Strawberries are the most popular fruit, whether they are fresh or frozen. If you are not yet a fan of this berry, then we advise you to become one. After all, strawberries are not only juicy and tasty, they are also a very healthy product. It is enriched with nutrients and antioxidants, including vitamin C. This plant has a powerful healing effect on the human body. Attractive both with its color and taste, it can lift your spirits on the gloomiest day. Despite all its qualities, strawberries are quite unpretentious; caring for and growing them does not require high professionalism from the gardener, only the right approach is needed. In order for strawberries to bear fruit abundantly, they need to be constantly fed. Thanks to this, it can receive all the necessary nutrients, actively grow, develop, renew itself and bear fruit for a long period. But fertilizing strawberries in the fall should be done correctly, at a certain time and using a certain method, this is what will be described in the article. We’ll also tell you how to feed strawberries in the fall after pruning them.
When to feed strawberries in the fall
The main thing to remember before applying fertilizer to a crop is that this can only be done when its fruiting period has ended. If fertilizer gets on the berries, it will be at least unsafe to eat them, so it’s not worth the risk.
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For the above reason, the timing of fertilization for different varieties differs significantly. Regular garden strawberries can be fertilized from early to mid-September, but remontant ones not earlier than early October or even November.
Deadlines
It is best to fertilize strawberry bushes in September before preparing for hibernation. But the deadline may shift depending on the place where the crop grows and the variety of sweet berry.
- In the Krasnodar Territory, you can wait to fertilize plantations until October, and in warm autumn even until early November.
- In Siberia, the soil under Victoria is fertilized at the end of August or beginning of September.
- In the Urals, in the Middle Zone, Moscow region, Leningrad region no later than the first or second ten days of September.
Important! Have time to saturate the soil in the garden strawberry bed before the night frosts. It's better to do it sooner rather than later.
Fertilizing strawberries in the fall with organic fertilizers
No matter who praises mineral fertilizers, science has not yet come up with better organic fertilizers. In addition, when they are applied, the soil is enriched, unlike chemical fertilizers. And don’t even talk about the high nitrogen content in organic matter, and how harmful it is in the second half of summer and autumn. Harm is caused by excessive fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers, but in other cases organic matter will always be beneficial. You just need to know when to stop and not dump a carload of fresh manure onto the beds. What is the best way to feed strawberries in the fall?
-Mullein. This is a liquid solution that is poured in very small doses directly under the bush. How to cook it? Scheme:
- Pour 8 liters of clean warm water into a plastic or enamel bucket.
- Add 2 kg of cow or horse manure.
- Mix thoroughly and leave to ferment for 3 days.
After the liquid brightens, it can be used for autumn feeding of strawberries. Just not in its pure form. You need to dilute the resulting substance with ordinary water in a ratio of 10 to 1. This will be mullein, which you can safely pour directly under the bushes. It is not recommended to store the fermented solution because it deteriorates very quickly. It is recommended to use the liquid within 2 days after final readiness.
Bird droppings. The preparation scheme is similar to the recipe described above. Only the final proportions have been changed when diluting the liquid immediately before watering. The finished fermented solution is diluted not with 10 parts of water, but with 20 or even 25. Because bird droppings are more concentrated than any manure. The dosage of nitrogen in it is higher.
Mullein
Feeding with nutrients at the beginning of autumn should not be skipped, since after the fruiting season the bushes need to stock up on vitamins. Only completely fermented product in diluted form is allowed to be added. As mullein decomposes, it heats up, so it can burn the tender roots of the plant.
To prepare mullein, mix a third of a bucket of cow or horse manure in a container with 10 liters of water, chop it and leave it in a tin bucket for 14–16 days so that the fertilizer rots. Mix the infusion with water in a ratio of 1/10.
Water the strawberry bushes with water, then feed the root system, being careful not to get it on the leaves. After the procedure, it is better to mulch the rows with completely rotted manure so that the substances supply the plants with nutrients for several years.
Fertilizing strawberries in autumn with mineral fertilizers
Popular fertilizers for autumn feeding are potassium and phosphorus preparations. They can be used in both dry and liquid form. But it is worth remembering that dry fertilizers have a longer shelf life, and liquid fertilizers are better absorbed by plants. For this reason, many gardeners prefer to combine them.
Potassium. Potassium fertilizers increase the shelf life of fruits and significantly improve their taste. A clear sign of potassium deficiency is the brown ends of the leaves. This is how the culture signals to you that the deficiency of this substance urgently needs to be replenished. The following can be used as potassium supplements:
- potassium nitrate;
- wood ash;
- potassium chloride;
- potassium sulfate.
When using mineral fertilizers, carefully read the labels, which indicate the rates and timing of application. For plants, the principle “the more the better” does not work; this can destroy all the plants.
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a more effective mineral compound that will serve as a replacement for ash. It is beneficial to buy saltpeter at the market or in a store and use it diluted or dry. The optimal form is to dissolve 15 g of potassium nitrate in 10 liters of cold water and pour over the strawberries without touching the leaves.
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Fertilizing carried out in September after harvesting before the first cold weather allows strawberries to comfortably survive the winter. Phosphorus, calcium and potassium are especially important for bushes. It is important to remember that it is better to use fertilizer with a lower concentration than to overdo it and destroy the plant.
Fertilizing strawberries with ash in autumn
One of the favorite fertilizers for strawberries. With its help, you can not only feed the bushes, but also repel some pests. Wood ash is added when planting strawberries, a handful per bush. It replaces superphosphate.
As a dry fertilizer, ash can be scattered throughout the plantation, but not more than 150 grams per square meter. You can also infuse and water as a liquid fertilizer. To do this, pour a glass of ash into a bucket and pour in 10 liters of warm water, let it sit for a day, and then water half a liter under each bush.
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You can use potassium humate or superphosphate for this. If the strawberries are just planting, then it is advisable to pour a handful of humus, compost or wood ash into each hole.
Preparatory activities
Before you start fertilizing strawberries in the fall, you need to carry out several preparatory procedures.
Pruning strawberry bushes
- First, the bed is inspected, all the tendrils that the bushes have sprouted, if not needed, are removed.
- It is also necessary to trim bad leaves from bushes. This includes leaves damaged by pests, diseased ones, those that are simply withered or almost completely dry. Only the greenest and most beautiful ones are left.
- Now all weeds are removed. There is no benefit from them - they only draw juices from the ground, especially if they are perennial weeds.
How to feed strawberries in the fall after trimming the leaves
It is best to prune strawberries after harvesting. Most strawberry varieties finish fruiting quite early, so the plantings quickly become overgrown with weeds, and their leaves become a “home” for bacteria and pests. Therefore, you need to almost immediately remove old yellowed strawberry leaves, revitalizing the plant. Immediately after trimming, treat the strawberries with warm water with the addition of potassium permanganate. The solution should be pale pink and should be sprayed evenly covering all parts of the plant. Then, spray finely sifted wood ash or crushed charcoal over the still damp bushes. After 2-3 days, repeat the treatment procedure.
Bird droppings
At the end of summer, bird droppings are suitable for plant nutrition. The main rule for successful treatment: droppings are an aggressive substance that can have a negative effect on the root system of garden plants. To prevent the chemicals in the composition from damaging the strawberries, fertilizing must be combined with abundant watering of the plants.
It is necessary to pour 0.5 kg of dried chicken manure into a tin container, pour 6 liters of warm water, and let the mixture brew at above-zero temperatures for 3-4 days without a lid. Add bushes to the root. In order for nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil, you must first make small holes and water the strawberry bushes.
“Crib sheet” for feeding strawberries after harvest so that next year it will be even larger
Caring for strawberries after autumn feeding
After any fertilizing, strawberry bushes must be watered abundantly. Liquid fertilizing should not be applied later than the last week of September. Otherwise, the roots of the plant may not tolerate frost. Whether to use cover for strawberries before winter frosts will depend on the climate conditions in which you live. If your winters usually have heavy snowfalls, then the snow cover for the berries will be enough to survive the cold.
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If you cover the beds with mulch immediately after applying fertilizer, you don’t have to fertilize until next fall - the protected roots will have enough fertilizer for the whole year. And, naturally, it is necessary to eliminate all pests and cure diseases if they appear on the plant, as well as remove diseased and rotten plant organs.
An integrated approach will help preserve most of the bushes and provide a good harvest of berries next year. It is necessary to fertilize strawberries in the fall, because the number of flowers and ovaries in the next season, as well as the taste and size of the berries, depends on this.
Signs of missing elements
A deficiency or excess of microelements can be determined by the external condition of the stems and leaves.
Nitrogen
If there is a shortage, the plants form small and pale leaves in the summer. The bushes grow slowly, bloom and bear fruit weakly. This usually happens with crops growing on acidic, cold and waterlogged soil.
When overfed, strawberries intensively increase their green mass, which inhibits flowering and berry formation.
Superphosphate
A sign of shortage - the leaves become smaller, the old ones become covered with a brownish coating, and the productivity of the bushes decreases.
The deficiency of this component increases if organic fertilizers are not applied for 2-3 years.
Potassium
If there is a deficiency, the leaves acquire a bluish-green color, become dull, and contain elements of a reddish tone. The leaf blades wrinkle and grow unevenly. The berries ripen not so aromatic, their taste deteriorates.
Strawberries planted on peat, sandy and sandy loam soils must be fed with this microelement 2-3 times per season.
Copper
If there is not enough copper, the leaves become variegated, wither, turn pale, the tips of the shoots die off, and the growth of the aerial part slows down. This phenomenon occurs on young seedlings, especially in extreme heat and drought.
Plantations planted on sandy and acidic soils usually suffer from deficiency.
Manganese
With a deficiency, elements of chlorosis appear on the upper leaves, as with iron deficiency. Often the leaves fall off. This happens when grown on acidic and alkaline soils.
Calcium
If strawberries lack calcium, the leaves become covered with chlorotic stripes, the edges curl, and the aboveground part stops growing and developing.
If there is an excess, the green mass turns intensely yellow, while the veins remain green.
Deficiency is usually observed on red soils, podzolic and peat soils.
Bor
Due to deficiency, the leaves become small, curl, the veins turn red, and necrotic spots appear. Strawberries bloom sparsely and produce a tasteless harvest; the berries become smaller.
Excess causes intoxication of the bushes - they turn yellow and dry out.
It is better to apply boron fertilizers together with deoxidizing components (calcite, dolomite flour, slaked lime) and a complex composition of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.
Basic Rules
It is advisable to apply fertilizer before the first frost.
- It is good to apply liquid fertilizers before frost, approximately until the last days of September, otherwise their use will lead to freezing of the roots;
- In October, when the risk of sudden cold snap increases, preference is given to dry mixtures;
Before the procedure, the bushes are pruned, removing excess tendrils and leaves. And then it is recommended to mulch the soil - this will help retain nutrient moisture and protect against pests;
Some gardeners prefer to alternate feeding methods, starting with applying liquid compounds to the ground, replacing them with foliar spraying on the foliage, and ending with root watering and mulching.
