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Strawberries are a tasty, juicy, aromatic and healthy berry. It is very good both fresh and grated with sugar, excellent jam and compotes are made from it. This berry contains a number of vitamins and minerals. Many varieties of strawberries are disease-resistant, winter-hardy enough. But you need to know how to plant strawberries correctly so that they start well and please with harvests.
Planting garden strawberries
How to choose seedlings and rosettes of garden strawberries
There are two main ways of planting strawberries: through seedlings and using rosettes – bushes that have grown in places where shoots have taken root – mustaches. If you want to buy seedlings, choose bushes that have at least 3-4 leaves, dark green and no spots or damage. It is better if these seedlings are in large enough plastic cells. Then, before planting, the cells must be well watered, and you can easily get the plant along with the ground without damaging the roots.
If you want to use rosettes as planting material, select the best, well-bearing bushes in advance. Remove most of the whiskers from them, leaving only 2-3 shoots. When rosettes form on these shoots, dig out the largest, well-developed ones along with the clod of earth and transplant to the chosen place. You can plant strawberries in spring, summer, and early autumn. But it must be taken into account that the later the planting is carried out, the less the harvest will be for the next year.
How to properly plant strawberries
You will need: – planting material; – organic and mineral fertilizers; – ash; – water; – shovel; – small rake; – mulch; – perlite.
The plot of land allotted for a new strawberry must be carefully dug up, loosened, cleaned of weeds. Then apply fertilizers (organic and mineral) and dig up the soil again. In order to increase yields and protect strawberries from diseases, it is necessary to fertilize the soil at least 1 week before planting. Apply 1-8 kilograms of organic fertilizer, 10-50 grams of phosphate fertilizers (for example, superphosphate) and 60-25 grams of potassium fertilizers per 30 square meter of soil.
Potash fertilizer can be replaced with ash
The distance between the rows of strawberries should be at least 70 centimeters, and between the bushes – about 30–35 centimeters. Water the planting holes liberally, place strawberry bushes in them, cover the roots with damp earth and press gently.
It is necessary to ensure that the root collar of the bush is on the surface of the earth, not higher or deeper!
Weed and loosen the aisles regularly after planting. You can also use mulch (peat, straw, sawdust) or black synthetic material perlite, which protects well against weeds.
You should not grow strawberries in one place for more than 4 (maximum 5) years, since the berries will begin to shrink and the yield will sharply decrease.
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