Many gardeners mulch strawberries, as this is the most reliable method of protecting the berries from pests, diseases and frost. Before you start mulching, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this process.
Why do you need mulch when growing strawberries?
Mulching is the covering of the soil around strawberry bushes with organic materials, cardboard or plastic film. The covering material prevents premature evaporation of liquid from the upper layers of the soil, and also significantly reduces the amount of watering in spring and summer. With the help of mulch, moisture in the soil is retained for a long time, which improves the fruiting of strawberries.
Some gardeners also cover the soil with a layer of mulch to slow down the growth of weeds. Therefore, people who mulch strawberry seedlings rarely do weeding. In addition, the covering layer prevents heat from escaping from the soil. This prevents the soil and strawberry roots from freezing.
Experienced gardeners advise using mulch to protect the plant from gray rot.
After mulching the soil, strawberries will not come into contact with damp soil, and therefore the likelihood that they will begin to rot is extremely low.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are benefits and harms to covering the soil surface with mulch, which are recommended to be familiarized with in advance. The main advantages of the mulch layer include:
- improving the fruiting of strawberry seedlings using organic components;
- reduction of soil loosening and watering;
- protection of ripened berries from attacks of certain insects and premature rotting;
- improving productivity by saturating the soil with micronutrients.
The disadvantages include the following:
- development of fungal diseases in the mulch layer;
- the appearance of mole crickets and slugs under the mulch.
When to mulch a plant
It is recommended to determine the timing of the procedure in advance in order to mulch the soil on time. Experienced gardeners recommend doing this at least twice a year.First, mulch is used at the end of spring, when young fruits form on the strawberry bushes. The procedure is carried out to protect the flower stalks from contact with the ground. The spring mulch layer is removed in August, when the entire harvest has been harvested.
The repeated procedure is carried out in the fall - in October or November. If you do not use mulch in the fall, the bushes will freeze at the first frost.
What and how to mulch strawberries
When mulching strawberries, various materials are used, which you need to familiarize yourself with in advance.
Organic materials
Most often, organic matter is used as mulch, which saturates the soil with nutrients and protects seedlings from the cold.
Straw
To improve productivity, some gardeners use straw bedding. It is recommended to use rotten straw, since dry straw takes a lot of nitrogen from the soil.
To properly cover strawberries with straw, perform the following sequence of actions:
- Shaking up the material. It is necessary to shake all the straw beforehand to clear it of pests and weed seeds.
- Site preparation. The area where strawberries are grown is weeded and cleared of grass.
- Laying. All straw is evenly distributed around the bushes. In this case, the height of the straw bedding should be 1-2 centimeters.
Needles
Many people prefer to sprinkle their beds with pine needles, as they contain many bactericidal components and phytoncides. The coniferous covering protects the berries from most pests and infectious diseases. Also, the substances that make up the needles have a positive effect on the taste of ripe berries.
Dried, yellow pine twigs are used to create a mulch layer. They are laid out on the site in a layer 3-4 centimeters high.The needles are removed in the spring, during the first weeding of strawberries.
Hay, fresh grass and green manure
There are other organic materials that are often used for mulching:
- Hay. Ideal material to mulch the area. Using dried, mown grass prevents oxidation and overheating of the soil. The hay layer should not be higher than 4 centimeters.
- Grass. Mulching strawberry bushes with fresh grass is carried out in the same way as when using straw. The covering layer should be 5-6 centimeters in height.
- Green manure. Some people make a layer of mulch from grass cut from the garden. It is dried and laid out on the beds with strawberries.
Tree bark
Another common mulching material that is popular among gardeners is tree bark. Most often they use pine bark, which reliably protects the soil from overheating and freezing. It contains tanning components that prevent soil oxidation.
Pine bark is considered the most durable mulch, as it lasts 5-6 years. The layer of bark mulch should be 7-9 centimeters thick.
Sawdust
To prevent the appearance of pests, sawdust is used, the rough surface of which protects the seedlings from snails and slugs. This material takes a long time to decompose, and therefore such a mulching layer lasts at least three years. This wood material strongly absorbs moisture, and therefore, when using it, you will have to water the berries more often.
Before pouring out the sawdust, the surface of the bed is covered overlapping with newspaper paper. A layer of sawdust 4-5 centimeters thick is poured on top.
Inorganic materials
There are several inorganic materials that many people use when mulching.
Cardboard
One of the most accessible covering materials is cardboard.Cardboard sheets are laid overlapping between the seedlings so that there are holes around the bushes for watering. Cardboard joints should be secured with heavy objects to prevent them from being torn off by gusts of wind.
After laying, organic fertilizers are placed under the cardboard sheets to improve fruiting and ripening of berries.
Spunbond
This is a high-quality material that is able to maintain soil moisture and temperature. Spunbond also protects seedlings from high temperatures and frosts. This material is used before planting seedlings. The spunbond is carefully spread over the surface of the beds, after which holes are made on it for watering and fertilizing. Then the edges of the material are fixed with special pins, which are driven into the soil.
The main advantages of spunbond include:
- protection from mechanical damage;
- long service life, which is 3-4 years;
- resistance to rotting and high humidity.
Film
To mulch strawberries, black film is often used, which does not deteriorate for three years. It is ideal for protecting plants from frost and diseases. In regions with hot summers, it is recommended to use white film, which will retain moisture and repel the sun's rays. When using film material, you will have to organize micro-drip irrigation in the beds in advance.
Recommendations for beginners
There are several recommendations that you should familiarize yourself with before mulching:
- Before spring mulching, the soil is loosened so that it warms up better;
- to create straw bedding, it is contraindicated to use wheat straw, as it cakes strongly;
- after winter, all sawdust is raked from the rows to lay out a new layer;
- It is better to replace rotted and too compacted straw with fresh one;
- Before mulching, the soil is fertilized with nitrogen and mineral fertilizers.
Conclusion
People who are going to grow strawberries will have to mulch. Before doing this, you should familiarize yourself with the timing and features of creating a protective layer.
