Contents
Superphosphate for strawberries is equally important both in spring and autumn. It is necessary to apply top dressing in accordance with certain rules and in small volumes.
Is it possible to feed strawberries with superphosphate
Strawberry bushes make rather high demands on mineral supplements. For successful development and abundant fruiting, they need to be fertilized with all the main substances – nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. In this case, the latter plays a particularly important role, since it is responsible for the formation of large and juicy berries, for their sweetness and resistance to crushing.
Superphosphate is a popular and widespread top dressing, which is used in the cultivation of vegetable and fruit crops. Fertilizer is divided into two main varieties:
- Simple superphosphate. In addition to phosphorus, it includes impurities of gypsum, fluorine, iron and aluminum phosphates, as well as silica.
- Double superphosphate. As the name suggests, it contains double the amount of phosphorus, as well as small amounts of gypsum, boron, molybdenum, manganese or ammonia, depending on the specific variety.
In appearance, simple and double superphosphate are almost indistinguishable. The properties of the drugs are also very similar, but the products with a high content of phosphorus have a faster and more noticeable effect on the culture.
On sale, simple and double superphosphates are found in the form of a gray powder or in granular form.
Signs of Phosphorus Deficiency in Strawberries
Applying strawberry superphosphate fertilizer is recommended on an annual basis. In some cases, the introduction of the drug should be given special attention, adding it to the soil more often than usual. This should be done if there are characteristic symptoms indicating a lack of phosphorus in the beds:
- with rust on strawberry leaves;
- when the plates darken;
- when folding leaves;
- with small, dry and deformed berries.
The listed symptoms can appear on strawberries during a period of sharp temperature changes. But if after the establishment of stable heat the situation does not change, we can make an unambiguous conclusion about the deficiency of phosphorus in the soil.
What kind of soil is superphosphate suitable for?
Strawberries need phosphorus equally strongly in any soil. However, the effectiveness of the substance for different soils is not the same. It absorbs best in soil with an alkaline or neutral pH.
If the earth is acidic, then there will be practically no results from the introduction of phosphorus. Before using fertilizer, it is recommended to pre-lime the area.
Superphosphate is not completely absorbed by the soil, so the possibility of an overdose during top dressing is practically excluded.
Terms of application of superphosphate for strawberries
It is recommended to fertilize strawberries with phosphorus two to four times per season. Usually top dressing is applied:
- in early spring after thawing of the soil;
- at the end of flowering;
- after harvest;
- before the onset of cold weather.
The main condition for fertilizing is only one – the temperature of the soil should be at least 10 ° C. There is no point in adding phosphorus to cold soil, since strawberries will not be able to absorb it. The main part of the top dressing will simply go into the deep layers of the soil.
How to fertilize strawberries with superphosphate
When making phosphorus for strawberries, you need to follow some important recommendations. Fertilizer can be added both in pure form and in combination with other useful substances.
Fertilizing strawberries with superphosphate in autumn
Autumn fertilizing with phosphorus helps strawberries regain strength after fruiting. Berry bushes receive vitamins and minerals from the soil, store new resources to replace those spent, gain strength before leaving for the winter.
Most often, one of three solutions is prepared for incorporation into the soil:
- Simple feeding. In 10 liters of slightly warm settled water, dilute 10 g of double superphosphate and mix until completely dissolved. The resulting liquid is shed between the rows, trying to evenly cover all the bushes. Double superphosphate for strawberries after fruiting especially well restores the strength of the plant.
Phosphorus top dressing additionally increases the resistance of strawberries to fungal diseases.
- With the addition of nitrogen. 10 liter of mullein infusion is added to 1 liters of water, then a glass of wood ash and 2 large spoons of superphosphate are poured. Such a mixed top dressing contains not only phosphorus, but also a small amount of nitrogen.
- complex minerals. You can fertilize strawberries with superphosphate in the fall according to this scheme – 10 g of phosphorus powder and 40 g of potassium sulfate are dissolved in 30 liters of water. The resulting liquid is abundantly watered under the root of the bushes. You can also simply scatter the fertilizer over the beds in a dry form and plant it in the ground, after which it should be properly moistened.
Phosphorus-potassium solution strengthens strawberry roots and protects them from drying out and freezing.
After applying double superphosphate for strawberries in the fall or when using conventional top dressing, it is recommended to mulch the ground with straw. This will prevent premature evaporation of water and increase the duration of the action of fertilizers. If the autumn turned out to be damp, and the soil in the beds is too wet, it is better to plant phosphorus in the ground in a dry form.
Application of superphosphate in the spring under strawberries
By default, it is believed that phosphate fertilizers are best applied in the autumn. There is a rational grain in this, since the substance is absorbed for a long time, and it is most convenient to add it just before the onset of the rest period.
However, on difficult soils and in a poor condition of the berry crop, it is possible to dilute superphosphate to feed strawberries in the spring. It is recommended to do this no earlier than mid-April, after the final melting of snow and moderate warming of the soil.
Strawberry fertilizer solution is prepared as follows:
- Pour 1 kg of double superphosphate into a bucket and pour 5 liters of hot water.
- Stir the powder or granules for good dissolution.
- Leave covered for a day.
- After the lapse of time, the fertilizer is once again stirred in the water.
- Add 5 liters of clear liquid.
To fertilize strawberries in the spring with superphosphate, the resulting mother liquor is additionally diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and a means for watering the beds is used. For each bush, you need to spend about 500 ml of the drug.
Spring lack of phosphorus can result in reduced yields and crushed berries
Conclusion
Superphosphate for strawberries is of particular importance, since it is responsible for both the fruiting of the crop and the health of the bushes as a whole. It is recommended to introduce it into the soil 2-4 times per season, depending on the quality of the soil and the condition of the plant.
