Rules for mulching strawberries with sawdust: when and how to apply them correctly

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11.07.2017 6748
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Coniferous litter or pine litter - pine and spruce needles, are very valuable and are often used for mulching. In the spring, after applying fertilizers and when the soil dries out a little, but before the strawberries bloom, all row spacing and the surface of the soil between the bushes in the row are covered with needles of coniferous plants (4-5 cm layer).

Weeds do not grow through the needles, the soil does not become compacted when it rains, and there is no need for frequent watering and loosening. Some gardeners even claim that the taste of the berries improves. In autumn, the soil under the bushes and between the rows is additionally mulched with peat chips, humus or half-rotted manure, Why about 5 cm.

There is a lot of different work in the garden from spring to mid-summer. But not all of it is pleasant to us. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about an early summer garden? Harvest? Of course not! This is weeding! How many children did not become brilliant gardeners because of weeding?

What does mulching do?

• 1 What does mulching give you?
• 2 Benefits of mulching strawberries
• 3 Coniferous mulch - effect on the soil
• 4 Benefits of pine mulch
• 5 Other types of organic mulch for strawberries
• 6 Inorganic mulch for strawberries

Weeds and their growth rate are our main headache. This unites gardeners from all countries and they begin to think about how to make sure that weeds no longer take up our precious time! And this is what they came up with - to mulch or cover the soil with various materials so that sunlight and heat no longer reach the weed seeds and they either do not germinate at all or wither and die! I have been using mulching methods on my site for four seasons and can already tell you a lot about mulch from different materials.

And the mulch can be from mowed grass, leaf litter, moss, stone, cardboard, sand, bark or artificial black non-woven material. All types have pros and cons! But in this article I will talk about mulch from pine or spruce litter.

Benefits of mulching strawberries

1. Clean, dry berries are less likely to become infected with pathogenic fungi and bacteria.
2. Some types of mulch repel pests.
3. The soil retains a loose, moist state, the number of waterings is reduced, and the need for loosening disappears.
4. The soil and root system do not suffer from temperature changes and do not overheat under the sun.
5. The fertile humus layer is not washed away by irrigation and rainwater and does not erode.
6. The activity of beneficial soil flora and earthworms increases, and soil fertility is naturally maintained.
7. The growth of weeds is suppressed, the need for weeding disappears, and labor costs for growing strawberries are reduced.
8. According to the observations of many fruit growers, the yield of strawberries on mulched soil is 40-50% higher than on open soil.

How to do it correctly in a greenhouse

Many novice gardeners have a question about how to mulch tomato bushes in greenhouses. It is very important to wait for the soil to warm up. You can do this at the beginning of summer. If the greenhouse is heated, then you can mulch immediately after planting the seedlings. Before mulching tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to prepare the soil.

It is loosened and weeds are removed. Then layers of crushed substances are placed on it.

Mulched artificial materials are placed on the beds and sprinkled lightly with soil. Cardboard, paper and film are laid in one layer. The film must be darkened. It should be opened occasionally to ventilate the plants.

Among the organic substances that are perfect for greenhouses are moss , bark, sawdust, peat, and dry straw. They allow the root system to breathe and improve soil fertility. Mulching will significantly increase productivity, allow you to forget about watering for a while, and reduce the threat of fungal diseases.

Source: DachaMechty.ru

Coniferous mulch - effect on the soil

For a very long time it was believed that pine litter acidifies the soil. This “fact” is reprinted from article to article to this day! And it is this that prevents many gardeners from using pine needles as mulch. How did this idea come about? I think this is due to the fact that the soil under coniferous trees is usually acidic. But here you need to understand what comes first! In the logic of people, since the soil under the Christmas tree is acidic, this means that the needles fall all the time and, rotting, acidify the soil. In fact, the soil under the tree is initially acidic, otherwise the tree would not grow there! The acidity of the soil is determined only by the minerals it contains, sometimes at great depths, and the water regime in a specific area!!! Those. Certain minerals and a lot of water usually give the soil an acidic reaction, not pine litter. Now we have dealt with the acidity of pine needles and it’s time to name its pros and cons.

Benefits of pine mulch

The main advantage for me is its accessibility! I live in a region of pine trees and collecting pine litter on forest paths is very easy for me. Needles, unlike grass, rot more slowly, and you can only put them down once per season! But a thick layer of at least 7 cm. Slugs and snails do not really like coniferous mulch. Of course, the fact that pine needles will completely protect you from them is a myth! But their numbers are really declining. The rest of the advantages of pine mulch are the same as any other. It prevents weeds from growing and maintains soil moisture, which means it reduces watering. The disadvantages are also the same: constant periodic collection and delivery! No organic mulch can sit for years without requiring constant attention. Otherwise, she simply stops coping with her “responsibilities”...

By the way, if you didn’t believe me, you can use pine needle mulch under plants that like a slightly acidic soil reaction, for example, under black and red currants (pH 5.5-6.5), strawberries (pH 5.5-6 .5), blueberries (pH 3.5-4.5), rhododendrons (pH 4-4.5) or even under tomatoes (pH 5.5-6.5).

Why mulch strawberries

If you want to grow a rich harvest of strawberries (garden strawberries), and not constantly water, weed, treat diseases and fight pests, then strawberry beds should be mulched.

The main advantages of mulching garden strawberries:

• Mulch protects the soil under the strawberries from drying out and losing moisture; accordingly, it needs to be watered less.
• The soil remains loose and a crust does not form (no need to loosen).
• The mulch layer is a kind of “cushion”, thanks to which the ground around the strawberry bushes does not heat up.
• This is excellent protection against weeds and pests ( slugs and snails ).

But, in fairness, it is worth saying that sometimes mulch, on the contrary, attracts slugs and snails...

• The berries always remain clean. For example, after rain, if you do not have a mulch layer, the berries will always be dirty.
• Because Thanks to mulch, the berries do not come into contact with the soil, and strawberries are less affected by gray rot .
• Mulching improves the soil structure, the soil becomes looser and more fertile.
• Mulch protects bushes from freezing in winter.

When to mulch: timing

You can and should mulch strawberries twice a year: in spring and autumn.

• In the spring, mulch is laid in strawberry beds around May, when the first berry ovaries appear, so that the flower stalks do not come into contact with the soil, in other words, do not come into contact with the ground. And when the harvest is completely harvested, you can remove the mulch, but not for long.
• In the fall, around October, the strawberry beds are mulched again, but this time for the purpose of covering them for the winter. And the next spring (March-April) the mulch is removed again before the first ovaries appear.

By the way! In autumn, coniferous branches are suitable as a mulching (covering) material.

Other types of organic mulch for strawberries

Pest protection

The smell of conifers repels pests: pine needles contain terpenes, they help in the fight against parasites, snails and slugs (the best way to protect a plant from them is to sprinkle pine needles around it).

From wireworms, you can add a handful of pine needles to the holes when planting potatoes.

Pine infusion

Coniferous infusion can be used to spray plants against pests in the spring:

• pine needles, or better yet chopped young pine twigs (they contain many times more ether) – 1-1.5 kg.

To obtain a mother solution, pine needles are poured into a bucket and filled with hot water. Leave for 3-4 days, stirring occasionally.

Then the infusion is diluted 2 times with clean water, a couple of tablespoons of liquid soap are added and the trees and shrubs are sprayed.

The treatment is carried out several times, starting from the swelling of the buds and until the end of flowering.

What it helps with:

• codling moth, flower beetle, honey moth, leaf roller,
• various types of aphids on garden and vegetable crops.

To treat vegetable crops, dilute the infusion with water 1:2.

Pine decoction

• 1.5 – 2 kg of raw materials,
• 6 liters of water.

The pine needles are boiled over low heat for 15-20 minutes, then left to cool and filtered. For spraying, add 8 liters of water and 2 tablespoons of liquid soap to 2 liters of broth.

The decoction can be used to treat vegetable beds every 1.5-2 weeks after planting seedlings in the ground. Will help against caterpillars and cruciferous flea beetles .

For the Colorado potato beetle, you need a more concentrated working infusion - 4 liters of decoction per 6 liters of water.

Treating beds before planting

• 4-5 tbsp. l. thuja, fir or pine needles,
• 1 liter of boiling water.

Infuse the composition for 3-4 days. Then prepare a mother solution: 2 tbsp. l. pine extract and 1 liter of ash decoction are diluted in 10 liters of water and 100 g of green soap are added. The composition is diluted with water (1:5), filtered and watered on the beds on the eve of sowing or planting.

From fungal diseases

You can treat plants with pine infusion (in a 1:2 ratio with water) every 1.5 - 2 weeks. According to reviews from gardeners, after such treatments, tomatoes are less likely to be affected by late blight (only in very unfavorable weather), cucumbers and zucchini are less susceptible to powdery mildew.

Inorganic mulch for strawberries

The most commonly used inorganic materials are:

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