Experienced gardeners know that feeding strawberries during flowering and fruiting is the main method of increasing the yield at the time of harvest. Thanks to the additional nutrition necessary for full development, the berry has time to release juice into the formation of not only beautiful and lush leaves, but also fruits. In a short period, fertilizers actively influence active fruiting, allowing you to harvest sweet, healthy and juicy berries. In total, strawberries are fed four times during the summer season, observing intervals and changing mineral complexes so as not to harm the crop. The choice in favor of a particular fertilizer depends on the following factors: the condition of the fruit plant, the acid-base balance of the soil, the presence of immunity to diseases and pests, drought or frost. For each variety, you can choose your own complementary food that can increase fruiting by 2-3 times, increasing not only the volume of berries, but also their weight.
Do strawberries need fertilizing during fruiting and flowering?
The importance of proper care during the berry growing season is undeniable. Without watering, weeding, loosening and necessary minerals, the crop will not be able to develop properly and may die, regardless of age. To avoid the common mistake of beginners and grow tasty and healthy sweets in your garden, in addition to the main care items, you should not forget about fertilizing. It can consist of ready-made complexes offered in gardening stores or be natural. The latter option, despite its long history, remains popular not only among grandparents who garden, but also among young summer residents who are just learning the basics of growing berries, vegetables, fruits and herbs in their backyard. The advantages of this option remain: absence of toxins and carcinogens, low cost, high efficiency.
Complementary feeding is carried out at intervals:
- the first time - in the middle of spring, when the sun warmed the soil and the set of leaves began;
- the second time - from late spring to mid-June, at the time of flowering;
- the third time - at the end of the summer season, to prepare the strawberries for wintering. First, fertilizers are applied, and spruce sawdust is scattered on top so that when severe frosts occur, the root system cannot freeze.
Many gardeners are accustomed to alternating complementary foods, allowing strawberries to be saturated with all the necessary minerals during flowering, as well as before and after. But if you have no experience in alternation, you can use ready-made fertilizers marked “Complex”. They contain everything necessary for active fruiting, not exceeding the permissible level. Thanks to this advantage, you can use such a product all year round, following the instructions for use and intervals that do not allow you to oversaturate the berry, causing it harm instead of benefit.
Choosing the best complex fertilizer depends on many factors. For one strawberry, the best option will be a cheap option, and for another, a more expensive one. When purchasing complementary foods, you should carefully study the recommendations indicated on the packaging, as well as the condition and composition of the soil, the climate of the cultivation region, the age of the plants and their appearance.
Organics are most often used for complementary feeding. During the flowering period, it is not absorbed into the leaves and flowers of strawberries, leaving the plants healthy and suitable for consumption by both adults and children who do not have individual intolerances or allergic reactions.
In order not to harm the berries, it is recommended to alternate fertilizers if you decide to use individual minerals. As an option, swap root and foliar feedings. Agronomists advise using nitrogen, organic and mineral fertilizers during the season, which affect plant maturation in different ways.
After adding complementary foods, the strawberries during the flowering period are poured generously from a hose or barrel, depending on the moisture temperature the plant is accustomed to. In order not to upset the “balance”, it is worth preserving the tradition.
Mineral fertilizers
There are complex mineral fertilizers and single-component ones. Applying single-component fertilizers means that only one useful element, such as nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus, enters the soil. The introduction of complex or complex fertilizing into the soil involves the introduction of several important elements into the soil, along with which substances such as copper, boron, iron, and calcium enter.
Such fertilizers are produced in granular, dry and liquid form. They can be used for root and foliar feeding.
Important! Strawberries do not tolerate chlorine, so fertilizers containing this element are not recommended.
The next fertilization of the berries is carried out around mid-April; the constant air temperature at this time should be at least +16 degrees. It is necessary to add fertilizing with urea to the soil. This is very important, because at lower temperatures, strawberries do not absorb nitrogen well. For this feeding, the main thing is to dilute the solution correctly. For 10 liters of water add only 1 tbsp. l. urea. Each bush is watered with the product at a dosage of 0.5 liters.
Mineral fertilizers should be diluted strictly according to the instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, a more concentrated solution may burn the plant, while a weaker solution will have no effect.
How often to feed strawberries?
Berries should be fertilized not only during flowering, but also in spring and autumn in order to achieve increased productivity in the summer. The rule applies not only to remontant and high-yielding varieties, but also to large-fruited, early, mid-ripening and late varieties.
Fertilizing is applied according to the following scheme:
1) The earliest - falls in the spring, namely, early to mid-May, when the leaves begin to actively grow. And although the use of fertilizers during this period is considered optional, many gardeners use a similar trick to accelerate recovery after a long winter. Often, nitrogen supplements are used. Some of the best options include cow and horse manure. An alternative is purchased solutions that require mixing with settled water. Dilution is carried out strictly according to the instructions indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.
2) Secondary repetition occurs during flowering. Some gardeners apply fertilizing before the flowers form, others at the moment pollination begins. During the ovary period, strawberries need additional potassium contained in ready-made complex fertilizers. Its use has a positive effect on the release of juice and its direction into the formation of fruits.
3) The penultimate feeding is carried out after the fruits appear. In order not to poison the berries with toxins and carcinogens harmful to the body, use exclusively natural fertilizers containing boron and potassium. Wood ash, which normalizes the acid-base balance of the soil, will improve the impact of mineral elements and normalize the PH level of the soil.
4) The last application of fertilizers occurs in the fall. In preparation for winter, in addition to mulching the soil, nutrients are added that allow the crop to more quickly withstand cold air temperatures. Wood ash, mullein and nitroammophoska are an ideal combination suitable for the post-harvest period. After scattering complementary food, the soil is not spilled, but mulched with a thin layer reaching 2-4 cm in thickness. Suitable materials for agricultural technology include: straw, freshly cut grass, sawdust.
Advice from experienced gardeners
To get a good harvest, it is important to properly care for the crop during flowering. Experienced gardeners share exactly how to care for strawberries:
- During this period, the berries need regular watering, the schedule of which depends on the air temperature. At +20-22° C, the beds are watered once every 3-4 days, at +25° C - once a day, at higher temperatures - twice a day in the morning and evening.
- You need to water the bushes so that the soil does not erode near the roots. This can be achieved by using a splitter attachment or by pinching the hose at the end.
- After watering, the soil must be loosened. In the root zone they deepen only 2-3 cm; further away from the bushes you can loosen the soil deeper. Until the berries ripen, this procedure should be carried out 2-3 times a week.
- It is important to carry out weeding regularly. It is more convenient to do this 30-40 minutes after watering. Weeding can be combined with loosening. Weeds are pulled out by hand.
- You can increase the yield and improve its quality using mulching. In this case, there will be no need to weed the beds, and the berries will remain clean and healthy. Mown grass, cardboard, chopped straw, pine needles, and agrotextiles are used as mulch.
- To prevent slugs from spoiling the harvest, protect the plantings by dusting the ground near the strawberries with ash or lime. You can also scatter crushed eggshells near the bushes. To repel other pests, the bed is sprayed with onion, garlic or mustard infusion.
- Abundant fruiting will be facilitated by regular removal of the strawberry mustache during the formation of the ovary. You can also remove some leaves. It is permissible to remove up to a third of all foliage from one bush without damaging the plant.
How to choose fertilizer for active flowering and fruiting?
As with most berry crops, complementary feeding for strawberries is determined based on the condition of the plant and the quality of the soil. If black soil predominates in the garden, and internal waters run deep, there will be enough organic matter to achieve an increased yield. In another situation, when most of the soil is sand and clay, and only the roots of the plants remain after wintering, it is recommended to use complex complementary foods consisting of minerals and nitrogen additives that affect not only the top, but also the hidden part of the plant - the roots.
- Yeast feeding
Regardless of whether strawberries or garden strawberries grow in the garden, yeast will help fertilize the berry crop. Fertilizer consisting of 500 g of fresh product and 2.5 liters of water will be enough for 12-15 bushes. When applying the solution, you should use only settled water, previously heated in a barrel. It will allow complementary foods to infuse faster and be used in a volume of 200 ml after 45-60 minutes. To speed up the fermentation process, it is recommended to add 100 g of granulated sugar.
- Chicken droppings or horse manure
To feed strawberries in spring and summer during flowering, it is recommended to use ready-made, naturally produced fertilizer. Horse manure or chicken droppings, according to the gardener's preference, can be used as a solution for one-time watering. For guidance, use the following consistency: 1 kg per 30 liters of water. Fertilizer is poured under each bush in a volume of 200-250 ml. As the soil becomes saturated, cold water is poured from a hose.
- Wood ash
A universal fertilizer used by many gardeners. Ash is used to add organic matter and normalize the acid-base balance of the soil. For each bush, take 50-100 g of the product, leave it for 1 hour, and then wash it off so as not to burn the foliage. The advantage of this option is the combination of disease prevention and complementary feeding.
- Boric acid
You can speed up the formation of strawberries and achieve even and large sizes using boric acid. 1 g of the additive is diluted in 5 liters of settled water, stirred well and used as a root fertilizer. You can improve the classic composition with a few drops of potassium permanganate and 100 g of wood ash.
- Iodine solution
This ingredient is unlikely to make strawberries large-fruited and high-yielding, but it can prevent the formation of bacterial disease, the occurrence of root rot and the appearance of slugs.
- "Ovary"
Store-bought fertilizer can also be useful for fertilizing strawberries. It can be used as a complex of organics and minerals to obtain increased yield by the beginning of the season. The most important thing is not to overdo it! The drug should be diluted according to the instructions, observing the proportions and recommendations left by the manufacturer on the packaging.
Traditional methods of fertilizing strawberries
There are several effective ways to fertilize berries, which are considered folk. Compost is great for this. It is simply laid in a circle around the plant; when moisture gets on it, nutrients enter the root system.
Ash
Coniferous and wood ash, as well as ash obtained by burning grapevines, sunflowers, and potato tops, contains a huge amount of useful microelements. Ash is used in early spring. A handful of ash must be added to the hole when planting berry bushes.
For root feeding, it is recommended to make an ash product. Infuse 1 liter of ash in 10 liters of water, water each berry bush with 1 liter of the product. Ash helps very well against diseases. If damaged or dry leaves appear on the bush, you need to powder the bush with ash. For each infected bush, you need to use about 15 g of ash.
Iodine
Iodine has antiseptic effects. It is used not only for treatment, it is perfect as a fertilizer. Spraying with iodine solution is carried out before the plant blooms. Next, the procedure must be repeated 3 times with a time interval of 10 days.
For the solution, you need to dissolve 5-10 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water. The dosage must be observed, otherwise the plants may get burned.
Bread crusts
Yeast has a beneficial effect on the growth of bushes; it is found in abundance in rye bread.
For the solution you need 1 loaf of rye bread or crusts, soak in 1 liter of warm water. Let it ferment well for 7 days. This mixture turns out to be quite concentrated; before use, it is diluted in 10 liters of water.
On a note! Fertilizer based on rye bread is valued for its high content of amino acids and essential minerals.
Boric acid
It is very useful to feed the berries with boric acid-based fertilizer during the budding period. It stimulates the setting of buds.
To prepare the product, 2 g of boric acid is dissolved in 10 liters of water, 1 liter of ash and 2 g of potassium permanganate are added. The entire bush is sprayed with the solution from all sides.
Yeast
Yeast feeding is also very useful. Thanks to it, strawberry bushes get sick less often and grow faster.
To fertilize, soak 200 g of fresh yeast in 0.5 liters of water and leave for 20 minutes. The water should be warm. After which the mixture is poured into 9 liters of water, the berries are watered generously.
You can use dry baker's yeast. The mixture is prepared as follows: dissolve 1 packet of yeast and 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. sugar and leave the mixture for 2 hours. Fertilizer is applied to the soil at an air temperature of +15 degrees.
Spoiled milk
To fill the soil with phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and normalize the acidity of the soil, you can fertilize with sour milk.
Before use, the sour milk product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. Milk is added to the soil at a distance of 10 cm from the root system of the plant.
This method helps to increase yield and disease resistance. The solution can be applied by the root method, as well as sprayed.
Video: Feed strawberries with this during flowering and fruiting
How to use mullein to feed strawberries
Cow dung is organic and one of the most popular folk remedies, which contains a complex of useful substances and is suitable for feeding all crops.
However, cow manure cannot be used in its pure form, since a high concentration of minerals can destroy the root system.
In order to feed strawberries with mullein, you need to prepare a solution. For this:
- Mix 1 kg of cow manure in 2 liters of water and leave for 2-3 days until fermentation;
- fermented material should be dissolved in 5 liters of water;
- water the soil under the bushes, avoiding contact with leaves and berries.
Feeding with mullein should be done once every 15-20 days. Using this folk remedy too often can lead to the appearance of rot and pests.
Fresh manure can be applied to the soil in the fall while digging up the site. Over the winter, the product rots and breaks down into components without harming the plants.
How to make green fertilizer from grass to feed strawberries
One of the most common means for feeding strawberries is green fertilizer.
In order to prepare green fertilizer, various herbs are used, including weeds. However, the following plants are most often chosen for strawberries:
- dandelion;
- yarrow;
- sagebrush;
- wheatgrass;
- nettle;
- tomato tops
The plants must be finely chopped with a sharp knife and placed in a deep plastic container. Next, pour warm water in the proportion: 2 liters of water per 1 kg of grass. Cover with a lid and leave for 3-4 days to ferment.
After the substance has fermented, the soil under the strawberry bushes is watered with the resulting fertilizer.
Green fertilizer contains a complex of nutrients and not only increases productivity, but also restores strawberries after diseases.
How to breed chicken manure
Chicken manure contains nitrogen and potassium.
Using a folk remedy in its pure form will lead to the death of strawberries. Therefore, before feeding, it is necessary to prepare an infusion. For this:
- 100 grams of litter are dissolved in 3 liters of water;
- leave for 2 days;
- dissolve the resulting infusion in 2 liters of warm water and feed it by watering the soil under the bushes.
If granular litter is used as feeding, there is no need to dissolve it. Just scatter it around the area and water it generously. No more than 300 grams of granules are used per m2.
Compost for strawberries
It is recommended to feed strawberries with compost in the spring.
This folk remedy contains all the necessary nutrients and will be an ideal feed before the formation of buds.
To fertilize, compost should be used as mulch for garden beds. The thickness of the mulch is at least 3 cm. After the area is mulched, you need to water the plant generously.
Infusion for watering strawberries from fermented milk products
It is recommended to use whey for the berries. Whey contains a large amount of useful substances. These include:
- iron;
- phosphorus;
- magnesium;
- calcium;
- zinc.
This folk remedy for strawberries not only acts as a top dressing, but also protects the plant from such a dangerous disease as late blight.
To use whey, prepare a solution:
- Mix 1 liter of whey with 2 liters of warm water;
- add 2 drops of iodine and feed by watering the soil under the bushes.
The feeding procedure is carried out in two stages. The interval between applying the folk remedy must be at least 10 days.
Fertilizing strawberries after flowering during the formation of ovaries
For better fruiting, you can use three fertilizer options:
1) complementary foods based on boron, wood ash and water; 2) superphosphate and warm water; 3) complex fertilizers consisting of minerals and organic matter.
If you want to speed up the formation of ovaries, you should pass a diluted boron solution over the leaves. It is better to use cotton pads for wiping. In case of allergic reactions, work should be carried out with gloves.
Complementary feeding can only be done in the evening. It is best if the weather is warm.
What means to use as treatment?
For foliar feeding, you can use ready-made complex products. For example, Hera. It is also quite possible to use folk recipes: yeast infusion, green fertilizer from nettles.
The following compositions are quite effective: 2 grams of potassium permanganate, 1 gram of boric acid, 2 grams of potassium sulfate and 1 liter of water. Everything is mixed and the bushes are processed. This will not only be a top dressing, but also a fungicide that will prevent the development of diseases.
You can only use potassium nitrate - 2 teaspoons per bucket of water. Or just boric acid (10 g per bucket of water).
How to feed strawberries during fruiting?
Feeding is important not only during flowering, but also during fruiting. To get the maximum yield, characterized by increased juiciness and sweetness, it is worth choosing a fertilizer that is safe for health and beneficial for plants during the ripening period. Among the options:
1) mullein mixed with settled water. For 1 kg of product, take 7-9 liters of water; 2) chicken manure mixed with water. There are 5 liters of liquid per 1 kg; 3) an infusion of fresh nettles and freshly cut grass. You can infuse the product at home using a bucket filled with 4 liters of water; 4) a handful of dry mustard and 1/4 bottle of 3% peroxide, mixed in 10 liters of water; 5) potassium monophosphate is diluted with water according to the instructions indicated on the package. Once ready, the beds are watered at the rate of 180-200 ml per bush.
Mineral-organic fertilizers
The greatest efficiency is achieved when feeding the plant with mineral-organic fertilizers. They include all the nutrients and microelements necessary for the plant. They are introduced at a time when the leaves begin to bloom.
Mineral-organic complexes:
- 1 tbsp. l. Dilute ammonium sulfate in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 1 liter;
- 1 tbsp. l. urea + 0.5 tbsp. ash + 0.5 tsp. boric acid + 3 g potassium permanganate. All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 0.5 liters. for 1 bush.
Feeding after pruning
Once the strawberry picking is complete, it’s time to trim off excess leaves and add complementary foods. You can use any of the above fertilizer options for complementary feeding. The choice in favor of the best should be made according to the desired expectations. For example, if you want to saturate the plants and get a rich harvest next year, it is better to give preference to complex fertilizers. To normalize PH, disinfect and saturate the plant with nutrients, you may prefer charcoal.
An exception to the rules included in the list of prohibited means for applying fertilizers after pruning is nitrogen and complementary foods based on it. If desired, future fruiting rates can be improved using litter and manure.
Without adding nitrogen, the plant will survive the winter better, giving its owner a good harvest rich in vitamins, macro- and microelements for the next year. If you do not follow the recommendations, the strawberries will grow leaves again, resuming juice distribution.
What do strawberries like?
To increase productivity, you should feed strawberries with complex mixtures. The plant needs the following elements:
- nitrogen. Stimulates plant growth and is necessary for the development of the root system;
- potassium. The element promotes abundant flowering and reduces the risk of diseases;
- phosphorus. Promotes root development and saturates the plant with the necessary energy for growth and ripening of berries.
When growing strawberries, summer residents often use complex fertilizers that contain all the necessary elements. However, when using nitrogen, you should be careful, since rapid and uncontrolled growth of the above-ground part can lead to a lack of yield.
Common mistakes, list:
1) use of inappropriate fertilizers during all periods of growth. When strawberries need to be fed during flowering in order to get a good harvest, you should not prefer yeast fertilizers that activate the growth of leaves and root systems. Conversely, before wintering, you cannot use nitrogen complexes that accelerate the collection of juice and its distribution;
2) the only complementary food allowed on an ongoing basis is an infusion of nettles, which increases productivity and allows you to reap a good harvest, regardless of the weather in the region;
3) in order for strawberries to be preserved after wintering, they should not be left open. Mulching should be carried out using one of the acceptable materials. Alternatively: straw, freshly cut grass and spruce sawdust;
4) for introducing yeast complementary foods, only fresh product is suitable. It is not recommended to use dry yeast! Gardeners leaving reviews on the forum and on social networks have repeatedly noted the negative effect of the ingredient in dry form;
5) when using wood ash, calculating the volume per bush is quite simple. A handful that fits in your fist will be enough. If you overdo it, you can burn the foliage, causing the leaves to turn yellow and fall off just a few days after feeding;
6) fresh manure cannot be used in the spring and in the first half of summer, otherwise it may cause the appearance of diseases and pests at the time of active growth and fruiting;
7) high concentrate of chicken manure does not allow the use of fertilizer more than once a year. Its application can be done from mid-August until the start of frost in the proportion of 20 g per bush. If you overdo it, the strawberries may get sick, stop bearing fruit, and even die.
Removing unnecessary mustaches
[short1] The whiskers on strawberries grow very quickly, so if you don’t watch them, after a while the strawberry plantings will become very thick. If you trim the mustache in time, you can get high-quality material for planting. To increase the yield of strawberries, excess whiskers must be removed.
For planting material, it is necessary to select the first rosettes of the mustache. They need to be lightly sprinkled with soil for them to take root. After complete rooting, the mustache and subsequent rosettes should be cut off. At the end of August, you can already plant strawberries in a permanent place.
Mustache trimming rules:
- it is strictly forbidden to pick off the strawberry tendrils; along with them, you can tear out the plant completely or damage the roots;
- Processing should be carried out in dry, cloudy weather. You can also prune early in the morning or late in the evening. It is not recommended to prune the plant in hot weather. At high temperatures and the scorching sun it can become stressed, and in damp weather it can become infected with fungal or infectious diseases;
- cut the mustache at a distance of 10 cm from the native bush;
- pruning is carried out using sharp pruning shears or scissors.
If you follow all the recommendations, the plant will not get sick and will adapt immediately after the procedure.
Photo of proper feeding of strawberries:
Feeding strawberries during flowering and fruiting is a must in caring for the berry crop. To achieve active fruiting and large fruits corresponding to the description of the variety, fertilizing should be done no more than four times a year, alternating additives, mineral complexes and organic matter with each other.
What microelements do flowering strawberries need?
First of all, flowering strawberries need potassium. Accordingly, the emphasis in feeding should be on those preparations that contain an increased amount of this microelement.
The second most important element is nitrogen. It is responsible for the duration of the flowering period. The lack of an element entails a decrease in the number of ovaries.
Phosphorus and magnesium are no less important for strawberries. These microelements are responsible for the speed of fruit set.
Thus, during flowering, strawberries require complex feeding. It is important that the bush receives all the necessary microelements in the right quantities.
