How to feed strawberries and what to fertilize them with during flowering and fruiting

Fertilizing strawberries with mineral and organic fertilizers promotes active growth and increases productivity. In poor soil, bushes grow poorly and often get sick. When applying fertilizers, it is important to observe moderation and not overfeed the plants. On overfed soil, strawberries begin to increase their leaf mass, and the yield decreases.

Why fertilize strawberries?

It is recommended to fertilize strawberries for a number of reasons:

• Productivity increases.
• Resistance to diseases increases.
• The berries grow sweeter and larger.
• Abundant flowering.
• It is easier for bushes to survive the winter.

Many summer residents are of the opinion that if a crop bears fruit, it has enough of everything. But this is not always the case. Fertilizer application increases yields and improves fruit quality. In addition, if you do not fertilize for a long time, the soil will be completely depleted, and all crops will grow poorly on it.

Types of fertilizer

There are several types of fertilizers by type. These are organic and mineral. Organic ones can be prepared independently, and mineral ones can be purchased at gardening stores.

Organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers include weeds, rotted food debris and leaves, manure and bird droppings. Organic matter is added to the soil throughout the fruiting period. It is combined with mineral supplements.

Slurry

For strawberries, only rotted manure is used. Fresh manure is concentrated, and its use leads to burns of the root system of garden strawberries.

1 kg of manure is poured into 6 liters of water. Stir and leave for several hours. Stir again before watering. The result should be a slurry of uniform consistency. Strawberry beds are watered after sunset.

Fresh manure

Fresh manure is used as an organic fertilizer in the fall, before preparing the soil for planting seedlings. The soil is dug up and mixed with manure. In the spring, this place will have fertile soil for planting strawberry seedlings.

Chicken droppings

Chicken manure in an amount of 1 kg is diluted in 5 liters of warm water. Leave for 2-3 hours. Before watering, stir the strawberries until they have a homogeneous consistency.

Green manure

Green fertilizer is prepared based on weeds that grow on the site. Any weeds are used for feeding. Nettle is also added to the infusion.

Preparation of green infusion:

• Finely chop the weeds along with the stems.
• Pour 1 kg of raw material into 5 liters of warm water, cover with a lid and place in the sun.
• Leave the infusion for 2-3 days.
• In warm weather it will begin to ferment, and to make the fermentation process faster, add a packet of yeast to the water.
• When the infusion is ready, it is filtered.
• Before watering, the liquid is diluted in warm water.

It is recommended to water strawberries with green infusion in the evening, after sunset. Fertilizer is applied to the soil 2 times a week. The period for applying fertilizing is 2 weeks.

Yeast

Preparation of yeast nutrition:

• Dilute a packet of yeast in 1 liter of warm water (first dilute the yeast in a small amount of warm water and then pour it over).
• Add 2 tbsp to the water with yeast. l. Sahara.
• Leave to ferment for a day.
• Before use, the yeast infusion is diluted in warm water.

Water the strawberries once a week for 3 weeks.

Mineral fertilizers

Mineral fertilizers can be single-component or complex. In the first half of the season (before fruiting), strawberries are fed with nitrogen. During the period of ovary formation and fruiting - potassium and phosphorus.

Wood ash

There are two types of fertilizing with wood ash. The ash is scattered on the ground and then watered generously. Or immediately dilute it in water and water the resulting mixture over the plants.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen promotes rapid growth of foliage and root system. With nitrogen deficiency, the leaves begin to turn red. The component is contained in calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and urea.

Potassium

Potassium is contained in the following supplements:

• Potassium chloride.
• Potassium sulfate.
• Wood ash.
• Potassium nitrate.
• Calimagnesia.

Potassium increases yield and improves the taste of berries.

Ammonia

Ammonia quickly evaporates, so it must be mixed with fatty acids. They are found in laundry soap. The foam settles on the leaves and they absorb nutrients.

1 bottle of ammonia is mixed with 5 liters of water. Then add soap shavings. Stir and water the strawberries.

Iodine

10-15 drops of iodine are diluted in 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is sprayed onto strawberry bushes. Iodine is not only a nutritional supplement. The soil is also disinfected with an iodine solution before planting seedlings. It is also used as a prophylactic against diseases.

When spraying strawberry foliage, use a small amount of iodine. High concentrations cause burns.

Boric acid

1-2 g of boric acid and 1 g of potassium permanganate are diluted in 10 liters of warm water. Mix the water and immediately pour it over the garden strawberries.

When the berries ripen, boric acid in an amount of 2 g is mixed with 20 g of urea, 2 g of potassium permanganate and 100 g of wood ash. All ingredients are diluted in water.

A mixture of organics and minerals

A mixture of organic matter and minerals is used in the fall to add to the soil. Mixed fertilizers are used to prepare the soil for planting seedlings. The humus is mixed with potassium chloride and superphosphate. Mix with soil. In spring, the soil will be sufficiently nutritious for seedlings.

How to fertilize strawberries in spring?

In spring, you can feed strawberries with rotted manure and nitrogen. Rotted manure enriches the substrate.Nitrogen has a beneficial effect on the growth of bushes and the formation of ovaries. It is applied before the flowering period begins. Urea is used for feeding; it also contains nitrogen. As soon as the first inflorescences begin to appear, potassium is used instead of nitrogen. You can't do without wood ash. It is scattered on the soil and then the beds are watered.

In the southern regions, garden strawberries are fertilized in March. In the central and Volga regions - in late March - early April. In the north - from the beginning of the second ten days of April.

What fertilizer is best to use in summer for a good harvest?

If there was no time to fertilize the soil before planting in the fall, strawberries are fed with mineral and organic compounds in the summer. During the fruiting period, strawberries should be fed with phosphorus and potassium.

In summer, slurry is used. It is infused for 3 days, and then watered, after diluting with water, the strawberry beds in the evening. Also suitable in summer are yeast supplements and infusions based on weeds.

If the bushes grow poorly and produce little yield, complex minerals are added to the soil when loosening the soil. For example, potassium salt, superphosphate.

If the bushes begin to grow leaf mass, stop applying any types of fertilizing for a while. Overfeeding reduces yield.

Fertilizing strawberries in autumn

Autumn feeding is aimed at preparing plants for winter. During this period, nitrogen should not be added to the soil. Autumn fertilizing is applied after the berries ripen and the crop is harvested from the site.

As during flowering and fruiting, the soil is fertilized with phosphorus and potassium. Rotted compost is also added. In autumn, strawberry beds can be watered with a decoction of onion peels or a solution of hydrogen peroxide.

100 g of husks are poured into 2 liters of water and boiled.Before use, dilute in water and pour over strawberries.

1 bottle of peroxide is diluted in 10 liters of water. The resulting liquid is watered over the plants. All watering is carried out after sunset.

How to fertilize correctly?

There are two types of fertilizing - foliar and root. Foliar feeding affects the outer part of the bushes. Strawberries are watered as with regular water.

The root is applied under the root. Unlike the first, root fertilizers are more concentrated. They need to be applied directly under the root, trying not to touch the leaves. Mineral fertilizers are most often root fertilizers. And organic ones are foliar.

Further care of strawberries after feeding

After feeding, the strawberries are weeded (after 1-2 days). Remove all weeds. The beds are watered several times a week. Watering is carried out in the evening. These measures will be sufficient for the growth of the berry. Regular care of garden strawberries will improve the quality of the berries and increase the yield several times.