Fertilizing strawberries in early spring. How to feed and how to care for strawberries in the spring? When to feed strawberries

Strawberry a very popular berry among gardeners and gardeners. To get a good harvest of sweet berries, she needs to feed, especially in spring.

Let's take a closer look: when is it best to carry out the first feeding of strawberries, and when the second; how to feed strawberries in spring and how to do it, what gives the introduction of spring top dressing.

After winter, strawberries begin a phase of active development. In the spring, to build up the vegetative mass, plants will need nitrogen.

For the development of the root system, you need phosphorus. And potassium needed for laying the generative organs of strawberries.

Some argue that the first top dressing should be carried out immediately after the snow leaves. But this is not true, since in cold soil the nutrients are not absorbed by the root system of plants.

The first spring dressing of strawberries should be carried out when the soil warms up enough, about 10-15 degrees.

At this temperature, the root system begins to actively pick up the introduced nutrients.

What is the best way to feed strawberries in spring?

Some say that it is best to feed with organic fertilizers, others advise only mineral fertilizers. It will be correct to choose the golden mean, because on organic matter alone you will not get the desired yield.

Also, excessive application of mineral fertilizers leads to the destruction of soil microflora, when microorganisms useful for plants die, fertility is lost.

Only dosed application of mineral fertilizers with a combination of organic fertilizers will give the desired result.

The composition of fertilizers for the first feeding of strawberries in the spring: 30 g of nitroammophoska, 25-30 ml of Viva (Viva) Valagro - dilute everything in 10 liters of water.

NPK first soak in water in a small glass until dissolved, then pour into a bucket.

Pour about 100-150 grams of ready-made complex fertilizer under each strawberry bush. The next top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the formation of berries.

The second feeding of strawberries in the spring

Strawberries are fertilized in the spring for the second time 20 days after the first fertilization. It is necessary to carry out such top dressing to enlarge the berries.

Already bushes lay berries, bloom profusely. At this stage, it is not advisable to use mineral fertilizers, we will apply potassium humate and wood ash.

The solution is prepared as follows: for 10 liters of water 1 glass (200 g) of wood ash, leave for 1 hour.

Dilute potassium humate 1 tsp. for 50 liters of water. Easier at first 200 ml dilute 1 tsp., and then add 40 ml of the prepared potassium humate solution to a bucket of wood ash.

Thanks to the use of potassium humate, the development of soil microorganisms improves, fertility increases, humic acids in the composition of the humate have a beneficial effect on the soil microflora.

Why is it better to use potassium humate now, and not to use sodium humate, because the latter drug is used more for the development of the root system, and we need a good setting and enlargement of berries.

Mix the solution well and pour 0.5 liters of solution for each bush.

After such top dressing, strawberries will delight you with an abundance of berries.

Video - Strawberries - top dressing for enlargement of berries

Have a great strawberry harvest!

Top dressing of strawberries is a desirable procedure for the formation of the ovary and active fruiting. This is especially true for remontant strawberries. You can get a large and sweet berry only with additional nutrition of the bushes.

Why feed strawberries during flowering and fruiting

Throughout the development cycle, the plant needs nutrients and minerals. During the period of active growth, flowering and formation of the ovary, fruiting and after harvesting - strawberries need various additives and top dressing. Even the most fertile soil, after a few years, tends to be depleted, as a result of which the yield and size of fruits decrease, and their taste qualities decrease.

During the period of flowering and the formation of strawberries, bushes need additional feeding, but is it possible to feed strawberries during fruiting? There is an opinion that during the period of active growth and ripening of berries, it is not recommended to make any additives, since the fruits tend to absorb everything that the bush feeds on.

This is true, but it is during this period that plants need support. Therefore, you need to carefully choose: how to feed strawberries during fruiting, and fertilizers that can be applied under the berries.

How to fertilize strawberries during flowering

In addition to the planned seasonal top dressing of strawberries, you need to take care of its proper nutrition at the beginning of flowering. Depending on the climate of the area, the appearance of the first flower stalks falls at the beginning or end of May. During this period, strawberries need a lot of potassium. Top dressing can be carried out by the root method, or by spraying.

How to feed strawberries: root dressing recipes

The easiest and fastest way to feed flowering strawberry bushes is to use a solution of potassium nitrate: you need to use a teaspoon of the substance per 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters is enough for one bush.

The special preparation "Ovary" contains all the necessary substances to increase the number of peduncles and the active formation of the ovary. When using, you must strictly follow the instructions.

Many gardeners, when caring for strawberries, prefer to use only natural substances. Before feeding strawberries, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular folk recipes.

wood ash solution

For 1 liter of water use a glass of ash. It is poured with boiling water and mixed thoroughly. When the solution has cooled, it is filtered and used for feeding (0.5 l per bush).

Bird droppings or cow dung

For a 10 l bucket, take 2.5 kg of manure, add water to the top and leave to infuse for a day, after which it is thoroughly mixed. So that there is no smell before insisting, Baikal humate is added. 1 liter of ready-made infusion is diluted in 20 liters of water. It is enough to use 0.5 liters per bush. The substance is quite caustic, so it is necessary to water it carefully, without falling on the aerial part of the plant.

Yeast fertilizer for strawberries

1 kg of fresh yeast is dissolved in 5 liters of water, let it brew for a day. Then 1 liter of the mixture is diluted in 20 liters of liquid, and the plants are fed - 0.5 liters per bush.

Foliar top dressing of strawberries during the flowering period

Foliar top dressing of strawberries consists in spraying the bushes with nutrient solutions. It is important to carefully process the lower part of the leaves, since it is she who is responsible for the absorption of nutrients.

Among the finished products, the most effective and recognized are Agros, Gera and Rubin. It is necessary to strictly observe the dosage norms indicated on the package.

You can also use the following substances for spraying:

• 2 gr. potassium permanganate and potassium sulfate, 1 g of boric acid per 1 liter of water. The bushes are carefully treated with the resulting solution;
• Potassium nitrate: a teaspoon per 5 liters of liquid.

For the treatment of bushes, the same yeast solution recipe is used as for root dressing.

Nettle tincture for spraying strawberries

It is necessary to collect fresh nettles and chop them finely. Fill a 10 liter bucket with chopped nettles and pour hot water, plus 50-60 degrees Celsius. Insist during the day. The finished infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Bushes are sprayed with a solution during the flowering period.

Feeding strawberries during flowering: video

Feeding strawberries during fruiting

In search of an answer to the question: is it necessary to feed strawberries during fruiting, pay attention to the recommendations of gardeners. It has been experimentally confirmed that fertilizing strawberries during this period allows you to grow a plentiful, large and sweet crop. Also, top dressing stimulates the ripening of berries, which is very important in bad weather conditions and early frosts.

How to feed strawberries during fruiting at the root

During the period of formation and ripening of berries, you should not use chemical preparations, since the berries absorb and accumulate substances harmful to the body. You should use natural remedies available to every summer resident:

• Processing strawberries during fruiting with compost: 1 kg of rotted fertilizer is diluted in a bucket of water, and the bushes are watered;
• Chicken manure is insisted in water at the rate of 1-2 kg per bucket of water, 2-3 days. It should be used in the proportion of 1 part of manure infusion to 10 parts of water;
• Cow dung is infused for 3-4 days in warm water at the rate of 2-3 kg per bucket of water. 4 liters of the finished infusion are diluted with 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters are used to water 1 bush.

Foliar top dressing of strawberries during fruiting is prohibited

Spraying strawberries during fruiting is not allowed. During this period, it is recommended to feed and water the bushes only by the root method. Rainy weather and improper watering can lead to the death of an entire plantation.

How to fertilize strawberries during fruiting: video

It is important to know not only how to process strawberries during fruiting, but also when it needs to be done. Root top dressing of strawberries, both with chemicals and organic substances, must be carried out in moist soil after watering or good rain. Foliar - on the contrary, in dry and sunny weather, since the beneficial substances must be absorbed into the leaves.

For spraying and watering with fertilizers, it is worth choosing the evening time when the sun sets. Daytime processing is unacceptable, as the leaves of the plant will burn if liquid enters.

Any top dressing, root or foliar, is carried out once in a certain period of development of the strawberry bush. For example, during flowering, and the next - during fruiting.

Standard dressing recipes are ideal for light loamy and sandy soils with a low salt content. You can find out exactly what plants need only by analyzing the soil into components.

Outcome

Feeding strawberries during flowering and fruiting is a necessary procedure. The quantity and quality of the crop depends on this. It is necessary to strictly separate root and foliar top dressing, and observe the norms of fertilizing.

It is impossible to get a good harvest of strawberries without top dressing. Of course, choosing a variety suitable for your land, planting pattern, watering and disease prevention is of great importance. But with a lack of nutrition, the harvest will still be scarce. Spring fertilization will provide the bush with full development and strength. Therefore, the first feeding is carried out at the very beginning of the growing season.

When to fertilize strawberries in spring

Spring work with strawberries is carried out in a certain order. After the snow has melted, remove the mulch that served as a shelter for the bushes. The bed is also cleaned of all plant residues, dried bushes are removed. The earth needs to be slightly loosened so that the roots get access to oxygen. Watering is done not earlier than the earth dries out from moisture.

For the rapid growth of bushes and the formation of a large number of ovaries, strawberries need top dressing. They will need to be applied after the formation of two or three leaves and before flowering begins. The exact timing of the introduction depends on the climatic zone and weather conditions.

Dates for the Moscow region

Strawberries wake up quite early after winter. In the central regions of Russia, which includes the Moscow region, bush care, including top dressing, can be started from the second half of March.

If you have the opportunity to visit the cottage early or the site is near the house, dry fertilizers can be scattered directly on the melted snow. Minerals dissolve in puddles of water and go to the roots. During this period, wood ash and granular mineral fertilizers can be used.

Timing for the Urals, Siberia

In the northern regions, care for strawberry bushes begins a month later - approximately in mid-April. As soon as the bushes are open and cleared of plant debris, watering can be done, followed by fertilizer.

If the first time you get into your garden, when the ground is already dry, you need to feed the strawberries during the first loosening. In any case, you should have time to apply fertilizer at the stage of formation of the first few leaves in order to start active vegetation.

At this time, you can make both dry and liquid top dressing, as well as spray strawberries on the leaf. Under the root, fertilizer is necessarily applied to moist soil, after watering or rain. The first top dressing should be saturated with nitrogen, which stimulates the growth of green mass.

On a note! In the first year, the plants do not fertilize. During this period, the nutrition of strawberries is provided by the dose of fertilizer that was laid during planting. In the second year, mineral and organic top dressings are used. In the third season, only mineral fertilizers are used. In the fourth year, organics are added again.

Before flowering, it is good to feed strawberries with organic fertilizers. Perfect for this:

• manure;
• humus;
• chicken manure.

Many summer residents simply lay out dry manure under the bushes, sprinkling it with a layer of earth 2-3 cm thick. You can also prepare a manure solution using two cups of rotted manure per 10 liters of water with the addition of 1 tbsp. spoons of sodium sulfate. Under each bush pour 1 liter of top dressing. Humus is good because it is perfectly absorbed by the roots.

Chicken manure is an excellent source of nitrogen and is fertilized using 1 part manure to 20 parts water. Top dressing is insisted for 3 days, after which the strawberries are watered, using 0.5 liters of infusion for each plant.

The range of fertilizers for strawberries is quite wide. Gardeners actively use both purchased and folk remedies. Each of them contains its own nutrients, there are also complex fertilizers.

Folk remedies

What summer residents just do not use to feed strawberries with folk methods. Food and pharmaceutical products are also used. Here are the recipes recommended by those who have already tried them on their berry beds:

1. Additionally, lactic acid products can be used to feed strawberries by adding them to fertilizer based on humus and manure. Such a mixture will not only serve as food, but also help get rid of the tick.
2. For spring foliar feeding on the eve of flowering, iodine can be used in combination with other components. H and a bucket of hot water is added a glass of ash, 2 grams of boric acid and potassium permanganate, 1 teaspoon of iodine. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and used for spraying berry bushes. At the same time, the composition with iodine will protect strawberry leaves from fungal diseases.
3. Fertilizing with ammonia, which is based on a nitrogen compound - ammonia, has proven itself well. Additionally, the product will scare away many pests with its pungent odor and destroy the spores of the fungus. The working solution is prepared from 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of ammonia in 10 liters of water. Top dressing can be applied to the ground and leaf. It is better to cook it in the fresh air, since ammonia vapor can burn the mucous membrane when inhaled.

Foliar top dressing should be carried out in dry weather in the morning or evening. Under the scorching sun, spraying the leaves is not recommended.

yeast

Fertilizing with yeast can improve the structure of the soil without the introduction of chemicals. Yeast contributes to the faster decomposition of organic matter in the ground. It is easier for plants to absorb food in this form. The roots become more accessible: nitrogen and phosphorus, amino acids, organic iron, vitamins and other trace elements. As a result, a powerful root system is formed in strawberries, which contributes to the development of a strong bush and the appearance of large berries on it.

It must be borne in mind that yeast is applied only to heated soil. Yeast fungi will work at temperatures above +20 degrees. In the process of fermentation, potassium and calcium are taken from the ground, so after fertilizing with yeast, wood ash must be added.

Preparing a yeast solution is not difficult:

1. A three-liter jar is filled with warm water, without adding 4-5 cm to the edge.
2. A pack of dry yeast and 4-5 tbsp are added to the water. spoons of sugar. Instead of dry, you can take 25 g of raw yeast.
3. The mixture is stirred and placed in a warm place until foam appears.
4. The finished wort is poured into a ten-liter bucket and topped up with warm water.

Top dressing is applied under the root, spending from 0.5 to 1 liter of yeast solution for each bush.

On a note! You can not leave the yeast to ferment for several days, otherwise there will be no benefit from such a solution. Yeast fungi must get into the ground alive and have time to work.

Wood ash is sold in gardening stores, but due to its high consumption, its purchase is unprofitable. This fertilizer can be obtained independently by burning firewood, dry grass and other plant residues. Depending on the feedstock, the composition of the ash is different, with the predominance of certain minerals.

• For example, when burning pine birch and spruce firewood, the composition of the ash will have a predominant calcium content.
• The maximum proportion of phosphorus can be obtained from the same pine or birch firewood and rye straw.
• When burning sunflower stalks and buckwheat straw, the output is a fertilizer with the highest amount of potassium.

It is also necessary to take into account what chemical reactions occur in the soil when ash is applied. This substance is an alkali that converts nitrogen into volatile ammonia, so nitrogenous compounds disappear from the soil in the presence of ash.

Proper agricultural technology involves first applying nitrogen fertilizer and only 5-7 days after it has been assimilated by plants, fertilizing with ash.

You can also dust the leaves by first moistening them with clean water from a watering can. The leaves will absorb the nutrients they need, and the remaining ash will fall to the ground and be absorbed by the roots.

If the first top dressing is applied in order to enrich the earth with nitrogen, then the second time it is better to use a complex mineral fertilizer. Its composition is a balanced mixture that contains all the valuable substances necessary for the full development and fruiting of strawberries. At this stage of growth, top dressing should also contain nitrogen in greater quantities than other elements.

Of the finished preparations, such as Agricola, Fertika, Gumi-Omi and other complexes with a note that they are intended for strawberries and strawberries are suitable. Gardeners who have sufficient experience can independently compose a mixture of mineral fertilizers. The most popular are inexpensive and economical means:

• Ammonium nitrate. It is also called ammonium nitrate or ammonium nitrate. The fertilizer is a salt of nitric acid with a 35% nitrogen content. Ammonium nitrate can strongly acidify the soil, so its simultaneous application with dolomite flour or limestone is practiced. Due to its properties, the fertilizer relieves the bushes from the fungus. Watering leaves and earth with a solution of ammonium nitrate serves as an excellent disease prevention.
• Urea (urea) exceeds all other mineral fertilizers in terms of nitrogen content. It contains 46% of this substance. In the air, the fertilizer is converted into ammonia and evaporates, so urea is applied as a solution or buried in the ground. This chemical compound has a neutral acidity reaction, therefore it is suitable for any soil.
• Nitroammophoska contains three important elements at once - nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, and therefore is considered a complex fertilizer. When buying, pay attention to the composition of the mixture. Each manufacturer makes it according to its own recipe, which is why there is a difference in the ratio of components. In the spring, this fertilizer is applied only if in the fall the strawberries were not fertilized with superphosphate and potassium salt.

Each of these fertilizers in dry form is applied to the ground at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon per square metre. You need to make granules in moist soil. For a liquid solution, 1 tablespoon of dry fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water, up to 1 liter of composition is applied under the root for each bush. If you do not want to saturate your strawberries with nitrates, the concentration of nitrogen fertilizers can be slightly reduced.

On a note! If you are planning to give grown berries to children, it is best not to fertilize them with chemical fertilizers. The children's body is especially sensitive to nitrate compounds.

For adult bushes top dressing is necessary. Strawberries will grow even if you do not fertilize them, but in this case you can forget about a good harvest. And over time, the soil is depleted and does not provide the plants with the required amount of nutrients.

Strawberries at the age of 2 and 4 years are fed in the spring with mineral and organic fertilizers, 3-year-old bushes need only mineral supplements.

The desired effect will not be achieved if an insufficient or excessive amount of fertilizer is applied. Nitrogen fertilizer is given only at temperatures above 15 degrees. When introducing a solution of rotted manure or bird droppings, water the strawberry stems and leaves at the same time.

If strawberry bushes were planted in compliance with agricultural technology, then in the first year of their life they do not need fertilizers. But if fertilizing was not applied during planting, or you doubt that there is enough of it, you can feed the young with a solution of chicken manure prepared at the rate of 0.5 liters per 10 liters of water. A solution of sodium sulfate is also suitable (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). For each bush, one liter of ready-made fertilizer is consumed.

Fertilizing strawberries in the spring with folk remedies is a topical issue, since not everywhere gardeners enjoy working with natural natural black soil, rich in all the substances necessary for plant nutrition. Replacing the fertile layer with a new one in the beds is also not easy, and sometimes even expensive. But for some horticultural plants, this is vital. This is especially important for perennials such as strawberries. Specially selected fertilizing fertilizers can help in this matter.

Strawberries: spring care and feeding

For strawberries, there are a number of rules in this matter, allowing you to achieve excellent growth, flowering and fruiting:

1. Carefully inspect the bushes, assess their condition and select the top dressing that your strawberries need. You can not fertilize plants with what you like and what is more convenient for you. If you are not a supporter of preparing natural top dressing, then it is better to take the so-called WMD - organo-mineral fertilizers.
2. Do not forget that some elements of fertilizers are classified as "long-playing". Remember that in no case should you abuse top dressing - this will negatively affect your strawberries (and liver, by the way). An overabundance of nutrients is just as harmful as a deficiency. If you have made every effort to enrich the soil for strawberry bushes in the fall, then next year just ensure timely watering of the plants and add light organic top dressing in the spring.
3. Also, if you are going to combine some bait compositions, make sure that there will not be a reverse effect.
4. Mineral fertilizers for strawberries cannot be placed directly into the outlet - the bush can simply burn out. Top dressing should be applied between the rows.
5. The first treatment should be performed only after the first three leaves appear. They must open completely, and the kidneys themselves cannot be processed.
6. If you do additional dressing before flowering, remember that you can not hesitate for a long time. Your fertilizer should "weather" before the flower blooms.
7. The last treatment (autumn) is best combined with spraying from pests.

The general scheme for feeding strawberries is three-stage: spring, summer - after the main harvest, early autumn - during preparation for wintering. It should be noted that remontant strawberries react very positively to fertilizers. It needs to be processed once every 1-1.5 weeks, at least.

Feeding strawberries with folk remedies (spring, summer and autumn)

In order not to feed the kids with nitrates and properly prepare strawberry bushes for wintering, there are quite a few ways to fertilize strawberries without any chemicals. And unlike mineral fertilizers, natural dressings act softer, it is difficult to overfeed plants with them.

The first feeding of strawberries after winter

It is produced as soon as the snow cover melts and it becomes warmer - at the very beginning of the garden season. Spring top dressing allows you to achieve optimal growth of young shoots (whiskers) and strawberry leaves thanks to nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

Recipes for feeding mixtures for the first treatment:

• Dilute 1 liter of mullein in 10 liters of slightly warm water;
• 1 kg of chicken manure, dissolved in 12 liters of lukewarm water;
• Soak ¾ of a 10-liter bucket of dried bread crusts in water and leave for 7 days at t + 19-25 degrees, and dilute with water 3 times. To the resulting solution add a solution of whey (you can use any other fermented milk product) with water 1:3. Pour the finished top dressing under each strawberry bush by 0.5-1 l, depending on the size of the bush;
• ordinary ripe compost is applied around the circumference of each bush, without powdering the neck of the rosettes. The softest of all the top dressings listed above, with which it is impossible to overfeed any crop.

The increase in the number of ovaries, as we have already said, is influenced by boron top dressing. Therefore, in the spring, when the peduncles are advanced, we once give such top dressing:

• 25-30 ml of boron chelate;
• 5 drops of farmiod;
• 1 liter of whey.

The proportion is given for a standard 10-liter bucket. This is a complex mixture, as we usually love - protection and nourishment in one bottle. At the same time, we note that tomatoes are sprayed with such a mixture three times as the bushes grow, and it is enough to process strawberries once in spring. And only a week later, it is advisable to scatter compost around the bushes or shed EM preparations to restore microflora - iodine kills not only harmful microbes, but also beneficial ones.

summer top dressing

Produced in the second half of July, after the departure of the main berries. The need for this top dressing is justified by laying flower buds for the next season and the formation of young roots. It is during this period that the additional introduction of potassium and essential trace elements into the soil will be very useful.

Recipes for feeding mixtures for the second treatment:

• for 100 g of ash, take a bucket of water (10 l), mix and water the plants;
• 1 faceted glass (with a slide) of biohumus is mixed with 10 liters of water, the solution is kept at a temperature of + 19-25 degrees. After the resulting mixture is combined 1: 1 with rainwater;
• if there is an aquarium compressor, then you can cook effective microbes with your own handsby aerating rainwater with a mixture of earth and compost, adding old jam to the solution.

In any of the above options, 0.5 liters of solution or mixture are used per 1 strawberry bush.

Ideally, later, after about 10-14 days, repeat the same treatment. During this period, “enhanced nutrition” is extremely useful for plants, your strawberries will be grateful to you.

Autumn top dressing of strawberries

The last processing of strawberry bushes for the season is carried out after September 15, in dry weather. At this time, all the berries are harvested, and the bushes are actively preparing for wintering. It is especially important to fertilize year-old plants in the fall.

Recipes for feeding mixtures for the third treatment:

• pour half a faceted glass (about 125-130 g) of ash with a pre-prepared mixture of slightly warmed water and 1 liter of mullein;
• in 10 liters of weed infusion add 1 liter of tobacco decoction and ½ cup of ash.

These mixtures are sufficient in the amount of 0.25-0.5 liters per individual plant, depending on its size. An alternative method - the ashes can be used directly in a dry form (scatter in a thin layer under the bushes), and not diluted with water. During the winter, the ash will be saturated with organic acids, and its excessive alkaline reaction will go away. And the addition of tobacco decoction will “spoil the mood” for wintering weevils that move to strawberry bushes in autumn.

Fertilizing strawberry bushes in organic farming

Any of the above methods is environmentally friendly for the soil and plants. Usually, gardeners who practice organic farming using mulching, at the beginning of their practice, use biohumus infusion as a fertilizer at least 4 times per season. The first top dressing - in the spring, the next - before the beginning of the flowering period, the third - at the time of the ovary of the berries, and the final - at the end of the ripening of the berries.

For a four-year cycle of growing strawberries with organic mulch, these top dressings are enough. But as you can see, there are much more folk remedies for feeding strawberries, and they are aimed not only at the harvest, but also protect the soil. Salts do not accumulate in it, and the plants are not as pampered as on mineral fertilizers.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you that if the strawberries do not have enough moisture, or vice versa, their roots are constantly flooded, then no top dressing will give a positive effect. So to say, the flaws of agricultural technology cannot be healed with fertilizers. Well, making natural top dressing is quite easy, there would be a desire to mess around with it. We hope that now it will be easier for you to choose the right fertilizer for strawberries, and start using folk remedies this spring.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

Sweet and juicy strawberries are the weakness of many. It is tasty and healthy. Its cultivation is possible on different soils. For good fruit development, it must be fed. For this purpose, strawberry fertilizers are widely used to promote the growth of the berry crop and its active fruiting. Find out in what proportions, when and how to use top dressing for her.

When to Fertilize Strawberries

You can prepare for the new garden season already during the last snow melt. When fertilizer is introduced on time, new buds form faster. Not every garden or vegetable garden has fertile soil. If the soil has not been fertilized for a long time and is already depleted, you can not even dream of a rich harvest. Regular feeding is necessary for both the soil and the bushes themselves. At the same time, the processing of remontant berry varieties requires special care. They are more susceptible to feeding than other species. For this reason, they are fertilized with a time interval of a week.

Feeding stages

Fertilizer is used in three stages: after winter at the beginning of the gardening season, during the fruiting period and in autumn. For the first time, strawberries are fed in order to timely stimulate the growth of young shoots and first leaves. The procedure is carried out in late April - early May. Re-processing is done in July. The second feeding of strawberries promotes the formation of new roots and buds. The first fruits will be in July. Fertilize for the third time in mid-September. Feeding during this period is necessary to prepare the crop for wintering.

How to feed strawberries

Fertilizers for berry crops are mineral, organic and complex. Mineral fertilizers are synthetic substances developed in laboratories. Urea, saltpeter, sulfates, diammophos are in the greatest demand among them. They contain micro and macro elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt, manganese). There are many enterprises engaged in the production of mineral fertilizers (Gumi-Omi, Agricol, Fertika, Akron, KhimAgroProm).

Organic fertilizers for strawberries are substances of natural origin. These include:

• chicken manure;
• humus;
• wood ash;
• ash;
• spoiled milk;
• yeast;
• manure;
• humus;
• weeds.

It should be understood that the use of organics will not bring large fruits, but they are absolutely harmless to people. In addition, the application of such natural fertilizers does not require restrictions in proportions: they can feed the plant in any quantity. The fruit crop will absorb as many nutrients as it needs.

Complex fertilizers are designed to combine the action of mineral and organic substances. Ready-made options are produced, including potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium (“Berry ovary for strawberries”, “Ryazanochka”, etc.). Among the wide variety of preparations of this type produced today, preference should be given to those in which there is more nitrogen in percentage terms than all other components.

organic fertilizers

Feeding with substances of natural origin helps to get a rich harvest without harm to human health, plants and soil. In addition, the use of organics will be much cheaper than the purchase of mineral or complex preparations. Each of the varieties of natural top dressing has its own characteristics and advantages.

Manure (cow) is a mixture of straw, hay with animal excrement. It has long been used as top dressing for soil and various crops (potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.). Manure as fertilizer for strawberries is the best feeding option in the spring before the plant begins to bloom. It is prepared as follows: 2 cups of manure are diluted with 10 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of sodium sulfate is added. All components are mixed until a homogeneous mass. This slurry is watered over the area under each bush (1 liter each).

Benefits of using cow dung:

• availability and low cost;
• high efficiency;
• saturation of the earth and berry crops with essential microelements and other useful substances;
• decrease in the acidity of clay soil under the influence of manure.

Manure is completely decomposed manure. It is considered the best top dressing in the spring. Humus is used at the rate of 5 kg per 1 square meter of beds. It can be used during the planting period for subsequent crop care. To obtain humus, manure should be shifted with weeds. Strawberry fertilizer will be ready in 7 months. The benefits of humus are:

• saturation of plants with useful substances, microelements in an easily digestible form for them;
• positive effect on the soil - soil saturated with humus creates a favorable environment for the rapid and proper development of berry crops;
• long-term effect of top dressing - humus nourishes the plant and the ground throughout the year.

Chicken manure is used as a nitrogen fertilizer. It is prepared as follows: 20 parts of water are taken for one part of bird organics. The resulting solution is infused for 3 days and watered with 0.5 liters of the mixture under each berry bush. Chicken manure is widely used among gardeners and gardeners due to its availability and effective impact on the growth and development of the berry.

An excellent top dressing is sour milk (sourdough). This fact is confirmed by the statement of experienced gardeners that slightly acidic soil has a beneficial effect on yield. To normalize the level of acidity of the earth, sour milk can be added to it. Its difference from other organics is the method of application: top dressing is not poured under the root, but a little further from it (about 7–10 cm from the bush) or the spraying method is used.

Fertilizer for strawberries is prepared as follows: the product is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:2. Plants are fed at the beginning of the summer season, then after harvest and in the fall. Benefits of using dairy products:

• enrichment of open ground with a storehouse of useful substances and microelements (sulfur, calcium, etc.);
• a significant increase in yield and fruiting time;
• rapid growth of the plant;
• increasing the protective forces of berry crops against pests and diseases.

Yeast

Affordable and easy-to-prepare fertilizer is ordinary yeast. This iodized product is good for the plant. A solution for feeding can be prepared as follows: 1 kg of yeast is diluted in 5 liters of water. The resulting concentration should be diluted again with water before use. For 0.5 liters of yeast solution you need 10 liters of water. After re-preparing the mixture, it is necessary to process the plant. 0.5 liters of solution will go to 10 bushes. Pour it right under the bushes.

If only dry yeast in sachets is at hand, then the solution is prepared as follows: one sachet of the product and two tablespoons of sugar are taken for one bucket of water. To begin with, the yeast is diluted in a glass of warm water, then granulated sugar is added to the solution and stirred until completely dissolved. After the contents of the glass are poured into a bucket of water. Let it brew for 2 hours. After this time, the nutrient solution is ready for use. The advantages of using yeast can be considered:

• valuable composition of the product (iodine, iron, phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.);
• stimulation of culture growth;
• a significant increase in plant yield;
• strengthening the roots;
• positive impact on the state of the soil due to its saturation with beneficial microorganisms;
• increasing the adaptation of plants to new conditions after transplantation and resistance to diseases.

It is advisable to feed the berry with yeast 2-3 times during the summer period. The tool is used at the beginning of the season, repeatedly - during the flowering period and after harvesting. For all its advantages, it also has disadvantages. It can only be used in warm weather. In cool weather, fermentation does not occur and the process stops.

Ash

Wood ash contains a significant amount of useful trace elements. This folk remedy is rich in potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, iron and many other nutrients necessary for plant growth and development. To use it, you need to introduce dry ash into the grooves of the beds. It is necessary to pour the powder at the rate of 150 g per 1 linear meter. To enhance the effect, it is desirable to mix the ash with peat. This fertilizer has one drawback: ash cannot be used with urea. The advantages of using wood ash are:

• availability;
• stimulation of the growth of berry culture;
• saturation of the soil with nutrients and improvement of its structure;
• increase in productivity;
• improvement in the taste of fruits.

Mineral fertilizers for strawberries

The taste and external qualities of strawberries only benefit from the use of mineral fertilizers. Berries grow large, bright, sweet and juicy. The use of mineral requires caution and strict adherence to proportions. Excessive doses can harm not only the plant, but also human health. The deadline for the introduction of mineral dressings is 2 weeks before the ripening of the fruits of the plant.

Ammophoska and ammonium nitrate

Strawberries are “fed” in the second year after planting with ammonium nitrate at the rate of 100 g per 10 square meters. This fertilizer is considered the most effective. True, in cases where a lot of organic top dressing was introduced into the soil before planting, ammonium will not be needed. If strawberries are planted for the third year in a row, then 10 g of superphosphate, 150 g of ammonium nitrate and 100 g of potassium chloride must be introduced into the soil.

This amount of fertilizer will be needed for 10 square meters of usable area. The finished solution is poured under the bushes. The plant itself does not need to be watered. Usually the land is fertilized with half of the top dressing in the spring, and the rest is introduced after harvesting. It is forbidden to increase the dose of saltpeter. It is loaded with nitrogen, and overuse can lead to sugar loss. The berry will be watery and tasteless. In the spring, you can use ammonium nitrate in combination with ammofoska in a ratio of 1: 2. Water the product at the rate of 15 g per 1 sq.m. in liquid solution with water.

Any mineral substance has its advantages and disadvantages. The vast majority of synthetic dressings are dangerous when used in large proportions. Nitroammophoska (azofoska) is no exception. It should be used in the correct doses. So, during the period of planting strawberries for each square meter, you need to pour two tablespoons of granules of this drug. In cases where the plant is replanted, nitroammophoska is used immediately after harvesting. The solution is prepared as follows: for 10 liters of water, add 1 tablespoon of top dressing.

It should be remembered that with its effectiveness, nitroammophoska is considered one of the dangerous drugs. This synthetic substance must not be applied uncontrolled, as this approach can lead to the formation of nitrates in the soil. Fertilizer belongs to the third level of danger: it is highly flammable. The granules of the product are capable of exploding. You should not forget about the short shelf life of nitroammophoska.

Complex fertilizer "Ryazanochka"

Ready-made top dressing for strawberries "Ryazanochka" is very popular among gardeners. It consists of micro and macro elements (nitrogen, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium, boron, molybdenum, cobalt). For root dressing, a solution should be prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of Ryazanochka (4 g) per 10 liters of water. The plant must be fed in the morning and evening.

The finished product is consumed depending on the period of development of the berry crop. So, at the beginning of the vegetative development of strawberries, the solution is watered at the rate of 5 liters per 2–3 sq.m. area. When budding, at the beginning of flowering and active fruiting of the berry, 10 liters of the product are spent on the same area. The last time the plant is "fed" 2-3 weeks before harvest.

"Ryazanochka" can also be used by the foliar method. Only in this case, the solution is prepared differently: ½ teaspoon (2 g) is added to 10 liters of water. The resulting product is sprayed with a berry crop in the morning and evening in cloudy but not rainy weather twice during the summer season. The advantages of "Ryazanochka" include the following properties:

• positive impact on the taste and external qualities of fruits;
• increasing the yield of berry crops through the use of complex top dressing;
• beneficial effect on disease resistance.

Features of top dressing in the spring

It is imperative to fertilize strawberries in the spring. The further development of the plant and the result of the harvest largely depend on how correctly this procedure is carried out. It is important to know the scheme for feeding a berry crop, and that feeding a young strawberry in the spring is different from feeding its adult "relatives".

How to properly fertilize young plants

There is no urgent need to fertilize young strawberries planted in the autumn in early spring. If desired, you can give her additional nutrition, and for this you need to prepare the following solution: add 0.5 liters of manure or bird droppings, 1 tablespoon of sodium sulfate to 10 liters of water. The resulting mixture is poured under each strawberry bush 1 liter, no more.

How to feed adult strawberries

Adult plants are fertilized with the same means as young crops, only the earth is sprinkled with ash during loosening at the rate of 2 cups per square meter of area. Nettle infusion is an excellent biofertilizer. A bucket is filled with it, poured with water and insisted for a week (less as possible). The resulting solution is sprayed on the plant at the beginning of the formation of bushes and after harvesting. The use of mullein is effective: for 1 part of it, take 5 parts of water and 60 g of superphosphate and 100-150 g, 1 bucket of water. The resulting solution is poured into the grooves made along the beds with a depth of 4–5 cm.

Fertilizer for strawberries when planting

The first feeding is carried out in mid-April. For these purposes, mullein or bird droppings are used. With repeated feeding, already during the flowering period of the plant, strawberries are fertilized with mineral means. And, finally, the third, final feeding is carried out using weed infusion. In summer, top dressing with liquid manure is good. In autumn, both organic and mineral fertilizers can be applied.

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Fertilizer for strawberries for top dressing