How to properly plant and feed strawberries in August

For many gardeners, something that goes without saying is the spring planting of absolutely all plants, including garden strawberries.

However, for some regions of our country, planting strawberries in August would be a much better decision .

The basis for such a decision will be rapid adaptation to new conditions, excellent rooting and earlier fruiting next year.

The best varieties for August planting

Name	Description
Queen Elizabeth 2	Hybrid with excellent characteristics. Combines high yield, large fruit size and high resistance to pests and diseases
Albion	Remontant variety with good yield and friendly yield
Kimberly	The variety is early ripening, with large, even, symmetrical berries
Mara de bois	Remontant variety with large symmetrical berries and high yields
Temptation	An early variety with large fruits and high yields
Honey	Early variety with high yield

How to plant correctly under black film

To obtain a large harvest of strawberries, gardeners use the method of planting plants under black film or agrofibre. These devices cover the entire area. Holes are made in the film for planting berry bushes. Black material on the ground does not allow sunlight to pass through, and weeds and other plants that are undesirable in this area do not grow under it. To implement this planting method:

Purchase agrofibre or black film with an area equal to the size of the plot of the future strawberry plantation.
Next, lay the mulching material on the ground, placing its corners in holes around the perimeter and covering it with soil.
Then begin the process of planting the seedlings. It is advisable to plant them in a checkerboard pattern with a distance between bushes of 25-30 cm.
On the film, first mark the locations for the holes and make small perpendicular cuts in them.
Then dig holes through each hole with your hands and plant the seedlings.
The holes in the film should not be large so as not to provoke the growth of weeds.

Landing location

For planting, choose well-lit, elevated areas protected from drafts . Pay attention to drainage: moisture should not accumulate in the root zone.

Important! Do not create a strawberry bed in a low area. Groundwater that gets too close to the roots will lead to the development of rot and death of the plantings.

Avoid planting berry bushes in the shade. For normal vegetation and abundant fruiting, strawberries require a lot of sunlight.

Adviсe

And finally, we’ll give a few more tips to get a new, larger harvest every year:

the berries will be larger and sweeter if the beds are placed in a sunny place in the direction from east to west;
renew plantings every four years (with the exception of some varieties that can bear fruit well for a longer period of time in one place);
if your garden plot is located on a slope, then place the berry bed across it, so the plantings will not be washed away by precipitation;
in order to destroy slugs, caterpillars and other insect pests living in the soil, treat the area immediately before planting with a solution of ammonia (3 tablespoons per bucket of water).

Having become familiar with the basic options for forming strawberry beds and the rules for caring for them, even the most inexperienced gardener will be able to grow strawberries on his plot and enjoy the berries every summer season.

Soil preparation

Land preparation is an important step in growing healthy berry bushes.

At what distance to root berries: planting diagram with photo

The August planting pattern is no different from the spring planting of strawberries.

To ensure that the bushes have enough space, at least 50 cm is laid between the rows for normal development, and the bushes are planted in increments of 40 cm .

What to feed before planting

An excellent top dressing before planting bushes in a ridge would be to add a mixture of compost, humus and wood ash .

Soil disinfection

Many gardeners overlook the need to till the soil before planting. Meanwhile, there may be pest larvae and pathogens in the soil.

Disinfection will help get rid of unwanted elements for a while until the plant adapts and can resist the aggressors .

As a disinfectant, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water . The ridges are shed abundantly and allow moisture to be absorbed.

This treatment will remove most of the spores, fungal pathogens and insect larvae.

Strawberry propagation by mustache: selection of mother plant, soil preparation, planting methods

Everyone is well aware of the propagation of garden strawberries using mustaches, but most people make rather serious mistakes, not knowing and not following certain rules for propagating their favorite berries.

Mother plant selection

To ensure that the seedlings turn out to be of high quality and strong, the preparation of planting material begins in advance. During the harvest period, it is necessary to select and identify the most fruit-bearing bushes with good taste characteristics.

They mark with wooden pegs, electrodes, plastic signs, simply by tying a red thread or placing a pebble near a bush. The selection method does not matter, the main thing is that the desired plant is clearly visible.

In the spring of next year, all flower stalks are removed from the selected plants; good planting material will not be obtained on fruit-bearing bushes; you have to choose either berries or tendrils. A plant that has spent energy on growing fruits will not be able to produce full-fledged planting material.

Throughout the growing season, they are cared for like fruit-bearing strawberries: watered, fertilized, mulched, treated against diseases and pests.

You can transplant the mother plants into a separate bed; in order to increase productivity and improve the quality of planting material, the soil must be well fertilized before planting. The distance between bushes for propagation should be 70-80 centimeters, so that there is enough space for the development of mustaches and rooting of rosettes.

One mother plant can produce a fairly decent amount of planting material, up to 30 runners. The selected bush can actively reproduce for 3 years, and in the second year the mustache is stronger and of higher quality. After three years, new mother plants must be selected.

To obtain high-quality strawberry seedlings, it is better to remove excess tendrils by choosing the three strongest ones for propagation.

Each tendril can produce three rosettes, the strongest is the first order rosette, the one located closest to the mother plant, the rest must be mercilessly removed so that the main planting material is not depleted.

Important! For propagation by mustaches, you should choose plants not in the first year of fruiting. A young bush will not be able to produce high-quality and varietal seedlings.

Predecessors and neighbors

To successfully grow strawberries, it is important to follow the rules of crop rotation. Unfortunately, not every crop will make strawberries feel comfortable in the garden, and proximity to some plants is contraindicated for the berry.

Good predecessors for strawberries would be:

onion;
garlic;
peas;
beans;
carrot;
beet;
parsley.

These same crops can be placed next to strawberries.

Bad predecessors and neighbors will be:

cucumbers;
zucchini;
pumpkin;
tomatoes;
potato;
sunflower.

Planting frigo strawberries. Growing strawberries using Frigo technology

Is it possible to plant different varieties of strawberries next to each other?

It is believed that different varieties of juicy berries should never be planted on the same ridge.

This incredibly persistent misconception is also supported by unscrupulous sellers of planting material, who explain all gardeners’ claims to the quality of strawberry bushes by cross-pollination of plants.

In fact, planting different varieties in one ridge will not affect the quality of the fruit . And if the flowering dates of the varieties do not coincide, then the process of cross-pollination becomes impossible.

How to get a good strawberry mustache

Confusion with strawberry varieties should be avoided at all costs.
When we receive stock of each variety from one leader, we can be sure that it is entirely one variety. And so we must take care of it in the future. Although sometimes it is easy to distinguish one variety from others: by early or late reddening of the berries, by five lobes on a leaf instead of three, finally, by the color and general appearance of the berries, and sometimes even by pink flowers. The entire space between plants should be completely free of weeds. The mustache should grow absolutely freely, without encountering root obstacles. Then they imperceptibly and quickly turn into long garlands. Under no circumstances should you cut off the mustache, otherwise the synergy effect is lost, when each mustache with its roots strengthens the next, and all of them are strengthened by the roots of the mother plant.

This is only possible on clean, fertile soil, with frequent but moderate nitrogen fertilizing and good watering. Under such conditions, the garlands grow rapidly, and by September the bush gives us dozens of mustaches. The only method of shaping with pruning shears is to cut off the lateral branches of the mustache, or bites (this is when the rosette, in addition to the main continuation of the mustache, gives an additional thinner mustache to the side). Such priuski have less strength and are not used in reproduction.

Propagation of the starting mother bush-leader is the only case when we allow ourselves to plant in September. We wait until September without touching the mustache so that it gains as many rosettes as possible.

Selection and formation of beds for strawberries

There are many known options for planting strawberries. Some gardeners prefer to plant berries in high ridges, others dig trenches.

What should novice gardeners do? Familiarize yourself with all the possible planting options and choose the best one for yourself .

On flat areas

On a flat area, bushes can be planted, forming a real plantation. But this method is not suitable for every site.

The place allocated for strawberries should be located on an open, flat, elevated area , where the groundwater lies deep enough so as not to come into contact with the plantings.

Bulk beds

In areas where groundwater flows close, it is recommended to make embankment ridges. They can be closed in a high box or left open ; the main task of such a ridge is to prevent contact of the root system with moisture.

Trenches

This option is suitable for planting remontant varieties in elevated areas .

The trenches are prepared in advance. They dig them to a depth of 40 cm, laying a width of half a meter. Manure mixed with sawdust is placed at the bottom, then fertile soil, humus, fallen leaves and coarse river sand.

You can cover the trench with black film until the strawberries are planted so that the manure rots.

Low German bed for strawberries

This is an excellent option to highlight a ridge with strawberries without radically changing the topography of the area. The ridge is formed by low wooden (about 25 cm) sides.

This method of planting allows for easy formation and maintenance of the ridge : it is not washed away by rain or blown by the wind. Weed activity is reduced, and caring for the berries is much more convenient.

Decorative vertical beds

Many gardeners plant climbing varieties of strawberries in vertical beds . You can arrange such a planting even in the smallest area, since vertical organization does not require much space.

Such beds are arranged in barrels, PVC pipes, bags and flowerpots arranged in a cascade.

High beds made from barrels or tires

In low areas it is recommended to create high ridges for planting berries. For their installation, car tires or garden barrels are used.

The main advantage of such structures, in contrast to tall boxes, is their low cost and ease of installation . If something happens, moving a bed made of tires will not be difficult, while moving a wooden box is already problematic.

On black agrofibre

Recently, planting strawberries on ridges covered with black agrofibre has become increasingly popular.

This method has several advantages:

The material is water- and breathable, which allows plant roots to receive all the necessary microelements.
Weed activity is noticeably reduced because sunlight does not reach them.
The berry does not come into contact with the ground, remaining clean.
Due to the fact that the soil does not dry out, a hard crust does not form on its surface.
The soil warms up faster in the spring, and accordingly, fruiting begins a week or even two earlier.

Planting strawberries on agrofibre is very simple. The method is suitable for both a trench and a German or high bed:

The soil needs to be dug well and weed roots removed.
The surface is loosened and mineral fertilizer is applied.
Black agrofibre with holes already made (specially designed for strawberries) is laid on top of the ridge or holes are made in a single piece of material yourself.
Berry bushes are planted in the holes.

How to treat strawberry mustache before planting

Seedlings of any fruit crops brought from the nursery in about half of the cases are infected with some kind of pest or disease (on raspberries - gall midge, on currants - bud mite, on gooseberries - spheroteca, etc.), and strawberries are no exception. Just in case, it’s worth warming them up in hot water at a temperature of about 50°C, immersing them whole in pots in a bucket for 15–20 minutes. At this temperature, root aphids, nematodes, mites and other possible pests die: it’s just that in nurseries a huge amount of them often accumulates in the soil - this is an “occupational disease” of all nurseries.

But as practice shows, there is often no time to warm it up, so you plant it like this, hoping for chance. In this case, you need to apply the rule of planting purchased strawberry tendrils at a great distance - at least 1–1.5 m, so that they do not infect each other if someone turns out to be a carrier of the pest. This makes it easier to get a mustache from them.

The purchased mustaches of each variety can be planted in a line, or in nests of 3 (triangle) or 4 (square) - as long as there is at least a slight spatial isolation between the varieties and the mustaches do not intersect.

Landing rules

The seedlings are planted in a prepared ridge. The soil must be dug up, cleared of weeds, disinfected and fertilized . According to the planting scheme, holes are dug, one for each bush.

Attention! It is permissible to plant two bushes in one hole if they are weak and there are doubts that both will be able to take root.

The dimensions of the hole should be such as to allow the plant's root system to fit completely. Water is immediately poured into the hole. to plant seedlings even before the moisture has been completely absorbed .

Features of watering strawberries in August

An important point is watering the planted plants.

For the first 15-20 days after planting, you need to water the plants every day or at least every other day. This watering regime is needed to help the rosettes take root.

But the first watering is carried out only on the 3rd day. Until this moment, there is no point in watering the strawberries, since the roots have not yet taken root and are not able to properly absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil.

Then the frequency of watering is reduced to once a week.

IMPORTANT! The main thing in watering plants at this time of year is to prevent the soil from drying out.

That is why, in case of dry autumn weather, you need to carry out 2-3 more waterings.

Care after planting

You need to start caring for strawberries immediately after planting.

Features of watering strawberries

Watering is an important component of successful acclimatization of plantings. Water for irrigation must be settled; it should not be cold .

When watering, try to direct the stream of water to the root part without touching the leaves. The first two weeks, watering is carried out in a fairly large volume, but it is carried out once every 3-4 days.

Attention! If the end of summer is rainy, the frequency of watering must be reduced.

What to feed after trimming leaves in the fall

Pruning of leaf blades is carried out after harvesting. At this point, it is good to water the ridges with an aqueous solution of manure or a mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulphide .

How to transplant to a new place

To transplant bushes to a new place in August, you need to focus on the moment of frost: at least a month should pass from planting to cold weather . Then the berry will take root well in the new place and overwinter normally.

Planting a mustache

Rooting rosettes formed on the mustache is done according to the same principle as planting strawberry bushes.

Read about berry crops for your garden plot:
Blueberry Duke: from choosing seedlings to harvesting
Blackberry Black Satin - a beauty without thorns or thorns
Remontant strawberries - top best varieties

When to plant?

We advise you to choose the end of the month for planting strawberries in August. This period is suitable for all regions, since it is by the end of summer that strawberries acquire developed, healthy and suitable for reproduction mustaches. Winter with its frosts is still far away: the seedlings will have time to take root.

It is important that the planting material has time to grow while still connected to the mother plant. Thus, its further rooting will take place without problems and quickly.

What fertilizer to use or what to feed in the fall

Plants planted in August must be fertilized. This is done with different substances. It is useful to treat strawberries with a solution consisting of 30 g of urea and 10 liters of water. Foliar feeding is carried out with boron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Treated bushes will bring more harvest in the summer, and the quality of the berries will be higher than on plants not fertilized with these substances. To make a mixture for feeding, prepare the following components:

molybdenum – 2 g;
manganese – 50 g;
boric acid – 15 g;
water - 15 l.

Caring for strawberries in the fall includes preparing the plant for winter. Cover the bushes of this crop with straw, peat, compost, fallen leaves or corn stalks. These natural substances will not only protect plants from cold in winter, but will also fertilize the soil. Special materials are also used as mulch for bushes - spunbond, lutrasil. Covered strawberries will be protected from frost and will produce a good harvest next year. Further agricultural work with strawberries begins in April.

Selection of strawberry seedlings

It is recommended to purchase seedling material in specialized nurseries, where guaranteed quality plants are sold. Seedlings in cassettes are ready-to-plant material, but the seedlings must meet certain requirements.

Signs of quality plants:

a developed rosette has at least 6–7 branches;
the minimum width of the root collar is 10 mm;
the length of the root system is 70 mm;
the core has a rich green color;
There are no damage to leaves or roots.

Particular attention is paid to the biological purity of planting material. Plants should not show signs of damage by pathogenic microflora or pests.