What to plant after strawberries

Experienced summer residents know for certain that not all cultivated plants can be planted after strawberries. This is due to the fact that the plant is very depleting of the soil, pulling out the maximum amount of nutrients from it. This begs the question, what to plant after strawberries? What plants will give a good harvest?

In this article, we will discuss the meaning of crop rotation and the basic rules. And also you will learn how to quickly restore the soil after planting this plant. In addition, we suggest you watch a video about what and when you can plant after strawberries.

Importance of crop rotation

A necessary measure in agricultural technology is crop rotation. This means that at the next planting, the plants need to be planted in a new place. This applies to both many annual and perennial crops, including berries.

Strawberries can grow and bear fruit in one place from 4 to 6 years. It all depends on the fertility of the soil and the frequency of fertilization. After the specified time, the bushes need to be transplanted to a new place.

In view of the foregoing, crop rotation should be taken seriously if you are interested in a bountiful harvest. You need to familiarize yourself with the information about which cultivated plants can precede strawberries, and which can be planted after it.

Thanks to crop rotation, gardeners rationally use the land, which also contributes to the renewal of the mineral composition of the soil and saturation with microelements. Strawberries absorb nitrogen, potassium and various trace elements from the soil. Therefore, the soil during its cultivation should be fertilized with organic matter and sufficiently loose.

Plants respond differently to weeds, diseases, viruses, and pests. What can harm strawberries will not harm carrots. That is why crop rotation should be followed.

Basic rules of crop rotation

Looseness, composition of nutrients, structure, density and structure of the fertile soil layer must meet the requirements of each individual crop. In addition, different plants have their own threshold of resistance to pests, diseases and weeds. The principles of crop rotation are based on the knowledge of all of the above points. So, by alternating crops, you can maintain the microflora of the soil and the yield of cultivated plants.

There is one set of rules that apply to the cultivation of all cultivated plants:

1. Planting crops alternates based on what part of them is used for food – fruits, roots, leaves or berries.
2. For the Rosaceae family, the degree of looseness of the soil and the presence of trace elements in it play a significant role. In place of strawberries, plants that are resistant to ailments characteristic of Rosaceae should be planted.
3. The roots of this berry go deep into the ground, which means that after it you need to plant plants with a shallow root system.
4. Vegetables that will be planted next year in the ground after strawberries should have the ability to restore the level of potassium and nitrogen in the soil.

How to restore the state of the fertile layer

If strawberries have been growing in one place for more than 4 years, then the plantings need to be rejuvenated. And they should be planted in a new place. Since, as mentioned above, bushes deplete the soil, it must be reanimated before planting other crops. How to do it?

1. Gather strawberries and weeds from the garden and burn them. So, strawberry diseases will not spread to other crops that can be planted instead of bushes.
2. Dig deep into the bed, because during the period of growing strawberries, the earth has become very compacted.
3. Before other crops are planted, a thorough weeding of the site is carried out. In the process of digging, it is necessary to remove all the roots of perennial and annual weeds.
4. Before digging the soil, organic fertilizers should be applied to it. It can be humus or rotted manure.
5. To reanimate the soil, green manure can be sown on the beds. Mustard and legumes are best suited for this.
6. What to plant after strawberries can be judged by the state of the soil. Summer residents noticed that the soil after strawberries was infected with various pathogenic bacteria and pests. To improve the soil, plant garlic or onions in the garden. To repel slugs, you can plant celery and parsley between the rows.
7. Flowering plants perfectly restore the earth. If you have enough land, you can plant tulips, peonies, garden violets or daffodils instead of strawberries.

What not to plant after strawberries

Cultures from the Rosaceae family cannot be planted in the place of its growth. Plants from the Rosaceae family include raspberries, mountain ash, hawthorn, wild rose, wild strawberries and cloudberries. This is due to the fact that these plants have general soil requirements – it must be saturated with organic matter and fertile. And on the other hand, these plants die from the same viruses, diseases and pests.

What to plant after strawberries

Now let’s talk about what and why you can plant after strawberries. According to many gardeners, after berries, you can grow greens, root vegetables and leafy vegetables. The best way to restore the condition of the soil is to plant legumes. Why?

The roots of legume plants contain bacteria that help absorb nitrogen from the air. Moreover, these plants do not absorb nitrogen from the soil, but, on the contrary, enrich it with this trace element. So, you will get a good harvest from the depleted soil and the next year you will be able to grow a bountiful harvest of other crops.

If strawberries did not grow in the beds for long, then after it you can plant garlic or onions on them, which cleanse the soil from pests, diseases and viral infections. If the berry has been growing in the beds for a long time, and you still decide to plant onions or garlic on it, then these plants will need to be fed, otherwise you should not expect a good harvest. Depending on weather conditions, all plantings should be moderately watered. This should be done about once every 2-3 days. Monitor the condition of the soil and from this adjust the frequency of watering.

So, after strawberries, the soil needs to be restored. Plants from the legume family contribute best to this. Do not plant plants from its own family after this berry. Otherwise, the harvest should not be expected. Such actions are useless. If legumes are planted in this area in the first year after berries, then next year any other cultural plantings will bear fruit well on it. Planting plants from the Rosaceae family in this area will be advisable only after 5-6 years.