fruiting.
The main thing is to correctly apply organic matter both plant and animal origin.
Mullein
It is not used fresh, because during the decomposition process it will begin to heat up, which will certainly burn the root system. You need to wait a couple of years for it to rot well.
In the autumn, slurry is applied under the culture (optimal dosage: 1 kg of manure per bucket of water, requires infusion for 2-3 days). The berries are watered with a ready nutrient solution at the rate of ½ liter per bush.
Note. It is better to shed slurry between the rows, and not the strawberry bushes themselves.
chicken manure
This concentrate cannot be used in its pure form, so as not to burn the plants. Prepare a solution based on litter. Optimal dosage: take ½ liter of dry raw materials per bucket of water). The solution is shed exclusively between the rows.
Chicken manure contains a lot of nitrogen, and therefore it is preferable to use it in spring period when strawberries need a powerful boost to start growing and developing.
Compost
Strawberries love clean compost - without plant residues, weeds and tops. Such organic matter in terms of nutritional properties is equated to humus.
In autumn, berry growers are abundantly sprinkled with compost, also using it as mulch.
leaf humus
It is considered an ideal top dressing. Sprinkle with humus strawberry beds and aisles. He will not only give the necessary nutrition to strawberries, but also protect them from winter frosts.
Ash
Natural mineral supplement. Contains a large amount of phosphorus easily digestible by plants. In autumn, ash is used in its pure form, evenly sprinkling bushes with it. Approximate consumption - a glass of dry matter per sq. m.
Green fertilizers
Analog organic top dressing animal origin. Nettle infusion is perfect:
- Fill the bucket 1/3 with burning shoots.
- Fill to the brim with water.
- Infuse for 24 hours.
Watering is carried out at the rate of 1000 ml per 1 bush.
Some gardeners make a stronger infusion by adding some chicken manure. Insist for at least a month, after which they are used as a fertilizer, previously diluted with water.
Minerals
In autumn, strawberries need additional mineral nutrition. The most valuable substances for her during this period are potassium salts and superphosphate.
Dosage:
- Potassium salt should first be diluted in water at the rate of 25 g per bucket.
- Superphosphate enough 15 g for the same volume.
Attention! This top dressing is introduced strictly between the beds.
For root feeding of plants, take two large spoons of nitrophoska, 25 g of potassium salt per bucket of water. The norm under a bush is about 1000 ml.
Experienced gardeners advise mixing organic matter with minerals. An example of such a composition: mullein (1 liter per bucket of water), superphosphate (a couple of tablespoons), ash (200 g).
Liquid fertilizer is applied no later than September.
Beginning gardeners go over the easy way- buy a ready-made complex fertilizer (for example, Kemira) and use it according to the instructions.
Remontant strawberry
After harvesting, remontant strawberries are fed 2 times. Nitrogen should not be used in the autumn to enable the plant to calmly prepare for winter. Otherwise, the rapid growth of the bushes will begin. This will greatly weaken the plant. In autumn, this variety needs potassium. Both saltpeter and potassium sulfate will do. But natural minerals are certainly preferable.
Top dressing with ash
This natural mineral compound contains many trace elements necessary for remontant strawberries. Ash is successfully used as a fertilizer, and bushes are sprinkled with it when planting or moving to a new place.
Top dressing based on ash is prepared as follows: 1 kg of dry raw materials is poured with a bucket of water and allowed to brew for several days. Before use, the solution is diluted to a light gray shade. Dosage - up to 1 liter per bush.
Sprinkle wood ash on strawberries at the first sign of decay.
Yeast application
An excellent mineral fertilizer is obtained from ordinary yeast (in their absence, from yeast bread). However, it must be done in advance, since top dressing will take a week to ferment and infuse.
Bread crumbs are soaked in warm water(1 kg per 3 liter jar). Leave for 7 days. During this time, fermentation processes are actively going on. Then the gruel is spread around the roots, sprinkled a little with soil. During fermentation, heat and gases are released, which induce beneficial microorganisms to speed up their work on the decomposition of organic substances.
If you take raw yeast, then infusion is not required. So, 1 kg of raw materials is dissolved in 5 liters of water. Then the solution is further diluted (1:20) and used to fertilize plants.
Iodine - the main protector from pests
Iodine protects remontant strawberries from diseases and some pests. Apply it as a prophylaxis three times a month. Dosage: 10 drops of iodine are enough for a bucket of water. The culture is thoroughly sprayed with this solution.
Attention! Do not exceed the indicated dosage, as the leaves can get a severe burn.
Feeding after transplant
Autumn is the best time to transplant remontant strawberries. To make it less painful, the culture needs top dressing.
Incorrect dosage, incorrectly chosen fertilizer or its absence will only harm strawberries.
When transplanting in the autumn, compost, completely decomposed manure, potassium chloride, superphosphate are used. The culture is fed by the method of dosed introduction into each well.
Dosage of fertilizers per 1 sq. m.:
- Organic (optional) - 3000 g.
- Potassium chloride - 15 g.
- Superphosphate - 35 g.
Even a slight excess of the norm when transplanting strawberries can provoke a powerful burn of the root system and the subsequent death of the plant.
After spreading the fertilizer in the wells, actually transplanting the crop, the beds should be well mulched. For this, hay, straw, sawdust and even compost are suitable.
Some gardeners use nitrophoska when transplanting. 35 g of fertilizer is placed in each prepared well. Sprinkle a little with soil to prevent burns from contact of rhizomes with concentrated granules.
Transplanted bushes of remontant strawberries, well fertilized in the fall, do not require spring top dressing. Nutrients should be enough for 1 year. Besides, winter period She will endure it completely painlessly.
Conclusion
Integrated approach to autumn feeding strawberries will provide the culture with good nutrition for the whole next season. Fertilizing in the fall is extremely important, because it is much more difficult for depleted plants to recover, endure the winter, and next year again delight the owners with a plentiful harvest of delicious berries.
In order for the crops growing in the garden to bear fruit well, they need to be well looked after and, most importantly, fed. This is especially true for strawberries - a very capricious plant, but so attractive for its sweet and juicy fruits. It needs fertilizer throughout the entire period of active growth and fruiting. In order to provide strawberries with "nutrition" and themselves good harvest, you should know what and how to properly feed strawberries.
Scheme and timing of fertilizing strawberries
In spring, top dressing should be done immediately before the growth of young leaves, specifically in April-May. Before fertilizing, you should prune the bushes - remove the mustache and old leaves, if necessary - transplant to a new place. Updated bushes can be fed with ready-made store mineral mixture for strawberries, or you can use diluted chicken manure and humus. In this case, in no case should the bushes be heavily covered, otherwise it may impede growth, or even lead to the death of the crop.
And, finally, how to feed strawberries in the fall after fruiting? Strawberry fertilizer should be carried out in mid-September, with warm and dry weather. Some gardeners prefer to do this later - about a month before the expected onset of frost.
What fertilizers to feed strawberries in the fall?
As in previous cases, you can use chicken manure and mullein. To do this, insist in a ratio of 1 liter to 10 liters of water. Wood ash can also be added to the finished infusion.
Another option is to use slurry. For its preparation, 1 liter of manure should be diluted with 8 liters of water and infused. The result should be a fertilizer with the consistency of liquid sour cream.
It is also a good idea to sprinkle ashes between strawberry rows or directly on the beds at the rate of 150 g per 1 m². Ash not only in some way replaces mineral fertilizers - potash and phosphate, but also repels pests from strawberries.
And if you mulch the aisles with bean green manure or mowed grass, then this will become an excellent breeding ground for worms and after a while you will get ready organic fertilizers without putting any extra effort into it.
From mineral fertilizers, potassium salt and superphosphate can be added. You can scatter them among the bushes in a dry form, or you can dilute them in water for irrigation. Each option has its pros - liquid fertilizers strawberries are absorbed much faster, but dry ones will have a longer effect. Options can be combined to achieve the optimal effect.
How to feed strawberries when planting in the fall?
If you have planned for the fall, then you need to prepare and feed the soil in advance. To do this, they add to the dug-up beds at the rate of 1 m²:
After planting directly, straw or follows. When additional fertilizing with manure, you should be careful and make sure that it does not fall on the plants, otherwise burns may occur. After completing these procedures, you can be calm until the first harvest - you will not need to feed before the start of the fruiting period, since a good supply of nutrients is already provided.
