In the wild nature, strawberry fruits abundantly, but not regularly. In order to increase the yield on home garden beds or in the garden, it is necessary to take proper care of the plant, in particular, to feed and feed. At different stages of strawberry development, certain fertilizers are required, but the spring period is considered more important when the future harvest is being laid.
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How to feed strawberries in spring
As soon as the snow melted, and the earth begins to dry up a bit, it's time to prepare the beds for the new season. Timely input of top dressing will help the plant to wake up faster after winterform new buds.
Unfortunately, not every plot has fertile soil, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to get a large, juicy berry on the devastated land. Not only the soil is enriched with nutrients, bushes are sprayed directly with nitrogen compounds.
In the fall, in order to protect the culture from frost and rain, a warming layer of dry leaves or straw was created. After wintering, a kind of fur coat needs to be removed, to loosen the soil around each bush. In this case, care should be taken before the strawberries begin to bloom - remove all the weeds and old roots that fall into the ground.
From the bush need to cut dry leaves, sick brown tops. It is also worth checking the condition of the strawberry neck after winter, the growth point should be slightly above the ground (4-5 mm). The penetration of the neck into the soil is fraught with root decay.
Lure should not be entered randomly without observing proportions. An insufficient amount of fertilizer will be ineffective, and an excess will trigger the growth of twigs and greenery. Berries will ripen later than usual, reaching the minimum parameters.
Stages of the correct application of top dressing
In total, there are 3 main stages of fertilizer introduction:
- after wintering at the beginning of the season - the procedure is aimed at early stimulation of the growth of young shoots and first leaves (April-beginning of May);
- feed at the end of the fruiting period - processing or watering contributes to the formation of new roots, the establishment of flower buds, which can bear fruit in the next season (July);
- autumn baitHeld in mid-September, it is necessary to prepare a crop (especially young shoots) for the period of wintering.
Organic fertilizers are considered the most affordable, especially if there are cows and chickens on the farm.Soil enrichment with organic matter compensates for nutrient deficiencies for 2-3 years.
In addition, the use of mullein or bird droppings improves the soil structure, increases breathability, which is important for the strawberry vegetative process.
Mineral fertilizers
Among the popular mineral fertilizers used to process or pour strawberries:
- urea;
- nitrate and sulphates;
- complex drugs (Azofoska, Stimovit, Agricola, etc.).
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- Urea
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- Saltpeter
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- Azofoska
The advantages of this group of baits are:
- activation of awakening plants after hibernation;
- yield increase;
- balanced composition;
- small consumption;
- acceleration of fruit ripening;
- taste improvement and preservation;
- protection of plants from pests and fungal infections.
When using drugs recommended strictly respect the proportions at cultivation of working solution or powder of a site. An excessive amount of reagent leads to the burning of the culture and its death. Among other disadvantages: high cost, regular use.
Among gardeners, there are many years of controversy over the benefits of fertilizers: synthetic and organic. The best way out can be - is complex use or alternate. Then the culture will receive useful trace elements, and the berries will be juicy and sweet.
Folk remedy - the use of sour milk
A good harvest of strawberries can be obtained, according to reviews of experienced gardeners on subacid soils. To balance the acid of the open ground, you can enter into it sour milk.
This popular type of fertilizer belongs to foliar, therefore, spraying or pouring the working solution should be done at a distance. 7-10 cm from the bush. Dairy product is mixed with water in arbitrary proportions (depending on the level of soil acidity), but more often 1: 2. You need to feed at the beginning of the season with repetitions: after the harvest and in mid-September.
The advantages of using dairy products:
- soil enrichment with potassium, sulfur, calcium, phosphorus and other microelements;
- yield increase and the period of fruiting;
- growth activation culture;
- increase resistance to tick attacks, aphids and the development of various diseases.
The disadvantage of the method is considered dairy product consumption and the costs of it. Such dressing is justified only on small beds, when it is necessary to fertilize several bushes.
Chicken litter solution
Chicken dung is a fast-acting organic fertilizer that contributes to the awakening of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Timely bait improves the quality and quantity of fruits, so you need to enter it at the beginning of the season after warming up and drying the soil (April month - mid-May).
Advantages of organic:
- improvement of soil structure due to increased humus level;
- rich composition, including micro and macronutrients;
- increase in yield and fruiting period.
Chicken litter is introduced 1 time in 2-3 years, which is an indisputable advantage of the tool over other fertilizers.
Preparation of bait consists of the following steps:
- fill the litter with distilled water (to dissolve);
- dilution of half a liter of concentrate in a bucket of water.
Watering or spraying the solution should not be the plant itself, but departing from him 5-10 cm. One bucket can feed up to 25 bushes.
Wood ash
The composition of wood ash includes a large number of micronutrients needed by plants for development and growth. It includes: potassium, phosphorus, iron, sulfur, and other substances.
The availability of fertilizer is the main advantage, because you can get a gray powder by burning the branches cut in the garden. The main thing - do not use painted wood.
The advantages of wood fertilizer:
- activates growth strawberries;
- makes the soil nutritious, improves its structure;
- increases the fruiting period and yield;
- improves the taste of berries.
The disadvantage of the method is that the ashes cannot be combined with urea, manure, nitrate. In such a tandem fertilizer loses its properties.
The principle of application is simple, it is enough to introduce dry powder into the grooves made along the beds (150 grams per linear meter).
Yeast
One of the strawberry fertilizer options is to use yeast. It should be noted that this technology is suitable for other crops, for example, tomato, potatoes, tomatoes.
The solution is prepared quickly and simply: a kilogram pack is diluted in 5 liters of water. The result is a concentrated composition, which before processing must be dissolved again with liquid (0.5 yeast billet per 10 liters of water). At 10 strawberry bushes will go about half a liter of solution. Pour it should right under the bush.
If in the kitchen there were only dry yeast in bags, then bait is prepared in the following proportions: one bag of water bucket plus 2 tablespoons of sugar. Yeast is better to first dilute in a glass of warm water with the addition of sugar, and after complete dissolution is added to a bucket of water. After 2 hours, the tool will be ready for consumption.
Benefits of yeast fertilizers:
- rich nutrient composition (zinc, iodine, nitrogen, iron, phosphorus, etc.);
- increased growth;
- an increase in the fruiting period;
- promotes rapid adaptation of the culture in a new place after transplantation;
- strengthens the roots;
- improving the quality of the soil by creating a favorable environment for the reproduction of beneficial microorganisms.
Yeast fertilizer is recommended 2-3 times per season (at the beginning of the season, during the flowering period, after the harvest).
To apply this technology effectively only in warm weather, at low temperatures the fermentation process is suspended. This is the minus of the yeast method.
To choose the right fertilizer for spring strawberry feeding, you need to take into account the composition of the soil, the degree of its fertility. If there are difficulties with the definition, it is better to use complex preparations rich in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other useful trace elements. Then a good harvest crop is guaranteed!