In autumn, traditionally, the time comes to plant new strawberry bushes on your site. On this page you will learn how to choose the right time for planting depending on the region and the lunar calendar in 2022, as well as how to feed and care for strawberries in the fall.
What to do with strawberries in the fall to get a good harvest
Strawberries should be prepared for the coming winter and the future harvest immediately after the fruiting period. Experienced gardeners and gardeners include the following important autumn care procedures:
- removal of diseased and damaged leaves and tendrils;
- thorough weeding of beds from weeds;
- loosening the soil between the rows;
- seasonal and preventive treatment against insect pests and garden diseases;
- Hilling would be appropriate, especially in areas with cold climates;
- soil fertilization with mineral and organic substances;
- updating old sockets;
- regular moderate watering;
- shelter from winter temperature drops.
Ignoring at least one activity from this care list may negatively affect the further development of strawberries. Each event on this list needs to be given attention.
Strawberry varieties by ripening period
Early varieties of strawberries, photos and names
Strawberry Zephyr
Large-fruited variety, which was bred in Denmark. The bushes are powerful, tall, flowering abundantly. Under snow cover, the plant tolerates frosts down to -35 degrees, but in winters with little snow it dies at temperatures of -8-10 degrees. Strawberries are dark red, scallop-shaped and early ripening. The weight of strawberries can reach 15-35 g.
Strawberry Baron Solemacher
Beardless remontant strawberry with a compact, heavily pubescent bush up to 25 cm high. The berries are small, conical, bright carmine color with a glossy surface. The fruits of this early strawberry have a strong aroma.
Photo by: na-tka
Strawberry Queen Elizabeth 2
This remontant strawberry variety was bred by Russian botanists. The berries are bright red in color; in the first wave of the harvest (early June) they may be irregular in shape; the second July harvest produces large, regular-shaped fruits. The pulp of the berries is dense, juicy, excellent for transportation and freezing.
Mid-early strawberry varieties, photos and names
Strawberry Cinderella
The plant is compact and produces few tendrils. The leaves are large, dark green in color, covered with a waxy coating. Inflorescences are few-flowered, white. The berries are in the shape of a blunt cone, quite large, weighing from 23 to 40 g. The strawberry pulp is red-orange, dense, with a sweet and sour taste. High-yielding, winter-hardy variety.
Photo by: Victoria-R
Strawberry Asia
The result of Italian selection. Bushes with strong roots can easily withstand harsh winters. The berries are bright red, conical, slightly flattened, very sweet.
Strawberry Vima Kimberly
A plant with a powerful, tall (30-40 cm) bush. The leaves are rhombic, light green, with sharp teeth. The flowers of garden strawberries are white, the berries are red, with delicate sweet pulp, weighing up to 50 g.
Photo by: Alemao
Mid-season strawberry varieties, photos and names
Strawberry Festival
It is a tall bush with a large rosette. The berries are bright red, conical, slightly flattened and grooved. The fruit pulp is juicy, with a pleasant taste, and quite dense. The weight of the berries of the first wave of the harvest reaches 45 g, the average weight of subsequent berries is from 10 to 25 g. This mid-season strawberry variety is shade-tolerant and is not afraid of frost.
Strawberry Holiday
A tall, spreading, frost-resistant bush of beardless strawberries, the berries are round-conical, weighing up to 32 g in the first wave of the harvest, later becoming slightly smaller. The fruits are medium-sized, yellow in color, have a wonderful aroma and sweet taste. The plant reaches a height of 25-30 cm.
Strawberry Fireworks
The bush of the plant is spherical in shape, with dark green ovate leaves. The berries are dark red, shiny, sweet and sour, with dense pulp, weighing on average 13 g.
Photo by: Lady Irin
Mid-late strawberry varieties, photos and names
Strawberry Queen
A plant with large (up to 40 g), sweet and sour red berries. The variety is productive, resistant to frost and heat, and is little affected by fungal diseases and pests.
Strawberry Gigantella Maxim
Large-fruited variety: the first wave of the harvest produces berries weighing up to 90-100 g, later the weight of the fruit decreases to 60-65 g. The berries are bright scarlet in color, juicy, but with a rather dense consistency.
Strawberry Roxana
The bushes are compact, of medium height. The fruits are red or dark red, large, with a slightly shiny surface. Strawberries have a bright aroma and excellent taste.
Late varieties of strawberries, photos and names
Strawberry Vikoda
Valued for its ease of care (no mustache) and unpretentiousness to temperature conditions. The berries are large, red, with dense pulp, so they are ideal for transportation.
Strawberry Mitze Schindler
The berries are medium in size, with a unique taste and aroma. The variety is undemanding to watering, lighting and temperature conditions. The plant is resistant to fungal diseases.
Strawberry variety Malvina
Produces large, sweet, bright cherry-colored berries. The variety is resistant to diseases, is not affected by powdery mildew, and almost never rots. Resistant to rain and drought. The height of the bushes reaches 40 cm. The weight of large-fruited strawberries reaches 20-25 g.
How to choose the time for autumn planting according to the lunar calendar in 2022
You need to decide when to plant strawberries, first of all, based on the weather conditions of a particular day.
But, if there is such an opportunity, then it is better to plant new rosettes during the waxing moon phase.
But it is better not to carry out any planting work on the full moon and new moon. Plants do not take root well and often get sick.
Favorable days
- in October – 1, 17 – 31.
- in November – 16 – 29.
Unfavorable days
- in October – 2, 16, 31.
- in November – 15, 30.
When to plant strawberries in spring: optimal timing
When is it better to plant strawberries in the spring, in what month? The optimal timing for planting in open ground is determined by weather conditions. The right time comes when the air temperature begins to stably stay above 15 degrees Celsius .
The deadlines differ in different regions of our country:
- In the central zone (including the Moscow region) - the spring procedure can be performed at the end of April.
- In the South (Krasnodar Territory (Kuban), North Caucasus ) - at the end of March or early April.
- In Siberia, the Urals, and the Leningrad region , it is better to plant garden strawberries at the end of May.
The listed dates are arbitrary, because weather conditions may differ, so you need to focus on the air temperature.
Also, when choosing the optimal time, the cycles of the moon will come to the rescue. Thus, the best time for planting strawberries in the spring according to the Lunar calendar 2022:
- Favorable days: in March: 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29;
- in April: 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25;
- in May: all days except 14-16 and 28-30;
- in June: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23;
- Unfavorable time for the procedure: in March: 1, 2, 3, 16, 30;
- in April: 15, 16, 17, 29, 30;
- in May: 14, 15, 16, 28, 29, 30;
- in June: 12, 13, 14, 29.
How to choose the right planting material
Even if you follow all the rules, fulfill all the requirements and provide the best care possible for your plantings, everything can go to waste due to poor-quality planting material.
The criteria by which to select planting material are described below.
Age of sockets
For the procedure in the fall, seedlings taken from bushes 1 and 2 years old are suitable. They will produce the largest number of berries.
If you buy seedlings in a store, nursery or market, you will have to trust the words of the seller.
Condition of seedlings
New strawberries must be of high quality. This means that the presence of signs of disease, spots on leaves, and yellowing is unacceptable on the rosettes.
The seedlings should look healthy and strong. A good rosette has 3-4 strong healthy leaves, roots without rot, 5 to 10 cm long.
Variety
The strawberry variety or hybrid must match your climate zone. If you grow strawberries in the Leningrad region, you should not buy those varieties and hybrids that are intended for the Krasnodar region.
Preparing seedlings
It is not enough to simply buy or grow seedlings on the plot. You also need to properly prepare strawberries for planting in open ground in the fall.
Purchased
Ready seedlings are sold with an open and closed root system (in a container).
Before planting in the fall, seedlings must have:
- 4–5 developed, healthy leaves;
- roots 7-10 cm long;
- horns with a base diameter of at least 1 cm.
Plants with an open root system must meet these requirements. When purchasing seedlings in pots, choose one where the roots tightly fill the container.
In 50% of cases, seedlings brought from the nursery are affected by some kind of disease. To prevent nematodes, mites and root aphids, the bushes are warmed up by immersing them entirely in a bucket of water at +50 °C for 10 minutes.
Self-grown
Homemade seedlings are usually healthier and stronger than purchased ones. By autumn, they grow 4-5 well-developed leaves without yellow spots, a powerful root system up to 10 cm long with a neck 1–1.5 cm at the base.
An hour before planting, the seedlings are soaked in a biostimulator of growth: Heteroauxin, Kornevin. The roots of plants taken out of the box are dipped in clay or earthen mash with the addition of a stimulant. This speeds up the establishment.
Read more about how to grow strawberry seedlings from seeds →
Strawberry varieties for planting in autumn
An important rule when choosing planting material is to purchase zoned varieties intended for cultivation in a specific climatic zone.
In the north, this makes it possible to grow berries without the risk of freezing or crop loss due to bad weather in the summer.
But even in the southern regions, varieties adapted to the area provide greater returns, including the quality of the harvest.
In addition, pay attention to the following characteristics:
- susceptibility to diseases and pests;
- resistance to weather influences (frost, drought, heavy rain, wind);
- stability of yields.
There are two groups of strawberry varieties: remontant and ordinary.
The first ones are distinguished by the fact that they bear fruit several times per season. As a rule, bushes produce 2-3 waves of berries, sometimes 4. There are also varieties that bear fruit continuously. Propagating remontant strawberries in the fall is not always convenient. Some of these varieties stop filling berries only with the arrival of frost. In this case, it is necessary to stop fruiting artificially - tear off flower stalks and ovaries. Also, most remontant varieties form a small number of whiskers, and some do not have them at all. Propagating remontant strawberries in the fall is not always convenient. Some of these varieties stop filling berries only with the arrival of frost. In this case, it is necessary to stop fruiting artificially - tear off flower stalks and ovaries. Regular strawberries produce one harvest per summer. Based on the time it takes for the berries to ripen, early, middle and late varieties are distinguished.
The choice of ripening period should take into account the region where the crop is grown:
- Early varieties are successfully cultivated in the southern regions. Even in the middle zone, not to mention Siberia or the Urals, there is a risk that the color of the bushes will suffer from late frosts. Therefore, varieties with a short ripening period are usually grown in a greenhouse.
- Mid-ripening strawberries are the optimal solution for northern regions, such as the Leningrad region. Plants normally tolerate a long spring and do not suffer crop losses due to the abundance of rain in the second half of summer and early autumn.
- Late strawberries are suitable for growing even in the harsh climate of Siberia. It bears fruit from the last ten days of July to mid-August, so the bushes have time to prepare for the cold. Late-ripening varieties can be grown both in the south and in the middle zone.
It is convenient to plant early and mid-season strawberries in the fall. Plants finish fruiting early, so they have some time to get established. It is more advisable to propagate late varieties, especially in northern climates, in the spring. Good remontant varieties:
| Elizabeth II | Baron Solemacher |
| Selva | Temptation |
| Albion | Lord |
| Mara de Bois | Ali Baba |
| Garland | Tanyusha |
| Rügen |
Popular varieties of regular strawberries:
| Kimberly | Anablanca |
| Pocahontas | Crown |
| Alba | Queen |
| Zarya | Forest fairy tale |
| Elsanta | Honey |
| Hercules | Onega |
| Valerie | Gum |
| Asia | Florence |
| Bereginya | Clery |
| Rusanovka | Gigantella |
| Kent |
Favorable and unfavorable neighbors of strawberries
When planting different crops in the garden, it is very important to take into account proximity and compatibility, because different crops can have both positive and neutral effects on each other, as well as negative ones. Because of the latter, growth inhibition, reduction or absence of fruiting is possible.
Unfavorable neighbors
If you want to grow healthy strawberry bushes and get a good harvest, then you need to protect your garden strawberries from their proximity to bad companions:
- raspberries,
- any representatives of nightshades (but especially tomatoes and potatoes),
- Jerusalem artichoke,
- sunflowers,
- cabbage,
- representatives of the clove family.
Positive neighbors
You can and should plant strawberries next to:
- carrots,
- radish,
- radish,
- onions,
- garlic,
- legumes,
- parsley,
- sage
- spinach,
- sorrel,
- salad,
- You can plant it next to good neighbors - beautiful flowers: irises, tulips, marigolds, delphinium, clematis, peonies.
Legumes have a particularly beneficial effect - they help loosen the soil and enrich the soil with elements useful for strawberries. And garlic, onions, marigolds, parsley and sage repel crop pests and prevent some diseases.
Choosing a place and preparing the soil
The health of strawberries, the quality and quantity of the harvest largely depends on the conditions in which they grow.
Even good care will not have a noticeable effect on the taste or size of the berries if the plants are constantly experiencing discomfort.
Choose a place to plant strawberries according to the following criteria:
- The area should be flooded with sunlight during the day. Bushes that have not experienced light deficiency produce the sweetest berries.
- But in the southern regions, shade for a couple of hours (ideally around noon) only contributes to the health of the strawberries.
- On the north side of the planting there should be a barrier to the wind - a house wall, a fence, etc.
- In this case, the area should be well ventilated.
- The bed can be located on the slope of a hill. Preferably from the southwest, then the terrain will also serve as protection from the wind.
- Strawberries cannot be planted in lowlands. In such places, cold air accumulates, and the soil is heavily flooded with meltwater.
- Planting in wetlands is not allowed. Soil water should pass no higher than 1 meter from the surface.
Strawberries are demanding on the structure and fertility of the soil. It is a crop that greatly depletes the soil, so it must have a supply of food for 3-4 years. The plant develops and bears fruit worst of all on heavy clay soil; the roots in it suffer from oxygen deficiency and can rot. Evaluate the substrate in advance and correct its deficiencies if necessary.
Soil requirements:
- light, loose;
- loam, sandy loam or black soil;
- with weak acidity - about 5.5-6.5 pH;
- fertile, rich in humus.
Before planting, in spring or summer, it is useful to sow green manure on the site, and after a couple of months plant the greenery in the ground.
Such plants not only supply the soil with nutrition, but also significantly improve its structure.
Best options before strawberries:
- clover;
- lupine;
- mustard;
- peas;
- oats
The weak point of strawberries is the root system; the less impact it receives, the better. If you prepare the soil immediately before planting, it will soon settle, exposing the roots.
Hilling is ineffective, since autumn rains will erode the embankment. As a result, the risk of freezing increases by an order of magnitude. Prepare the bed for strawberries at least 20-30 days before planting. This time is enough for the soil to “settle.” Preparation begins with removing weeds and digging. Experienced gardeners recommend digging up the area twice, this allows you to form the most suitable soil structure for strawberries. During the first digging, the layers of earth are turned over, deepening the shovel to the length of the bayonet (30 cm). Try to select all the rhizomes of perennial weeds, do not leave even fragments - they can sprout.
Water the dug-up bed, spending about 5-7 liters of water per square, no more.
If the predecessors of the strawberries suffered from fungal diseases, spill the soil with a solution of a biological product - Fitosporin-M, Fitolavin, Previkur Energy and others.
Work continues in a couple of days. If necessary, the soil is adjusted at this stage.
To do this, add to the garden bed:
| Soil characteristics | Correction material | Consumption per 1 m2 |
| clayey | river sand | 20-30 kg |
| sandy | peat | 10-20 kg |
| alkaline (above 7 pH) | high peat | 10 kg |
| acidic (below 5.5 pH) | wood ash | 200 g |
| dolomite flour |
Only organic fertilizers can increase the nutritional value of the soil. Strawberries grown with mineral fertilizers produce sour and watery berries. Use one of the options as organic:
- humus (rotted manure) – 40 kg per square;
- compost - similar;
- fresh manure - 10 kg, add 30 kg of compost if the soil is sandy;
- fresh manure - 10 kg, add 30 kg of sand if the soil is clayey.
Try to use humus, as fresh manure is too active.
Even taking into account a month before planting, it can burn the roots of the seedlings and give them excess nitrogen nutrition, which is unacceptable on the eve of winter.
But if the soil needs correction, the material can be used, since other components will soften it.
To fertilize with potassium and phosphorus, apply mineral fertilizers:
- superphosphate – 50-70 g per square meter. meter;
- potassium sulfate – 20-30 g;
- potassium salt (replacement for potassium sulfate) – 30 g.
Wood ash contains both phosphorus and potassium, but reduces the acidity of the soil, so it is not always suitable as a fertilizer. Add up to 500 g of ash per 1 m2 to acidic soil. In recipes for this fertilizer you can see urea. This substance should not be used in preparation for planting in the fall. Firstly, plants do not need nitrogen during this period, and secondly, by spring, when the macronutrient is needed, it will be washed out of the soil by precipitation and melt water.
Sprinkle all fertilizers over the surface in dry form and dig the area again.
After this, water the bed and, when the soil dries, level it with a rake, breaking up any large lumps. After a month you can plant strawberries.
Planting strawberry seedlings
Planting strawberry seedlings in the fall is carried out immediately or within an hour after removing the bushes from the box. The more time the bare roots are exposed to air, the worse the seedling will take root. Plants in pots are watered with water 6 hours before rooting and replanted with a lump of earth.
Into the garden
You can plant strawberries in the fall only at above-zero temperatures both day and night, even if the cold snap is short-lived. For work, choose a cloudy day or root the seedlings in the evening.
How to plant strawberries in the garden in the fall:
- Make holes 10–15 cm deep and water.
- Place a seedling in each, cover with soil up to the root collar.
- Compact the soil, form circular furrows, and water again.
- After the water has been absorbed, loosen the soil and mulch it.
The optimal scheme for planting strawberries in autumn is 25–30 cm distance between bushes, 40 cm between rows, 60 cm between beds. Seedlings are rooted in rows, in a square-cluster or strip method.
If the soil was not fertilized before planting strawberries, you need to add a handful of humus and 100 g of wood ash or a matchbox of “Autumn” fertilizer to each hole.
Video: how to properly plant strawberries in a garden bed in open ground in the fall
Into the tunnel
A tunnel is a structure made of film or agrofibre and a frame that protects seedlings from temperature effects. To regulate humidity, the tunnel is ventilated by raising the end edges.
Planting strawberries in tunnels is carried out in the traditional way: with preliminary soil preparation and ensuring drainage properties. The only difference is that the rooting time in the middle zone can be postponed from August to September. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, the soil will retain heat longer, giving plants time to develop.
For agrofibre
Planting strawberries on agrofibre in the fall is an excellent option for the Urals and Siberia. For better protection from frost, mulch can be poured over the material in the aisles and near the bushes.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Cover the desired area with material and secure along the edges.
- Make markings with chalk, cut round or cross-shaped holes, bend the edges. To do this, use a stationery knife or scissors.
- Plant strawberries in the holes, spreading the soil with your hands.
- Water the plants.
Under spandbond, strawberries are planted in the fall at the same depth as in the garden bed - 10–15 cm. If necessary, fertilizer is added to the hole.
Attention. This method of planting strawberries requires a well-thought-out moisture system. It makes more sense to install drip irrigation by laying pipes under agrotextiles.
Video: technology for planting strawberries on black agrofibre in the fall
In bags
To plant strawberries in bags, you can use any dense material, reinforced or greenhouse film. From factory ones, products for animal feed or polyethylene for flour and sugar are suitable.
The bags are filled with fertile soil and placed in rows on racks or placed vertically in a sunny area. Holes (pockets) are made in the walls into which seedlings are placed.
Planting strawberries in bags in the fall is possible only in the southern regions. In regions with unstable weather and low temperatures in winter, plants will freeze even under cover.
Vertical bed
Strawberry is an unpretentious plant. It can grow and bear fruit in both horizontal and vertical positions. This is used by gardeners who do not have enough space on their plot to set up full-fledged beds.
The method is suitable for growing strawberries on balconies, greenhouses and other confined spaces.
How and when to prune strawberries in the fall?
Gardeners have different opinions about autumn pruning. Some of them argue that pruning the bushes can be harmful, since the strawberry will spend a lot of energy on restoration, and there will not be enough time to fully prepare it for the winter period.
Others say that this must be done so that the garden bed does not become a place for the development of fungal and infectious diseases, as well as a breeding ground for parasitic insects, which often hide in the leaves.
In order not to harm the crop, pruning should be done in the first ten days of September. By observing these deadlines, compact bushes will get rid of unwanted guests and diseases, and will also easily recover in time for winter cold snaps.
To carry out the procedure, you will need garden shears or sharp pruning shears, which must be disinfected before starting work and during the operation.
After carefully examining the berry bush, you need to remove all dry and suspicious leaves. Healthy leaves should not be touched; they will become a winter shelter. If the strawberry has a lot of diseased leaves, it is better to get rid of it completely.
The mustache must also be removed. If you want to propagate the crop, you can use strong, healthy daughter bushes on the mustache.
Waste should not be left in the garden bed; it can be sent to a compost pit, or even better, burned away from the strawberry meadow.
Landing with a mustache
To plant strawberries with tendrils in the fall, take rooted air layering from your bushes. In June, they are buried in a bed or cups and left until roots appear. The formed rosettes are separated from the mother plant and planted in a permanent place.
For autumn planting with a mustache, it is permissible to use plants that have taken root themselves. They may be a little weaker than those grown in containers, but with proper care they will safely overwinter and produce a harvest for next year.
Treatment of strawberries in the fall from diseases and pests
Autumn treatment against pests and diseases is an important and necessary procedure, ignoring which can lead to serious consequences. Most bushes die precisely because of attack by pests and infection with garden diseases. If the procedure is carried out correctly, these problems can be easily eliminated.
From diseases
The most common disease of berry crops is spotting. For spotting and many other diseases, experienced gardeners recommend using a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture.
To prepare it, you will need 2 liters of water heated to 50°C and 100 grams of the substance. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and then you need to add another 3 liters of water. A lime solution is added in a separate container: 300 grams of dry matter per 5 liters of water. Both solutions are mixed and processing can begin.
Bordeaux mixture is considered a universal solution and is used in the treatment of many garden diseases.
The two solutions must be mixed in enamel or plastic containers.
There are many special drugs for the prevention of diseases that can be purchased in specialized stores and also used.
From pests
Juicy berries are loved not only by people, but also by many insect pests, slugs and snails. To destroy uninvited guests, you can use drugs that are sold in stores. Many gardeners make the solution themselves.
To prepare the working solution, you will need a bucket of water, 2 tablespoons of wood ash and the same amount of vegetable oil. Vinegar is added to the resulting solution - 2 tablespoons and the same amount of liquid laundry soap.
The resulting solution is sprayed onto the top of the bed and the soil under the bushes.
Early ripening varieties
Many gardeners involved in the industrial cultivation of garden strawberries prefer early-ripening varieties. The first spring berry is a good source of profit.
Alba
The Alba strawberry variety was highly appreciated by consumers for its interesting presentation and good taste of ripe, juicy berries. However, one can often hear complaints about excessive sourness.
During the period of removable ripeness, the berries of the Alba variety have a beautiful bright red color and a conical shape. The weight of a ripe fruit reaches 30 g. The berries retain their uniform shape and do not become smaller at the end of ripening, as often happens with other varieties of garden strawberries. The main advantages of the Alba variety include early fruiting, abundant productivity and good winter hardiness.
With proper care, the crop copes well with both hot and humid climates, and also has strong immunity to most fungal and viral diseases.
Christina
One of the newest strawberry varieties of foreign selection is Christina. This fruit plant was bred by English scientists and in a short period managed to gain popularity among gardeners in many countries of the world, including Russia.
The Christina variety is in demand in both amateur and industrial gardening. It is characterized by abundant yield and good resistance to pathogens of various fungal infections. With proper storage organization, this crop has demonstrated high shelf life and transportation.
The berries are large (up to 40 g), regular in shape, juicy and aromatic. The peel and pulp have a characteristic red color.
Honey
The strawberry variety Honey is the result of selection by American scientists. If we talk about the advantages of Honey strawberries, it is necessary to note the high yield, excellent transportability and the ability of the fruit to retain its taste and commercial qualities for a long period, as well as resistance to temperature changes.
The berries are large (average weight - 40 g), dense texture, juicy and aromatic. At the time of harvest, strawberries have an attractive deep red color with a characteristic shine.
Clery
Clery is a new ultra-early strawberry variety recommended for planting in 2022. This fruit crop has managed to establish itself as one of the best commercial varieties.
If you are looking for the perfect berry that can command a good price, pay attention to the Clery variety. The main advantages are high productivity rates, early fruiting and excellent transportability with proper packaging and storage organization.
Ripe strawberries have a regular and uniform conical shape, amazing taste, pleasant aroma and bright red color with shine. The average weight of one ripe berry reaches 50 g.
Kimberly
Gardeners in central Russia, including the Moscow region, appreciated this fruit crop, which came to our region from Holland. The Kimberly variety is characterized by good winter hardiness and has strong immunity to fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
Thanks to its fresh, bright, rich taste, reminiscent of caramel, Kimberly strawberries are in high demand among consumers. Ripe berries are bright red in color with a characteristic shine and have a pleasant and aromatic smell.
Antea
The Italian strawberry variety Antea, the seeds of which can be bought in many gardening stores, quickly caught the taste of Russian gardeners.
Juicy berries, characterized by interesting taste characteristics and a pleasant strawberry aroma, have a regular cone shape. Thanks to the dense texture of the pulp, the fruits withstand transportation well over long distances without losing their presentation.
Fertilizing strawberries in autumn, effective schemes
In order to replenish the supply of microelements in strawberries, autumn is the most suitable time of year. You need to feed the plant after pruning. The main goal of this procedure is to saturate the berry crop with vitamins before winter frosts.
There are 2 schemes for autumn feeding.
Root
Gardeners use this scheme most often. Organic fertilizers are best suited for root feeding. This is explained by the fact that organic matter is always available and does not require cash costs.
The most common organic fertilizer is mullein infusion. To prepare the fertilizer, use 1 kg of mullein for 5 liters of water. Everything is mixed and infused for two weeks. After which 1 liter of the resulting infusion is mixed with 10 liters of water and used for root feeding.
This scheme also uses mineral fertilizers. When preparing them, you must strictly follow the instructions. If too much mineral fertilizer gets into the soil, the fruits can accumulate nitrates harmful to the human body.
Foliar
Foliar feeding involves spraying strawberry leaves. This scheme is aimed at the growth and strengthening of stems and leaves.
For foliar feeding, special preparations are used, which must be applied strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
List of the best varieties of remontant strawberries for growing in the Moscow region
Varieties of remontant strawberries for this region are divided according to ripening time and popularity among gardeners.
The best early varieties include:
- Camarosa;
- Anita;
- Kent;
- Cardinal;
- Honey;
- Moscow early.
Among mid-season strawberries, the following varieties deserve attention:
- Festival;
- Symphony;
- Susie;
- Timiryazevka;
- Crown;
- Shelf.
The list of the most popular includes the following late crops:
- Alice;
- Carnival;
- Elsinore;
- Galia;
- Salsa;
- Florence.
How to properly water strawberries in the fall
Autumn watering has its own nuances that must be strictly observed. If the beginning of autumn is hot, then you need to water the strawberries at least once a week, and the water consumption should be at least 10 liters per 1 square meter. The water temperature should not be lower than 18°C. During the rainy season, watering stops, as an excess of moisture will lead to fungal diseases and mold growth.
Watering is done directly under the strawberries.
In case of rain, caring for the berries changes slightly. It is necessary to water less often, and if the rains are prolonged, then there is no need to irrigate additionally at all, so that there is no excess moisture.
How to grow seedlings from seeds
To grow strawberry seedlings from seeds, you can use cassette pots, cups, plant them in soil mixture or peat tablets.
In the first and second cases, a soil mixture is prepared in advance for the seeds using drainage and peat. It is poured into containers, moistened and the seeds are placed to a depth of 1 cm.
In the room where the seedlings are located, the temperature should be 25ºC.
When caring for seedlings, you need to regularly check the top layer of soil, preventing it from drying out and stagnating water. If daylight hours are less than 10 hours, then you need to create additional lighting.
The following technology is used for planting in peat tablets:
- The number of seeds in the package is counted and the same number of tablets are placed in plastic resealable containers. It is convenient to use containers with a lid or cake containers. When extracting the seeds, you need to be very careful, as they are small, so it is better to use separate dishes.
- Warm water is poured into them and wait about 5 minutes until the peat tablets swell. Then the water is drained. You can first use another container, and then move the tablets into containers.
- Place 2 seeds in each, without deepening them, but pressing them slightly with your finger. You can use an ear stick or toothpick to move the seeds.
- The tablets are covered with a lid and left in a bright place, this creates a greenhouse effect. The lid is periodically removed briefly for ventilation. The seedlings are in this state before planting in the ground.
Reproduction methods
In the fall, garden strawberry bushes are usually transplanted. The same time is used to plant strawberries if they are growing too thick. During transplantation, adult bushes are often divided, rejuvenating them in this way. For this method of growing, bushes between 2 and 4 years old with a well-developed root system are suitable. The rosette is cut into several parts, leaving growth buds on each.
Adult garden strawberry bushes develop tendrils during the flowering period. They can also be used for reproduction. The number of shoots depends on the variety and growing conditions of the plant. The antennae of the first one are used for planting. They are pressed to the ground with a metal or wooden fork. By mid-August, the shoot takes root and fruit buds form on it. After separation from the mother bush, it is possible to transplant the mustache into a garden bed.
How to grow seedlings from mustaches
The main principle of propagating strawberries in this way is not to combine fruits and runners at the same time, but preferably in the same season. While the strawberries are in the fruiting phase, all the mustaches are removed, and after that they act based on their preferences and desires.
Here we can distinguish two approaches to growing seedlings:
- When there are not enough bushes of a certain variety for propagation, all the tendrils are left on all the plants. To quickly collect the required amount, you can do this in the first season after harvesting the fruits or even tear off the flowers, leaving only the mustache. But it’s better to pick berries this year and seedlings next year.
- When there are many bushes from which you can choose the best, the technology changes a little. In the first year, strawberry tendrils are constantly removed and bushes with the best harvest of berries are selected. They can be marked in any way - by tying them up or sticking a twig nearby into the ground. The next season, the flowers are removed and only seedlings are grown, leaving one rosette on each tendril, located closer to the mother bush.
It is recommended to use one bush for propagation for no more than three years, and then it is replaced with a young plant. Rooted seedlings can be pressed slightly to the ground, plucked from the bush and cared for as seedlings. The second option is to replant each one into a separate container, but this is more labor-intensive, although it gives better results (the roots are less damaged during replanting).
Which varieties to choose for the Moscow region
The State Register of strawberry varieties recommended for the Moscow region includes more than 30 varieties of delicious berries. The best of them are discussed in the table.
| Variety | Frost resistance | Productivity per bush / weight of 1 berry | Taste/Disease Resistance | Number of mustaches |
| Kimberly | Up to -15 °C | Up to 2 kg / 25-50 g | Sweet and sour/High | Few |
| Cardinal | Up to -16 °C | Up to 1 kg / 20-50 g | Sweet and sour/ Medium | A lot of |
| Alba | Up to -20 °C | Up to 1.2 kg / 25-30 g | Dessert/High | Few |
| Vima Zanta | Up to -22 °C | 800 g / 25-50 g | Dessert/Medium | A lot of |
| Nightingale | Up to -30 °C | 0.5-1 kg / 25-50 g | Sweet and sour/Medium | A lot of |
| Marmalade | Up to -30 °C | Up to 1.2 kg / 20-40 g | Sweet and sour/Low | A lot of |
| Albion | Up to -10 °C | Up to 2 kg / 35 g | Dessert/High | Few |
| Monterey | Up to -10 °C | 1.5 kg / 30 g | Dessert/High | Moderate |
| Queen Elizabeth | Up to -25 °C | 2 kg / 40-100 g | Dessert/High | Few |
| Tago | Up to -20 °C | 1 kg / 20-30 g | Sweet/Medium | A lot of |
| Malvina | Up to -19 °C | Up to 1 kg / 40 g | Dessert/High | A lot of |
| Holiday | Up to -15 °C | 900 g / 40 g | Sweet/Low | Few |
| Bohemia | Up to -20 °C | 1 kg / 50 g | Dessert/High | Average |
| Gigantella Maxim | Up to -10 °C | Up to 2 kg / 50-120 g | Sweet-sour/Medium | A lot of |
| Moscow Yubileinaya | Up to -16 °C | 1 kg / 40-120 g | Sweet-sour/High | A lot of |
Strawberries with long and short daylight hours, as well as “neutrals,” are suitable for growing in the Moscow region.
Strawberry care
The technology for growing strawberries in open ground includes watering and loosening the soil, fertilizing plants and pruning mustaches, removing weeds and mulching the beds.
Watering
Strawberries do not like soil that is too dry or waterlogged. The first few days after planting in open ground, plants need to be watered every day, then every other day. It should be watered with warm, settled water in the evening in the amount of 1 liter per 1 bush.
Loosening
Loosening the soil is carried out with hoes to a depth of 3-5 cm, but this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots. You need to loosen the soil:
- after watering;
- after picking berries;
- at the end of August together with hilling the bushes.
Mulching
Mulch the soil in early spring. This procedure protects the berries from contact with the ground and rotting. Mulch options:
- humus, manure or fresh grass, which further enrich the soil;
- stone chips, shells or plastic bags;
- special paper that can be purchased at a flower shop (protects strawberries from weeds, heat, frost and fungal diseases).
Strawberry fertilizer
Fertilizing is carried out as the strawberries grow:
- When the buds of young plants begin to ripen, solutions with potassium (potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium or potassium chloride) are used, which are poured under the root in the proportion of 30–40 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. In addition, strawberries are sprayed with a solution of boric acid in a proportion of 1 tsp. per 10 liters of water for a bountiful harvest.
- During flowering, strawberries are fed with potassium nitrate, chicken droppings or wood ash.
- After harvesting, the bushes are fertilized with nitroammophoska in the proportion of 2 tbsp. for 10 liters of water. Also in August, strawberries are fertilized with urea (30 grams per 10 liters of water).
Treatment for diseases
Gray rot is a fairly common disease of strawberries, which can appear on petioles, leaves and berries. First, the disease manifests itself in the form of darkening, then a gray fluffy coating forms.
If there are signs of gray mold damage, the bushes are watered before flowering with an iodine solution in a proportion of 1 tsp. for 10 l. water. After 10 days, the procedure is repeated.
To prevent diseases, strawberries are treated before flowering and after harvesting:
- against fungal diseases - with a solution of phytosporin;
- against powdery mildew - with a solution of potassium permanganate in a proportion of 2 tbsp. for 10 l. water;
- from spotted and gray rot - copper oxychloride.
To avoid the appearance of diseases, strawberries must be planted in places that are not over-moistened, well-lit and ventilated.
The bushes should be thinned out in a timely manner and the soil underneath them should be loosened to prevent thickening of the plantings. Thickened foliage creates a special microclimate with high humidity, which can provoke the appearance of rot.
Propagation and pruning
If the bushes are already bearing fruit, then in early spring all old and dry leaves are cut off from them. In summer and autumn, all the mustache is cut off from the bushes so that they grow strong and strong.
Strawberries are propagated by mustaches. To do this, the most powerful mustaches are left on the mother bushes, and the rest are cut off. 2 weeks before transplantation, young rosettes are separated from the mother bush, while cutting off the mustache, and transplanted to a new place.
Planting in open ground and covering material
In the past, autumn planting of bushes in open ground was the most popular. All that had to be done was to use a cord and slats to mark the rows and make shallow holes in which seedlings from nurseries or separated strawberry rhizomes grown on the site were carefully planted. The main disadvantage of planting strawberries in open ground is the subsequent difficulties with caring for the plants, since a large number of weeds appear, and ripening berries lying on the ground quickly rot.
In recent years, planting strawberries on covering material, both film and various woven coverings, has become increasingly popular. The use of such agrotextiles significantly simplifies the care of strawberries, weed problems are completely solved, moisture is retained in the soil, which improves the yield of the bushes. Ripening berries are placed on clean agrotextiles and do not rot, which also simplifies harvesting.
Directly planting strawberries on the covering material is not difficult; after digging up the soil, the bed is covered with agrotextiles, small holes are cut in the material into which the bushes are planted. You just need to secure such covering material on the sides of the bed with stones or lumber so that it does not get torn off by strong gusts of wind.
