Strawberry is one of the most healthy and delicious berries. If you follow all the rules for planting and caring for strawberries, then you will definitely get a good harvest! But before planting strawberries, you must choose the most suitable variety.
What kind of strawberry to choose for planting?
What will be the berry, largely depends on the technology of cultivation and selection of varieties. Strawberries there are many varieties that are excellent in taste, berry size, growing conditions. Therefore, the choice of variety is extremely individual and depends on the taste preferences of consumers and growing conditions in a particular region.
Repairing varieties:
- Elizabeth 2;
- Temptation;
- Mara de Bois;
- Albion.
The best early grades:
- Kimberly
- Elsanta;
- Marshmallows;
- Asia;
- Kama;
- Alba
- Cleary.
The best large-fruited varieties:
- Masha;
- Chamorora Turusi;
- Victoria;
- Gigantella
- Marshal
- Maxim;
- Zenga Zengana.
Features of planting strawberries
Before planting strawberries, you need to find out the basic rules and how to plant it. Depending on the variety and season, a specific method of planting a berry culture will be selected.
Landing Methods
There are 4 main ways to plant strawberries:
- Bush. With this method, plant strawberries in separate bushes at a distance of 45 to 60 cm from each other. Avoid weaving plants, so the antennae should always be removed. This helps the bushes to grow efficiently and bear fruit regularly.
The disadvantages of this method are that it is very time-consuming. It is necessary that the soil is constantly loosened, it needs to be mulched and weed control. It is also important to regularly break off the mustache on the plants.
Advantages - the berry is rather large, since the number of bushes is small and at the same time each plant is well ventilated, and the likelihood of fungal diseases is reduced. - Landing in rows. With this option, plant the bushes at a distance of about 15-20 cm from each other in one or several rows, and the distance between the row spacings should be about 40 cm. As with the bush method of planting, it is also necessary that the soil is constantly loose, you need to regularly fight with weeds and remove the extra mustache.
The disadvantages of this landing option are the same factors as in the first method. And the advantage is that the planted by this method remarkably grows and develops, and is able to bear fruit for 6 years, without needing a transplant. - Nesting. Form strawberry nests. Plant one plant in the center, and arrange six more around the circumference at a distance of 5-8 cm. The disadvantages are that a lot of planting material is needed, and when weaving plants of one nest, access to the bushes is difficult. The advantage is an excellent harvest due to the large amount of planting material.
- Carpet. It is the easiest way to land. With this method, the mustache is not removed and allows the strawberries to grow throughout the site. The advantages are that with this option, under the bushes a natural layer of mulch is formed, a favorable microclimate is created and the growth of weeds is blocked. With this method, strawberries require significantly less care. But, unfortunately, there is a drawback - after a while, the berry becomes shallow.
Optimal landing times
We can’t definitely say about the optimal time for strawberry planting, since it depends on some factors - plant variety, purpose of cultivation, climatic conditions. Plants with a closed root system will most likely take root if they are planted in the fall. Seedlings that have an open root system, more successfully take root in the spring.
It is advisable to plant ordinary strawberries in late summer or early autumn, and repairing species in spring after the end of frost.
Soil for strawberries
One of the key points for obtaining a good strawberry crop is the quality and constituent elements of the soil on which planting is planned. Important elements are the presence of beneficial substances in the soil, as well as its acidity.
Before disembarking, the soil should be properly prepared. It is imperative that the soil is light - freely pass moisture and nutrients. Strawberries will grow well on chernozem and sandy loam soils. The plant feels worse on clay and turf soils.
Before planting in the soil, if necessary, add sand to make the soil looser. Strawberries love acidic soil, with an acidity level of approximately 5.5–6.5 pH.
Planting strawberries in spring
One of the main advantages of spring planting of strawberries is that by autumn the plant manages to form a good root system, and is less prone to freezing in winter. Due to the fact that the soil has absorbed melt water, the plant requires less watering. The main drawback is that you have to rely on a good harvest only for the next year.
Planting strawberries in autumn
The advantage of strawberry planting in autumn is that next year it will be possible to enjoy the harvest. In autumn, the choice of planting material is richer, strawberries take root more easily in soil warmed up over the summer, so the bushes develop faster and more efficiently.
In the video below, the gardener shares his many years of experience in planting strawberries in open ground:
There is only one drawback to autumn planting - the bush must have time to take root before the first frosts arrive.
Strawberry Care
Now let's explore the features of strawberry care
Watering
To obtain a generous harvest, strawberries must be regularly watered, especially if the berry grows on loamy soil. Water in the morning, so that the moisture has absorbed before night. Before the first flowers appear on the plant, watering can be carried out by sprinkling. When flowers have formed, it is desirable that water does not fall on them.
To get a large berry, strawberry bushes should be watered well. As one of the options you can use the drip irrigation system.
After planting the plant in the ground, be sure to water the bush and sprinkle it with fertilizer. It is necessary that the water is better retained in the ground. Pay particular attention to watering in the first few weeks so that the plant is well rooted. After some time, watering can be reduced to 1 time in 2-3 days.
It is also not necessary to water strawberries too much, otherwise it will become less resistant to frost and various diseases.
Fertilizer
To get a good strawberry crop, it is not enough just to plant a certain variety and regularly water it, you also need to pay due attention to feeding, otherwise the berry will become shallow and lose sweetness over time. Fertilizer is mainly applied to the soil in advance, you can do this when digging in the fall.
During the growing season, plants can be fed 3 times: in spring (before the formation of the first flowers), in summer (after fruiting) and in autumn (before preparing the plant for winter). If the soil on the site is not rich in nutrients, fertilizing is done regularly, both with mineral and organic fertilizers.
To obtain a generous crop, and for the proper growth and development of the plant, in the fall, fertilize with nitrogen. During the autumn digging, add potassium and phosphorus, this favorably affects the development of the rhizome, and the berry becomes sweeter.
Mineral fertilizers, if desired, can be replaced with manure or chicken droppings diluted with water. But in any case, carefully observe the norms of fertilizer applied, since their excess can also negatively affect the condition of the plant and the quality of the crop.
We recommend reading the article on feeding strawberries in the autumn.
Transfer
As soon as the strawberry crop has worsened, and the land has become depleted, it is necessary to think about a plant transplant. Strawberries take root equally well during transplanting at any time of the year except winter. When transplanting, the following principles must be observed:
- Seedlings must be young and healthy so that they can recover and produce crops.
- Mustache transplant only from plants 3-5 years of age.
- Strawberries take root well, in the place where legumes used to grow, it is extremely undesirable to plant strawberries after nightshade.
- Transplant strawberries in the evening, or on a cloudy day, so that the sun does not dry the seedlings. It is advisable that the air temperature is not higher than 20 degrees.
Watch the following video about transplanting strawberries to a new location:
If you follow all these basic principles, strawberries will successfully take root and will yield a generous harvest next year.
Weed control
An equally important stage in the cultivation of strawberries is weed control. The fact is that the strawberry roots are very close to the surface and do not respond well to any mechanical damage. Therefore, it is very important to prevent weeds from appearing in the garden than to fight them later.
The site before planting must be thoroughly cleaned not only from weeds, but also from rhizomes of perennials. If, however, the plot is large and heavily littered with weeds, then you have to use continuous herbicides.
During the growing season of strawberries, one way is to use mulch. For example, straw mulch becomes a good solution to the problem, but the layer should be at least 6-8 cm, and it must be replaced every year.
Alternatively, you can use a black film, this will protect the plant from weeds, but will create conditions for the occurrence of fungal diseases, and the appearance of slugs.
Recently, modern non-woven covering materials, which are an almost perfect solution to the problem, have been popular. Through this material free access to moisture and air is provided, it can be used for at least 3 seasons. It does not create conditions for the development of fungal diseases and the appearance of slugs, the soil warms up faster and contributes to an earlier berry harvest.
Strawberry pruning
It is worth approaching the pruning of the plant very carefully, since it has both positive and negative sides.
Positive sides:
- Frost resistance increases, since the leaves are less susceptible to harmful factors, and all the forces are concentrated in the root system.
- Effective pest control occurs that winter on dried leaves.
- The root system of a plant develops better - all minerals remain in the root and strengthen it.
Negative sides:
- After pruning, the plant spends a lot of its energy recovering, which can adversely affect yield.
- When pruning, there is a risk of damage to the generative buds, and this can adversely affect the receipt of the future crop.
- With radical pruning of the plant, the process of photosynthesis is hindered, this leads to the fact that the plant slowly grows and develops.
To eliminate all the risks associated with the negative effects of pruning, carefully remove the foliage. Carefully treat the buds of the plant, you also need to choose the optimal time for pruning so as not to slow down the development of the bush and get a quality crop.
In the video presented, you can clearly see how strawberries are trimmed:
Strawberry care during flowering
Strawberries require regular care, the flowering period can not be called an exception. During this period, the plant needs top dressing, regular watering, protection against fungal diseases and various pests. The most effective activities will be:
- Soil loosening - It allows not only to fight weeds, but also provides oxygen access to the roots of the plant, which has a beneficial effect on its growth and development.
- Watering - carried out by the drip method or under the root, it is very important that the roots are not exposed. It is made in the morning and in the evening when there is already no such hot sun.
- Top dressing - a single application of a complex of fertilizers is sufficient, you can also fertilize boric acid, it strengthens the plant and allows you to achieve good productivity.
- Trimming antennae and leaves - allows you to reduce the load on the plant, all the forces will be spent with benefit on the formation of the crop. In addition, the shade of the plant decreases, which favorably affects the quality of the berry.
- Removing Superfluous Colors - the first flowers are mainly small and weak, so they must be removed so that the plant does not spend additional forces on them, but develops efficiently and is able to produce good, large berries in the future.
Winter preparations
In order to get a good harvest next year, it is necessary to properly prepare the plant for winter. The following procedures must be carried out:
- In autumn, strawberries also continue to loosen, fertilize and water.
- Remove dry and weak leaves, but do not completely remove them, as this will greatly weaken the plant.
- If you do not plan on breeding plants, then remove all unnecessary whiskers.
- If there are weeds, they must also be removed, after which they can be used as mulch.
- The roots of the plant are afraid of frost, they are damaged if the temperature reaches -8 ºС, and there is no snow on the street. Therefore, to ensure plant protection, it is necessary to cover the bushes with a layer of mulch. For this, straw, humus, old leaves are suitable. It is important that the thickness of such a layer is not less than 6 cm. But this must be done when the ground is already frozen, otherwise if the ground is wet, the strawberry bushes will ripen and die. Learn more about mulching strawberries from this article.
Strawberry propagation
Strawberry propagation can be carried out in several ways. You need to know them all in order to choose the most suitable for yourself.
Reproduction by dividing bushes
There are such varieties of strawberries that do not give a mustache or give a small amount, in which case reproduction by dividing the bush is the best type.
The advantages of this method is that it is possible to carry out plant propagation from mid-spring to the first frosts. When using this method, the plant takes root in 90% of cases, the very next year the young bush begins to bear fruit.
Propagation by seeds of small-fruited remontant strawberries
For propagation by seeds, you must select the appropriate variety. The whole process is very simple to execute and not even an experienced gardener can handle it:
- Soak the seeds for 2-3 days in rainwater to speed up germination.
- Place the bag with sprouting seeds in a warm place, but avoid direct sunlight.
- After the seeds germinate, place them in a plastic or wooden box measuring approximately 50x30 cm, or in a container for other plants.
- Sow in open ground when at least 5 leaves are on the plant.
The rest of the care for strawberries grown from seeds does not differ from previous methods of reproduction. Provide regular watering, high-quality top dressing and weed control.
Mustache Strawberry Propagation
One type of strawberry breeding is the propagation of mustache. There is an escape from the mother plant, on which new rosettes and roots form over time. When the roots take root in the ground, the shoot dries out and the young plant is already separated from the mother.
This is the easiest way, it does not require any participation from the outside, however, it takes a lot of effort to form new outlets for the plant, and you can’t count on a rich harvest from such a bush. Therefore, nevertheless, it is desirable to determine which bushes will be used to form new plants and which will bear fruit.
Pest control
To obtain a good and generous harvest of this delicious and fragrant berry, it is also necessary to carry out a series of pest control measures.
Most often, strawberries are attacked by insects such as:
- strawberry mite;
- spider mite;
- transparent tick;
- ants
- slugs;
- wood lice.
The main preventive measures to prevent the appearance of pests are timely and effective weed control, proper watering. The site should not be allowed to thicken if strawberries grow in a greenhouse; it is important to control air humidity.
If nevertheless pests have appeared, chemical agents help to effectively combat them, but they are not allowed to be used during the growing season of the plant. Apply them only strictly according to the instructions.
Preparations of biological origin for pest control:
- Fitosporin;
- Phyto-plus;
- Zircon.
Strawberry Disease and its Treatment
Very important attention should be paid to the fight against strawberry diseases, such as:
- powdery mildew,
- white or brown spotting,
- gray rot.
To prevent these diseases, maintain the correct microclimate and prevent the possibility of infections.
First of all, in order to protect strawberries from diseases, get healthy and young seedlings, which will be more resistant to diseases. Also make sure that the area where the strawberries grow is sunny and well-blown.
It is also possible to fight diseases with chemical agents, however, as in the case of pests, you must adhere to the instructions.
Strawberry berry is not very whimsical, it can grow in almost any garden or summer cottage. To get a good quality crop and the berry was large, tasty and sweet, you must follow the basic principles of strawberry care.