Is it possible to apply manure for strawberries: in autumn, spring, when planting

Manure for strawberries is applied only in rotted form. To do this, the raw material is poured with water and left to ferment for 1-2 weeks. Then dilute 10 times and start watering. But chicken manure is used fresh, and it needs to be diluted 15–20 times.

Is it possible to fertilize strawberries with manure

It is possible and necessary to give berries manure compositions. They contain macro- and microelements, which are of great benefit to plants. They improve the structure of the soil, saturate it with oxygen. Unlike mineral supplements, organics saturate strawberries stably. It is not washed out of the soil, which explains the “prolonged” effect. Organics stimulates the reproduction of beneficial soil bacteria, leads to a set of green mass. Thanks to manure, gardeners note good fruit set.

All this leads to an improvement in plant nutrition, an increase in their resistance to adverse weather conditions and pests, and ensures a consistently high yield.

When to fertilize strawberries with manure

Each fertilizer has a specific application period. In the case of organic, these terms are not so strict, since it contains different nutrients in a balanced way. Feeding can be done at any time of the season. An exception is chicken manure, the infusion of which plantings are watered only in spring (before buds form).

The main terms for the introduction of manure compositions:

1. The first time is used at the end of April or at the beginning of May, that is, before budding.
2. The second time – during the formation of buds or at the stage of early flowering.
3. To prolong the harvest, organic matter is applied during fruiting. This is especially important for remontant varieties and varieties with extended fruiting, which produce berries all season.
4. After fruiting, strawberries can be fed with cow, rabbit or horse manure (it must be rotted). This can be done at the end of August or at the beginning of September (at the same time, the soil temperature should be more than +10 degrees).

Regular fertilizing with manure ensures a consistently high yield

What kind of manure is best for strawberries

Several dung compositions are available to summer residents:

• bovine;
• horse;
• rabbit;
• chicken (litter).

According to summer residents, it is best to use the first two of them, since they are rich in composition, as can be seen from the increase in berry yield.

To a lesser extent, rabbit and chicken manure is suitable, but they can also be used. As for pork humus, it is not recommended to use it. It can be mixed with other raw materials such as mullein.

How to breed manure for feeding strawberries

It is permissible to fertilize strawberries with horse, rabbit manure, mullein and bird droppings. Raw materials are brought in undiluted form, simply laid out on the surface or sealed when digging, as well as in the form of an infusion, which must be diluted at least 10 times.

Horse manure for strawberries

Horse manure for strawberries is used in the spring, just before planting. The rotted raw materials are diluted with water 1: 1, allowed to stand for a week and then laid out in wells. If planting has already been done, you can apply root dressing. The rotted manure is placed in a bucket (by a third), poured with water and insisted for seven days in the shade (without contact with direct rays). Stir occasionally, then dilute with water 10 times and water. The procedure is carried out in April and May (before flowering).

Similarly, horse manure can be applied when planting strawberries in August. Another way is to close up fresh raw materials 1–1,5 months before the planned planting. If the soil is infertile, then 1,5–2 buckets are applied per 1 m², if normal – 10 liters. During this time, the manure will have time to rot and give nutrients to the soil.

Fresh horse manure is used to feed strawberries in the fall. But it is not embedded in the holes, but simply laid out between the beds in an amount of not more than 3 kg per square meter (in mid-October). Thanks to this, the manure rots during the winter, the substances pass into the soil, they are processed by bacteria, after which they enter the roots. If you pour infusion of fresh manure, it will simply burn the root hairs and can even lead to the death of plantings.

An infusion of horse manure is given to each bush (0,5–1 l each)

Feeding strawberries with cow dung

Mullein is considered the most valuable top dressing for strawberries, since it contains all vital elements, including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and others. For cooking, it is necessary to fill the bucket with waste by a third and add water to the full volume.

The container is left in a warm place so that the raw materials ferment for 10-15 days. Then diluted 10 times and get slurry. This composition is watered under the root bushes in May and June – during flowering and the formation of ovaries.

Mullein can also be used for making in late autumn (October, November) between rows of plantings. They take fresh, not rotted material and lay it out in an amount of 2-3 kg per 1 m². In this form, it will remain to winter and gradually release nitrogen and other substances into the soil. As a result, the plants will receive the necessary elements as early as next spring. Mullein can be laid out both separately and mixed with hay and straw (bedding material).

Mullein is considered one of the best types of manure for cultivation

Rabbit dung for strawberries

To feed strawberries, you can use an infusion of rabbit manure. It contains a number of valuable elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc and others. Rabbit manure is less commonly used because it is not as readily available as mullein or bird droppings.

There are several options for using top dressing:

1. Prepare an infusion from fresh organics: fill a bucket with raw materials by a third and bring water to the final volume, let stand for 7–10 days. Then take 1 liter and dilute 10 times. Plants are watered with this infusion during the formation of buds, flowering, and also at the stage of fruiting.
2. Mix with wood ash in equal amounts and dilute with water 10 times. Let stand for several days and then water 0,5–1 l per bush.
3. Use dry powder (it is made from crushed raw materials), adding a tablespoon (15 g) per bush.
4. During autumn digging (to prepare the site for planting in spring or summer), scatter raw materials over a bucket of 1 m² and let him get over it.

Is it possible to put chicken manure under strawberries

Chicken manure (litter) is used as top dressing for strawberries. In no case should you put it in a planting hole or under bushes of plants. Fresh raw materials are semi-liquid, it will quickly rot and burn the root system. But you should not insist on it for several days or even weeks, as, for example, in the case of mullein. In this case, the organics will lose nitrogen compounds, which is why plantings will grow poorly.

This is an exceptional case when fresh litter is used. It contains components in a concentrated form. Therefore, for spring processing it is necessary:

1. Put 500-700 g of litter on the bottom of the bucket.
2. Dilute it with water 15-20 times.
3. Then mix and immediately start watering.
4. In this case, the composition is not applied under the roots, but 10–15 cm from them.

It is not worth using bird manure during the fruiting of strawberries; it is better to feed with mullein or a complex mineral composition.

Chicken manure is not insisted, but used immediately after preparation

Common mistakes

Feeding strawberries with manure is beneficial, although in some cases it can be dangerous. It all depends on the form in which the raw materials are used, as well as on the proportions in which the slurry is diluted. Beginning gardeners often make mistakes because they do not know all the nuances. To prevent this, it is recommended to consider a few tips:

1. Fresh manure for strawberries is used only when preparing the site (fertilizer is applied during digging at least a month in advance), as well as when laying between rows in late autumn. It is absolutely impossible to lay it directly in the landing pit or use it to prepare a fresh solution.
2. Do not cover strawberries with fresh manure in the fall. For mulching, only rotted material is used, and one manure bedding will not be enough. Sawdust, needles, straw are also laid on the soil, and a frame is installed on top, on which agrofibre is pulled.
3. Chicken manure, unlike other types of organic matter, does not need to be insisted even for several days. It is diluted with water and immediately applied to the soil. At the same time, the plants are intensively watered, and the composition itself is preliminarily diluted 15–20 times.
4. It is necessary to prepare manure infusion in the amount that will be consumed at a time, since it is not worth storing the mixture for a long time. But if there is a surplus, you can pour it into the aisles of plantings.

Conclusion

Manure for strawberries must be applied in order to get a good harvest. The best option is to alternate organic top dressing with mineral. It should be remembered that fresh manure is brought in only for digging or laid out in the aisles. Plants can be watered only with a solution of fermented raw materials. It is also allowed to lay humus in the planting hole or use it as mulch.