Fertilizing garden strawberries in the spring is a primary agrotechnical technique designed to increase the collection of fragrant fruits. By properly fertilizing a reviving plant, you can support the bushes at the moment of awakening after winter, help them develop better, and lay more new buds. Fertilizing garden strawberries during this period is carried out according to certain rules.
Why is it important to fertilize strawberries in spring?
After the snow has melted and the soil has dried, the strawberry beds are subjected to a thorough spring cleaning. Work is carried out with each bush:
- last year's leaves and tendrils are removed with sharp scissors;
- the soil near the roots is loosened so that air can flow to them;
- each root is spilled with 0.15 liters of hot solution of potassium permanganate at a temperature of +55...+60 o C (2 liters of boiling water are mixed with 3 liters of well water and 1 teaspoon of potassium permanganate is dissolved) to destroy harmful microorganisms.
After 2–3 days, they begin early spring feeding with organic and mineral compounds. Fertilizing strawberries is one of the most important procedures affecting yield.
The purpose of fertilizing is to ensure rapid growth of the above-ground part of the plant, to form many new ovaries, and to replenish depleted soil with nutrients. If everything is done correctly in the optimal time frame, according to the right recipe, you can lay the foundation for a rich harvest of sweet, nutritious, healthy berries. Feeding is carried out according to the principle: underfeed - lose part of the strawberry harvest; overfeed - provoke active growth of leaves to the detriment of fruit development or death of the plant.
Fertilizer application scheme for any type of garden strawberries
Experienced summer residents adhere to the optimal scheme for feeding strawberries with fertilizers in the spring, proven in practice.
Table: fertilization by year
Every 4 years, the planting of garden strawberries is renewed, and the feeding scheme is repeated taking into account the year in which new bushes are grown.
Rules for spring fertilizing of strawberries
In certain climatic zones of Russia, the start time of work in spring on strawberry plantations differs:
- in the south - early March;
- in the central regions - late March, early April;
- in northern latitudes - mid-April.
You can neither rush nor be late with deadlines. The same applies to doses: lack and excess of fertilizers has a bad effect on the condition and development of strawberry bushes. Spring feeding has 2 goals:
- increasing the productivity of a strawberry plot;
- increasing the size of berries and improving their taste.
Video: first feeding of strawberries/organic farming
Foliar feeding
In the spring, they not only feed the strawberry root system, but also the bush itself. For spraying, choose a cloudy, windless day when there is no precipitation. The main goal of foliar feeding is to strengthen the ground part of the bushes and accelerate the growth of leaves and buds to promote the formation of strong ovaries.
Foliar feeding is carried out on a day without precipitation
The best effect is achieved by spraying plants with a solution containing various microelements, which are absorbed directly into the leaves.
- manganese potassium - 3 g;
- boric acid - 2 g;
- iodine - 1 tbsp. l.;
- complex fertilizer used during planting - 2 tbsp. l.;
- warm water - 10 l.
Strawberry leaves are wetted with this solution using a hand sprayer or an ordinary watering can. You need to wash the leaves on both sides until they get very wet, in the amount of 1 liter per bush. It is especially necessary to wet the lower part of the leaf, since it absorbs the nutrient solution most actively.
The same mixture is fed to strawberries a second time in the spring, before flowering. With the appearance of the first buds, the amount of useful substances is reduced by 2 times and 2 g of potassium sulfate is added to the solution.
Another composition used as fertilizer consists of the following ingredients:
- water - 10 l;
- potassium permanganate - 3 g;
- boric acid - 0.5 tsp;
- urea - 1 tbsp. l.;
- ash - 0.5 cups.
Each bush requires 1 liter of this solution.
To combat diseases and harmful insects, fungicides and insecticides are added to foliar feeding of strawberries. For these purposes, summer residents advise using:
- Caesar;
- Taurus;
- Fitosporin;
- Strawberry Rescuer;
- Aktofit and other drugs.
Video: fertilizing strawberries in spring for a large harvest
Fertilizing young bushes
Last year's garden strawberries, planted in fertilized soil, are not fed during spring work so as not to exceed the dosage. But there won’t be much harm if, on poor soils, the roots of the berry plant are watered with a solution of mullein or chicken droppings (0.5 liters of concentrated organic matter per bucket of water) with the addition of 1 tbsp. l. sodium sulfate. Apply 1 liter of this mixture to each bush.
Young strawberry bushes can be fertilized with a solution of mullein or chicken droppings
Feeding adult strawberries
Unlike young plants, adult garden strawberries are fed regularly, as the soil becomes depleted. A berry plant that produces crops in a row for several years needs three feedings a day in April-May:
During the first feeding, organic matter is used: rotted chicken or cow manure. Humus is scattered in small quantities under the roots of each bush, then mulched with a 2-3 cm layer of soil. In addition, a solution of 1 liter of concentrated liquid cow manure per bucket of water would also be useful. The bush itself is doused with this mixture, that is, foliar feeding is carried out.
Yeast contains many useful substances: proteins, amino acids, micro- and macroelements. Fertilizing them accelerates the growth of the above-ground part of strawberries, and strengthens the root system in the soil. To prepare the solution you will need:
- Dilute 200 g of bread yeast in 0.5 liters of water.
- Let stand for 20 minutes to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
- Combine with a bucket of water.
Which fertilizers to choose to increase yield
Summer residents grow two types of garden strawberries:- Disposable varieties that produce one harvest per season. They begin bearing fruit in the last days of May or the first days of June, which lasts 15–20 days. During these 2-3 weeks, the strawberry beds produce a bountiful harvest of fragrant berries.
- Remontant varieties, which are distinguished by the ripening of fruits several times during the spring-summer period, and they ripen in a short period of time in pronounced waves.
The combination of components should preserve the health of the plant, ensure abundant yield, and protect against various diseases and harmful insects. Mineral fertilizers for garden strawberries provide them with phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and magnesium. Sulfates and saltpeter are used to supply the soil with nitrogen, urea is used to produce the required dose of potassium. Organic matter improves the structure of the soil, enriches it with chemical elements in an easily digestible form, and increases the height of the fertile layer.
Mineral types of fertilizers for feeding strawberries
There are two types of mineral fertilizers:- With a highly mobile composition that contains potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and magnesium. These elements are absorbed by strawberries in the shortest possible time, both by the roots and the leaves and buds of the bushes.
- With a low-mobility composition containing boron, iron, manganese and copper. These elements are absorbed more slowly by the ground part and root system, so the effect of their use does not appear as quickly.
Garden strawberries need nitrogen to grow leaves and buds. It has a positive effect on rapid development and fruiting. Nitrogen deficiency can be identified by the color of the leaves, which will have a pale appearance.
The most common nitrogen mineral fertilizer for feeding strawberries in the spring is urea (urea). Its overdose does not threaten the life of the berry bush, but has a negative effect on the sugar content of the fruit. Prepare a solution with urea as follows: 1 tbsp. l. fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water. 0.5 liters of the composition is poured under each plant root.
When the first inflorescences of strawberries appear, they need potassium. The taste and juiciness of the berries depends on its presence in the soil. Sources of the substance are mineral supplements in the form of potassium sulfate and potassium magnesium. Mineral fertilizers, which include sulfur, protect strawberry bushes from diseases and pests. Roots need phosphorus for development and growth, so summer residents use superphosphate and ammophosphate.
Photo gallery: mineral fertilizers for strawberries
Calimagnesia supplies strawberries with potassium 
Urea is considered the most popular mineral fertilizer 
Superphosphate provides plants with phosphorus 
Ammophoska contains phosphorus 
Potassium sulfate provides the plant with potassium
Organic fertilizers
These include natural substances that are produced by living organisms. Summer residents most often use cow manure, chicken manure, ash and compost on strawberry plantations. Particularly appreciated is slurry made from fresh mullein, which is rich in nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
To prepare it, a bucket of fresh cow pats is diluted with 4 buckets of water. The container is closed and left in the sun for 2-3 days for fermentation. This process is necessary to decompose uric acid, which burns the roots of strawberry bushes.
Some types of organic fertilizers
Chicken manure is used carefully, since its composition is similar to mineral fertilizers. It is not used in its fresh state.
The soil between the bushes is treated with a solution of chicken manure; the liquid should not get on the green parts of the plant.
An infusion or extract is prepared from the droppings. The nutrient solution is watered between the rows of strawberry bushes, and not the roots themselves. To prepare the infusion, chicken manure and clean water are mixed in equal proportions with a wooden stick. Then the container is closed and placed in a dark place so that fermentation is not strong. Otherwise, the solution will be too concentrated. After a week, the prepared mixture is used for feeding, heavily diluted with water (1 liter of infusion per 30–50 liters of liquid). Water the soil with the prepared solution at a distance of 10–15 cm from the bushes, having first thoroughly moistened the roots with water from a watering can.
Wood ash in its pure form is scattered between the rows
Wood ash extract is an affordable type of organic matter. It is used in the spring to feed the roots, leaves, and shoots of strawberry bushes. The nutrients contained in the ash make the berries sweeter and more shelf-stable. In dry form, it is scattered between rows (65 g per linear meter) before watering or rain.
Strawberry bushes are treated with serum
Fermented milk products (whey, kefir and others) are a valuable source of nutrients for strawberries, which love slightly acidic soil. This type of organic matter is used alone or in a mixture with mullein, bird droppings, and humus.
An infusion of nettles and other weeds also serves as fertilizer.
An infusion of nettle, lupine, and weeds, used in the spring, has a beneficial effect on the formation of strawberry bushes. It is prepared as follows:
- Plants are crushed.
- Fill with warm water.
- Insist for a week.
- The water is filtered and used to irrigate the bushes.
Complex fertilizing
In early spring, ready-made fertilizer formulations are used to fertilize strawberries:
- GUMI-K;
- Humat+7;
- Hello;
- Fusco;
- OMU Universal and other store-bought organomineral mixtures.
Specialized stores have a large selection of ready-made complex mixtures that are used to feed strawberry bushes in the spring.
Each summer resident himself determines the need to use one or another fertilizer for strawberries in the spring, taking into account the structure and composition of the soil, previously used fertilizers, and the condition of the berry bushes after wintering. But there are general rules that should be followed. Oversaturation of garden strawberries with fertilizers will lead to rapid growth of leaves, but there will not be a rich harvest of fruit. An excess of microelements will not only cause the active development of the above-ground part, but will also cause the appearance of various diseases, since internal processes will be disrupted and the protective functions of strawberries will decrease.
To harvest a decent harvest of tender and juicy strawberries, you need to look after them like a girl, feed them, water them, fertilize the soil, and then they will certainly delight you with ripe, bright, juicy and large berries. So, let's figure out what kind of feeding strawberries need during flowering and fruiting, in order to enjoy a wonderful harvest later. And what wonderful things you can cook with strawberries, tasty and healthy!
Loosen the soil around the bushes in a timely manner, remove annoying weeds, water the bushes so that nutrients from the ground are better absorbed, and apply the necessary fertilizing is the key to the quality of the strawberry harvest. By itself, it’s unlikely that anything will grow more fruitful, so let’s be patient and move forward for a record harvest of juicy berries!
It is necessary to start fertilizing in the spring before flowering begins, with the appearance of the first tender leaves on the bushes. This can be done like this: take dry chicken droppings and add water at a rate of 1:10. Leave for three days. We carefully water the young bushes, avoiding getting them on the leaves, because chicken droppings can burn the tender leaves of the bushes.
Flowering and feeding
At the end of spring - at the beginning of summer, the first flower stalks appear on the berries. This is the most important period for our pet. When it blooms, it needs to be fed, the bushes taken care of, and protected from diseases and various pests. Correct fertilizing at this time will give a high quality harvest. At this very time, strawberries need calcium - chicken droppings and ash are perfect. Yeast fertilizing is very good for strawberries, which, by the way, is loved by all garden plants, and experienced gardeners advise not to neglect ordinary baker's yeast as a fertilizing for your garden.
Yeast feeding
This unique supplement consists of ordinary yeast. To prepare it you will need:
1 kg live yeast
- 5 liters of water
Dilute the yeast with lukewarm water and let it sit. Before it’s time to feed, you need to take half a liter of infusion and dilute it in a bucket of water. The fertilizer is ready - apply half a liter per bush.
Dry yeast is also used. One packet of yeast plus two tablespoons of sugar. Dissolve them in warm water, adding sugar. Then we pour the mixture into a bucket of water, leave it for a couple of hours, then pour half a liter of the solution again into a ten-liter bucket of water - fertilizing strawberries with folk remedies is ready, cheap and cheerful, as they say.
Look: you can use strawberries on them and please your household.
Foliar feeding
When abundant flowering appears, you can spray using a weak 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate. There are also fertilizers for strawberries. Their use will increase the yield by about three times - 2 grams of potassium permanganate per ten-liter bucket of water and apply spraying. Sprinkle the leaves especially from the inside, as the lower part of the leaves absorbs more fertilizer.
Also apply mineral fertilizers that will help our plant gain sufficient strength. Boric acid is excellent for this purpose. You need one pinch per bucket of water. You only need to fertilize the flowering plant once per season.
Berries ripening and feeding
The first harvest that strawberries produce is, as a rule, always large; the second or third is not so beautiful and differs in size. This can be corrected with fertilizing.
To do this you can use:
Dry mullein is poured with water, and after infusion, the bushes are watered.
- Place chicken droppings in water, applying it to water tenfold, leave for 3 days, water very carefully so as not to get on the leaves and berries.
- Dilute the compost with water and water the bushes at the root.
Fertilizing strawberries during flowering and fruiting plays a significant role in the quality and quantity of the harvest. But there are some rules that must be followed:
- fertilizing the plant during flowering should occur only once;
- it is best to use organic fertilizers so that your berries do not receive any chemicals at all;
- It is best to fertilize the soil after watering.
Prepare and pour strawberry syrup over them, incredibly delicious!
Urea for strawberries
Nitrogen is very useful for strawberries, which makes their berries large, bright and juicy. For these purposes, buy urea, and in early spring, after removing everything unnecessary from the bushes, water them with the following mixture: dissolve a spoonful of urea in a bucket of warm water, and pour a half-liter jar under each bush. This will be enough, there is no need to overdo it, because the berry will become sour.
Removing antennae
In addition to fertilizing, there are some other rules, following which your harvest will increase significantly and its quality will be excellent. for example, removing the antennae in time. The mustache takes moisture from the soil, thereby preventing the bush from gaining strength to form berries. Therefore, it is better to carefully remove them with pruning shears. Dried leaves must also be removed. All this deprives the bushes of some nutrients, so timely attention must be paid to removing the tendrils and old leaves.
Watering blooming strawberries
The strawberry roots are very close to the surface, which means that the plant itself cannot extract water from the soil. Therefore, it is important to provide a sufficient amount of moisture, but not to overdo it, since excess water can lead to damage to the root.
When watering, you need to take into account the type of soil. If clay predominates in the soil, then for irrigation you need 12-14 liters of moisture per meter kW. Loose soil will require less water, 12 liters per kW meter. It is best to water the plant in the morning, and the water should not be cold. In hot weather, it is recommended to water strawberries once every couple of days. During the rainy season, our plant needs protection, the best way to do this is to cover the strawberries with film while they are damp to avoid the appearance of fungal diseases. When watering blooming berries, it is best to use a watering can so that water does not get on the flowers.
Pollination
If suddenly you notice on the bushes of your beauty, instead of red berries, deformed fruits that are not red at all, this means that the plant did not have enough pollination. This could be affected by frequent rains, fog, cold weather, or a lack of bees. You can help your pet in this way: dissolve a spoonful of honey in one liter of water and sprinkle the bushes - the bees will definitely fly to your aid. You can increase pollination in another way by planting new varieties of strawberries next to old ones; when the wind flows, the plants will exchange pollen.
By using all these methods, you will stop wondering what fertilizing strawberries need during the fruiting and flowering period, your harvest will be plentiful, and its quality will please any gardener. There will be enough jam for the winter, and in the summer you can pamper your family with fresh, tasty, clean, hand-grown berries.
Apply strawberries to
Fertilizing strawberries in the spring is an important link on the path to the future harvest. It will support the plant after winter, help the bush recover faster and form new buds. But you need to feed the plant on time and correctly. How and what to feed strawberries in spring?
Spring activities for caring for strawberries begin immediately after the snow has melted and the soil has dried out a little. If work was carried out to cover the beds in the fall, then after the frost has subsided they must be removed.
Next, clean the beds of any debris remaining from last year, and the plants of dried leaves. Then trim off old tendrils and flower stalks and remove dead plants. Plant new seedlings in their place, but do it as early as possible so that the new bushes take root before the onset of hot days. Lightly loosen the beds without damaging the root system.
The mulch layer should also be updated. Sawdust, pine needles or wood ash are suitable for this. Mulching will help prevent the appearance of some pests in the beds, for example, slugs.
Note! It is better to burn dry grass and trimmed leaves to get rid of last year’s pests and diseases.
What else is included in spring care?
Caring for strawberries in the spring requires the application of pest control agents. Even if all plant debris is completely removed, diseases can arise from spores remaining in the soil, and pests can spread from infected plants that surround strawberry bushes.
Modern drugs make it possible to destroy diseases without inhibiting the plant. Most diseases are caused by fungi. To combat them, it is recommended to use biological products such as “Fitocide” and “Fitosporin”. Bordeaux mixture has a good antifungal effect and can be used on small areas.
Take care in advance about the availability of drugs that will fight plant mites and harmful insects. Early spraying with insecticides such as Actofit and Actellik will save the crop.
How else to care for strawberries in spring? Of course, provide it with proper watering. The first spring watering should be done on top of loosened soil. This way you will maintain soil moisture and eliminate the problem of drip moisture in the soil.
Advice! Strawberries are an unpretentious crop and grow in different soils, but at the same time they are able to retain water. Do not overwater the plant. You can check the intensity of watering in the following way: squeeze a little soil in your fist. If it sticks a little to your palms without crumbling, everything is fine. If it crumbles and falls apart, watering needs to be increased.
What and how to feed strawberries?
Fertilizing strawberries should be timely and in the right doses. If there is an excess of nutrients, the plant will begin to rapidly grow foliage, and the color and fruits will be late and weak.
Fertilizing young and adult bushes
Young bushes that were planted last year do not need to be fertilized in the spring. The maximum that can be done in this case is to feed it with a weak solution of chicken droppings or cow manure. To do this, dissolve half a liter of chicken droppings or cow manure and 1 tbsp in a bucket of water. a spoonful of sodium sulfate.
Water each plant with the mixture - 1 liter for each bush.
Adult strawberry bushes need to be fertilized: after 2-3 years, the soil in the beds becomes less fertile, and the plant lacks nutrients.
To reap a rich harvest of strawberries, you need to feed them 3 times:
- Right after winter.
- Before flowering or during flowering.
- During fruit formation.
Fertilizer is applied for the first time in the second half of April (when exactly depends on the region). During this period, the best way to feed strawberries will be organic fertilizers: chicken manure or mullein.
Use the solution or scatter it dry under the roots of the bushes, covering the top with 2-3 cm of soil. Yeast and other organic fertilizers are an excellent remedy (see recipes below). They contain proteins, amino acids and minerals.
The second fertilizing should be done before or during strawberry flowering. Mineral fertilizers are suitable for this, which will affect the taste and size of the berries. They will be large, beautiful and sweet. Specialized stores offer many types of mineral fertilizers. Next we will talk about them in more detail.
Attention! Mineral fertilizers must be used strictly according to the instructions contained on the packaging. A large dosage will harm the plant.
An excellent remedy for the third feeding is an infusion of weeds and herbal plants, for example, an infusion of nettles. This feeding is harmless to plants and people; it will not negatively affect the taste of the berries, but will help increase their quantity and also protect the plants from some harmful insects.
How to feed strawberries immediately after winter?
The first feeding of strawberries is carried out in early spring, until flowers and buds have formed. Fertilize your bushes with good, rich mullein made from fresh cow pats. To do this, dilute 1 liter of fermented liquid mullein in 10 liters of water. Half a liter of solution will be enough for one bush.
The second feeding option is urea (urea). Dilute 2 tbsp. spoons of urea in 10 liters of water and pour 0.5 liters of the resulting solution under each bush.
Advice! Fertilize after rain, when the ground is still wet. This way the mullein will be better absorbed into the soil. Otherwise, the crust will not allow the fertilizer to be absorbed.
Mullein is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is needed for plant growth, and phosphorus is needed for the formation of ovaries.
How to feed strawberries before flowering?
Before flowering, use mineral fertilizers, for example, Horus (12 g per 10 l of water), or Topaz (6 ml per 10 l of water). After 2 weeks, repeat the treatment. These drugs will prevent all possible diseases and spots.
You can also use foliar fertilizer “Plantafol”, “Brexil mix”, “Megafol” or “Growth concentrate” in the same ratio (20 g per 10 l). Add Boroplus (10-15 ml) to the selected preparation, which will help the formation of the ovary, and treat the bushes.
Feeding during flowering
During flowering, prepare the following fertilizer:
Pour 1 cup of wood ash into a container and pour 2 liters of boiling water. Stir, let it brew for 2 hours, and then add 3 g of potassium permanganate and boric acid, as well as 1 tbsp. spoon of iodine. Dissolve the mixture in 10 liters of water and pour it over the flowering strawberries (1 glass for each bush).
Attention! Use rainwater or settled water, but in no case chlorinated.
Foliar feeding
When fertilizing in spring, you need to fertilize not only the root system, but also the bush itself. Strawberries are sprayed with organic matter or nitrogen-containing solutions, which promotes active growth of the bush and an increase in ovary. When sprayed, beneficial substances are immediately absorbed into the foliage.
Note! Apply foliar feeding in the evening, in dry and windless weather.
You can spray plants with mineral fertilizers. They come in 2 types:
- highly mobile;
- low mobility.
The former include phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and nitrogen. They instantly get into the roots, foliage, and buds. Low mobility fertilizers - iron, copper, boron, manganese - act more slowly. They need to be sprayed very carefully so that droplets of the solution fall on the ovaries.
Iodine
To treat young strawberry bushes with iodine you will need 2 components:
- potassium iodide;
- potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
To prepare the solution, take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of iodine and a few granules of potassium permanganate, mix with 10 liters of water.
This solution will help against beetles, pests, gray rot and the appearance of spots on the leaves.
It is better to water the bushes with iodine solution after first showering the bushes with wood ash. Such an integrated approach will give more effective results.
Boric acid
Fertilizing with boric acid requires preliminary care of strawberries. First, you need to loosen the soil 10 cm with a garden fork. For greater effect from the fertilizer, it is recommended to sprinkle the rows with straw, then pour in nettle infusion.
Only after this, treat the bushes with a mixture of boric acid in a ratio of 10 g per 30 liters of water. It will help form good ovaries, so it is suitable for feeding strawberries before flowering. Afterwards, it is advisable to treat it against pests - mites and weevils - with insecticidal preparations.
Fertilizing strawberries in spring with folk remedies
One of the most popular folk remedies for feeding bush berries is nettle infusion. What does it give? Nettle contains a large amount of microelements, due to which sufficient chlorophyll is formed in strawberry leaves. After feeding, the bushes become more resistant and stronger for fruiting.
To prepare the infusion, collect the nettles before they form seeds. Fill a container (plastic or enamel, not metal), packing the grass stems tightly. Fill the container filled with nettles with water and place in a sunny place for 7-15 days.
Every morning, stir the nettle infusion, which will be considered ready after the formation of foam and a characteristic unpleasant odor. Strain the infusion and dilute 1 liter of concentrate in 10 liters of water. Use as a root dressing, adding 1 liter of solution to each strawberry bush.
Yeast feeding
Gardeners began to introduce yeast fertilizing relatively recently and the results were impressive. In spring, such fertilizer will enhance vegetative growth, and in summer it will support fruiting activity. For 10 strawberry bushes, 5 liters of yeast solution is enough.
Any yeast is suitable for its preparation. It is convenient to dilute them in a plastic bottle, since the solution will need to be shaken well.
If you are using dry yeast, then take a 100-gram packet and dissolve the contents in 2 liters of warm water, add 2-3 tbsp. spoons of sugar. With the lid tightly closed, shake the bottle well.
If using regular yeast, adhere to the following ratio: 1 kg of yeast per 5 liters of water. Next, pour the mixture into a bucket, add 10 liters of water and leave it to brew in a warm place for 3-4 hours. Then pour the yeast solution into a 200-liter barrel or add half a liter of the prepared yeast solution each time to a 10-liter watering can. Water the strawberry bushes with it at the root (0.5 l).
Chicken droppings
To prepare a solution of chicken manure, take semi-liquid fresh chicken manure, place it in a bucket of warm water (1:15), stir thoroughly.
Important! There is no need to infuse the solution; use it immediately so that all useful substances (for example, nitrogen) do not have time to evaporate. Water from a watering can around the bush, trying not to get on the leaves.
After feeding with chicken manure, strawberries begin to bear fruit well, the berries become beautiful, sweet and juicy.
Ash
Wood ash is an excellent potassium fertilizer. In addition to potassium, ash contains phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. As a fertilizer, it can be used both in dry form and in the form of a solution.
To prepare the solution, take a 10-liter bucket of water and 1 kg (about 2 liter jars) of ash. Dissolve and leave for a day, stirring occasionally. All the necessary elements from the ash will pass into the water, and the solution will be ready in 24 hours. To water strawberries, dilute 1 liter of concentrate in 10 liters of water.
When using dry, sprinkle the ash under the bushes. During watering, all the necessary components will penetrate into the ground.
So, feeding strawberries in the spring is the key to an excellent harvest in the future. Conduct it competently, following the recommendations given above in the article.
Last year, my favorite strawberries produced very few berries; I couldn’t even make jam from them. And my neighbor’s strawberries turned out to be so fruitful that she made several three-liter jars of jam from them! I asked my neighbor what magical methods she uses.
It turns out that it’s not enough just to plant strawberries, they also need to be fed periodically in order to bear fruit better. This year I did everything as my neighbor advised, now I don’t have time to pick the fruits, so many of them have grown!
In this article I will tell you how to feed strawberries during flowering and fruiting in order to reap a huge harvest.
To make the result more effective, it is important to know how many years have passed since the strawberries were planted: in the first year they are not given any fertilizer, since during planting the soil is fertilized with minerals.
In the second year they give mineral and organic fertilizer, in the third year - only mineral fertilizer. After another year they give again mineral and organic. They alternate this way every year until the time comes to change the old culture to a new one.
The first fertilizer containing nitrogen is applied immediately after the snow has completely melted, but the first leaves have not yet blossomed. Before this, you need to trim last year’s bushes from the garden.
Folk nitrogen-containing recipes:
- Take a bucket of fresh nettles and fill with warm liquid to the very edge. Wait 4 days. Then dilute with 10 liters of water and pour to the very root.
- Dilute one part of chicken manure with 10 liters of plain liquid and leave for 4 days. For one bush, 500 ml of solution is enough.
- In a ten-liter bucket of liquid, dilute 2 tablespoons of mullein and 1 tablespoon of ammonium sulfate. Apply one liter for each crop.
It will be more effective if, simultaneously with root feeding, there is also foliar feeding.
Spring feeding
To prevent beneficial substances from quickly evaporating, they are added either early in the morning or late in the evening. If the weather is cloudy, then the procedure can be carried out during the day. First, the plant is watered abundantly, then fertilizer is added. Foliar fertilization always begins with spraying.
In spring, the plant needs boric acid, so 1 teaspoon of boric acid and 30 drops of iodine are mixed in 10 liters of liquid, then 1 cup of wood ash is poured in. Mix all this thoroughly and water the bushes once. This must be done even before the first flowers appear.
Feeding during flowering
The fruit plant absorbs fertilizer best during the flowering period, which occurs around June. During this period, the crop lacks potassium, so it must be included in the fertilizer. It has been proven that berries that receive potassium in a timely manner grow very beautiful, large, sweet and juicy in taste, and can be stored longer.
Brown tips of the leaves indicate a lack of potassium. Therefore, in order to save the future harvest, you need to immediately apply potassium-based fertilizer made according to any recipe:
- Mullein solution.
- Zinc sulfate solution (0.02%).
- Pour 1 teaspoon of potassium nitrate into a 10 liter bucket of water.
Folk recipes
Not all gardeners trust chemicals, as some of them are far from harmless. Fortunately, many folk recipes can completely replace chemical ones.
Ash
The main thing to remember is that you should never burn household waste to make future fertilizer. They burn only wood, unnecessary grapevines, last year's potato tops, and pine branches. Then this ash is sprinkled around each bush or in the hole when planting a young crop.
Or you can make a solution by diluting one liter of ash in a ten-liter bucket of liquid. If the leaves are sick, then just sprinkle them with ash on top, which will help the plant recover.
Iodine
Such a cheap product as iodine disinfects not only wounds, but also plants, simultaneously fertilizing the soil. You just need to make sure that the dosage is not too high, otherwise, instead of treatment, the plants get burned. And this solution is usually sprayed on berry crops.
Dissolve 10 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water, then spray the crop before the first flowers bloom. Then this procedure is performed three times throughout the summer with an interval of ten days.
Bread crusts
Few people like the bread crusts of day-old rye bread. Therefore, they can be put aside in a separate bag, so that later they can be used to make excellent fertilizer. The crusts collected from one bread are soaked in one liter of warm water for a week.
Then additionally dilute 10 liters of liquid and water each bush. And it doesn’t matter whether the crop is blooming or bearing fruit at the moment.
Boric acid
During flowering, strawberries require not only potassium, but also boric acid, which improves bud setting. Pour 2 grams of potassium permanganate and boric acid into 10 liters of water, then 1 liter of ash.
This solution is used to water the entire bed once after it has been watered in the usual way.
Yeast
Yeast helps plants get sick less often and grow better. Soak 200 grams of fresh yeast in 500 ml of warm water. After 20 minutes, pour 9 liters of liquid into this mixture and water each bush generously.
If fresh yeast is not available for sale, you can replace it with dry yeast. In this case, the recipe is slightly different: dissolve a packet of yeast in 10 liters of water, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and leave at room temperature for two hours. After which the beds are watered with it.
Spoiled milk
If you find forgotten sour milk or fermented kefir in the refrigerator, do not rush to throw it away; they can be used as an excellent fertilizer, as they contain potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and improve the acidity of the earth.
To do this, the dairy product is diluted with water twice as much. Then it is poured no closer than 10 centimeters from the bush. You can spray the leaves with it.
Cow dung
Pour 2.5 kg of cow dung into a standard bucket, fill it to the brim with plain liquid and leave it for a day. Then mix thoroughly with a stick. Then the beds are watered with it, being careful not to get it on the root neck of the plant.
Chicken droppings
They are fertilized only once every one or two years, no more. And only in early spring. Chicken droppings supply the earth with an incredible amount of beneficial microelements. First, make a stronger solution in a 1:2 ratio with water, then 1 liter of this solution is diluted with a bucket of water. And they water the beds around the berry bushes.
Urea
You need to remember that strawberries can die from chlorine, so it is important to read the composition of any fertilizer.
In the northern or Ural parts of Russia, where the weather is unstable, experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing the soil with urea in April, which will help the crop receive nitrogen during frosts.
One tablespoon of urea is poured into a ten-liter bucket of water, after which the plants are watered with it.
Feeding during fruiting
The most ideal fertilizer during this period is considered to be a solution of mullein with water (1:14). It is infused for three days in a tightly closed container, then one liter of solution is poured under one bush.
Removing unnecessary mustaches
To increase productivity, you need to cut off excess whiskers, since there are those varieties of strawberries in which they grow very quickly and take away almost all the beneficial minerals.
From the first growing whiskers you can get planting material. To help them take root better, they are simply lightly sprinkled with soil. And at the end of August they are cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place, or left where they took root.
You need to remember that the mustache is cut off with sharp scissors, and not torn off with your hands, as this can damage the roots. First, they wait until the mustache grows at least 10 centimeters.
This treatment is carried out in cool and dry weather; in the heat and under the sun’s rays, it is better to forget about this procedure. If you trim your mustache in wet weather, you increase the risk of contracting any fungal disease.
Watering during flowering
During flowering, strawberries need not only more feeding, but also regular watering so that the fruits can form and fill in time. The main thing is not to overwater, as the fruits may rot. If the weather is cloudy, then it is enough to water once a week, but if it is rainy, then it is better to forget about watering.
But in hot weather it is recommended to water every three days. The irrigation liquid should be approximately the same temperature as the soil in the garden bed. It is not advisable to water with liquid that is too warm or too cold, as the greens may become sick. The most ideal way to water is at the root.
Pollination
It does not always happen that pollinating insects visit a bed with fruit plants. Sometimes, due to bad weather, they do not visit the flowers at all, which means the fruits will not be able to grow. Therefore, in this case we resort to hand pollination. Take any clean brush or sponge and touch each flower with it one by one.
In this way we help the pollen spread. If the beds are large, then you can use a hand fan, which will simply spread the pollen throughout the bed.
To help attract pollinating insects that for some reason fly by, one tablespoon of honey is dissolved in one liter of warm liquid. Then the leaves of the crop are sprayed with this solution. After this, insects will definitely come to the smell.
If you correctly follow all the above rules, then in the middle of summer you will reap a huge harvest of sweet and juicy strawberries.
Fertilizing strawberries in early spring and then in subsequent phases of development is an important stage. If you do not feed it on time or skip feeding altogether, the harvest will fall behind schedule and will not be distinguished by its abundance. Spring feeding is especially important, when the season is just beginning. In addition, during this period it is necessary to carry out a number of activities necessary for the proper development and fruiting of the crop.
Caring for flowering strawberries consists of the following: fertilizing, proper watering, trimming the mustache and pollination. To care for the crop correctly, it is necessary to analyze each stage separately.
On a note! It is very important to feed strawberries according to a certain pattern. This will help you get a healthy and rich harvest.
Fertilizer scheme by age:
- 1 year of development - the berry is not fertilized. When planting, strawberries receive enough nutrition and mineral elements to last the season;
- 2 year - it is necessary to fertilize the berries with mineral and organic fertilizers;
- 3rd year - the crop only needs mineral supplements;
- 4th year - needs organic and mineral fertilizers.
That’s right, according to age, you need to alternate fertilizers annually.
The first fertilization of strawberries is carried out in early spring, around mid-April, when the snow has just melted and the leaves have not yet blossomed. At this time, nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be applied. Before feeding, it is recommended to trim the bushes. This method will allow you not to disturb the plant several times. Popular mineral complexes are used for feeding; you can use folk recipes for preparing the solution.
Mineral complexes:
- 1 tbsp. l. ammonium sulfate + 2 tbsp. mullein + 10 l water. Mix the fertilizer well. Apply 1 liter under the berry bush;
- 1 tbsp. l. nitroammophoska + 10 l water. Apply 0.5 liters under the berry bush;
- Fill a bucket of fresh nettle with a bucket of water, preferably warm, and leave for 3-4 days. For root feeding, the mixture does not need to be filtered. It is diluted in a ratio of 1:10 liters with water. Depending on its size, you need to water strawberries from 1 liter to 0.5 liters. for 1 plant. For foliar use, you will need to strain the nettle solution and dilute 1:20 liters with water;
- Fertilizers based on mullein or chicken droppings are perfect. To prepare them, you need to take 1 part of manure or mullein and add 10 liters of water, leave the solution for 3-4 days. Water the strawberry bushes with a dosage of 0.5 liters of solution per 1 bush.
To make root feeding more effective, it is best to carry out foliar feeding at the same time. This will allow the bush to receive several times more nutrition and useful elements.
Spring foliar feeding
Conducted in cloudy, dry weather, the optimal time is early morning or late evening.
Rules for foliar feeding:
- carried out after abundant watering of strawberries;
- spraying begins with young shoots and leaves;
- Better yields can be expected if you fertilize strawberries during the flowering period;
- It is most effective to use fertilizing with the addition of boric acid in spring.
The best option for foliar spring feeding is a solution: 1 tsp. boric acid + 30 drops of iodine + 1 tbsp. ash + 10 liters of water.
Feeding during the flowering period
The plant is fed the second time when it enters the flowering phase. In time, this is approximately the beginning of June, when strawberries are just beginning to bloom. At this time, strawberries need potassium. Potassium fertilizing helps improve the appearance of the bushes and produce sweeter berries. In addition, the harvest will be several times larger than if you ignore this event. In addition, potassium promotes longer shelf life of strawberries.
When a plant lacks this element, the tips of the leaves begin to turn brown. If you do not fertilize in a timely manner to improve the situation, you can lose absolutely the entire harvest.
Popular feedings:
- 1 tsp. potassium nitrate + water 10 l. All berry bushes are watered with the resulting product at a dosage of 0.5 l;
- for foliar feeding, a 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate is used;
- At the beginning of the flowering phase, it is good to use a mullein solution.
The use of such fertilizing makes it possible to obtain large berries if you carry out extraordinary fertilizing when the plant has already faded. For it, use any complex fertilizer that contains the maximum amount of microelements.
Important! It should be remembered that the solution for spraying using fertilizers in combination is prepared in a much lower concentration than for root feeding.
Traditional methods of fertilization
There are several effective ways to fertilize berries, which are considered folk. Compost is great for this. It is simply laid in a circle around the plant; when moisture gets on it, nutrients enter the root system.
Ash
Coniferous and wood ash, as well as ash obtained by burning grapevines, sunflowers, and potato tops, contains a huge amount of useful microelements. Ash is used in early spring. A handful of ash must be added to the hole when planting berry bushes.
For root feeding, it is recommended to make an ash product. Infuse 1 liter of ash in 10 liters of water, water each berry bush with 1 liter of the product. Ash helps very well against diseases. If damaged or dry leaves appear on the bush, you need to powder the bush with ash. For each infected bush, you need to use about 15 g of ash.
Iodine
Iodine has antiseptic effects. It is used not only for treatment, it is perfect as a fertilizer. Spraying with iodine solution is carried out before the plant blooms. Next, the procedure must be repeated 3 times with a time interval of 10 days. For the solution, you need to dissolve 5-10 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water. The dosage must be observed, otherwise the plants may get burned.
Bread crusts
Yeast has a beneficial effect on the growth of bushes; it is found in abundance in rye bread. For the solution you need 1 loaf of rye bread or crusts, soak in 1 liter of warm water. Let it ferment well for 7 days. This mixture turns out to be quite concentrated; before use, it is diluted in 10 liters of water.
On a note! Fertilizer based on rye bread is valued for its high content of amino acids and essential minerals.
Boric acid
It is very useful to feed the berries with boric acid-based fertilizer during the budding period. It stimulates the setting of buds. To prepare the product, 2 g of boric acid is dissolved in 10 liters of water, 1 liter of ash and 2 g of potassium permanganate are added. The entire bush is sprayed with the solution from all sides.
Yeast
Yeast feeding is also very useful. Thanks to it, strawberry bushes get sick less often and grow faster. To fertilize, soak 200 g of fresh yeast in 0.5 liters of water and leave for 20 minutes. The water should be warm. After which the mixture is poured into 9 liters of water, the berries are watered generously.
You can use dry baker's yeast. The mixture is prepared as follows: dissolve 1 packet of yeast and 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. sugar and leave the mixture for 2 hours. Fertilizer is applied to the soil at an air temperature of +15 degrees.
Spoiled milk
To fill the soil with phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and normalize the acidity of the soil, you can fertilize with sour milk. Before use, the sour milk product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. Milk is added to the soil at a distance of 10 cm from the root system of the plant. This method helps to increase yield and disease resistance. The solution can be applied by the root method, as well as sprayed.
Mineral fertilizers
There are complex mineral fertilizers and single-component ones. Applying single-component fertilizers means that only one useful element, such as nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus, enters the soil. The introduction of complex or complex fertilizing into the soil involves the introduction of several important elements into the soil, along with which substances such as copper, boron, iron, and calcium enter.
Such fertilizers are produced in granular, dry and liquid form. They can be used for root and foliar feeding.
Important! Strawberries do not tolerate chlorine, so fertilizers containing this element are not recommended.
The next fertilization of the berries is carried out around mid-April; the constant air temperature at this time should be at least +16 degrees. It is necessary to add fertilizing with urea to the soil. This is very important, because at lower temperatures, strawberries do not absorb nitrogen well. For this feeding, the main thing is to dilute the solution correctly. For 10 liters of water add only 1 tbsp. l. urea. Each bush is watered with the product at a dosage of 0.5 liters.
Mineral fertilizers should be diluted strictly according to the instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, a more concentrated solution may burn the plant, while a weaker solution will have no effect.
Organic fertilizers
They have undeniable advantages. They are completely safe, environmentally friendly and accessible to absolutely everyone.
One such remedy is chicken manure. In early spring, its solution is applied to the soil only once every 2-3 years. This fertilizer supplies the soil with a huge amount of useful macro and microelements. The litter-based product is prepared in a 1:2 ratio with water. Mixes well. For a working solution, 1 liter of this mixture is diluted with 10 liters of water. It is introduced into the soil not under the bush itself, but at a distance of 8-10 cm.
Important! The maximum amount of fertilizer based on chicken manure is once a year. Frequent feeding with this product can contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in fruits. Also, if you fertilize too much, you can burn the plant.
Mineral-organic fertilizers
The greatest efficiency is achieved when feeding the plant with mineral-organic fertilizers. They include all the nutrients and microelements necessary for the plant. They are introduced at a time when the leaves begin to bloom.
Mineral-organic complexes:
- 1 tbsp. l. Dilute ammonium sulfate in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 1 liter;
- 1 tbsp. l. urea + 0.5 tbsp. ash + 0.5 tsp. boric acid + 3 g potassium permanganate. All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 0.5 liters. for 1 bush.
Removing unnecessary mustaches
Whiskers on strawberries grow very quickly, so if you don’t watch them, after a while the strawberry plantings will become very thick. If you trim the mustache in time, you can get high-quality material for planting. To increase the yield of strawberries, excess whiskers must be removed.
For planting material, it is necessary to select the first rosettes of the mustache. They need to be lightly sprinkled with soil for them to take root. After complete rooting, the mustache and subsequent rosettes should be cut off. At the end of August, you can already plant strawberries in a permanent place.
Mustache trimming rules:
- it is strictly forbidden to pick off the strawberry tendrils; along with them, you can tear out the plant completely or damage the roots;
- Processing should be carried out in dry, cloudy weather. You can also prune early in the morning or late in the evening. It is not recommended to prune the plant in hot weather. At high temperatures and the scorching sun it can become stressed, and in damp weather it can become infected with fungal or infectious diseases;
- cut the mustache at a distance of 10 cm from the native bush;
- pruning is carried out using sharp pruning shears or scissors.
Watering during flowering
Watering during the flowering phase for strawberries plays a vital role. At this point, it requires moderate and regular watering. Lack of moisture can negatively affect the fruits; they will not be able to fill in time. Excessive moisture is also not advisable. In this case, the berry may rot. Therefore, when watering, it is necessary to adhere to the golden mean.
In particular, everything depends on climatic conditions. If there is a lot of rainfall at this time, the strawberries do not need to be watered at all. If the weather is dry and hot, the berries should be watered after 3 days.
Strawberries need to be watered with water whose temperature is close to the temperature of the soil. Watering with cold water is not recommended. The watering process is carried out strictly at the root, and care must be taken to ensure that the roots of the plant are not exposed.
Strawberry pollination
Inadequate pollination can be a consequence of rain, fog, decreased air temperature and results in the production of small deformed berries. To help strawberries, you can resort to manual pollination. To do this, use a sponge or soft cloth to transfer pollen from one flower to another. If the size of the strawberries is impressive, pollination can be carried out using a fan.
Another way to pollinate strawberries is with a honey solution. 1 tbsp. l. honey should be diluted with 1 liter of warm water and sprayed on the bushes with the solution. This will attract pollinating insects, which will help pollinate naturally.
Each of the activities described above is of great importance in the development of strawberries. If you care for the crop correctly and do not skip important processes, you can get a harvest of tasty large berries from your strawberry bed every year.
