How To Get A Good Harvest Of Strawberries

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How To Get A Good Harvest Of Strawberries
How To Get A Good Harvest Of Strawberries

Video: How To Get A Good Harvest Of Strawberries

Video: How To Get A Good Harvest Of Strawberries
Video: Strawberry Harvest and Tips to Grow LOTS of Strawberries! 2024, March
Anonim

In the field of amateur gardening, it is widely believed that it is possible to get a good harvest of strawberries (garden strawberries) only if there are elite varieties of this plant and under favorable weather conditions. This statement is partly true, however, some agricultural techniques used in the care of strawberries make it possible to ensure high yields of this berry, even in regions with a harsh climate.

Strawberry harvest
Strawberry harvest

Experienced gardeners looking for a good strawberry harvest throughout the summer know well that the best result in achieving this goal is a carefully thought-out selection of varieties. Plants, according to their characteristics, should correspond as much as possible to the climatic conditions of the growing region and be selected in such a way that a smooth alternation of fruiting periods occurs. For this, it is recommended to set aside separate beds for early maturing, medium and late varieties.

Strawberry bushes of the first year of life

When planting young plants, you should not count on getting a harvest in the current season. Despite the fact that strong bushes are capable of flowering and fruiting already in the first year of life, it is necessary to postpone this and allow the plant to develop the root system well - it will provide the strawberries with high-quality preparation for winter and protection from freezing. For this reason, it is necessary to remove flower stalks from all first years and direct the forces of the plant to its growth and development.

If a young strawberry does not take root well and is sick for a long time, then this may be a sign of poor-quality soil preparation. It is necessary to take care of the preparation of the beds in the fall: the earth is well dug up, the weeds are carefully selected, fresh manure is introduced and the top is covered with spruce branches with a layer of about 10 cm. By spring, the manure usually melts and enriches the soil with nutrients. For best results, it is recommended to add a small amount of wood ash to each planting hole.

Strawberry care

Despite the fact that garden strawberries can resist weeds well, you should not neglect weeding - removing weeds from the garden helps to obtain especially large and juicy berries. Simultaneously with weeding, it will not be superfluous to prune old leaves that have changed the usual color of the leaves, which contributes to the rejuvenation of the bush.

Particular attention should be paid to watering the strawberries, because the beds with plants dry out quite quickly in the open sun, which negatively affects the quality of the crop. Watering is usually done every three days, and in case of drought, daily. The use of mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil and at the same time protect garden strawberries from various pests and diseases. Straw, sawdust, pine needles or cut grass can be used as mulching material.

Planting flowers such as marigolds or calendula between strawberry beds can be a good way to repel insect pests - they not only protect the crop, but also serve as a decoration for the garden. In small areas, where every meter counts, gardeners prefer to plant garlic in the aisle, the smell of which repels many garden pests.

Feeding strawberries

The use of high-quality fertilizers according to a carefully thought-out feeding scheme is a prerequisite for a good strawberry harvest. The first feeding is recommended before flowering: in this case, the infusion of chicken droppings has proven itself well.

To prepare the fertilizer, dissolve 500-600 g of droppings in 10 liters of water and insist for a week - if this is not done, then the roots of the plants can be burned with a fresh solution. Before watering, it is recommended not to use the infusion in a concentrated form, but to dilute it by half with water.

During the formation and growth of berries, a second feeding with nutrients is required. Pre-assembled bread crusts are well suited for these purposes. About 2 kg of rye crackers are poured with a small amount of water and infused under pressure for a week. After the first signs of fermentation appear, the infusion is diluted with water and used for watering strawberries.

For the same purposes, you can use fresh nettles: an armful of this plant is cut with garden shears or chopped with a shovel with a bayonet, poured with water and infused for several days. Such dressing is considered universal, and can be used as a fertilizer not only for strawberries, but also for other garden plants.

Reproduction and transplantation of strawberries

The traditional breeding scheme for strawberries boils down to waiting for the period when the plant ends fruiting. Gardeners who practice this method cut well-rooted rosettes near the strongest bushes before the onset of autumn and transferred them to other beds. The disadvantage of this method is that the strawberry bushes are quickly depleted, the berries become small and dry, and the seedlings are weakened due to the fact that the bulk of the nutrients was spent by the plant for the formation and ripening of fruits.

For proper propagation of strawberries, it is first of all necessary to select strong mother bushes. For this purpose, young plants that have given the richest harvest of berries and have survived all the weather hardships are ideal. Such bushes are planted on a separate bed and in the next season they are subjected to the removal of the buds in order to prevent flowering and fruiting.

This measure will contribute to the fact that the strawberries will begin to give a lot of whiskers, of which only the strongest and healthiest should be left. It is very convenient to use plastic yogurt cups for further planting: under each outlet with root buds, located near the mother bush, a container with earth is substituted and left for rooting until August. Two weeks before transplanting to a permanent place, the mustaches that connect the outlet to the mother bush are cut and allow the plant to get used to feeding from its own root system.

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