5 Tips for Growing Strawberries to Boost Yields

Fragrant berries are one of the first to come to our table at the beginning of summer. And of course, most gardeners are experienced and not very dreaming of growing a rich strawberry crop. To have enough fresh berry to enjoy plenty and make preparations for the winter.

Here are just strawberries, as tasty as they are capricious. Although wrong. She just loves attention and care.

Choosing a plot for strawberries

Strawberries show the best yield on loose fertile soils with neutral acidity. Good lighting of the site and its protection from the wind will increase the chances of success. Do not plant seedlings on slopes.

In the spring at the top, the snow melts faster, and the strawberries will lose their frost protection. Water will accumulate at the bottom. If possible, flat areas are preferred.

The best precursors for strawberries are onions, garlic, and legumes. By the time the seedlings are planted, these crops will already bear fruit. Neighborhood with nightshade vegetables is undesirable - they have common pests and diseases.

Preparing the soil and seedlings

The soil is dug to a depth of 40-50 cm. Weeds are selected. Inspect for pests. If on the first square meter there are three or four May beetle larvae, then it is better to look for another site. There is a high probability in a couple of years to lose not only the harvest, but also the planting. If this is not possible, then the larvae are carefully selected.

A mixture of humus, peat, turf soil is introduced into the sandy loam soil, at the rate of two buckets of the mixture per one square meter. On loamy soils, one to two kilograms of sawdust is used instead of sod soil.

A week before the expected start of work, you can apply a universal fertilizer. In order to reduce the acidity of the soil, a glass of wood ash is added to one square. Slaked lime is not used.

The seedlings should look healthy. Three four dark green leaves, a well-developed core and a horse system are the guarantee of an excellent harvest for more than one year, regardless of the selected variety.

It is better to pre-disinfect the roots of purchased seedlings. A solution is prepared from half a teaspoon of copper sulfate, a teaspoon of sodium chloride and five liters of water. The seedlings are planted after dipping the roots in a clay solution. It is better to replant seedlings from your site with a clod of earth, without taking any action.

Planting seedlings

To get the next harvest, the plants are planted in August. But it is worth considering the weather conditions. It is better to wait out hot, dry weather.

Strawberries are planted in prepared holes using a two-line method with a step of 30-40 cm. Up to 50 cm are left between the rows. The one-line method is becoming more and more popular. Before planting, the holes are well spilled with water. The roots are straightened. Make sure that there are no voids between them and the soil. The heart should be level with the ground.

There are many ways to protect strawberries from pests and weeds. Many people recommend using film. Carefully! If there are bears, snails or slugs on the site, it is better to refrain from using it.

According to experienced gardeners, they have not come up with anything better than mulching the beds with bark, needles or straw.

For the first winter, planted strawberries are covered with straw or spruce branches.

Things to remember in summer

As a rule, most gardeners start caring for strawberries in early spring and safely forget about them after fruiting until autumn. And deprive themselves of the harvest in a year. Immediately after the return of the harvest, strawberries begin to actively lay buds for the next season.

In the spring, the soil is loosened, the strawberries are fed. It is better to use specialized fertilizers;
Another top dressing is carried out before flowering. At the same time, if necessary, the plants are weeded. Use mullein infusion or nitrogen fertilizers;
During flowering, treatment is carried out with agents that increase the number of ovaries. If the berry bush looks good, forms many flowers and ovaries, then no additional dressing should be done until the end of fruiting. Watering should be abundant;
After picking berries, the beds are loosened, whiskers and yellowed leaves are removed. Fertilizers are applied with a high content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium;
Provide watering at least once a week, as well as timely processing with the removal of weeds and shoots.

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