Strawberries are one of the most popular berries among gardeners. Proper care of strawberries in the spring will provide you with a rich harvest for the entire summer season. Compliance with elementary rules and agricultural practices will make it easier for you to care for the plant. From this article, you know how to properly care for strawberries in spring.
Recovery after winter
Caring for strawberries in early spring has a number of features – the plants are just starting to wake up and recover after winter. This is the most vulnerable time for berries, the period during which flowering buds are formed and laid – future fruits.
Care for strawberries in the spring begins immediately after the snow has melted on the beds. In some cases, you can cover the snow with salt or ash so that it melts faster.
First of all, the awakened plantation must be removed from organic residues. Last year’s foliage, bark, rotted weeds, protective mulch – all this is subject to primary cleaning. The fact is that a huge complex of phytopathogens and pests develops on soils rich in organic matter. In the future, they can develop into various strawberry diseases, attracting other pests. Of course, it is better to remove unnecessary remains and weakened plants in the fall, so that after the snow melts, mass lodging of the bushes is not detected.
Yellowed leaves in rosettes, rotten stolons, unnecessary tendrils, unharvested crops must also be removed from the site.
After the snow melts, some parts of the root system of your bushes may become bare – in this case, it is recommended to carefully fill them up. Do this with the utmost care so as not only not to damage the root system, but also not to crush the young leaves with the remnants of the soil. We make top dressings, fertilizers for overwintered plants, distributing them evenly over all plantations.
After winter, professional agronomists advise loosening the soil. Loosen the soil to saturate it with oxygen, it is necessary carefully, trying not to damage the roots. This procedure allows not only to give air to the plants, but also to retain moisture in the roots longer. Loosening usually takes place simultaneously with another procedure necessary for the berry – hilling strawberry bushes. Do this carefully and carefully, bypassing the bush from all sides. Try not to crush the central axis of growth with clods of earth.
Pest control
Strawberries: care in the spring requires the introduction of a variety of preparations from pests. Even if you have completely removed all plant debris before the plants leave for the winter, there is a chance that the disease will appear from spores that have persisted in the soil. Also, the pest can come from infected plants surrounding your plantation.
From spring, prepare fungicide solutions for the coming growing season. Modern drugs allow you to kill unwanted diseases without injuring or inhibiting the plant. Remember that most strawberry diseases are caused by fungi, which means that it is recommended that the first line of defense be against them. Currently, such biological products are actively used to combat fungal invasions as “Fitosporin”, “Phytocid”.
If you have a small area, you can use an alternative to some fungicides. Compounds of copper or manganese do a good job in the fight against various fungal diseases, having a general toxic effect in relation to pests. A good remedy is Bordeaux liquid – a mixture of copper sulfate and lime.
In addition to fungal diseases, you should take care of the presence of insecticides and acaricides – drugs that will fight unwanted insects and plant mites in your area. Early spring spraying with products such as Aktellik or Aktofit will save your crop. Treatment against insects is also important because it is through these vectors that various harmful viruses can enter plants, which are very difficult to fight.
Top dressing and watering
Fertilizers that should be applied can be divided into several groups. Organic fertilizers include those that consist mainly of substances of direct animal or vegetable origin. These include humus, ash, ashes, manure or slurry, bird droppings.
It is recommended to apply organic fertilizers even before flowering in a diluted state, so that top dressing feeds your bushes, and not their pests. It is important to remember that horse or cow manure should be bred in a smaller proportion than bird manure.
Another group of fertilizers are inorganic. These are compounds based on inorganic or synthetic materials – salts and metal bases. It is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in spring to maintain crop growth. Phosphorus are dated for the middle of summer so that strawberries gain mass for the winter and become more resistant to frost.
How to care for strawberries in spring? Make sure to water it properly. Watering plays a key role in the development of a young plant, in its transition to an active state. The first spring watering must be of sufficient intensity and on top of the already loosened soil. Thus, it is possible to maintain soil moisture, while eliminating the problem of dripping moisture in the soil.
Given that strawberries are unpretentious crops and grow on different types of soil, it is worth understanding their ability to retain water and not overwater the culture. The soil should be well moistened with moisture, not overdried. You can check the normality of watering in this way: squeeze a piece of soil in your fist. If it does not crumble and sticks to the palms a little, everything is in order. If it crumbles and falls apart, the olive should be increased.
Video “Spring strawberry care”
In this video, you will learn how to properly care for strawberries in the spring.