How to plant strawberries in spring in open ground: instructions for beginners

For the successful cultivation of strawberries and obtaining a good harvest, it is especially important to initially correctly plant the strawberry bushes (seedlings) themselves.

From the material below, you will learn how to properly plant strawberries in the spring (in what way and according to what scheme) in open ground, so that the seedlings quickly take root and start growing, and further care for the bushes does not cause any problems.

By the way! If you want first grow strawberry seedlings from seeds, then this will help you this material.

When to plant strawberries in spring, in what month: optimal timing

Planting dates for strawberries are determined based on weather conditions. As soon as the ambient temperature ceases to fall below +10 degrees during the day and +5 degrees at night, and the soil warms up to + 8-10 degrees, the seedlings can be planted in the ground.

It is believed that for strawberries returnable spring frosts are not terrible, but this only applies to garden strawberries, originally grown in the open field. If youraised her at home from seeds, then in this case it is better to plant it later.

By the way! Because toLubnik is most often planted early enough, then, in order to protect it from the cold, planting can be covered with foil or spunbond. And when there is a steady warming, the bushes can be opened.

When is the best time to plant - in spring or autumn:advantages and disadvantages of planting strawberries in spring

Garden strawberries can be planted both in autumn and spring. It all depends on your capabilities and when you want to get the first harvest.

By the way! The site, of course, has an article about the advantages and features of autumn planting of strawberries.

Benefits of planting strawberries in spring:

• By the fall, the bushes will have time to form a powerful root system and leave in winter already 100% taken root in a new place, which means that the probability of their (bushes) freezing will be reduced to a minimum.
• If the seedlings planted in the spring suddenly begin to dry out, then you can take the necessary measures in time or replace them with new ones.

The main disadvantage spring planting of garden strawberries - in the first year the plant will most likely not bear fruit (moreover, if peduncles still appear, then they need to be cut off all). But if the strawberries planted in spring take root well, then next year you can get a rich harvest.

And one more minus: since strawberries are propagated with a mustache in the summer, then it is at the end of summer and autumn that the highest quality planting material appears, moreover, there is a lot of it.

Suitable timing also depends on what kind of seedling you have:

• So, seedlings closed root system (ZKS) can be planted practically at any time: even in spring, even at the end of summer, even in autumn.
• Seedlings with an open root system (OKS) it is advisable to plant in spring or at the maximum - at the end of summer

The fact is that seedlings with a closed root system take root much faster than with an open one, but they are, as a rule, more expensive.

Video: when is it better to plant strawberries - in spring or autumn

Approximate planting dates in different regions (depending on climate)

Due to the fact that the weather in the regions of the country is significantly different, spring planting in different climatic zones should be carried out at different times.

• On South strawberries can be planted in late March or early April.
• In the middle lane (Moscow region) due to the temperate climate, the spring planting of strawberries takes place from the second half of April.
• In the North-West (Leningrad region)planting of strawberry seedlings can be carried out only closer to the second half of May, when the ground is sufficiently warmed up.
• IN Siberia and the Urals strawberry seedlings are planted in open ground also in the 2nd or 3rd decade of May.

According to the lunar calendar in 2020

It can help you choose the optimal specific date for planting strawberry seedlings moon calendar.

Note! If you are planning at first grow strawberries from seeds, i.e. sow on seedlings, then the timing will differ (and at the same time coincide with mustache landing).

So,auspicious days for spring planting of strawberry seedlings in open ground in 2020, according to the lunar calendar, are:

• in March - 26-29;
• in April - 11-15, 24, 25;
• in May - 2-10.

Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha on favorable days, so the main thing is not to land on unfavorable dates (the days of the Full Moon and New Moon, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, becauseit is a barren and dry sign -italicized).

Unfavorable days, according to the lunar calendar for 2020, the following dates are for planting strawberry seedlings in spring:

• in March - 9,19-21, 24;
• in April - 8,15-17, 23;
• in May - 7,13-14, 22;
• in June - 5,9-11, 21.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine "1000 Tips for Summer Residents".

How to plant strawberries in spring: features and step-by-step instructions

In order for strawberries to quickly take root in a new place and immediately grow, you need to follow the basic rules and recommendations for planting it in spring, as well as choosing seedlings.

Next, we'll talk more about each aspect of a successful landing.

What should be a seedling and how to prepare it for planting

Planting material for planting strawberries in spring can be bought ready-made (at garden fairs or on the Internet) or you can grow seedlings yourself by sowing seedlings at home.

Note! The site already has about how to sow strawberries for seedlings correctly.

In this case, strawberry seedlings (and any other crops) are of 2 types:

• With a closed root system (ZKS). These are seedlings grown from seeds, or mustache rooted last year in cassettes or containers. As a rule, such seedlings have a very good survival rate, and at any time (spring-summer and autumn). However, even when buying such seedlings, you need to carefully inspect the cups, since unscrupulous sellers can sell seedlings with an open root system (open root system) under the guise of ZKS for mercenary purposes. So, the protruding tips of the roots from the drainage holes of the container testify to good quality.
• With an open root system (OCS). Seedlings rooted in the ground without root isolation. Such seedlings do not have such a high survival rate than seedlings with ZKS, but their cost is much lower.

In terms of appearance, a good (quality) strawberry seedling should have:

• at least 3 leaves, while 1 may still be in an embryonic state (i.e. not yet blossoming), and 2 others are already unfolded;

Naturally, the leaves themselves should not be faded and have spots.

• the diameter of the root collar must be at least 6-7 mm;
• the root system should be well formed and have a fibrous shape with a root length of at least 7-10 cm.

If you buy seedlings with an open root system (open root system), then it is very important that they are, so to speak, "Not hacked" and not dry.

It is also very important to be able to distinguish young bushes (grown this year from seed or rooted last year with a mustache) from old (2-3 year old mothers that have already borne fruit).

So, old bushes of garden strawberries have roots black and thick (young - light), and they also havebrown thickening (horn).

Video: how to choose strawberry seedlings and distinguish young from old

Preparing seedlings for planting

• Just before planting seedlings closed root system (ZKS) slightly spill so that it is easy to get the seedling together with the earthen clod and it does not collapse. And then, together with a lump of earth, they are planted in a prepared hole.
• Strawberry seedlings open root system (OCS) dipped in a clay mash (or even better in a solution of one of the growth stimulants), and then slightly cut the blackened and too long roots (but not more than 1 cm) so that they do not bend in the hole during planting.

By the way! Many gardeners advise any strawberry seedlings before planting. soak for 10-15 minutes in hot water (60-65 degrees). This procedure will help get rid of ticksthat could hide on seedlings (leaves). Alternatively, they can be sprayed with Fitoverm or a similar acaricide, such as Actellik.

Planting site or where to place the garden

In order for strawberries to bear fruit abundantly, it is better to plant bushes in well-lit areas, especially for large-fruited varieties.

Small-fruited varieties can grow in light partial shade.

Strawberry beds should be straight, north to south (or southwest).

Important! Strawberries should not be planted in lowlands, where melt water will collect in spring (and also after rains). Because of this, the soil will dry and warm up for a long time, which means that the plant will grow slower, the berries will ripen later.

In this case, it is better to plant strawberries. on high beds or ridges.

Strawberry seedlings can be grown even on a small slope (2-3 degrees).

Then plant: crop rotation rules

When choosing a place for planting strawberries, you need to take into account the compatibility of the crops that grew in the garden last year.

Note! The site already has a detailed article aboutafter which (what crops) it is better to plant strawberries in spring and autumn.

So, good predecessors for strawberries are legumes, a variety of greens, and partly roots. In general, it is ideal to plant seedlings after siderates... The worst - nightshade crops (potatoes), pumpkin, all types of cabbage (except cauliflower).

Important! You cannot grow strawberries in the same place for more than 3 years. Over time, the berry loses its yield. However, replanting in the old place is possible only after 4-5 years.

What you can and cannot plant with: neighborhood rules

Since an ordinary summer cottage is, as a rule, only 6 acres, many summer residents grow different crops nearby. However, at the same time, a number of basic requirements and rules must be observed in their neighborhood with strawberries.

Advice! About, what can and should not be planted next to strawberries, writtenin this material.

There are the following rules for planting berry bushes:

• Strawberries should not be planted near crops that require the same nutrients as themselves.
• The watering regime for neighboring plants must be the same.
• You can not plant tall plants nearby, which will shade the bushes too much.
• It is not recommended to place plants with the same diseases and pests near them.

Thus, next to strawberries, you can plant root and leaf parsley, dill, garlic, various root crops, legumes, and marigolds are ideal from flowers.

What soil is needed:how and how to fertilize the garden before planting

Strawberries love a fairly fertile soil, which means they will grow well on loamy (light and medium loam) and sandy loam soils.

The least suitable for growing garden strawberries excessively clayey, sod and peat (acidic) soils of the soil.

Garden strawberries, like many other crops, do not like acidic soils. The ideal soil acidity level for growing strawberries is pH 5.5-6.5.

It is advisable to prepare the strawberry garden in advance, i.e. even in the fall (so that the soil has time to be filled with nutrients and, most importantly, to settle).

During the autumn digging or just before the spring planting, it is advisable to apply organic and mineral fertilizers into the soil (again, for digging). And also try to completely rid the garden of weeds and shed Fitosporin (for disinfection and settlement with a hay stick). Then loosen, align and mark the rows.

The bed must be prepared in advance, at least 2 weeks in advance, so that the earth has time to settle.

What fertilizers can be added to the future strawberry garden for digging:

• humus, compost or (1 bucket or 6-8 kg per 1 square meter);
• potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate) or wood ash (potash fertilizer);
• superphosphate (phosphorus fertilizer).

Or you can use a complex mineral fertilizer, for example, nitroammofosk (all 16%) or diammofosk (10% nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium 26% each).

Of course, you can pour fertilizer directly into the holey (ash and humus), but this will be less effective, since the root system grows better when it receives nourishment, expanding beyond the original planting.

How deep and what distance to plant

When planting strawberries, you need to ensure that the growth point (the heart is the place where the roots pass into the leaves) is strictlyabove the soil surface, i.e. not higher and not lower.

Note! If the heart is in the ground, then it can rot and vanish. Conversely, if you plant it too high, the roots will dry out, and in winter the bushes may even freeze out.

Depending on the chosen method and planting scheme, strawberries are planted at a distance of 15 to 25 cm. The shortest step for planting seedlings is used in the carpet pattern, the longest in the row (in rows).

Strawberry bushes should never be planted too close to each other. they need a lot of space to grow (otherwise they will simply intertwine and shade each other).

Schemes and methods of planting strawberries

There are a lot of strawberry planting schemes. It all depends on what kind of site you have.

You can clearly see the main schemes for planting strawberries in the following picture:

• Small plot and you want more harvest, then it is optimal to plant tape way, for example, 3-5 lines.
• Enough large plot, and a lot can be allocated for strawberries, which means that you can plant bushes in rows (with a ribbon in 1 row) or ribbons in 2 rows.

By the way! The simplest scheme for planting strawberries is considered carpet... The use of this method is very important when there is no time or does not want to often take care of strawberries at all.

The essence of this method is that you do not break off the mustache and thereby allow the strawberry bushes to grow throughout the entire area. Due to the density of plantings, moisture from the soil evaporates much more slowly than with a line planting, which means that you will have to water less often. However, already 3 years after planting, the yield will significantly decrease.

In general, similar, but more productive circuitth is planting strawberries nests or, as they say more often, staggered.

Thus, the more compact the planting, the more difficult it is to care for, especially in terms of trimming excess mustache and physical access to the bushes.

Video: how best to plant strawberries - schemes

Planting in ridges or high beds

If you have a low-lying area that is often flooded, or you are a resident of a cold region with a short summer (the same Urals or Siberia), then it is optimal to plant strawberries in a warm garden bed.

So the seedlings are planted on small mounds with a height of 15-30 cm. A more accurate height is determined based on the weather conditions of the region: the colder the climate, the higher the ridges should be. The distance between the ridges is 50 cm, between the plants - 25 cm.

Growing strawberries under black film or covering material (on agrofibre)

Recently, it has become very popular to grow strawberries on black covering material. Planting plants on agrofibre (that is, on a covering material) can significantly reduce the cost of caring for the crop and significantly increase the yield.

A pre-prepared strawberry bed is covered with a black film with a density of 60 g / m2. When using several cuts, they are laid with an overlap of 15-20 cm. The ends of the material are applied with bricks, and the central part is fixed to the ground using hooks made of wire. Holes are cut in agrofibre for planting strawberries at a distance corresponding to the selected planting pattern.

Video: planting strawberries on agrofibre

Direct landing

Step-by-step instructions for planting strawberry seedlings in open ground:

• Grow or purchase quality seedlings.
• Choose a place and prepare (fertilize) the bed (at least 2 weeks in advance).
• Dig planting holes depending on the size of the root system at an appropriate distance from each other (depending on the scheme).
• Spill wells with plenty of water.
• Carefully place the seedling in the hole, dig in and press (compact with your hands).

Note! The most important thing when planting a seedling with an open root system (open root system) is not only to correctly position the growth point of the bush (heart) at ground level, but also to stretch the roots well vertically (without bending).

• Water abundantly.
• Wait until moisture is absorbed and the earth settles.

Advice! If the plant, or rather, its "heart" after the soil settles is too high above the soil, then add additional earth.

• Mulch at will.

By the way! Many experienced gardeners strongly advise after planting as well. spill seedlings with one of the fungicides based on copper, at least copper sulfate.

And shade from the sun, for example, an old sheet or the same spunbond in 2 layers.

Video: how to plant strawberries in spring

Strawberry care after spring planting

After 2-3 weeks, when it rains, or you do a couple of watering, be sure to carefully examine the bushes and determine where the growth point (heart) is: if it went deep into the soil, then you need to gently lift the bush with the help of a scoop so that the growth point is above the ground (you could see it), or, otherwise, if the roots are bare, then you need to add earth.

As for those very watering, then the bushes planted in spring do not need to be watered often, since the soil at this time is quite moist. In the future, watering should be carried out exclusively as the soil dries up.

Important! The amount of watering should be moderate. Excess moisture - the main cause of root decay and an excellent environment for the development of fungal diseases - gray rot and powdery mildew.

And if you mulched the beds, then there is practically no need to water in the spring.... Mulch laid on seedlings works like a greenhouse, since it does not allow moisture to quickly evaporate. Hay, straw are used as mulch, sawdust, humus, compost. Due to the high humidity, the seedlings take root well.

By the way! About, why and how (in what ways) can you mulch garden strawberry beds,detailed in this article.

Of course, do not forget in a timely manner weed strawberry beds. Weeds are one of the main reasons for the poor yield of the berry.

As for fertilizing, if you originally planted the seedlings in well-fertilized soil, they (feeding) will not be required in the near future.

However! In the future, you will definitely needfeed strawberry bushes in spring (before flowering), and after fruiting (in autumn).

Advice! On our website you can find a variety of articles dedicated to individual strawberry care activities:

• sowing seeds of garden strawberries for seedlings;
• picking seedlings when growing from seeds;
• general article on spring care;
• pruning in spring;
• top dressing in spring;
• spring processing of strawberries from diseases and pests;
• mulching;
• transplant in spring, summer and autumn;
• pruning bushes after fruiting;
• autumn planting;
• preparing strawberries for winter.

Video: how to care for strawberries in spring, summer and autumn

Possible mistakes when planting strawberries in spring

Typical mistakes that beginner gardeners make when planting strawberries and because of which the seedlings subsequently do not take root:

• They buy low-quality or old seedlings.
• The planting is done too early and the bushes are covered with foil or spunbond.
• The growth point (heart) is buried in the ground or, on the contrary, is placed too high above the ground.
• Bend the roots when planting.
• Bushes are planted too close to each other. Severely thickened plantings are poorly ventilated, because of which the plants begin to hurt, or as a result of a lack of sunlight and nutrients, the berries are too small.
• Too much nitrogen fertilizers are applied under the bushes. As a result of the introduction of an excess amount of nitrogen, the leaves begin to grow rapidly, and the formation of berries slows down.

Video: 7 important mistakes in growing strawberries

Thus, even a novice gardener can plant strawberries in the open field in spring. You just need to use the tips and recommendations given above. They have been developed by experienced gardeners over the years of planting and growing garden strawberries in their backyards.

Video: planting seedlings of garden strawberries (strawberries)