How to care for strawberries in the spring for a good harvest. How to care for strawberries in the spring so that there is a good harvest. What to do with Victoria in the spring in May

Strawberries are a tasty berry, but very labor-intensive. It requires constant care, but not a single plot of land is unthinkable without planting strawberries. It is one of the first berries to ripen, and therefore in the spring you need to take very good care of it. Work on the strawberry plantation begins as soon as the last snow melts.

How to care for strawberries in the spring for a good harvest

Once planted on a plot, strawberries can grow on it for many years. True, after 3-4 years the owner sees that the yield is sharply reduced, the bushes do not look so elegant, and the plantation is overgrown with weeds, despite careful care. Therefore, there is nothing to do, and approximately every 4-5 years the strawberry tree has to be uprooted and a new one planted. But over these few years, things cannot be left to chance: work on the strawberry plantation is in full swing in spring, summer, and autumn.

Cleaning strawberries from leaves in spring, removing winter coverings

The strawberry bed is one of the first that a summer resident approaches after visiting his property. in early spring. If the snow has already melted, you can’t delay cleaning the strawberries from dry and diseased leaves, and sometimes there are more of them than healthy and green ones. And here it’s not just a matter of aesthetics: various pests nest in the dry parts of plants, in particular, spider mite, and even pathogens. Everything that has died during the winter must be collected and burned as soon as possible.

Of course, this is very painstaking handmade. Some of the dry leaves are removed with a rare rake, but, depending on the condition of the soil, such an operation may be harmless, or some healthy bushes may be pulled out of the bed. Therefore, most often you have to sit down on your knees and process each bush with your hands using pruners. If the green leaves are slightly spotted, they can often be left, especially if the total amount of overwintered foliage is small. It is better to trim off severely affected leaves.

At the same time as the leaves, the mulch that was scattered before winter is also removed from the beds. If it is a flammable material, it is also better to burn it. Otherwise, the mulch is scattered around the garden, and when the beds are subsequently dug, fertilizers are embedded in the soil. If it is noticed that the strawberries are heavily damaged by mites, after cleaning the plantation, they are sprayed with insecticides, for example, Chlorophos.

It happens that after cleaning, almost nothing is visible in the garden bed; nothing, new leaves will grow soon

Is it possible not to burn harvested plant parts? Yes, they can be composted, but buried to such a depth that the layer can be used no earlier than three years later.

If it turns out that it’s spring, the snow has melted from the plantation, and the bushes are under a thin ice crust, this is bad: the crust often damages the bushes, and if possible, it should be destroyed. In some climatic regions For the winter, strawberries are covered with non-woven materials (spunbond, lutrasil, etc.). As long as they are kept in the garden bed by the remnants of snow or ice, you should not forcibly remove them. But if it can be done easily, better in spring Remove the opening as soon as possible and clean the bed, after which, if you expect the return of severe frosts, return the non-woven materials to their place.

However, it is best to remove the spunbond before the fall after cleaning the beds in early spring, and mulch the plantings well with bulk materials. Most the best option- needles coniferous trees, which can cover the entire bed with a layer of 4–6 cm. Weeds almost do not grow through the needles; it retains moisture in the soil well and protects plant roots from frost. Overwintered leaves spring frosts are not scary, so non-woven materials in spring are required only in the most extreme cases.

Preparing the soil and planting (transplanting) strawberries

The type of soil for growing strawberries does not matter much: it grows well on both loam and sandy loam, preferring, of course, black soil. But the soil structure must be breathable and moisture-absorbing, the reaction of the soil extract must be slightly acidic (hydrogen index about 5.5). Of course, swampy areas and bare sand that do not retain moisture are not suitable. Moreover, any land must be well-seasoned with various fertilizers in advance: both organic and mineral.

The area for planting strawberries should be protected from cold winds. The relief is not necessarily perfectly flat: small slopes (angle of about 2°) are also suitable, good if to the southwest. Low-lying places where very frosty air accumulates in winter, as well as those where groundwater comes close to the surface, are bad.

You can also plant strawberries in the spaces between the rows of very young trees: after all, in four years they will have to be removed, and by this time the trees will have grown up.

The best preceding crops are peas, onions, garlic, and any types of cabbage. It is completely bad to plant strawberries after raspberries, and it is undesirable to plant them after nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants). Almost everything can be planted nearby, except for crops that produce abundant growth and very powerful trees such as apricot or walnut. The best vegetables in the neighboring beds are lettuces, onions, garlic, basil, parsley.

Onions and garlic release phytoncides, driving away pests from strawberries

Strawberries are planted both in spring and in late summer or early autumn, but preferences depend on the region:

in the south they prefer spring planting (limited mainly to April), but this can also be done in October;
in the middle zone, strawberries are usually planted from mid-August to mid-September;
in the north, the spring version is sometimes used, but more often - the first half of August.

At the same time, if necessary, you can replant adult bushes. In principle, planting and replanting strawberries is possible throughout the warm period. Bushes take root poorly only during the flowering period (and, of course, no one will do this when the berries are ripening on the bushes). The earlier you plant strawberries, the more opportunity they will have to take root properly and gain strength for overwintering, the larger the first harvest of next year will be.

But, since strawberries are mostly planted with rooted tendrils, summer planting dates are limited by their readiness. Therefore, spring planting is often practiced even in the middle zone.

Strawberries are grown using a wide variety of planting schemes (carpet, strip, square-cluster, etc.). In summer cottages, bushes are usually planted with a distance between rows of 50–70 cm. In each row, depending on the variety, 10 to 30 cm are left between plants. They try to place the beds from north to south.

The busiest summer residents grow strawberries in a continuous carpet To plant strawberries, rooted rosettes that form on the tendrils are used. The best seedlings have 4–5 good leaves and a root system no shorter than 6–8 cm. The trouble is that the rosettes reach ideal development in the fall, when it is already too late to plant, and during the winter many leaves freeze and dry out. So choose in the spring good seedlings

It’s also not always easy, and you have to wait until fresh leaves appear. But you can’t wait long: planting work must be completed before May 5–10. They include the following steps. Autumn preparation of beds with application large quantities
It all starts with the hardest work
To disinfect the soil the day before planting strawberries, it is advisable to water the beds with a solution copper sulfate(1-2 tablespoons per bucket of water). Immediately before planting, water the bed generously with clean water.
To disinfect the soil, the copper sulfate solution should not be highly concentrated
It is safer to plant strawberries in cloudy weather. Before planting, carefully dug up seedlings are disinfected by immersing them in hot water (with a temperature of 40 to 48 °C) for 10–15 minutes.
Strawberry bushes are alive and green, and if you overheat the water, you can accidentally cook them
Add another handful of humus to the prepared holes and mix it with the soil.
After mixing the soil with fertilizer, the holes should be watered
Seedlings are placed in the hole, their roots are freely distributed, they are covered with soil, compacting it with their hands. Make sure that the heart remains level with the ground.
Under no circumstances should the horns go underground
Carefully water the seedlings, spending about a liter of water per bush.
After planting, watering should be plentiful but careful.

At first, you need to water the plantings very often so that the soil does not dry out for a moment, and also lightly loosen the bed.

Fertilizers applied during planting and fertilizing

The favorite fertilizer for strawberries is well-rotted manure; they add a lot of it when digging. If this is not available, properly prepared compost will do (the dose is the same for both: up to two buckets per 1 m2). They also add a small amount of mineral fertilizers (superphosphate and potassium sulfate) - 15–30 g each. Potassium salts can be successfully replaced with wood ash (half a liter jar for the same area).

Many summer residents don’t really like to deal with manure: it’s not always possible to buy it, and it’s hard to tinker with. In addition, it often clogs the soil with weeds, and it is not easy to control them on strawberry plantations. To some extent, organic fertilizers can replace preliminary sowing on the site of future strawberry green manure.

This is the name for crops that are sown for subsequent mowing and incorporation into the soil: vetch, peas, oats, etc. However, in this case, the amount of applied mineral fertilizers has to be increased, adding nitrogen fertilizers to them. Plantings from previous years must be fertilized with nitrogen in the spring, using any mineral fertilizers (urea or saltpeter) in a dose of 3–5 g of active substance per 1 m2. Phosphorus and potassium are added in summer and autumn. Useful and, held in late spring or early summer. To do this, the foliage is sprayed during the flowering phase with diluted solutions of complete mineral fertilizers (according to the instructions). It is useful to add a little zinc sulfate to the solution (up to a concentration of 0.01%).

Of course, infusions are also good for feeding organic fertilizers: mullein or chicken droppings. You just have to be very careful with the droppings, diluting it 10 times stronger than the mullein infusion.

Chicken manure is an excellent fertilizer, but special care must be taken with it.

Caring for strawberries in spring: watering, pruning

In most regions, strawberries have to be watered frequently and there is not enough rain. Throughout the summer, the plantation should be kept free of weeds, the soil should be slightly moist and loose. Water from melting snow does not last long, but in order not to lose it, the bed should be loosened immediately after removing dry leaves. In the future, the frequency of watering depends on the weather. Until flowering begins, you can water by sprinkling, but in the future this should only be done at the root.

Strawberry leaves themselves signal the need for watering by drooping in the heat. Strawberries do not necessarily require the use of warm water, but its temperature should be at least not lower than 15 o C. If possible, it is worth equipping a system drip irrigation when water goes directly to the roots of plants. At the same time, excess water is not wasted and row spacing is not watered, which reduces the amount of weeds.

Spring pruning of strawberry bushes is carried out to a minimal extent (in the fall, after harvesting, many summer residents almost completely mow down the leaves on plantings older than two years). In spring, it is necessary to remove only dried and obviously diseased leaves. This should not be done with your hands, but with a sharp pruner; the petioles should not be left: the cutting height is 1–2 cm from the beginning of the growth of the horns.

Protection against pests and diseases: treatment and spraying

From the point of view of diseases and pests, strawberries are a very delicate berry, therefore, unfortunately, it is not always possible to do without periodic treatment of the plantation with special preparations. The most known pests strawberries are:

raspberry-strawberry weevil;
strawberry (transparent) mite;
stem nematode;
strawberry nematode;
root weevils;
slugs

Among the diseases that most often affect strawberries:

gray rot;
powdery mildew;
white spotting;
root rot;
witch's broom.

On the very first spring visit to the site, immediately after harvesting dry leaves and plant debris, strawberries can be sprayed with 3% Bordeaux mixture against a complex of fungal diseases for preventive purposes. However, if there have been no problems in the garden in the past, it is better not to use copper salts again.

When inflorescences appear, strawberries are sprayed against a complex of pests using colloidal sulfur preparations and Chlorophos. During the flowering period, in case of outbreaks of diseases, copper oxychloride can be used. In all cases, both the preparation of solutions and the addition of chemicals must be carried out strictly according to the instructions.

In principle, there are a lot of drugs to protect strawberry plantations from pests and diseases, but in non-critical cases you should try to use the most harmless ones. Fortunately, often you don’t even need a Bordeaux mixture; sometimes improvised means help out. To begin with, you can do without chemicals altogether by using physical influences, namely, heat.

For strawberries emerging from under the snow already with green leaves, the method used for currants and gooseberries - the use of boiling water - is unacceptable. But hot water with a temperature of 60–65 o C can be used, you just need to check the temperature with a thermometer. At the very beginning of April, strawberry plantings are watered with this water, pouring it directly into the center of each bush, dousing all the leaves. With this treatment, the larvae of most pests located on the bushes are almost completely destroyed.

Ammonia ( water solution ammonia), which is mainly found on sale in a concentration of 10%, is also a completely harmless substance that can be used in the garden not only as a nitrogen fertilizer. It is also used to prevent many diseases. Strawberries are treated with ammonia solution three times per season, which helps against aphids, ants, nematodes and other pests.

Ammonia is a preparation needed both at home and in the garden

The first time, take 40 ml of a 10% ammonia solution into a bucket of water and spray the strawberries in early spring, as soon as young leaves begin to grow. If you irrigate both the bushes and the soil with a solution from a watering can, both pests and pathogens of fungal diseases will be destroyed. The second time (after flowering), only 3 tablespoons of ammonia are dissolved in a bucket of water. The third - after harvesting - is watered with the same solution as in early spring.

In addition to ammonia, various household oxidizing agents, such as iodine, hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate, are used in the prevention of diseases and the destruction of pests. So, for example, at the beginning of spring you can spray strawberries with a solution prepared from half a teaspoon of pharmaceutical tincture of iodine in a bucket of water. This recipe helps against weevils. In addition, iodine is an excellent immunomodulator that increases the strength of plants.

In early spring, you can spray the plants with a weak solution of boric acid, but more often it is used in combination with potassium permanganate. Dissolve 1 g of both preparations in a bucket of water and pour it over 30–40 strawberry bushes.

Video: spring processing of strawberry beds

Strawberry propagation methods

Strawberries are almost always propagated by seedlings - rooted rosettes developing on tendrils. The best seedlings should be obtained from young plants, 1–2 years old. Optimally - the very first tendrils from last year's plants, maximum - the second from the mother bush. At first, only leaves appear on the tendrils, forming rosettes. Then the rudiments of roots form from below in the form of inconspicuous tubercles. The roots grow quickly only when they come into contact with the ground, so they need a little help by pinning them to the ground or digging them in. New bushes will form on their own, but the sooner this happens, the better.

The first rosette from the mother bush is the best; you can leave the second one, but no more

If you specifically grow mother plants, the first bushes are ready only in June, but the spontaneous formation of tendrils and the rooting of rosettes occurs only in the second half of summer. However, this situation is also suitable for spring planting: a sufficient number of seedlings have time to take root before winter. You just need to monitor the situation in time, cutting off and removing the mustache after the second outlet from the bush. In the spring, the seedlings are carefully dug up (preferably with a lump of earth) and transplanted to a new location.

Other methods of reproduction are rarely used. This is especially true for seed propagation, since it is very labor-intensive. After all, they deal with seeds in much the same way as in the case of vegetable seedlings, sowing them at home in boxes, carefully caring for them and then transferring the seedlings to the garden bed.

It is also possible to propagate strawberries using horns, but it is unproductive. In fact, this method is the division of an adult bush and is used mainly in cases of lack of runners, as well as for remontant varieties of strawberries. The horn is a part of the bush that can be separated from it painlessly, while the horn, when planted, can live and develop independently.

You can divide bushes that are 1–3 years old; after that there is no point: the horns will be old and weak. From a one-year-old bush you can get not so much planting material, but from a three-year-old bush you can get up to 15 specimens. Divide the bushes in the spring, after it becomes clear that they have resumed their growth. The bush is dug up and cleared of everything unnecessary (soil, dry and diseased leaves, and also, if they have managed to form, flower stalks). The easiest way to divide a bush is to soak it in a large container of water (for example, a basin).

When dividing an adult bush, you can get many seedlings

Basically, dividing a bush is manual work, but you can also help yourself with a knife. The goal is to separate areas of the plant with at least one rosette of leaves and several roots. The roots are then lightly trimmed. The resulting horns cannot be immediately planted in the garden, like mustaches: they must be looked after separately. Sometimes they are even planted in pots for a couple of months, but more often - in a seedling bed. The leaves are almost completely removed: only 1–3 central ones are left, and even these are partially cut off. The bed is systematically watered and loosened. If the outcome is successful, good seedlings will grow from the horns by mid-summer.

Storing strawberry planting material before planting in the ground and preparing for planting

If seedlings are purchased, but it is not possible to plant them on the same day or the next, they can be stored in the refrigerator. To do this, the bushes are soaked in water and, while wet, packed in a plastic bag, after which the bag is tightly tied. If you need to store a lot and for a long time, you need a cellar. Seedlings can be stored in the cellar even throughout the winter if the temperature is close to 0 o C. Before the attack persistent frosts good young bushes are dug up, all damaged leaves are cut off (in principle, you can leave only 1-2 of the strongest ones), the soil is shaken off and placed in a tied bag in the cellar. In winter, you need to periodically check their condition so as not to dry out.

Before spring planting The seedlings are taken out of the cellar, taken out of the bag and completely soaked in water for a couple of hours. It is also advisable to disinfect the bushes by placing them in hot water for 10–15 minutes (just so that the temperature does not exceed 48 °C). Some gardeners even dip strawberry roots in a clay mash before planting, just like when planting fruit trees or berry bushes.

Features of spring work when growing in different regions

The technology for planting strawberries and caring for them in all climatic regions is similar, only the timing of completing this or that work differs slightly. This also applies to spring worries. For example, in a warm, humid climate, which is characterized by Krasnodar region and the very south of Ukraine, strawberries grow almost all year round. Somewhat further north, climatic conditions are already beginning to require increased attention to planting, and at latitudes north of the Moscow region, growing strawberries without carefully covering the bushes for the winter is unthinkable.

In Kuban, which includes Stavropol and Krasnodar region, Rostov region, Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia, already at the very beginning of the calendar spring, strawberries are planted in a new place, since in early March they already wake up from a certain period of dormancy and resume growth. In April, strawberries bloom, and in May the first berries are harvested. Therefore, all concerns about plantings, compared to the middle zone, begin a month and a half earlier. In the Black Sea regions it is necessary to water the plants somewhat less frequently, but basically all care operations are the same as everywhere else.

In the Moscow region, if the strawberries overwintered under cover, it is removed around mid-March, and a month later, when the soil warms up, they begin to apply fertilizers, loosen the soil and replant the bushes (the main work on planting new beds is postponed until the end of summer). In the North-West of the country, including the Leningrad region, strawberries are necessarily covered with spunbond for the winter, so spring worries begin with removing it. True, this happens about a month later than in the middle zone.

In Siberia and the Ural region, for the winter, plantings are covered with spruce branches of coniferous trees or tops of various vegetables, and in the most severe climate regions, plastic film is also added to this. The film is removed immediately after the snow melts, and the spruce branches are left for some more time: in these regions, strawberry plantings can be lost even from May frosts.

People say that a spring day feeds the year. This also applies to strawberries. This berry requires a lot of effort, and even more so in the spring. Success in growing it and getting a good harvest starts already when the snow melts. From this moment on, the gardener has a lot to do on the strawberry plantation, but soon summer comes - and the strawberry thanks the owner for his care with tasty and healthy berries.

Garden strawberries are whimsical and capricious crops that require constant care and attention. Breeders different countries They have bred many varieties that differ in flowering time, shape, size and taste characteristics of fruits, as well as resistance to various diseases and weather conditions. General principles agricultural techniques remain the same for all varieties of strawberries. A special place is occupied by spring care, the quality and timely implementation of which directly determines the future harvest.

How to care for strawberries in spring

Spring work on caring for strawberries begins as early as possible. The sooner the strawberry plantation is put in order, the better. As soon as the snow cover melts and the soil dries, you need to begin active action. The main activities are as follows:

cleaning the area;
trimming old leaves and tendrils;
replanting old bushes;
watering;
feeding;
treatment against diseases and pests.

Care strawberry beds need to start as early as possible

Deadlines

In regions with different climatic conditions, the timing of spring strawberry care work varies greatly. Plants wake up and begin to function root system

and fresh shoots appear when the soil warms above +5...+7 °C. To make the snow lying on the strawberry beds melt faster, sprinkle it with some dark powder: crushed ash, coal or tobacco dust, peat. A wire frame is mounted over the plantings and any covering material is thrown over it. This simple procedure will speed up fruiting by 7-10 days.

Work on strawberry plantations begins immediately after the snow melts

Some gardeners advise using potassium permanganate granules, which not only enhance the absorption of sunlight, but also disinfect the soil and also feed the plants.

On average, work on strawberry beds begins at this time:
southern warm regions - early March;
middle zone and Moscow region - from late March to early April;

In the northern regions, in order for the strawberries to warm up faster, the beds are covered with film or cloth

Depending on specific weather conditions, the timing of spring work may change, but the sequence of actions always remains the same.

In harsh Siberian conditions winters are usually so snowy that the snow cover does not melt until mid-April. Next you need to keep a close eye on the weather. In just a few days everything dries up and you can start planting strawberries. We always start gardening work by clearing it of old leaves. If you are late, the dry leaves dry out completely and it becomes impossible to collect them, since they crumble into small fragments. As a result, all pest-infested or diseased parts of the plant remain on the ground, and are also carried by the wind throughout the garden. Most convenient to use fan rake, which are used to rake the mown grass on the lawn. They injure bushes less and remove small debris better.

Strawberry planting cleaning and pruning

If the berry plantations were insulated for the winter, then it is necessary to remove the shelter as soon as possible so that the bushes do not become covered in the event of sudden warming. The roll insulation is carefully rolled up and put away before the autumn cold. Some gardeners cover strawberries in the fall with branches, spruce branches, sawdust, hay, vegetable tops or other plant debris. All this needs to be removed. Dry leaves and last year's mulch layer are raked with a rake. In the spring, this mulch is more likely to interfere, since the root system warms up worse, the plant wakes up later and does not begin to grow well.

Rake all dry leaves and debris, then burn

There is no need to be afraid to pull out the plant with a rake. A normal healthy strawberry bush is held very firmly in the ground due to its branched roots. Rough mechanical impact using a rake is not capable of causing significant harm to strawberries. Only sick or weak specimens are easily pulled out.

Secateurs or garden shears cut out all old, damaged, dead leaves, remaining tendrils and last year's flower stalks.

Use pruning shears or garden shears to trim off all last year's leaves and remaining tendrils.

Berry plantings are carefully loosened, trying not to damage the roots. The row spacing is treated with a hoe or hoe. Loosening improves soil aeration and helps better retain moisture in the soil under the plants. You need to carefully adjust the beds with strawberries. If the roots are exposed, then it is necessary to add soil under the bushes. Pieces of soil should not be allowed to fall into the center of the bush; the growing point should always be above the soil level. If necessary, if the plant has gone too deep into the ground during wintering, it needs to be raised a little. It is carefully dug out and raised to the desired level.

Strawberry beds must be loosened after removing debris and pruning.

It is best to prune strawberries immediately after fruiting. In Siberia, this time falls at the end of July or beginning of August. We have been practicing burning with fire for several years now. gas burner. Old foliage burns along with the pests and fungal spores present on it. In this case, the bush itself does not suffer. Almost immediately after this procedure, green young leaves grow, and before the onset of autumn, the strawberry manages to acquire a lush and healthy crown. In the spring, you don’t have to bother with pruning for a long time; you can remove the overwintered ground part and debris in literally half an hour. The main thing is to be in time before fresh shoots appear. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to use a rake, since it is extremely easy to damage fragile leaves.

Replanting old strawberry bushes in spring

When everything is tidied up and in order, you need to conduct a detailed audit of all the plants that survived the winter. Overwintered bushes are carefully examined for viability. Dead, dried or too weak specimens must be pulled out and destroyed. To prevent bald spots in the beds, new plants are planted in the vacant spaces. As planting material, you can use well-established strong mustaches or divide the mother bush into several parts.

To the empty spaces left after dead plants, replanting other strawberry bushes

This needs to be done as quickly as possible, then the transplanted bushes will have time to take root well before the onset of hot summer time. During the rapid growth of green mass, the root system also actively grows. This period is considered the most favorable for transplanting strawberries. The plant will easily tolerate minor damage to small roots.

Transplantation is carried out using the following technology:

They dig up the damaged specimen under the root and remove it along with the clod of earth, since pests like to settle in the soil between the roots.
Several mature bushes are selected for seedlings. You can use last year's rooted strong mustache.
Divide the rhizome into parts. Each fragment must have its own growing point and at least 2-3 leaves.
The roots are dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (light pink).
Dig and prepare a hole. Apply nitrogen fertilizer, peat or humus.
The hole is filled with water. The liquid should be settled and slightly warm (not cold well or tap water).
After the water is absorbed, the seedling is placed in the planting hole.
Holding the plant by the core, fill the hole with soil. The growing point should not be buried, as the bush may rot.
Water generously again.

For transplantation, adult strawberry bushes are used, which are carefully divided into parts.

In the spring they are busy arranging new beds. Strawberries are transplanted to another place every 3–4 years. Maximum yield This crop produces in the second and third years of life, then the yield drops sharply. The soil is depleted, the number of pests is rapidly increasing and the plants begin to get sick often, so after this time the strawberry plantation needs to be rejuvenated.

Watering strawberry plantings in spring

Immediately after wintering, the soil is well saturated with melt water. But the moisture evaporates very quickly and watering strawberry plantations needed regularly. Since the root system of strawberries is superficial and never goes deeper into the ground than 20–30 cm, water deficiency has an extremely negative effect on the development of the crop and the formation of the ovary. Need early spring watering

can be determined visually by the type of plant. If the leaves have withered and begin to curl inward, then the plantings need to be moistened urgently.

The need for early spring watering of strawberries is determined by the appearance of the plants.

Water the berry crop abundantly; the soil should be saturated to a depth of at least 40 cm. On average, each bush will require about ½ liter of liquid. In the absence of rain, strawberry beds are moistened once every 5–7 days. It is best to do this in the early morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset. Before the first flowers appear, the planting can be watered using sprinkling methods (from a watering can), this stimulates more luxuriant growth of the above-ground green part. Subsequently, watering is carried out between rows or in special holes dug between the bushes, as well as by drip method.

Before flowering, strawberries can be watered from a watering can.

The crop reacts negatively to the temperature of the irrigation liquid. It is not recommended to water the plants cold water from a well or well. You need to let it sit a little and warm up in the sun. Excessive moisture is very harmful for strawberries, since excessive moisture levels create favorable conditions for the development of fungal infections and rot. This is especially true during fruit setting and ripening. If it's cool and rainy weather, then watering should be stopped.

After the first high-quality moistening, you need to mulch the beds with fresh straw, mown grass, sawdust, pine needles, etc. This will help retain moisture in the soil for a longer time and reduce the frequency of watering. The mulch layer should be about 3–5 cm. Some gardeners use non-woven covering materials or dark plastic film for this purpose.

After watering, strawberries are mulched

We have been using grass cut from the lawn as mulch for several years now. During the period of active growth, it grows especially quickly and has to be mowed often. Our lawn is considered sporty and the grass on it has small, neat, narrow leaves. Even when mowed, it looks unusually decorative and does not at all spoil the appearance of the beds that have been mulched with it, not to mention the undoubted benefits it brings.

Fertilizing strawberries with organic fertilizers

A mandatory step in the list of spring procedures for caring for strawberries is the application of fertilizers. Many gardeners prefer to use exclusively organic fertilizers, since they are considered absolutely harmless and an overdose of them is impossible. In contrast to mineral additives, an excess of which has an extremely negative effect on the taste of berries and makes them dangerous to human health.

Many gardeners prefer organic fertilizers

For the first time, strawberry plantations are fertilized after the snow melts, when... active growth bushes Fertilizing must be carried out before flowering begins when stable warm weather sets in. This procedure stimulates the growth of above-ground green mass and the formation of flower ovaries.

The following fertilizers of organic origin are used:

Mullein. 0.3 kg of manure is poured into a bucket of water and left to infuse for 2–3 days. The resulting nutritional composition is added to special grooves that are dug between the bushes. 10 liters of solution is enough for 3–4 linear meters. You can water each plant at the root, being careful not to let the liquid get on the leaves. Sometimes it is advised to simply spread manure directly under the roots, sprinkling 2–3 cm of soil on top. But it should be borne in mind that fresh mullein contains weed seeds, which will then germinate.
Mullein infusion is most often used, but manure can simply be spread under the plants
Humus. Scatter on the ground under the leaves. At the same time it acts as mulch.
Humus is scattered in the bite area
Chicken droppings. Is natural source nitrogen, which is especially necessary for the development of plants in spring period. Requires strong dilution: only 1 part of litter is needed to 20 parts of water. The composition is left to infuse for 3–4 days, then the plantings are watered. Approximately ½ liter of solution is spent on each bush.
Infusion of chicken manure is watered at the root of each bush.
Nettle or other weeds. Fill 1/3 of the bucket with chopped herbs, which is then filled to the top with water. The resulting infusion is diluted in a ratio of 1:3 and the strawberry plantings are watered between the rows. About 10 liters of nutrient fluid are consumed per 1 m2.
For feeding, use an infusion of nettle or any other weed.
Wood ash. A glass of ground ash is poured into a bucket of water, mixed and applied under the bushes (1 liter per 1 m2). You can simply sprinkle the powder on the surface of the soil under the plants.
Strawberries are fertilized with infusion of ash
Yeast. Contain nitrogen, zinc, potassium and other useful substances. Dilute 0.2 kg of raw baker's yeast in ½ liter of warm water, leave for 20–30 minutes, then bring the volume of the solution to 10 liters and pour it generously over the strawberry bushes.

Strawberries respond very well to foliar feeding. To spray bushes, solutions of organic fertilizers must be used in half concentration.

Mineral fertilizers are often applied in the fall after harvesting. In early spring, the following compositions are used:

ammonium nitrate or nitroammophoska - 35–45 g per 1 m2 (scattered between bushes) or 25–30 g per 10 liters of water (½ liter for each plant);
urea - 1 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water (½ liter per bush);
potassium sulfate - 25–30 g per 1 m2.

Strawberries can also be fed with mineral fertilizers

On sale you can find special complex fertilizers intended for garden strawberries.

You can use a special complex fertilizer intended for strawberries.

After spreading the mineral granules over the surface, you need to loosen the soil a little and mix the fertilizer with the soil.

Pest control and disease prevention

Strawberry plantations are often attacked by insect pests and are affected by various diseases. It is much easier to prevent a problem from occurring than to deal with its consequences for a long time. Therefore, in the spring, preventive measures to combat pests and diseases on strawberries are given special meaning. Prevention is recommended to be carried out after loosening the top layer of soil and before applying fresh mulch.

In the spring, preventive treatment of strawberry plantings against pests and diseases is mandatory.

A huge number of different pests settle on strawberries, but the most common ones found on them are:

nematode;
transparent strawberry mite;
weevil;
slugs;
spider mite;
May beetles (larvae);
mole crickets.

The diseases that most often affect strawberry plantations are:

powdery mildew;
white and gray rot;
root rot;
spotting;
viral mosaic;
fusarium wilt.

With proper care and good preventive treatment with special preparations, it is possible to avoid the spread of fungal infections and damage by harmful insects. Great importance is given to the timely removal of last year's plant residues, in which pathogens and insect larvae overwinter. It is recommended not only to remove dry leaves, but also to remove the top layer of soil (2–3 cm). As a last resort, deep loosening of 6–8 cm is allowed.

Preventive treatments are carried out as follows:

Early in the spring, after removing debris and loosening, the plantations are treated with copper-containing preparations (3% Bordeaux mixture, 2% copper sulfate, HOM, etc.). This measure helps against a whole range of fungal diseases. If the air temperature is above +15...+17 °C, then you can use biological products (Phytodoctor, Fitosporin, Trichodermin, etc.).
Before budding begins, around the beginning of April (in the northern regions at the end of April or beginning of May), the bushes are sprayed with fungicidal preparations to prevent the appearance of insect pests (Karbofos, Carbamide, Actellik, Actofit, Aktara, etc.).
At the end of flowering, re-treatment against insects with fungicides is carried out.

Preventive treatments are carried out with various drugs

Don't rush to use it chemicals, if no alarming signs were noticed on the strawberries last season on the plantation.

You can try to get by with harmless folk methods:
Watering with water heated to 60–65 °C. Hot liquid is poured over all the leaves of the plant and its core. This treatment kills most of the pest larvae.
Hot water destroys pests, their larvae and eggs
Ammonia solution (40 ml of ammonia per 10 liters of water). Ammonia solution is an excellent nitrogen fertilizer and also kills aphids, nematodes and other insects. All bushes and the soil under them are watered from a watering can three times a season:
Tincture of iodine (10 ml per 10 liters of water). Treatments are carried out once every 7–10 days. The product is effective against gray rot and weevils.
Strawberry beds are watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate
Mustard infusion. Dilute 50 g of dry mustard powder in 5 liters of warm water, leave for two days, then dilute another 5 liters of water and water the strawberry bushes.
Mustard infusion helps in the fight against weevils on strawberries Infusion from onion peel
repel pests

Hydrogen peroxide helps fight rot on strawberries

There is a specialized complex drug “Strawberry Rescuer”, which has a very wide range of actions. It effectively destroys insects, their eggs and larvae, fights fungal pathologies, and also stimulates plant growth.

Strawberry Rescuer is a universal drug
observe crop rotation and do not grow strawberries in one place for more than 4 years;
Always treat acquired new seedlings before planting and immediately after it;
buy planting material only in trusted places and from reliable suppliers;
promptly destroy diseased plants and weeds; plant herbs between the rows that repel harmful insects

and attracting useful ones.

Preventive measures take much less effort and time than the subsequent fight against fungal diseases and insect pests.

Ordinary garlic repels pests very well. We always plant it in late autumn between strawberry bushes. Garlic sprouts appear early, when the berry crop has not yet woken up after hibernation. Thanks to the insecticidal properties of the spicy vegetable, the number of pests in strawberry beds is noticeably reduced. The biological method of plant protection works effectively and is absolutely safe.

Growing aromatic and tasty berries is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, even in the rather harsh climatic conditions of the risky farming zone. By observing the entire range of necessary spring activities and making a certain contribution physical labor, a patient and skillful gardener always manages to get good harvest garden strawberries.

What could be tastier than a ripe, sweet and juicy strawberry picked on your own plot? To achieve a large and tasty harvest of garden strawberries in the summer, you need to take care of the bushes in the spring, because the crop is quite demanding in terms of care and needs the attention of the gardener.

When is the best time to start caring for plants? open ground? IN different regions our country optimal time the beginning of events may differ: in the South - from mid-March, in Middle lane(Moscow region) - from the second half of April, in Siberia, the Urals, in the Leningrad region - from the end of April or beginning of May.

What does it take to care for strawberry bushes on the site after winter? Let's look at the main stages of caring for strawberries in the open ground in spring in more detail.

Removing cover

Removing the cover from strawberries is done after the snow has completely melted and a positive temperature has established. It is necessary to completely remove the cover and remove the mulching material. In this case, you need to act carefully so as not to damage the bushes or pull out any plants. But if, nevertheless, some bushes were pulled out of the soil, then most likely they were already too weak or sick, so there is no need to worry!

If you are growing strawberries on agrofibre (spunbond), then you do not need to remove it from the ground, you only need to remove debris and leaves from its surface.

Note! It is very important to remove the cover and remove the mulch in a timely manner, otherwise the strawberry bushes under the cover may grow moldy, and pests and pathogens may become active in the mulch.

Trimming

Pruning strawberries is another important point in caring for the plant in the spring. The event performs a sanitary function because it helps eliminate diseased, diseased, damaged, and dried bushes. Thus, the garden strawberry bushes are rejuvenated and healthier. They will not waste their energy senselessly, but will direct resources to laying flower buds and thus you will be able to get a more abundant harvest.

When is the best time to prune strawberries? In different regions, the timing of the procedure may vary: in the middle zone (Moscow region) - in the second half of April, in the South (Krasnodar Territory (Kuban), North Caucasus) - pruning is carried out in mid-March, in Siberia, the Urals, in the Leningrad region - in early May.

So, the basic rules spring pruning strawberries:

It is necessary to eliminate all dried, diseased and damaged leaves.
You should trim carefully, without touching the heart and young healthy plates.
In this case, you should try to prune close to the root.
Last year's mustache also needs to be eliminated (but only if you do not want to reproduce).
The above-ground part of the plants that you cut needs to be burned because it may contain pathogens and pest larvae.

Important! To trim garden strawberries, you should use sharp, disinfected pruners or scissors.

Watering

The first watering of the strawberry beds should be done after the snow has melted and the soil has dried out. It is especially important to introduce moisture under two- and three-year-old garden strawberry bushes, because their hearts above the ground can become very dry.

The rate of watering in spring is approximately once every 7 days. It is recommended to do this in the morning or evening. You need to use warm water.

Advice! Before the first flowers appear on plants, you can sometimes irrigate using the sprinkling method (that is, irrigate the above-ground part of the plant and the soil).
After the flowers appear and fruit sets begin, you can water the plants only at the roots! Water should not get on the plants themselves!

Loosening and weeding

This type of care, such as loosening, is recommended for all garden crops, but strawberries love it especially. The procedure promotes soil aeration, i.e. improves the supply of oxygen to the root system of the plant, optimizes soil water permeability.

By the way! During this procedure, you also need to weed the weeds in the garden bed.

Loosen the soil around garden strawberries carefully, to a shallow depth (about 2-3 centimeters), since the roots of the plant are close to the surface of the earth. It is recommended to carry out the event after each watering or rain.

Note! When loosening strawberries in the spring, inspect the plants:
if you see that the roots are exposed in the garden bed, then you must carry out hilling, that is, sprinkle the roots with soil;
if the plant growth point is in the ground, then, on the contrary, you need to rake the earth around it.

Mulching

Strawberries, like other garden crops, need to be mulched. This element of care is extremely important, since a layer of mulch preserves the evaporation of moisture (you can water less frequently), prevents the growth of weeds (no need to weed the beds), eliminates the need for loosening, and in dry weather it protects the root system of the plant from overheating, and in cold weather, vice versa , warms.

In addition to the benefits listed above, thanks to mulch, garden strawberries have more attractive look, rot less often and can be stored longer.

To mulch the beds, you can use peat, humus, compost, rotted sawdust, and straw. Optimal thickness layer - five centimeters.

By the way! Instead of mulching, covering material is often used, but this requires the crop to be applied to it initially.

Top dressing

To get abundant, delicious harvest, you need to regularly care for plants. In addition, it is necessary to regularly feed the garden strawberry bushes, it is especially important to do this in the spring. Conduct spring feeding Strawberries should only be planted after the soil temperature is above 8 degrees Celsius.

Important! Before applying fertilizers, be sure to water the soil with plain water.

You can feed strawberries for the first time in early spring with nitrogen fertilizers, for example, a solution of bird droppings or ammonium nitrate. After the plant begins to grow, it is useful to feed it with complex mineral fertilizer, for example, Nitroammophoska.

Then you should feed before flowering, during the formation of buds (this feeding is very important!). During this period, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, for example, Potassium Monophosphate, should be used. You can also use special fertilizers, for example, “Strawberry” from Fasco, Fertika “Kristalon” for strawberries and wild strawberries.

Advice! If, when applying fertilizer, you get on the above-ground part of the plant, you need to carefully rinse this area.

Treatment against pests and diseases

Pests and diseases can significantly damage the harvest or completely deprive you of it. To prevent their destructive effects, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments of strawberries against pests and diseases in the spring.

The first time you need to treat strawberry bushes is after removing the cover and removing the mulch. You can use, for example, Bordeaux mixture. Then you should carry out the treatment before flowering, and you need to spray not only the bushes themselves, but also the soil around them. The following fungicidal drugs can be used against diseases: Fitosporin-M, Fitolavin, Gamair, Alirin. And use the following insecticidal preparations against pests: Fitoverm, Lepidotsid.

Transfer

Strawberries grow well and bear fruit in one place for about three to four years, and then they need to be transplanted to another place. Without timely replanting, the quality and quantity of the harvest will decrease significantly. This is due to the fact that the plants grow and lack nutrients in the garden.

The timing of transplanting strawberries to a new place differs in different regions of Russia: in the South (Krasnodar Territory (Kuban), Northern Caucasus) - it is better to do this in April, in the middle zone (Moscow region) - it is optimal to transplant in early May, in Siberia, in the Urals, Leningrad region - the optimal time for transplantation is at the end of May. In this case, the air temperature should remain stably above 10 degrees Celsius.

To replant, you need to dig up the bush without damaging the roots and earthen coma. It is advisable to replant it to a new place together with a lump of earth.

Video: transplanting strawberry bushes.

Caring for strawberries in the spring is very simple, but it is important to carry out all activities efficiently and in a timely manner. Thanks to simple manipulations for caring for garden strawberries, you can not only get a harvest that is excellent in taste and quality, but also make it easier for yourself to grow a wonderful crop.

Strawberries, like other garden crops, need care. It needs to be watered, fertilized, fed, treated against pests and diseases. Let's take a closer look at exactly how to care for strawberries in the spring so that they please their owners with a rich harvest this season.

Start garden work How to care for strawberry beds in the spring occurs when the snow melts, it gets warmer, and the ground dries out a little. In the south, for example, in Kuban, this can happen as early as mid-March, in the middle zone and Moscow region - in April, in Siberia and the Urals - by the beginning of May.

The need for proper care of strawberries in early spring is explained by the fact that only after carrying out certain agrotechnical measures can one hope that the plants will develop as needed throughout the growing season. Without care, they will not be able to show their full potential, they will develop worse, and produce a much smaller harvest.

How to care for strawberries in spring: basic activities

The complex for caring for strawberries in the spring at the dacha includes: removal of insulating material and old leaves, as well as watering, fertilizing, preventive and therapeutic treatments of plants with folk remedies.

Opening bushes after winter

The time when it is already possible to open strawberry bushes after winter comes after the snow has melted and the weather warms up. The cover of all plants is removed - the mulch that protected them from freezing in winter, as well as other debris. The easiest way to do this is with a small rake. You need to act carefully so as not to catch the sockets with them and tear them out.

Removing the cover allows sun rays freely penetrate plants and soil, heating it, and the destruction of old material, in which pests and pathogens may remain, reduces the likelihood of the development of diseases and the proliferation of pests.

Trimming

At the same time, the bushes are inspected: some of the leaves may be damaged by frost, diseases, wither, or turn yellow. All such leaves are cut with pruners, a knife or scissors along with the petioles and burned. You can’t tear them off; if you pull too hard, you can tear out the rosette by the roots; such a plant, buried again, will hurt and will begin to bear fruit later.

When pruning strawberries in the spring, all last year's tendrils that will not be used this year are also removed. The plants will grow new ones this season.

Loosening and weeding

The next stage in caring for remontant and regular strawberries is loosening the soil and simultaneous weeding. The purpose of loosening is to improve soil aeration (as a result of which air will better penetrate to the roots of plants) and soil water permeability, and retain winter moisture in the soil. Loosening must be done extremely carefully so as not to touch the roots, which, by the way, are very close to the surface of the earth.

If the strawberry roots are exposed here and there, they are sprinkled with earth, slightly hilling the plants. Those specimens whose cores ended up in the soil during the winter, on the contrary, are raked. In the process of loosening, weed seedlings are also removed, therefore, so that they do not have time to grow, loosening is carried out as often as possible.

Watering

If it turns out that after removing the mulch the soil has already dried out, then you need to water the strawberries. This is especially important for those plants that are 2-3 years old: their centers can rise above the ground and dry out quickly.

Then the strawberry bushes are watered in the spring approximately once a week, in the morning or evening. Use warm water. Before the plants produce their first flowers, it is convenient to water them by sprinkling. Afterwards, during mass flowering and setting of strawberries, it is better to apply watering at the roots to avoid moisture getting inside the flowers and on the berries, which can lead to a decrease in setting and rotting of the strawberries. To water the crop, you can use a drip irrigation system: spread the hoses over the beds and turn on the watering.

Mulching

This is one of the recommended methods for caring for strawberries after winter. After removing the old covering material and loosening, the beds must be covered again with a new layer of mulch. Suitable materials for this are straw, hay, peat, compost, humus or agrofibre.

The advantages of mulching strawberries: moisture is retained under the layer of cover, watering can be done less often, and air can pass inside without obstruction. This will also allow you to almost do without weeding, because the mulch will stop the growth of weeds. Lying on straw or hay, the berries do not touch the ground, do not become dirty or rot.

Top dressing

There is no need to rush to feed plants in open ground in early spring. The first application of fertilizers is carried out only when the ground temperature is not lower than 8-10°C. If it is lower, then plant roots simply will not be able to draw nutrients from the soil. It is recommended to combine fertilizing with irrigation.

For early spring feeding, use nitrogen fertilizers - saltpeter, urea, slurry. It is carried out when the plants begin to grow new leaves and flower stalks. Fertilizer is prepared as follows: fill a third of the bucket chicken droppings, pour water on top and leave to infuse for 3 days. Before watering, dilute 0.5 liters of slurry in a bucket of water. When using mineral fertilizers, strawberries are first watered with plain water, and then only with a fertilizer solution.

For the next (before flowering) feeding of strawberries, phosphorus-potassium mixtures are used. It’s convenient to use nitroammophoska, it has all 3 nutrient. Before flowering, it is also advisable to spray the strawberry bushes with a solution of boric acid.

Treatment against diseases and pests

To treat strawberries against diseases in the spring, it is enough to use folk remedies, not strong chemicals. They are quite effective as a preventative rather than curative treatment, and do not harm plants.

Boric acid

This substance prevents infection with bacteriosis and root rot. Prepare the product by dissolving only 1 g of acid in a bucket of warm water and mixing it well. For 1 strawberry, use 0.3 liters of solution, then sprinkle the ground with ash. Processing time is 1 month, starting from mid-April.

Bordeaux mixture

This well-known antifungal agent is used immediately after removing the mulch and a second time - just before flowering. When processing strawberries in early spring, it is necessary to spray not only the plants themselves, but also the soil between them, since this is where the pests overwintered. Bordeaux mixture for strawberries is prepared from 100 g of copper sulfate and quicklime in a bucket of water. Both components of the solution are prepared separately and only then mixed together.

inkstone

A solution of this substance is used to disinfect the soil against the development of anthracnose, powdery mildew and gray rot. Recipe: 400 g of vitriol per bucket hot water. They water the ground with it a week before transplanting strawberry bushes onto it, spending 4-5 liters per hole. To cultivate the ground under already growing strawberries, prepare a weaker solution: 30 g per 10 liters. The treatment is carried out until new green leaves appear on the bushes.

Ash

You can use wood ash: make a solution out of it, or simply sprinkle the bushes and soil near them. The ash will gradually dissolve during watering, and while it lies on the ground, it will save the strawberries from attack by slugs.

Iodine

The substance is used against powdery mildew; treating strawberries with iodine is also effective against cockchafer larvae. Treat the bushes before flowering begins. Composition for spring treatment strawberries: for 10 liters of water take 1 liter of milk and 10 drops of iodine tincture.

Boiling water

Hot water, according to gardeners, helps well against ticks, fungi and nematodes. The time for treatment with boiling water is early spring, before the buds open. Directions for use: pour boiling water into a cold watering can and put on the nozzle. Water the bushes carefully: 0.5 liters is enough for 1 strawberry. You don’t have to worry about burning the plants: by the time you bring the watering can to the garden bed, the water will cool down to an acceptable temperature.

Potassium permangantsovka

Strawberries are also sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate in the spring. Potassium permanganate is used against pennies, a pest that is not averse to settling on crop bushes. The solution suitable for processing should be bright pink.

Urea

Urea is not only a fertilizer, but also protective agent. Its solution is sprayed on strawberries in the spring against diseases: scab, spotting, as well as weevils, aphids and copperheads. Composition of urea solution: 30-40 g of substance per bucket of water. The processing time for strawberries is before the leaves begin to grow.

Copper sulfate

This product is used to spray garden strawberries against major fungal diseases. The time of application is until the green young leaves appear. Composition: dissolve 100 g of copper sulfate in 10 liters of water, consumption – 20-25 plants. Repeated use, if necessary, is carried out after 2 or 3 weeks.

Ammonia

Processed ammonia strawberries from the ubiquitous ants, the larvae of the cockchafer. The product not only protects plants, but also nourishes them with nitrogen. Ingredients: 10 liters of water, 40 ml of ammonia and 1 household item. soap in shavings. The solution is used all at once; it cannot be stored. To obtain a good harvest, the crop is watered twice with this product - before regrowth begins and before flowering.

If your strawberries are summer cottage brings you a rich harvest, then we can safely congratulate you. You count experienced gardener, who is doing well. However, not every summer resident has this situation. In many cases, growing strawberries brings nothing but grief. And all because this berry considered capricious. Consequently, it can be extremely difficult to get a rich harvest. But remember that it is possible. You should learn about how to care for strawberries in the spring so that there is a good harvest and already in the current season you can collect a lot of berries from each bush.

We care for strawberries in spring

Caring for strawberries in spring is considered difficult. However, it has a significant impact on harvesting. If you put the strawberry beds in order in the spring, then in the spring you will only have to control the growth of the bushes and monitor their health. Now it’s worth considering in more detail all the stages of caring for strawberries.

With the onset of spring, many summer residents ask each other when to start caring for strawberries in the spring? And it is worth saying that care must be carried out immediately, as soon as it gets warmer outside and all the snow melts off. So, at this stage you need to clear the strawberry bushes of dead and dry leaves. Plants that have frozen out must also be removed immediately. Remove the top layer of soil from the strawberries by about 3 cm. This will allow you to rid the strawberries of pests that have spent the winter in it. In addition, in this case the strawberries will be able to warm up faster.

On a note! In early spring, you should not add soil to the strawberry bushes. In this case, the root system will take a long time to warm up. As a result, the berries will ripen much later.

If you do not plan to remove the autumn soil, then it is recommended to loosen it to a depth of 7 cm between the rows of strawberries.

In order for strawberries to produce a good harvest of tasty berries, it is important to proper care in the spring. And the advice in this publication should definitely be useful to you. It is worth noting that it is impossible to imagine spring strawberry care without fertilizing and mulching. Therefore, after loosening the soil, you should do the following:

The beds with strawberries must be sprinkled with: sawdust, fine straw, peat crumbs. You can also use humus as a bedding. At the same time, the strawberry bushes are fed with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

As soon as green leaves appear on the strawberry bushes, a solution of mullein is added under each bush. Also add ammonium sulfate to it.

Complex fertilizers should be applied in early May.

In order to prevent diseases of strawberry bushes and get rid of pests, each bush and the ground around it should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate. This must be done before the strawberries put out their leaves.

It is recommended to water strawberries with warm water. This should be done once a week in the morning. Before the strawberries bloom, you can water them using the sprinkling method. And when flowers and berries appear, water should not get on them.

Weeds should not appear in strawberry beds. A layer of sawdust will allow you to avoid their appearance. In this case, water and fertilizers will flow freely to the root system, but weeds will not be able to break through this layer.

How to care for strawberries in the summer

We talked above about how to care for strawberries in early spring. You've probably already noticed that doing this is not particularly difficult. Now it’s worth talking about how to care for strawberries in the summer. Summer strawberry care should include:

Regular weeding of beds;
Water once a week;
Inspecting bushes for pests and signs of disease;
Timely removal of strawberry bushes and those parts of the plant that are damaged;
Adding small straw or sawdust to the bushes;

On a note! The addition of straw and sawdust must be done correctly. This usually happens before the first strawberries appear. In this case, they will not be contaminated by the soil.

Harvesting strawberries along with the stem;
Fertilizing after harvesting with water and wood or nitrophosic ash. This procedure is carried out until August 10;
If the summer turns out to be rainy, then the strawberry bed can be covered with film. As a result, you will prevent the berries from becoming waterlogged. If this is not done, then diseases may develop in the strawberries, and the berries themselves will become too watery.

How to prepare strawberries for winter

When you have collected the last strawberries from the bushes, start trimming the leaves and tendrils. As a result, you will be able to prepare the plant for a comfortable winter. In this case, the leaves of each bush are cut 10 cm from the ground. It is also necessary to cut off all mustaches. In general, after such manipulations, you will be left with only stems of strawberries. Don't be scared! There is still a lot of time before winter arrives. The strawberries will be able to get new leaves, and the bush itself will get stronger. As a result, the strawberry bush will be even better able to withstand harsh temperatures.

Leave one tendril that comes from the strawberry for reproduction. Dig its rosette into the soil. From this outlet to next year may turn out healthy and beautiful bush. From this bush you will collect delicious berries. And if you replace strawberries in this way, you can achieve a good harvest. And if you follow all the rules for caring for strawberries, the yield can increase by another 15%.

Spray the bushes that you have trimmed with products against diseases and pests. Then feed the plants. In this case, mineral fertilizers are used. Late autumn You can mulch the prepared strawberry bushes again. Used in this case sawdust or peat. The layer should be 5 cm.

On a note! The filling should be done carefully. The bushes should not be covered. You will remove this bedding in the spring. As a result, the roots will receive a lot of sun and will be able to warm up quickly.

Finally

Now you have learned how to care for strawberries in the spring after winter. We hope that these recommendations will help you achieve a rich harvest of berries. Be sure to care for your strawberry bushes properly. Follow all the recommendations and then the harvest will not only be rich, but also tasty.