Autumn feeding of strawberries after fruiting: the better to fertilize the bushes

The strawberry bushes have long borne fruit, the last berries have been picked, it's time to .. do what? That's right, feed the garden strawberries.

Next, we will consider and answer all the basic questions regarding when and how to properly feed strawberries after fruiting and in the fall, so that the strawberries overwinter well and will delight you with an even greater harvest in the new season.

Why you need to fertilize strawberries after fruiting and in the fall

Garden strawberries are very demanding on nutrition and, accordingly, are sensitive to nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, it is quite obvious that strawberries require all the main macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). However, it is phosphorus — essential element food for strawberries, however potassium is also of considerable importance.

Of course, and nitrogen is important for the full development of strawberry bushes, or rather, for a set of green mass, but you cannot overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers, otherwise the strawberries will drive the foliage, and you may not wait for the harvest.

Note! Immediately after fruiting and harvesting (i.e. still in summer) desirable make exactly nitrogen fertilizer, and here in the fall no nitrogen already not necessary.

As you know, phosphorus is responsible not only for the formation of the root system of the plant, but also has a serious effect on the formation of fruits, their quantity and quality (on their large-fruited and sweetness). Moreover, its main amount is consumed in the first phases of development and growth.

Accordingly, due to the lack of phosphorus, the number of ovaries also decreases, which means that the yield decreases sharply, as well as the sugar content in berries (they cease to be sweet).

That is why it is so important to provide it with phosphorus at all stages of strawberry development.

Because the phosphorus fertilizers are difficult to dissolve in the soil, especially if liming was carried out (acidity reduction), then they are brought in from autumn with the expectation that they will become more affordable next season.

However, if this was not done in the fall, then in the spring it is imperative to prepare an easily and quickly digestible phosphorus dressing.

About, how and what to feed strawberries in spring, reviewed in detail in this article.

Thus, the purpose of feeding strawberries after fruiting and in the fall is to help strawberry bushes to lay flower buds for a better harvest next year and to strengthen them before wintering so that they do not freeze. This is why plants require phosphorus and potassium.

How to properly feed strawberries,what types of dressings are there, their specificity

Basic recommendations for the correct fertilization of garden strawberries in the fall:

• Strawberries planted last year do not need additional feeding, of course, if a sufficient amount of organic and mineral fertilizers was introduced into the soil during planting. Ponly 2-year-old plants begin to feedbecause they have already pulled out most of the nutrients they introduced when they were planted.
• Need to feed only on wet ground, so before feeding be sure to pour strawberries with plain water or top dressing after the rain.

By the way! You can water it a day or 1-2 hours before applying liquid fertilizing.

• If during root feeding you fall on leaves and fruitsthen try sprinkle with plain water (wash off fertilizers from leaf plates).
• It is desirable to make top dressing in the morning or evening hoursbut no way not at noon, when the sun is at its zenith.

Important! If, after abundant dressing, small flowers began to appear on the bushes, they must be promptly removed, since they will only weaken the plant, while there will be no sense from them.

Exists two ways or types of feeding any plant (including strawberries): root (watering at the root) and foliar (spraying over the leaves).

• Usually, in spring and autumn major root dressing (in liquid form, but it is also possible in dry form - scatter the granules and fill in, and then the fertilizers will gradually dissolve during watering or rains).

• But already in summer can be done and foliar dressing (by leaves).

When and how to feed strawberries after fruiting (in summer) and in autumn before wintering

In addition to fertilizing in spring, before the flowering of strawberries, you need to carry out a similar event at the end of its fruiting, and more specifically, immediately after pruning and already in the fall, before the plant leaves for the winter. Next, let's talk about when and how to fertilize strawberries in summer and autumn.

As a rule, immediately after cutting leaves it is recommended to give strawberries nitrogen feeding, and after a few days (7-10) or already closer to autumn - potash-phosphorus fertilizer.

However, as an option, you can feed the plant immediately after pruning the strawberry bushes (and then again after 7-10 days) fast dissolving complex fertilizer with microelements (such as Crystalon, Master, Plantafol, Kemira), in which equal amount of macronutrients (for example, 15:15:15 or 18:18:18).

Top dressing after fruiting and harvesting (summer)

After pruning the strawberry bush, it is advisable to carry out enhanced feeding of the weakened plant, since during this period the garden strawberries are under severe stress and you need to help them form a new leaf apparatus.

Thus, immediately after the summer pruning of strawberries, the bushes need nitrogen in order to restore green mass for winter.

Actually, this is how you can feed strawberries after fruiting (everything under the bush, without getting on the leaves):

• Ammonium nitrate or urea (10-20 grams per 10 liters of water).
• A solution or better infusion of mullein (1 in 10), or bird (chicken) droppings (1 in 20).
• Green fertilizer (3-4-day herbal infusion, it is optimal to use infusion of nettle).
• A solution of ammonia (ammonia) - cook only according to instructions.
  

Advice! Feed with nitrogen fertilizer during this period should be careful not to allow the plant to fatten.

Video: feeding strawberries after harvesting chicken droppings

Fertilizers for feeding in the fall before wintering

But already in the fall (although some give the second "autumn" feeding almost immediately after the first, after a couple of days, but it is better to do this not earlier than the end of summer - the first days of September) - it's time to feed the strawberries phosphoric-potassium fertilizers (so that the bushes are better have laid flower buds, and the immunity and root system of the plant got stronger before wintering).

Video: how to feed strawberries in the fall after pruning

An excellent option for feeding strawberries in autumn can be the following combination of mineral and organic fertilizers.

First option:

• Superphosphate - nitrogen 6-9%, phosphorus - 26-30% (10-20 grams per 10 liters of water).

Advice! Read more about the use of superphosphate in this material.

• Potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) - 46-52% potassium (10-20 grams per 10 liters.

Second option:

• Diammofoska - 10% nitrogen, 26% phosphorus and potassium (20-30 grams per 10 liters of water or 1 sq.m.).

Third option:

• Potassium monophosphate (Phosphorus - 50%, potassium - 33%) - 10-15 grams;

Potassium monophosphate is the most effective phosphate-potassium fertilizer, because it dissolves very easily in water and is quickly absorbed by all plants, but it is quite expensive ...

Advice! Dissolve all fertilizers in the required concentration in 10 liters of water (it is preferable to do this in hot 40-50 degree water) and make liquid fertilizing, i.e. pour 0.5-1 liter of nutrient solution under each bush.

Or it can be scattered and mixed with the soil (while loosening).

Autumn organic dressing

This organic potash supplement is best suited wood ash... For example, you can add under each bush 1 tbsp. tablespoons of ash, mixing it with fertile soil, or water with an ash solution, or even better with a daily infusion or even an extract (1-2 glasses per 10 liters of water); consumption - 0.5-1 liters per bush. An ash solution can be carried out and foliar feeding (spraying) over the leaf.

Concerning phosphorus, then it is in the same bone or fish meal (scatter 200-300 grams per 1 square meter of the garden).

By the way! In addition to phosphorus (up to 30%), bone meal contains very a lot of calcium (up to 45%).

Fertilizers for strawberries

If you do not want to bother (you are a "lazy" summer resident), then you can buy one of the special complex fertilizers for strawberries (garden strawberries), which already contains all the macro- and microelements, for example (apply everything according to the instructions on the packages):

• Fertika "Kristalon" for strawberries and strawberries (liquid complex fertilizer);

• Fertika "Garden and Vegetable Garden" for strawberries and strawberries (organic-mineral dry mixture, with humates);

• "Gumi-Omi berry»For raspberries, strawberries and other berry bushes (based on chicken manure).

• Specialized long-acting fertilizers are especially popular (granular, it is advisable to apply them dry into holes along the diameter of the bushes, and then water). For example, "Strawberry»From Fusco.

Advice! If you don't want to bother at all, then you can use a ready-made complex mineral fertilizer marked "Autumn".

What to do with garden strawberries after fruiting and in autumn: we properly prepare strawberries for winter

In addition to feeding, caring for strawberries after harvesting, as well as in the fall, when you will prepare the bushes for winter, includes the following activities:

• Pruning (trim leaves and peduncles, remove all whiskers, leaving part for propagation).

Note! The site has a detailed article on pruning strawberries in summer after fruiting.

• Weeding and loosening.

By the way! At the same time, you can and even needtransplant or plant strawberriesby propagating it in one of the vegetative ways.

• Watering (we continue to water regularly).
• Direct dressing after harvest.
• Treatment against pests and diseases.
• Direct autumn feeding.
• Mulching and shelter for the winter.

Important! Detailed information about ways to mulch strawberries in autumn and spring you'll find in this article.

Important! All procedures for caring for strawberries in the fall and preparing them for winter begin only after the last berries have departed (fruiting ends) and the harvest is fully harvested.

By the way! Also the site has general material: read about the autumn preparation of strawberries for winter.

Thus, timely and correct feeding of strawberries after fruiting and in autumn is the key to a good wintering and a future high harvest next year.

Do not skimp on quality fertilizers if you want to increase the quantity and quality of your garden strawberries.