Feeding strawberries with boric acid, chicken manure. How to fertilize strawberries in spring for a better harvest? Top dressing of strawberries after winter in early spring, before flowering, during flowering, with organic matter and mineral fertilizers Is it possible to feed strawberries in spring
Modern cultivation of berry crops involves the use of intensive technologies, consisting of a set of measures that will help create favorable conditions for the development of plants. In order for the fruits to be large, juicy, fragrant and tasty, urea for strawberries, which contains a high percentage of nitrogen, is used as a top dressing. The substance dissolves well in water, is easily absorbed by plants, and even its excessive concentration will not cause much harm to the plant. Before starting to fertilize, the soil is thoroughly loosened, which will contribute to the rapid flow of nutrients to the root system.
With the onset of the first warm days, gardeners have more worries. In order to enjoy plenty of berries or achieve a good harvest intended for sale, urea for strawberries must be applied three times a year:
- The first growth-stimulating treatment is done in early spring after a thorough removal of dead leaves and shoots. A freshly prepared solution is poured half a liter under each bush.
- The second top dressing is performed after harvesting, it will have a positive effect on the formation of new healthy shoots.
- Fertilizing strawberries with urea in the fall is the last step that will help you overwinter more easily, which also affects the next year's harvest.
During flowering and fruiting, strawberries are not fed, and fertilizing by spraying during budding can significantly increase yields.
Timely top dressing is the key to a rich harvest
The vegetative process in plants is characterized by abundant consumption of nutrients. It is during this period that the use of urea fertilizer for strawberries will contribute to their full development. Urea is suitable for all types of soils, including closed soils used for vertical cultivation, where foliar top dressing is carried out by the drip method, which ensures the formation of new fertile buds.
No crop is more dependent on soil composition than strawberries. Under different growing conditions, it reacts differently to fertilizers. This berry is a big fan of moisture and sufficient nutrients. The first top dressing with urea is made at the rate of 30 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. It is very important that the solution is warm, which will be a stimulating factor for strengthening the root system and the formation of healthy flower stalks. If this procedure is skipped, the yield of the berry will decrease significantly.
How to enter correctly
Due to its versatility, high efficiency and affordable cost, urea is very popular among gardeners and gardeners. The fertilizer is produced in the form of light granules, this form is an additional protection against caking during transportation and storage.
Usually 60% of the required nitrogen rate is applied in the fall before digging the beds, the rest in the spring. To find out how to feed strawberries with urea in the fall, you need to read in detail the instructions that come with each package. It is important to remember that urea very quickly - in just a few days, is modified under the influence of bacteria living in the soil, so the maximum effect will be brought by immediate incorporation to a depth of several centimeters or foliar top dressing.
When the first signs of nitrogen starvation appear - thin, weak shoots of a pale color, depression, poor flowering or fruiting, it is necessary to feed strawberries with urea. And if there are no scales at hand, you can measure the fertilizer using the folk method: an ordinary tablespoon holds 10 g of urea, a matchbox without a slide - 13 g, a faceted glass - 130 g.
How to achieve a good harvest
Strawberries are a widespread berry in our country, beloved by many. With proper care, it reproduces well and bears fruit. May is considered the best time for planting, but with abundant watering it can be planted later, even in September. A bed for strawberries should be prepared in advance - a month and a half before the scheduled date, it is dug up and fertilized.
To get their seedlings from the previous plantations, the soil between the rows is loosened, the grown tendrils are straightened and covered with earth, watered and fertilized - 5-12 g per square meter. Young sprouts will quickly take root, after which they can be planted in a new place. The next top dressing of strawberries with urea should be done no earlier than next spring.
To obtain high yields, you need to choose the right site with sufficient sunlight. However, not every gardener can boast of high-quality soil on his territory, so only minerals can eliminate the deficiency of nutrients that are vital for plants.
Garden strawberries, known to everyone as strawberries, are the first berry delicacy in summer cottages. We look forward to when fragrant and incredibly tasty berries ripen. But whether they will actually be large, fragrant and sweet depends on the care of garden strawberries and fertilization throughout the year.
Experienced gardeners know that fertilizing strawberries in early spring affects the current year's crop. The harvest of the next season depends on the autumn feeding. Do not neglect the care of the berry in the summer, because after harvesting the strawberries you need to continue to water in sufficient quantities, trim the mustache, weed, feed.
Sometimes summer residents “forget” about strawberries until autumn, because the season of vegetables begins and there is not enough time. However, all efforts will be nullified if you do not take care of your strawberries during the summer.
Article plan
What fertilizer do strawberries need?
The amount of fertilizing for garden strawberries depends on when they were transplanted. Agrotechnicians recommend replanting strawberries every 3 to 5 years. Usually the berry is planted in the fall, around September. In cases of abnormally hot weather, strawberries are planted in October. And, conversely, in a cold summer, strawberries can be planted as early as the end of August. Autumn top dressing is carried out after transplanting seedlings.
If a spring strawberry transplant is planned, top dressing is combined with this procedure. Fertilizing in the spring during transplantation makes root feeding of strawberries unnecessary in the summer. Nutrients will be enough for the newly planted berry plant for the entire growing season, and the next top dressing under the root will be needed only in the fall. You can only spray with microelements, combining nutrition and protective measures against pests and diseases.
Strawberries are fed according to the following scheme:
- the first top dressing in the spring with the advent of young greenery;
- the second - spring, after the formation of the ovaries;
- the third top dressing - in the summer, after harvesting;
- fourth dressing in the fall.
Root feeding alternate with foliar. Sprayed with boric acid, add. Such compounds are not only nutritious, but also help protect garden strawberries from pests, fungi and fruit rot.
- The purpose of the first fertilization is to eliminate the nitrogen deficiency. It is necessary to stimulate the growth of the vegetative mass of the berry.
- The second top dressing in the spring will have a positive effect on the number of ovaries and the taste of strawberries.
- Summer top dressing is necessary for the plants to form the required number of flower buds. The harvest of the next season depends on this.
- Autumn top dressing of strawberries is an obligatory stage of care. During the season, the berry grower gave all his nutrient reserves for fruiting, so fertilizers must be applied to restore the strength of the strawberry bushes.
How to carry out the very first dressing of strawberries
Fertilizer classification
Growing delicious strawberries in large quantities without fertilizers is impossible even on fertile black soil. The type of fertilizer is selected depending on the time of strawberry feeding and the type of soil solution.
This is not to say that garden strawberries are a demanding plant, but this culture loves variety in nutrition, and therefore get ready to use both mineral supplements and organic fertilizers.
Do not forget that garden strawberries are prone to various fungal diseases and fruit rot. This means that during the vegetative season, the berry must be sprayed with protective compounds that can be combined with feeding strawberries with microelements.
Processing and top dressing of strawberries is carried out with the following fertilizers:
- organic - animal origin ( , ), ;
- mineral - single-component and complex compositions, usually contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, may have an expanded composition of trace elements;
- microfertilizers - used for spraying, contain magnesium, copper, boron, iodine.
Like any other crop, garden strawberries need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for full development and fruiting. Nitrogen is important in the spring, as it is responsible for the green mass of plants. However, it is necessary to apply nitrogen supplements in compliance with exact dosages, because an excess of this element leads to the absence of ovaries and, as a result, fruits.
Phosphorus helps the absorption of nitrogen and is responsible for the development of the root part of the plant. Phosphorus is especially important at the time of rooting of young seedlings in autumn and spring, when strawberries receive all the nutrients missing after winter through the rhizome. Potassium makes the berry more resistant to spring frosts, summer heat, low temperatures in winter, pests and fungal diseases.
Mineral fertilizers
All three components have different terms of decomposition in the soil. Nitrogen, for example, decomposes faster than potassium and phosphorus, but has a significant drawback - it quickly evaporates from the soil surface and is also easily washed out by precipitation.
Potassium and phosphorus decompose slowly. However, potassium is more mobile than phosphorus, and therefore is more quickly absorbed by plants. For these reasons, many farmers do not use complex fertilizers, but single-component formulations. Potassium and phosphorus are applied in autumn, and nitrogen in spring.
Nitrogen-containing
It is easy to make a solution from urea, with which the berry is spilled in April with the establishment of a stable temperature above + 16 ° C. At lower temperatures, nutrients are not absorbed by plants, top dressing will become useless.
To fertilize strawberries with urea, take 1 tbsp. a spoonful (15 g) of a mineral supplement per 10 liters of water. Make 1 time in the spring after cleaning the berry and loosening under each bush 500 ml of the composition. It is impossible to increase the volume of urea, as this is fraught with a loss of sugar in the fruits or the absence of the formation of ovaries.
More about .
Potash
When choosing a potash fertilizer, remember that limed soils contain large amounts of calcium and magnesium. These elements displace potassium. In turn, potassium depletes the soil in relation to magnesium. Therefore, the best choice would be potassium sulfate and potassium magnesia.
Phosphoric
Phosphorus is replenished by simple as well. These fertilizers pass well into a soluble form, and this is important for young strawberries, because seedlings with poorly developed roots do not absorb phosphorus well.
In the first year of the growing season of garden strawberries, superphosphates are applied to planting or a week before planting young plants. For 1 m² you will need 30 g of superphosphate, about 15 g of potassium magnesia or potassium sulfate are added to it. In subsequent years, phosphorus is applied once a season. On heavy soils, application in the fall is indicated; on light soils, phosphorus top dressing can be applied in the spring.
Fertilizers complex
You can use complex compositions of mineral additives. Complex fertilizers are universal, it is more convenient to use them, there is no need to make separate calculations for each type of top dressing. Manufacturers usually list the dosages for each crop on the packaging. The practice of gardeners shows that the following brands of complex fertilizers are the best:
- "Hera" for garden strawberries - contains micro and macro elements, water-soluble composition, suitable for root dressing and spraying;
- "Ryazanochka" - a balanced composition of macronutrients and microfertilizers for strawberries, suitable for root and foliar dressings, water-soluble, used at any time during the growing season and in autumn;
- "NutriFight" - a complex for root feeding, used against pests and for the prevention of strawberry diseases;
- "Solution" - is available in liquid form, is used for all types of top dressing, contains micro and macro elements;
- "Buyskie Fertilizers" - is produced both in the form of fat and in liquid form, contains all the nutrients necessary for strawberries.
Microfertilizers
Microfertilizers for strawberries usually contain boron and copper, magnesium and calcium, manganese and iodine. To make these elements more accessible, they are introduced by spraying.
Magnesium
At high doses of potassium, magnesium rates in the soil are significantly reduced, so strawberries often feel a lack of the element, especially on poor soils. The defect is eliminated according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Spraying with boron is a stimulating procedure for the formation of ovaries. Boron prevents the fall of inflorescences, respectively, affects the number of grown berries.
The lack of boron also negatively affects the state of the root system, vegetative mass and fruit shape. The leaves become asymmetrical, the berries are deformed, and the roots stop developing. Boron is a mobile element and is quickly absorbed by plants with foliar feeding. Boron deficiency is eliminated by spraying with boric acid.
Calcium
Calcium is responsible for the quality of fruits, their density and taste. This element is involved in the formation of fiber and metabolic processes at the cellular level. With a calcium deficiency, the berries become watery and unsweetened, the shelf life is shorter, the fruits quickly deteriorate. Calcium deficiency is usually observed in acidic soils. The problem is eliminated and dolomites.
Iodine and manganese
These elements act as antiseptics, successfully fighting fungi and strawberry rot. In addition, iodine is responsible for plant immunity, and manganese is necessary to get tasty berries with long shelf life. Manganese deficiency is most often observed on soddy, sandy and sandy loamy soils. The problem is eliminated by spraying with a weak solution of potassium permanganate with the addition of iodine.
organic fertilizers
No matter how good mineral supplements are, gardeners still prefer organic fertilizers. It has long been observed that strawberries respond well to manure, bird droppings, humus, love mulch and develop well in cases where or were used.
Organics of animal origin, humus and green manure fill the soil with a complex of basic NPK elements, wood ash is used on depleted soils with an acute shortage of potassium and magnesium. Feeding strawberries with yeast contributes to better absorption of nitrogen and the destruction of pathogenic flora in the soil. Organics fills light soils with biological mass, which berry crops love so much.
First application in spring
The primary spring top dressing of strawberries is carried out after clearing the site, removing last year's foliage and old mustache, and loosening.
Diluted poultry manure is used, which is similar in composition and effect on plants to the use of a full complex fertilizer.
For the solution, 200 g of litter is taken per 10 liters of water. The solution is infused for a day in the dark (under the lid). Only the aisles are shed with the composition, avoiding direct exposure to plants so as not to burn the leaves and rhizomes. Apply bird droppings 1 time per season so that an excessive amount of nitrates does not accumulate in the soil.
Second application in spring
The next fertilizer is carried out with the formation of the first ovaries. If you missed this point, you can later fertilize strawberries during fruiting.
Use a solution of mullein, spilling beds around the bushes, trying not to get on the green mass of plants.
First, a concentrate is prepared from mullein, which is infused for several days to release uric acid. Ammonia, which is contained in uric acid, can burn the roots and have a detrimental effect on the condition of the strawberry bush.
For the concentrate, it is necessary to fill a ten-liter bucket with manure by a quarter and bring the remaining volume with water. 1 liter of concentrate is further diluted with 4 liters of water. The resulting solution is consumed at the rate of 10 l / 1 m².
How to carry out the second feeding
Summer application
The goal of summer feeding strawberries is to add additional potassium and trace elements to form the maximum number of healthy flower buds. Most often, humus is used or strawberries are fed with ash.
250 g of humus is diluted in a ten-liter bucket of water, insisted for a day, sometimes stirring. It turns out a concentrate that needs to be diluted for irrigation 1: 1 (half a bucket of concentrate / half a bucket of water).
Ash is both food and protection from disease. There are two ways to use this natural product - to deepen the ash a little into the soil between the rows or to make a solution. For dry application per 1 m², 100 g of ash will be needed. In the process of making ash, you can pollinate the plants a little to protect against pests. Do this procedure in cool, cloudy weather, so as not to harm the strawberries. For infusion, 100 g of ash is added to 10 liters of water, stirred and watered the soil around the strawberry bushes per 1 m².
Autumn introduction of organic matter for strawberries
Mullein is best used in autumn. It is used diluted during transplantation or scattered over the site at the rate of 3 kg / 1 m². During the winter, fresh manure will perepreet and fill the earth with nutrients and humus. Fresh chicken manure is best not to use. This type of organic matter is more saturated with mineral elements compared to mullein and horse manure.
Roots and rosettes can simply burn out if fresh bird droppings are used.. If necessary, you can make a liquid solution of low concentration (no more than 300 g / 10 l) and gently spill strawberries between the rows with it. The main thing is that the solution should not get on the leaves and inside the outlet.
For the winter, the ground around the bushes is covered with straw, fallen leaves, and crushed green manure. Covering material of natural origin will protect against frost and partially pass into the upper layers of the soil in the form of humus.
Popular dressing recipes
Many years of experience of gardeners has allowed us to collect unique recipes for feeding strawberries using organic matter and mineral additives. Farmers prefer to make mixed formulations or alternate organic fertilizers and mineral supplements.
The first spring dressing - recipes:
- 300 g of mullein insist in 10 liters of water for 2 days, then add 15 g of ammonium sulfate, watering 500 ml per strawberry bush;
- 50 g of mullein is mixed in 10 liters of water, nitroammofoski 10 g -15 g is added, pouring 500 ml per strawberry bush;
- Dilute 1 kg of baker's yeast in 10 liters of water, insist for a day, bring the volume to 20 liters, pouring 500 ml per strawberry bush.
The second spring dressing - recipes:
- dilute 5 g of boric acid in 10 liters of water, add 15 - 30 drops of pharmacy iodine and a glass of ash, 500 ml per strawberry bush;
- for 10 liters of water - 2.5 g of boric acid, half a glass of ash, 2.5 g of potassium permanganate, 15 g of urea, 500 ml per strawberry bush;
- half fill a ten-liter bucket with the remnants of rye bread, bring the volume of the container with water, insist 5-6 days in the dark, dilute the resulting concentrate 2 times, water at the rate of 0.5 l - 1.0 l per bush;
- Dilute 1 kg of baker's yeast in 10 liters of water, insist for a day, bring the volume with water to 20 liters, water the calculation of 0.5 liters - 1.0 liters per bush.
Summer top dressing - recipes:
- for 10 l of water - 30 g of nitrophoska and 5 g of potassium sulfate, 0.5 l per bush;
- half a glass of humus is insisted for a day in 10 liters of water, 15 g of potassium nitrate are added, 0.5 liters are poured around the bush.
Autumn top dressing - recipes:
- in 10 liters of water, a glass of ash, 30 g of potassium sulfate and 30 g of nitroammophoska, 0.5 liters per bush are diluted;
- Infuse 100 g of mullein for 2 days in 10 liters of water, add 30 g of simple superphosphate and a glass of ash, 0.5 liters per bush;
- Infuse 100 g of mullein for 2 days in 10 liters of water, add 1 glass of ash, pour 0.5 l - 1.0 l per bush.
As you can see, you can choose any strawberry feeding scheme - based on mineral supplements, use an organic feeding system, or choose a mixed type of fertilizer. The main task is to provide garden strawberries with good nutrition throughout the year. Try, choose the best folk recipes and scientific agricultural techniques for a rich strawberry harvest!
How to properly fertilize strawberries
To get a good, rich harvest of fragrant strawberries in the garden, you definitely need to know how to properly apply all the necessary fertilizers to accelerate growth and fruiting intensity. Experienced gardeners and gardeners know that it will be most effective to use a product that contains a lot of nitrogen. The whole secret is that it is this remedy that can be easily and quickly dissolved in water, and the plants will absorb everything very well and will please the owners of the site with their fruiting. You also need to properly prepare the soil for planting plants.
Feeding stages
To get a good harvest of strawberries, you need it, but this should be done correctly so as not to harm, but to help the plant. In the spring, if the street is already warm enough and the cold of winter has completely receded, it is necessary to start preparatory work, which then will definitely provide a good result. First, work is carried out on the site to clean last year's leaves, unnecessary grass. All bushes should be freed from this, and those shoots that have died during the winter should also be removed.
After that, the fertilizer itself is carried out directly. There is nothing complicated, just each bush is carefully watered with a solution. In order for such a tool to benefit, and not harm, you need to pour half a liter under one bush. In the spring, only one top dressing is carried out, if everything is done correctly, then the strawberries will receive the necessary substances in the right amount. The second stage of fertilization should be carried out after the last crop of berries has been harvested. If you do not forget and feed the strawberries at this time, then you can be sure that next spring new, strong, healthy shoots will definitely form on it.
Top dressing in autumn
You can also apply fertilizer in late autumn. Experienced gardeners say that this last stage will directly contribute to the fact that strawberries will endure even severe frosts very well and steadfastly. In the spring, losses will be minimal, and the future harvest will definitely please, because the plant will have a lot of strength. Be sure to remember that fertilizing is strictly prohibited during the period of active flowering of strawberries. The only thing that is allowed to be used is spraying.
How to improve productivity?We are constantly getting letters in which amateur gardeners are worried that due to the cold summer this year, a poor harvest of potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables. Last year we published TIPS about this. But unfortunately, many did not listen, but some still applied. Here is a report from our reader, we want to advise plant growth biostimulantswhich will help increase the yield by up to 50-70%.
Read...
This method should be used when buds are actively forming, because this will affect the amount of the crop. Beginning gardeners and gardeners must always remember that not a single berry is so dependent on the quality of the soil where it grows directly. To get a good result, you need to properly care for, water and protect from other negative factors. It is necessary to accurately calculate the amount of the applied substance in order to stimulate growth and fruiting, and not to destroy the plant.
Calculation of the amount of fertilizer
Produced with the calculation of 30 grams of urea per 10 liters of water. You can use this tool, even if the plant is grown in a greenhouse and drip irrigation is used there. Then the systematic introduction of nutrients will have the most beneficial effect on the active growth and development of buds. The harvest will even be several times throughout the season. Some of these works are carried out not only in spring, but also much earlier, if the room has all the conditions for the active growth of bushes and their fruiting.
It is also worth remembering that such a plant constantly needs high-quality watering. Of course, this does not mean that the bushes must be in the water all the time. But dry soil with an insufficient amount of useful nutrients will negatively affect not only fruiting, but also full development. Some may notice that the plant literally does not grow, it does not have buds. The root system may also suffer.
Experienced gardeners strongly recommend using only warm water and diluting the selected product directly in it. If you ignore this point, then cold water can to some extent injure the root system of the plant and stop development. Warm water will be a strong growth stimulant. This point is very important to remember in order to get a good result in the end.
Signs of nitrogen starvation
Gardeners know that if the necessary processes for applying a fertilizer are not carried out in time, the plant may experience nitrogen starvation. Of course, this will most negatively affect both the growth and fruiting of plants. The first signs of such a process will be the appearance of sluggish, very thin shoots that are practically incapable of flowering and the formation of berries. Even if the berries appear, they will all be small in size, the period of their ripening will be significantly delayed. The number will also decrease several times. Some gardeners already know how much fertilizer to add to their water. In one matchbox - 13 grams of urea, and in a tablespoon only 10.
Soil preparation
To get a good harvest in the garden, be sure to prepare the soil in advance. If the weather is already warm outside, then new bushes should be planted in May. In the event that it is possible to regularly, abundantly water the plants, then everything can be planted even in the middle of summer or early autumn. It is also possible to plant new bushes, rooting good tendrils of existing bushes next to them.
It is not very difficult to collect a good harvest of tasty and healthy berries from your own garden, you just need to know all the rules for caring for plants, the periods in which you need to carry out all the necessary work.
How to care for a strawberry plant
And a little about the secrets of the Author
Have you ever experienced unbearable joint pain? And you know firsthand what it is:
- inability to move easily and comfortably;
- discomfort when going up and down stairs;
- unpleasant crunch, clicking not of their own free will;
Regular feeding of strawberries and proper care of plantings will be the key to getting a good harvest. Many gardeners have certain difficulties with the choice of fertilizers used. In this article, we will tell you how to properly feed strawberries with potash fertilizers and urea.
What trace elements are needed for strawberries to grow and bear fruit?
For the full development, growth and fruiting of strawberries, nitrogen and potassium are required. Strawberry fertilizer with urea is very popular, which allows you to get a good harvest on the plot. Also in gardening stores you can find various ready-made potash fertilizers for strawberries, which are easy to use.
The nitrogen contained in urea improves the taste characteristics of the grown crop, and also helps to increase the size of the fruit. Such fertilizers should be applied in the spring during the period of increased growth and flowering. At the same time, with the introduction of urea, chicken manure or saltpeter, which contain nitrogen, it is necessary to be extremely careful, since an excess of this microelement in the soil adversely affects the taste characteristics of the grown crop.
Potassium has a positive effect on the taste of the grown crop and improves the keeping quality of fruits. You can determine the lack of this trace element in the soil by the color of strawberry leaves, the tips of which turn brown, and the bushes themselves look wilted and exhausted. Potassium can be applied with ready-made mineral fertilizers or with solutions based on wood ash.
Spring dressing of strawberries
As mentioned above, in the spring it is recommended to feed strawberries with urea and other nitrogen fertilizers. Remember that it is necessary to apply urea to light soil in the spring, but it is best to fertilize heavy clay soil in the fall.
Urea contains about 46% nitrogen and a number of other trace elements. Such top dressing is produced in the form of granules and balls of white color. The use of such a fertilizer does not present any difficulty. Urea is easily soluble in water, which makes it possible to independently prepare such nutrient solutions and water plants with them. In the spring, it is possible to fertilize with urea both by the root method, when the strawberry bush is irrigated with a nutrient composition, and by foliar spraying of plants from a sprayer.
For novice gardeners, we can recommend root dressings, since an overdose in this case will not cause any harm to plants. But foliar dressings are fast acting, so they must be used in cases where plants have a lack of nitrogen, which is expressed in a general weakening of the bushes and a change in the color of the leaves.
Experts recommend performing three feedings of strawberries with urea per season. The first such dressing is carried out in the spring, which allows you to activate the growth of plantings. The second fertilization is carried out in early August, after harvest. The introduction of urea in August promotes the appearance of new tendrils and their subsequent rooting. The last autumn top dressing of plantings with nitrogen is carried out in September or early October. But then it is worth using not carbamide (urea), but ammonium sulfate. Its implementation allows plants to easily withstand the winter, and subsequently improves yields (if potash-phosphorus fertilizers are also applied in autumn).
Potash fertilizers for strawberries
Potash fertilizers are necessary for strawberries both during flowering and during fruiting. The lack of potassium adversely affects the taste of the grown crop. That is why it is imperative to carry out the introduction of potash and phosphorus agrochemicals.
You can provide the required amount of potassium in the soil by adding wood ash, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate or potassium chloride. It is recommended to carry out such top dressing of berries in the spring, which will allow strawberries to get all the nutrition they need, in the future this will have a positive effect on fruiting rates.
Phosphorus-potassium fertilizer
Also popular with gardeners are phosphorus-potassium agrochemicals, which improve yields and have a positive effect on the taste of the grown crop. From such a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, we note nitrophoska, nitrophos, carboammophos or ready-made mineral complexes that contain these trace elements.
Each of these varieties of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers has certain features of the introduction of nutrient compositions. So, for example, it is recommended to use nitrophoska in early spring and subsequently carry out one or two fertilizations during the growing season. Nitroammophoska is used exclusively in the spring before flowering begins. Nitrofos is a universal fertilizer that can be used both in spring and summer. Note that nitrophos will be an excellent option for most other horticultural crops.
We feed strawberries with wood ash
If you prefer to use exclusively natural fertilizers, then we can recommend paying attention to wood ash. Ash contains phosphorus, potassium and other easily digestible components. The recommended application rate for wood ash is 3 cups per square meter of garden bed area. Ash top dressing will be an excellent alternative for potash fertilization. At the same time, the fertilizer is completely safe, does not lead to a deterioration in the taste characteristics of the grown crop.
Potassium monophosphate
This is a fairly popular fertilizer among gardeners, which contains potassium and other trace elements. Potassium monophosphate is applied in early spring, as well as after abundant flowering of strawberries. The use of potassium monophosphate is not difficult. It is necessary to dilute one tablespoon of the chemical in 10 liters of water, use the resulting solution to water the bushes. Immediately after fertilizing, it is necessary to pour plenty of settled water on the bed.
Potassium humate for strawberries
Potassium humate is an organo-mineral fertilizer, which is an excellent growth stimulator. Such a composition is intended for pre-sowing treatment, as well as top dressing during the growing season, preparing plants for winter. Potassium humate for strawberries is sold in liquid form, but immediately before using it, it is necessary to dilute the concentrate in water. To prepare the composition, it is necessary to dilute about 10 milliliters of the drug in 10 liters of water. This nutrient solution will be enough to water 5 square meters of beds. It is recommended to use sodium humate simultaneously with ammonium nitrate and various fertilizers, which contain trace elements necessary for plant growth.
Feeding strawberries with potassium sulfate
This is another potassium-containing fertilizer, which is easy to use, has an affordable cost, and has excellent efficiency. To prepare such top dressing, it is necessary to dilute one teaspoon of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water. The prepared solution will be enough to water 20 bushes. You can fertilize strawberries with potassium sulfate in May, before the bushes begin to bloom.
Conclusion
Proper feeding of strawberries will allow every gardener to get an excellent harvest on the plot. For the development of this berry, potassium and nitrogen-containing fertilizers are required. Currently, there are various ready-made agrochemicals that will greatly simplify the feeding of strawberries, and the gardener will grow tasty and extremely healthy berries in his country house.
In order for the strawberry harvest to increase each subsequent year, it is important to take care of the berry not only during flowering and fruiting, but also after harvesting. Experienced gardeners understand how important it is in what condition it will "go" for the winter.
Caring for strawberries in August
August is a very important month for strawberry growers. It is during this period that you need to audit the strawberries. If it was planted 4 years ago, then it is enough to weed the berry, removing dry and rotten leaves. Fertilizers for 4-year-old bushes are no longer applied, since the fifth year is the last for strawberries. No matter how good the harvest she gave last summer, the side shoots are not able to replace the outdated root system. Even if the owners decided to leave the plot with strawberries in the same place, top dressing is not required.
When it is planned to break down strawberries in a new place, then the sockets already rooted by August are transferred to a permanent “place of residence”. For digging, 3–4 kg should be applied for each square meter. humus, 40 gr. superphosphate and 0.5 l. ash. Each "freshly planted" bush is mulched with peat. Berry bushes 2-3 years old are loosened, gently hilled, so as not to fill up the growing point. You can start preparing the berries for winter as early as early August, without waiting for the autumn cold.
Since the roots of strawberries become exposed over time, they need to be spudded. Hilling favorably affects the development of lateral root appendages. Bushes no older than 4 years of age should be fertilized and snow retention conditions created for them. Although strawberries are a cold-resistant culture, by autumn it is better to mulch each bush with sawdust, spruce branches, fallen leaves or straw with a layer of 5 cm, and remove all this in spring. Frost that has descended on the ground not covered with snow is dangerous for strawberries.
How to feed strawberries after fruiting
You can feed strawberries after fruiting with both mineral and organic fertilizers, but preference should be given to the latter. It can be an infusion of mullein or chicken manure. Mullein is diluted with water 8 times, and chicken manure 10 times. Wood ash is added in August at the rate of 150 gr. for every square metre. It can be scattered dry over strawberry bushes or prepared in an aqueous solution and pour 0.5 liters into each well. Other fertilizers are also applied directly into each hole or into furrows 8-10 cm deep, made in the middle of the beds.
After fertilizing, the berry must be well watered. So that the earth gets wet to a depth of 30 cm. It is at this depth that the roots of strawberries are located. If you feed strawberries in August with urea (30 g per 10 liters of water), this will help increase the number of flower buds, and, therefore, the crop. Some gardeners successfully use nettle infusion for autumn feeding of strawberries. To prepare it, a bucket of nettles is poured with warm water and insisted for a week. Then a liter of infusion is diluted 10 times before watering. Practice shows that strawberries respond to such fertilizer with an increase in the next year's harvest and enlargement of berries.