Do I need to water strawberries in the fall? Autumn in the strawberry patch: current care tips. Covering strawberries for the winter

Almost everyone makes these mistakes and useless actions. Caring for strawberries in the fall - unexpected nuances and subtleties. How to refuse meaningless work in the beds and in the field, how to prepare in the fall bountiful harvestsimple tips agronomists and experienced farmers.

1. Caring for strawberries in the fall: don’t cut them!

It is a fact: experienced gardeners Strawberries are not pruned in the fall. And farmers don’t prune – and unpruned strawberries overwinter in industrial areas, and the harvest is early and plentiful. Why?

Strawberries of single fruiting, short daylight hours (SDD), and NSD, varieties of neutral daylight hours, do not need pruning. They only need sanitary cleaning: only diseased and damaged leaves are cut off.

Old, reddened, yellowed ones are useful for strawberries: they still participate in the life of the plant and protect young foliage.

The death of chloroplasts and the cessation of chorophyll synthesis with cold weather does not mean the cessation of leaf respiration and does not eliminate their necessity.

Lack of cellular respiration, by the way, is one of the reasons for the decrease in yield. Pruning also slows down the growth of a new rosette - protection from the cold and the basis of the future harvest.

Fruit buds of the strawberry variety KSD are laid in August-September, in the axils upper leaves, vegetative - in the lower sinuses.

By pruning at the end of summer or early autumn, we destroy both the buds and part of the harvest. And we do this from generation to generation!

Remontant strawberries bear fruit until frost: pruning them is not autumn care, but sabotage.

NSD (and remontant) varieties lay buds regardless of the length of daylight hours, but they also do not need autumn pruning.

The reasons are the same: weakening of the bush due to loss of leaves, decreased winter hardiness.
If something needs to be pruned on NSD varieties, it is better to do it before the end of July - both your conscience is clear and the plant will prepare for winter.

Important! Strawberries are not pruned for 20-25 days after harvest: the leaves transfer plastic substances to the plant, which is depleted of fruiting.

Pruning in September-October is too late, it’s not care, it’s a crime: for the puny bushes remaining after the “cut,” this winter may be the last.

Pruning diseased strawberry leaves in the fall is not care, but the spread of infection.

In addition, fruiting is shifted due to the late formation of fruit buds, and productivity decreases due to a decrease in their number.

- And the diseased leaves, - will the gardeners be indignant? How not to cut it? You can object this way: the flu cannot be cured with a haircut.

If there is fungal spotting or other disease on the leaves, you need to treat them with fungicides or get rid of diseased plants.

Trimming is pointless: in the spring the strawberries will again “bloom” with a rainbow of diseases, and new plants will be infected.

This is not autumn care for strawberries - it is a waste of time and the spread of infection.

Important! Pruning in wet, cold weather cause of fungal diseases: fungal spores and bacterial infection enter damaged tissues.

2. Caring for strawberries in the fall is not planting or replanting

Nonsense? Not at all: strawberries should be planted at the end of August, maximum at the beginning of September. Further planting - seedlings to the wind. And another useless job.

Why? Again, the laying of generative buds. Seedlings planted in the fall will have them in small quantities. And the risk of freezing in winter is great.

Replanting is recommended before the first or second decade of September: even in warm regions, October relocation is fraught with attacks and a decrease in yield. And if you replant, then your own seedlings with big lump earth: yes autumn chores are less traumatic, and may not reduce next year’s harvest as much.

Advice! Frigo seedlings planted in the fall are money down the drain. And seedlings. Alas, only unscrupulous sellers sell frigo seedlings in the fall.

The lifespan of frigo seedlings is short, several months - slightly more than the natural dormant period, and instead of intensive growth, “overdue” seedlings experience slow development.

There will be a queen cell, don’t expect a harvest!

Those who plant beds with Dutch and Italian frigo seedlings know: the mother plant will be good next year, but you can’t expect fruiting the next year.

3. Nitrogen: when autumn strawberry care is dangerous

The most blasphemous thing for a gardener’s ear: after all, caring for strawberries in the fall always means adding nitrogen! And organic matter - manure, compost, humus, and a nitrogen-mineral complex.

From biology lessons: at the end of August, all plants, including strawberries, stop growing green mass - the growth phase of the root system begins.

During this period, nitrogen is almost not absorbed. The plant needs phosphorus to form roots, potassium to build tissues and increase frost resistance, and potassium. And – in the microelements of iron, manganese, molybdenum and others, which allow the absorption of macroelements.

They don't need nitrogen. It is needed after harvesting, in the summer - for bushes that bear fruit.

Meanwhile, nitrogen fertilizers applied in the fall cause fallout and freezing. Why?

  • Firstly, nitrogen simulates the growth of green mass and the root system - it delays the dormant phase. The plant enters winter in the growing season, when sap flow is at its peak. And - he dies from the cold.
  • Secondly, neither organic matter nor other nitrogen nutrients will be absorbed by the plant in the fall - only in the spring.
  • Thirdly, in the spring a good part of the fertilizers will become unavailable.

This is especially true for manure. Introducing it is not an autumn departure, again, but a useless tribute to tradition.


Looking ahead: caring for strawberries in the fall, the last stage is mulching.

Nitrogen in “agricultural gold” is presented in nitrate form – 50%, and in ammonium form – 50%. The conversion of ammonium nitrogen into the nitrate form occurs both through oxidation and through nitrifying bacteria.

Adding nitrogen in the form of organic matter does not make sense in the fall: nitrate forms of nitrogen are quickly washed out, they are very mobile in the soil.

Thus, in the spring, nitrogen will go into the underlying layers of the soil, and the strawberries will not reach it. As well as ammonium, which turned into a nitrate form over the winter.

In addition, manure in the fall is a breeding ground for pests in the spring: wireworms, chafer and others.

If you add organic matter, then in the form of bee pollen. And not in the fall - real strawberry care begins in the spring.

4. When mulch is evil

Caring for strawberries in the fall includes covering - mulching with a plant layer (straw, spruce branches, etc.), agrovolk. How often they recommend and use mulch, which is harmful in the fall. Sawdust and shavings, sunflower and buckwheat husks, peat - but this is pointless and not useful.

Do not cover with straw mulch for the winter: in comparison with non-woven materials, this is a “cold” cover, and can delay fruiting by up to two weeks due to prolonged heating of the soil.

Do not mulch with peat in the fall: it protects from the cold, but does not allow the soil to warm up in the spring.

Peat is mulched in the fall, if the timing of the harvest is not critical, and also in the spring - for nutrition and moisture retention, protection from overheating.


Autumn on strawberries is the time to install arcs.

As for sawdust, shavings, and husks, these are moisture-intensive materials, and the plants do not face protection from the cold, but rather icing or warming of the roots during the thaw.

5. Do not cover strawberries...

Do not cover with film for the winter without vegetable mulch: the leaves “freeze” when they touch the film, the agrofibre.

If freezing is the only drawback of agrofibre, the best option, then the air-tight film will destroy the plants during a thaw due to condensation, the greenhouse effect and airless space.

Also, do not cover it if you want to install arcs for early berries in the spring or simply cover them with spunbond.

Autumn is the time to install arcs for a greenhouse, mini-tunnel and send strawberries for the winter. This is the only way to get early berries.

Unexpected for many experienced gardeners, but true: installing a greenhouse or tunnel shelter in the spring will speed up ripening by only 10-12 days. Simply covering with spunbond in the spring will give practically nothing - at best, 5-7 days. And in the winter greenhouse, tunnel - under them the resting phase will begin later, the buds will have time to form and differentiate, and the growing season will begin earlier.

Midsummer is a hot time for harvesting strawberries (garden strawberries). It would seem that after picking these delicious berries, you can forget about caring for strawberry bushes until the next season, that is, until spring. However, this opinion is erroneous, since already this year, after fruiting, flower buds of next year’s harvest begin to form on garden strawberries. Therefore, after picking the berries, strawberries should be properly cared for. We recommend studying how to water and what to feed strawberries after fruiting in July, August and September in our article.

After harvesting, caring for strawberries includes the following procedures:

  • regular watering;
  • weeding;
  • loosening and hilling;
  • feeding;
  • removal of mustaches and dried leaves.

Weeding and loosening

After fruiting, the strawberry beds should first be cleared of weeds. If the soil was covered with mulch, it should be removed, as pests and diseases can accumulate in old straw or sawdust.

To allow air to reach the roots, the soil around the bushes must be loosened. This should be done carefully to avoid damaging the roots.

After weeding and loosening, the strawberries are watered and hilled, covering the new growing roots with soil. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the heart of the plant is not covered with soil.

Watering strawberries in July

Many gardeners are interested in - Do I need to water strawberries in July?. The watering procedure must be carried out. The frequency and abundance of watering depends on the weather. In dry and warm weather, strawberries are watered at least once every 5-7 days in July. If it's cool outside and it's raining, there's no need to water the strawberry beds.

Attention! The soil should not be allowed to dry out. If there is no precipitation in warm weather, use approximately two buckets of water for each square meter beds.

Trimming tendrils and leaves

About 2-3 days after harvesting, remove old dried leaves from the strawberry bushes, as well as those that have red, tan or white spots. These are dying leaves that take away nutrition from the plant. They should be removed using pruning shears or sharp scissors.

Along with the leaves, unnecessary strawberry mustaches are also removed. For propagation, you can leave the most productive and powerful rosette, which is located immediately next to the mother plant.

Attention! When removing leaves and tendrils, be careful not to damage the hearts and new leaves.

Old foliage is often infected with various diseases and pests, so be sure to remove it.

How to feed strawberries after fruiting

In July, after trimming leaves and tendrils on strawberry bushes, the plants need nitrogen, which will stimulate the growth of new foliage. Can choose:

  1. Nitramfoska or nitrophoska. Any fertilizer is diluted at the rate of 1-2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water. If you only use nitrophoska, add a glass of wood ash, which contains many trace elements, to the solution.
  2. Ammofoska. Fertilizer contains a large number of microelements. You can prepare a solution from it (for 10 liters of water - Matchbox fertilizing) or use dry. Dry fertilizer is scattered around strawberry bushes at the rate of 20 grams (matchbox) per 1 square meter. meter of planting, after which the beds are watered.

In the second half of July - early August, mullein or bird droppings will be a good fertilizer for strawberries. IN fresh They cannot be added as they can burn the roots of the plants. It is recommended to use solutions:

  • chicken droppings dilute 1:15 and water the bushes with it so that the solution does not get on the foliage;
  • mullein dilute 1:10, leave for 24 hours and use as directed.

Chicken manure and mullein can be enriched mineral fertilizers by adding to the solution wood ash(per 10 liters – 1 liter of ash).

Attention! Strawberries do not like chlorine, so potassium chloride and other fertilizers containing this element cannot be applied to strawberries. Otherwise, the plants will grow and bear fruit worse.

Caring for strawberries in August

Watering

The last month of summer is often hot, so be sure to water your strawberry beds about twice a week. If the foliage begins to dry out and wilt, the plants do not have enough moisture.

Around mid-August, the soil around the strawberries can be covered with mulch. First, the beds are watered abundantly (per 1 sq. m - 15 liters of water). You can use humus as mulch, spreading it in a layer of 2-3 cm. Such mulch will become a good top dressing and at the same time protect the soil from drying out. Strawberries can be watered less often.

Tillage of soil and bushes

Do not forget to promptly remove weeds from strawberry beds, which not only prevent strawberries from growing, but also take away nutrition from the soil.

If the leaves on your strawberries are still drying out and turning yellow, continue trimming them. Each bush should have at least 3-4 healthy young leaves.

Trim the newly appeared mustaches, and transplant those left for propagation to a new bed.

What to feed strawberries in August

IN last month Summer does not require foliage to actively grow, so fertilizers containing large amounts of nitrogen are not used.

If you didn't feed your strawberries with mullein or bird droppings in July, do it in August. Dilute bird droppings 1:20, and mullein – 1:10. One watering can (10 liters) will be enough to feed 12 bushes.

In August, it is recommended to feed strawberries with potassium and phosphorus. These elements are part of Fasco fertilizer. Fertilizers Agricola, Ryazanochka, Rubin are produced especially for strawberries, which are used according to the instructions supplied with them.

After watering and fertilizing, do not forget to carefully loosen and hill up the strawberry bushes.

Treatment against pests and diseases

Must be carried out preventive treatment strawberries from various pests and diseases. To do this, water the soil with a weak solution of manganese and spray the foliage.

Strawberry leaves should be inspected regularly:

  1. Brown spots on leaves may be a sign viral diseases. Treat the plantings with Bordeaux mixture.
  2. Damage to young leaves often signals that there is an earth mite in the strawberry bed. Use Actellik, collodide sulfur solution or Titovia Jet to destroy it.
  3. If the berries are rotting before harvest, perhaps the plants are affected by a fungus. When all the berries have been collected, the foliage should be sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride.

Caring for strawberries in September

In the first month of autumn, strawberries are prepared for wintering. If after harvesting the strawberries were properly cared for, flowers will still form on the plants. They should be picked off, since there will be no more berries, and the flowering will take away the strength from the plant. You also need to trim off new tendrils and withered foliage.

Do I need to water strawberries in the fall?

If the weather is dry, strawberry beds are watered 1-2 times a month in September. About 10 liters of water are consumed for every square meter. Since it's already cool in autumn, frequent watering can lead to the development of fungal diseases. Therefore, it is better to water strawberries rarely, but abundantly.

Before covering the plantings in October, water-recharging irrigation is carried out.

What to feed strawberries in September

To survive cold winter, plants need strength, why they are fed phosphorus fertilizers. You can use superphosphate (50 grams) and wood ash (1 glass), which are diluted in a bucket of water.

Plants can be “insulated” before winter by using fertilizer from cow dung or chicken manure:

  • cow dung dilute in water (1:10), add wood ash (1 cup) and pour one and a half liters under each plant;
  • chicken droppings diluted in water 1:15, after which each bush is fed with a liter of solution.

Mulching

In September, the soil in the strawberry bed is covered with mulch (if this was not done in August). As mulch you can use dry chopped grass, pine needles, straw, leaf humus, sawdust. The mulch layer should be about 5 cm.

You can cover the soil under the plants with spandboard.

Shelter for the winter

Only weakened plants that have not received the necessary nutrition need additional shelter for the winter. Cover the bushes at a temperature of about -3 degrees and dry weather. In this case, the covering material will remain dry. For shelter, you can use dry potato tops, leaves, spruce branches, straw, and raspberry branches.

When to cover strawberries for the winter depends on the climate of the region. It may be October or November, when light frosts set in.

If all measures were taken when caring for strawberries after fruiting in July, August and September, the next year the strawberries will thank their owners with a good harvest.

Caring for strawberries in August and September:

Caring for strawberries in summer should be carried out systematically. The future strawberry harvest greatly depends on this. You need to pay attention to spots on strawberries, also mites on strawberries can do a lot of harm and you also need to constantly fight them.

Caring for strawberries in August



Without knowing how to care for strawberries in August, you risk losing your harvest next year. The last month of summer is often dry and hot. Therefore, it is important to water at least 2 times a week. The plants themselves “signal” the need for watering - the bushes droop and the foliage dries out.


You can water strawberries either by sprinkling or at the root - the sun is no longer so aggressive, and there will be no burn on the leaves

If the leaves continue to dry out, become stained, or weaken, they should be carefully cut off and only 3-4 healthy leaves should be left to improve the health of the “green mass.” The same goes for mustaches, which can be removed if they are still growing or if you forgot to do so in July.

Plants can be fed with a weak solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) and loosen the soil. One 10 liter bucket should be enough for 10-12 bushes. You can form earthen “sides” up to 15 cm high around the beds and fill them to the top with water.

And it is also recommended in August plant new strawberry bushes Location on. It is best to do this in the evening or on a cloudy day. The seedlings must have three true leaves and a developed root system. It is planted in a previously prepared wet hole.

Caring for strawberries in September

Autumn strawberry care differs slightly from summer activities. However, they should not be neglected either.

Some varieties of strawberries continue to form flowers even in September. The berries on them will not ripen before the onset of cold weather, so such “idle” inflorescences should be picked off. The same goes for strawberry mustaches.


Even if the forecasts promise mild winter, feed the bushes. Ammophos is perfect for this (the contents are added at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq.m.). For “warming”, rotted chicken manure, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:15, is also added. 1-1.5 liters of the composition are poured under each bush. Sometimes cow manure is also used, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 with the addition of 1 cup of ash. Strawberries are watered generously with the resulting mixture at the rate of 1.5-2 liters per bush.

IN last time Before winter, inspect the strawberry bushes and discard diseased and affected specimens, as well as remove excess tendrils and withered leaves. Don't throw away "bad" plants, but put them in the compost pile.

Caring for strawberries after trimming the leaves

Caring for strawberries open ground involves not only the removal of tendrils and inflorescences, but also leaves. However, there is no need to “expose” the plant completely, since by tearing off healthy leaves, you reduce the likelihood of the formation of peduncles and fruits, reduce the yield and doom the strawberries to difficulties during the wintering period. First of all, remove dry and withered leaves affected by strawberry mites. If the fruit-bearing plant is almost entirely affected, then it is easier to cut it off with pruners just above the growth point and burn the remains.


If you need seedlings for propagation, then you should not remove the whiskers, you need to give them the opportunity to take root and grow a strong rosette

After pruning, loosen the soil and water it. Treat the bushes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkle with ash. To provide good growth buds, feed the strawberries with universal fertilizer at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water. Ammonium nitrate and nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable (use according to instructions).

Towards the end of September, strawberry bushes can be covered with straw to protect them from upcoming frosts. Place freshly cut grass between the rows - it will become the first spring fertilizer.

Fertilizing strawberries in autumn

After the above work on autumn strawberry care, dig up the rows, hill up and feed the bushes with fertilizer. You can use manure (2-4 kg per 1 sq.m.), chicken droppings (1 kg per 10 liters of water) or wood ash (100 g per 1 sq.m.). In this case, manure is applied so that the fertilizer does not touch the strawberry leaves: to avoid burns to the plant. On the contrary, ash is sprayed not only under the roots, but also on the leaves.

As mineral fertilizing Complex fertilizer is suitable (2 tablespoons of nitroammophoska per 10 liters of water).

Caring for remontant strawberries

From mid-September, start caring for fruit-bearing bushes. Loosen the soil to hide root system and protect her from the cold. As a rule, at this time the plants are covered with a “blanket” of cut green manure or the soil is mulched with straw, hay, fallen leaves and mowed weeds. Remove remaining flower stalks so that they do not weaken the plants, and cut off any withered leaves after the first frost.

Covering strawberries for the winter

Final stage autumn care for garden strawberries - this is insulation. 2 days after treatment and feeding, cover the bushes with straw, spruce paws or fallen leaves. This will not only protect your strawberries from winter frosts, but will also serve as an additional source of organic matter.

Caring for strawberries in August and September:

Caring for strawberries in summer should be carried out systematically. The future strawberry harvest greatly depends on this. You need to pay attention to spots on strawberries, also mites on strawberries can do a lot of harm and you also need to constantly fight them.

Caring for strawberries in August



Without knowing how to care for strawberries in August, you risk losing your harvest next year. The last month of summer is often dry and hot. Therefore, it is important to water at least 2 times a week. The plants themselves “signal” the need for watering - the bushes droop and the foliage dries out.


You can water strawberries either by sprinkling or at the root - the sun is no longer so aggressive, and there will be no burn on the leaves

If the leaves continue to dry out, become stained, or weaken, they should be carefully cut off and only 3-4 healthy leaves should be left to improve the health of the “green mass.” The same goes for mustaches, which can be removed if they are still growing or if you forgot to do so in July.

Plants can be fed with a weak solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) and loosen the soil. One 10 liter bucket should be enough for 10-12 bushes. You can form earthen “sides” up to 15 cm high around the beds and fill them to the top with water.

And it is also recommended in August plant new strawberry bushes Location on. It is best to do this in the evening or on a cloudy day. The seedlings must have three true leaves and a developed root system. It is planted in a previously prepared wet hole.

Caring for strawberries in September

Autumn strawberry care differs slightly from summer activities. However, they should not be neglected either.

Some varieties of strawberries continue to form flowers even in September. The berries on them will not ripen before the onset of cold weather, so such “idle” inflorescences should be picked off. The same goes for strawberry mustaches.


Even if forecasts promise a mild winter, feed the bushes. Ammophos is perfect for this (the contents are added at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq.m.). For “warming”, rotted chicken manure, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:15, is also added. 1-1.5 liters of the composition are poured under each bush. Sometimes cow manure is also used, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 with the addition of 1 cup of ash. Strawberries are watered generously with the resulting mixture at the rate of 1.5-2 liters per bush.

For the last time before winter, inspect the strawberry bushes and discard diseased and affected specimens, as well as remove excess tendrils and withered leaves. Don't throw away "bad" plants, but put them in the compost pile.

Caring for strawberries after trimming the leaves

Caring for strawberries in open ground involves not only removing tendrils and inflorescences, but also leaves. However, there is no need to “expose” the plant completely, since by tearing off healthy leaves, you reduce the likelihood of the formation of peduncles and fruits, reduce the yield and doom the strawberries to difficulties during the wintering period. First of all, remove dry and withered leaves affected by strawberry mites. If the fruit-bearing plant is almost entirely affected, then it is easier to cut it off with pruners just above the growth point and burn the remains.


If you need seedlings for propagation, then you should not remove the whiskers, you need to give them the opportunity to take root and grow a strong rosette

After pruning, loosen the soil and water it. Treat the bushes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkle with ash. To ensure good bud growth, feed strawberries with universal fertilizer at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water. Ammonium nitrate and nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable (use according to instructions).

Towards the end of September, strawberry bushes can be covered with straw to protect them from upcoming frosts. Place freshly cut grass between the rows - it will become the first spring fertilizer.

Fertilizing strawberries in autumn

After the above work on autumn strawberry care, dig up the rows, hill up and feed the bushes with fertilizer. You can use manure (2-4 kg per 1 sq.m.), chicken droppings (1 kg per 10 liters of water) or wood ash (100 g per 1 sq.m.). In this case, manure is applied so that the fertilizer does not touch the strawberry leaves: to avoid burns to the plant. On the contrary, ash is sprayed not only under the roots, but also on the leaves.

Complex fertilizer (2 tablespoons of nitroammophoska per 10 liters of water) is suitable as a mineral fertilizer.

Caring for remontant strawberries

From mid-September, start caring for fruit-bearing bushes. Loosen the soil to hide the root system and protect it from the cold. As a rule, at this time the plants are covered with a “blanket” of cut green manure or the soil is mulched with straw, hay, fallen leaves and mowed weeds. Remove remaining flower stalks so that they do not weaken the plants, and cut off any withered leaves after the first frost.

Covering strawberries for the winter

The final stage of autumn care for garden strawberries is insulation. 2 days after treatment and feeding, cover the bushes with straw, spruce paws or fallen leaves. This will not only protect your strawberries from winter frosts, but will also serve as an additional source of organic matter.

Strawberry harvests in next year directly depend on whether the strawberries were transplanted in August, whether strawberry fertilizer was applied in the fall when planting seedlings (or during transplanting bushes), and whether other necessary procedures were completed. The basic rule is that you should begin the final work of this season after the bushes have fully bear fruit.

Caring for garden strawberries after harvest

How to care for strawberries after harvest? In principle, there are no particular difficulties here. There are several mandatory stages for caring for strawberries in August-September, which are not recommended to be ignored:

  • Removing tendrils and old/diseased leaves;
  • Spraying against pests and diseases;
  • Fertilizing strawberries in the fall (when planting) and in the summer (after pruning);
  • Caring for strawberries for the winter - providing shelter during frosts.

For your information, strawberries are popular name or pineapple, belonging to the genus Strawberry, family Rosaceae.

What to do with strawberries in August

Mustache trimming

Caring for garden strawberries in August begins with trimming the mustaches along with the rosettes formed on them. To increase crop productivity, it is better to perform the procedure in three steps:

  1. immediately after the completion of fruiting of the bushes;
  2. 20 days after the first procedure;
  3. in another 20 days.

The tendrils are cut at a distance of 10 cm from the base of the plant. As cutting tool You can use a knife, pruning shears or garden shears. You should carefully hold the mustache with your other hand so as not to accidentally cut off the excess part of the bush.

ON THE PICTURE: The mustaches with new rosettes formed, which have had time to form full-fledged roots, can be left after pruning for propagation of strawberries.

Also, caring for strawberries after picking the berries involves removing old and diseased leaves from the bush, leaving only the hearts and young leaves. The “heart” of a strawberry is the apical bud of the main shoot (horn), which contains the rudiments of a peduncle with flowers. The hearts should always be above the soil surface, otherwise they may dry out under the soil (or leaf litter).

ON THE PICTURE: All old strawberry leaves and leaves with spots must be ruthlessly removed.

Do you want to harvest a bountiful harvest of berries? Remove strawberry tendrils both during flowering and when fruiting. And when caring for strawberries (garden strawberries) after harvesting, do not cut off the thickest tendril. It will grow into a beautiful young bush to renew an old plant. This operation is recommended to be carried out every three years.

Spraying against pests and diseases

It should be remembered that garden strawberries After harvesting, it needs care and protection from all kinds of diseases no less than in spring. Preventive and therapeutic spraying of strawberries is an important component of care in August, designed to protect the berries from various fungi (gray and black rot), stains, and a number of pests.

ON THE PICTURE: Affected powdery mildew Strawberries are not suitable for human consumption.

What should you spray strawberries with after harvesting? Depending on the nature of the lesion, you can use the following drugs:

  • " ", " " will destroy the strawberry mite and weevil;
  • " ", "Azotsen" will save you from powdery mildew;
  • A 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture is used for spotting and rot.

How to feed strawberries in August

Fertilizing strawberries for the winter provides the plant with increased frost resistance and promotes the formation of new flower buds.

How to fertilize strawberries in August? The use of fertilizers containing nitrogen is strictly prohibited, with the exception of a strong urea solution. The purpose of urea is to destroy in the bud fungal diseases, and have a minimal stimulating effect on strawberries. For feeding purposes, it is permissible to use:

  1. mineral complex fertilizers NPK in proportions 1:1.5:2 or 1:2:4 (that is, always only one part of nitrogen, one and a half to two parts of phosphorus and two to four parts of potassium). Among the ready-made fertilizers, the following are quite suitable: fertilizer "Autumn" from "Fasco" with an NPK ratio of 5:15:35 (similar in composition, but under a different TerraSol brand). Very good feedback It has fertilizer "Autumn" from "Buyskiye Fertilizers" in a plastic bag 3 kg, which does not contain nitrogen (which is a definite plus), but contains calcium, boron and magnesium for healthy growth of seedlings in the spring;
  2. organic fertilizers: humus, peat, granulated horse manure, bone meal. You cannot use bird droppings, even rotted ones, because it contains too much nitrogen.

How to care for strawberries in August: nuances of fertilizing

Fertilizers should be applied along the rows, not forgetting to first grind their components well and mix the substrate. Any, summer or autumn feeding strawberries in winter, in case of dry weather, require subsequent watering. For every square meter of land, up to two buckets of water are needed.

Should organic fertilizers be mixed with mineral ones? For example, complex NPK fertilizer with humus? This should not be done unless you have the whole plantation strawberries A regular complex fertilizer is enough to enrich the soil with macroelements. However, if you are growing strawberries in heavy loam or clay soils(and also if the soil is close to depletion, has become gray and turns to dust when it dries), it is worth adding both organic matter and mineral water. The first will improve the soil structure, making the soil lighter and more “digestible” for the roots. And fertilizers will enrich it with nutrients.

How to care for strawberries in the fall for a good harvest

The main work on caring for strawberries for the winter should be completed in August. So what to do with strawberries in the fall? Before providing her with reliable shelter for the winter, there is practically nothing. Caring for strawberries in the fall involves keeping the soil loose in the rows and between rows and removing emerging weeds.

If you did not have time to feed strawberries in August, you can do this in September. How to feed strawberries in the fall? Yes, in general, the same as in the last summer month.

How to care for strawberries after harvest: cover for the winter

What to do if you found information about how to fertilize strawberries in the fall during planting or a recipe for summer fertilizers too late, and the berries did not receive the necessary nutrition? Such weakened bushes need additional shelter, for example, spruce branches, leaves or potato tops. To ensure that the layer of covering material remains loose and does not cake, it must be added in dry weather and light frost - about –2–3°C. This is especially important if straw is used, which attracts diseases and pests at elevated temperatures.

ON THE PICTURE: The covering material, in this case straw, is waiting in the wings. If you wrap strawberries earlier than expected for the winter, root rot may develop.

ON THE PICTURE:The layer of mulch that can protect strawberry bushes from frost should be 7–15 cm.