GROWING STRAWBERRY - planting strawberries, what to fertilize, when to transplant, the best varieties

It is not recommended to grow strawberries in the lowlands. For good growth of strawberries in the open field, its acidity should also be checked: a level of 5.5-6.5 is ideal. Strawberry seedlings are planted in open ground in early spring or early autumn.

Young sprouts will need a lot of nutrients from the soil. To get strong bushes and a rich harvest, I grow strawberries in the garden where they used to grow:

• dill or parsley
• garlic or onion
• peas or beans.

Strawberries love well-hydrated fertile soils. Do not plant it on limestone and salt marshes. If water stagnates in your area, plant the berries on piles (earthen hills). Then she will develop well.

To prevent the seedlings from getting sick, put them in a honey solution for two hours before planting. Make it at the rate of 1 liter of water and 1 teaspoon of honey. The water must be settled. This method works well for all varieties of strawberries. The sprouts will absorb vitamins and acclimatize faster in the new garden bed.

How to plant strawberries

• Add humus for digging.
• Dig up the strawberry bed onto the bayonet of a shovel.

The sharply sharpened blades of Fiskars shovels can easily dig up stony and clayey soil. They, like butter knife, cut even the roots. The cutting bend is designed at a 13 ° angle: easy to dig and work the lawn edge.

• Make shallow holes, taking into account the distance between the bushes 30 cm, between the rows - 40-70 cm.
• If humus was not added, pour 20 grams of fertilizer with microelements for strawberries (1 tbsp. L.) Into each hole. Mix the fertilizer with the soil to avoid burning the seedling roots.
• Place the bush in the hole. Make sure that the roots do not bend, otherwise there will be no berries. Long pruning - squeeze the root system in a fist and prune the protruding processes with pruning shears.
• Water the hole to hydrate the roots. For each bush, half a liter of water is enough, if the ground is dry - 1 liter.
• When the water is absorbed, fill in without covering the outlet (apical bud) of the bush. It should be level with the ground: if it is deeper, it will rot, it will be high, it will freeze in frost.
• Tamp the dirt around the bush and trim off the mustache and damaged leaves. A young plant must develop, over time it will release new ones.
• If planting in rows, make grooves between them and water in them. Do not pour water on the plants so that a crust does not form around the bush. It prevents the plant from breathing.
• When pouring, wait for the water to absorb and cover (cover) the furrows with peat, hay or straw. Otherwise, you will have to constantly loosen the furrows so that moisture remains in them longer.

When to transplant strawberries

In spring, it is best to plant from late April to mid-May. During this period, there is still no heat, but there is already a lot of sunlight. Planting strawberries in autumn is optimal at the end of August and until mid-September. Before freezing, the bushes will acclimate and put in a good root system. Strawberries transplanted in autumn will yield a harvest next year, but those planted in spring will not.

It is convenient to cover the strawberry garden with agrofibre, but I am used to mulching the soil with organic matter - hay or straw. Thus, it is easier to care for strawberries, the berries do not come into contact with the ground and are less sick.

• Agrofibre or natural mulch creates shade for the ground. It does not overheat or dry out.
• They keep weeds out. You will not need to weed the garden.
• Dry grass and agrotextile protect the berries from dirt. You can safely eat it right from the garden.
• They reflect light. Result: strawberries are sweeter and ripen faster.

How to plant strawberries with a mustache

I have been planting strawberries with a mustache since late July. When the bush gives a mustache, in the place where the outlet appeared, I put a handful of earth and tamp it.

• I fasten it tightly to the ground with a homemade crochet so that the mustache takes root faster. From the main bush I take only the first one - it is the most hardy: it develops well and gives rich fruits.
• I water it periodically if it doesn't rain.
• 2-3 weeks after grafting to the ground, I take out the hook - the mustache is grafted. I cut it with a pruner or a narrow spatula and uproot it.

My advice to you: the deeper you dig and the more land you grab, the better. Transplant into the hole without disturbing the clod of earth at the roots. The bush will take root faster.

The narrow shoulder blade is ideal for transplanting a variety of plants in narrow or small areas. Thanks to the rounded edges, it does not damage the roots.

Planting methods for strawberries

I have been growing strawberries outdoors for 15 years. I tried different planting options to get as many large and sweet berries as possible with the least effort.

The best varieties of strawberries

Of those that have happened to grow, this strawberry I liked the most.

How to fertilize strawberries

Be sure to give the strawberries a potassium and nitrogen supplement. Then the bushes will develop perfectly. I have 2 acres under the strawberries, but I pick berries in buckets.

• Root dressing (water under the bush) is carried out on damp ground so as not to burn the roots.
• Foliar (spraying the bushes) is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening, so as not to burn the leaves. Remove leaves with signs of disease.

Strain the solution, your spray bottle or sprayer will not clog.

How to fertilize strawberries in early spring

I fertilize strawberries with nitrogen in one of two ways.

• I dilute a bottle of ammonia (40 ml) for 10 liters of water and water the garden.
• I make herbal infusion and water the berries at the rate of 10 liters of water and 1 liter of green fertilizer. Top dressing with herbal infusion helps strawberries to grow good flower stalks - the berry will be large and will quickly fill with sweetness.
  • Fill any container by a third with green mass (take juicy grass).
  • Add a bucket of soil and a bucket of fresh manure there.
  • Fill with water, close the container and wait until it ferments. Manure and earth accelerate fermentation.
    • 4-5 days if hot;
    • 7-10 days if cool.

A solution of ammonia is an effective remedy for pests.

• Eliminates the beetle larvae (beetle), which eat up the roots of the bushes.
• It plagues the weevil, which eats the buds. Because of this, a barren flower is formed and there is no ovary.

When you pick the berries, the strawberries need to be fed with nitrogen again so that they develop normally: they gain a good mass and develop a strong root system. With the same means to choose from, but in a lower concentration - 2-3 tbsp. l. ammonia per 10 liters of water, or half a liter of green fertilizer per bucket, water on damp ground.

How to fertilize strawberries during flowering

When the strawberries start to bloom, give the bushes potassium. Fruit set and berry taste will be greatly improved. Use mineral or organic fertilizers. For example, potassium humate. It is sold in flower shops.

At one time, I fertilized strawberries in different ways, until I decided on the best one.

• Top dressing with ash: on a bucket → a three-liter can of wood ash, if it is with coals; sifted (without coals) - 2 liters. Fill with water for a day: potassium salts and other nutrients will dissolve during this time. Stir well before feeding, dilute the concentrate per liter of solution → a bucket of water, and water under the bushes.
• Boric acid treatment... Boron promotes the formation of ovaries and strengthens the flowers, they crumble less. I spray during flowering because I believe it contributes to a significant increase in yield.
  • I use half a teaspoon (2 g) for 10 liters of water. In cold water, the powder dissolves poorly, so I dilute it in hot water, then pour it into a bucket.
  • I spray the strawberries, trying to hit the flowers.
• Honey water treatment... The best pollinators for strawberries are bees. To attract them, I use a simple folk way: I take 1 tbsp for 1 liter of water. a spoonful of honey. I spray with a fine spray on the leaves and flowers. The bees in the garden work wonderfully well, and I feel good: the pollination of plants is increasing, which means there will be a rich harvest.

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