Strawberry care in spring in the country after winter extremely important for a rich harvest. Strawberries especially need to be cared for during the spring transplant or after the winter awakening. Some varieties are demanding on growing conditions and with inadequate care, their yields are significantly reduced. In this article, we will talk about what to do after winter in order to get good harvest delicious and sweet berries.

When to start work on a strawberry garden in spring: when to start caring for strawberries in different regions

It is necessary to start caring for strawberry beds immediately after the snow melts. Care continues until the first autumn frosts. The start of work depends on the region where the strawberry is grown.

• V middle lane and the suburbs. In the Moscow region, it is necessary to care for strawberry beds from March 15. By this time, the snow has completely melted and the plants need proper care for proper growth and abundant fruiting.
• In the Urals and Siberia and in the Northwest. In the Urals and Siberia, they begin to care for strawberries from April 15. At this time, the main activities are carried out, on which the further development of the bushes depends.

How to care for strawberries in spring: basic activities

After the snow has melted and the earth has slightly dried up, they begin the main activities for the care of the strawberries. This is a vulnerable period for the plant, since at this time temperature changes are still observed, and there is also a risk of recurrent frosts. Therefore, it is very important to create favorable conditions for strawberries for the growth and formation of flowering buds.

Advice! Strawberry beds can be sprinkled with ash, water the plants and the soil around them with boiling water, and cover them with foil so that the snow melts faster.

Only dormant bushes can be watered with boiling water. In addition, it additionally kills all pests and diseases that hibernated in the ground.

Strawberry care in spring step by step

Correct and good care for strawberries includes the following activities:

• Remove shelter.
• Carry out pruning.
• Water the bushes.
• Loosen the soil.
• Carry out mulching.
• Apply fertilizer.
• Treat pests and diseases.
• Thin the planting and transplant the bushes.

All events are carried out according to certain rules.

Opening bushes after winter

Strawberries for the winter are covered with a film or spunbond, pulling it on arcs. After the snow has completely melted, the film is removed, and the beds are cleaned of debris and mulch.

Many pathogens of various diseases develop in dry leaves and mulch over the winter, so it is very important to thoroughly clean the bushes.

Further, it is recommended to remove upper layer soil to a depth of 3 cm. Thanks to this, the damage to strawberry bushes by diseases and pests will be reduced to a minimum. The soil is poured with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. A new layer of a fertile mixture is laid on top, consisting of soil, sand and rotted humus.

Advice! The mixture must also be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin before laying.

If the soil is not cut off, the soil is dug into the row-spacing to a depth of 7 cm.

So that the soil around the bushes does not interfere with the growth of plants, the growing point should always be above the surface of the earth. Therefore, when adding a new layer of earth or after the autumn hilling, the soil around the bushes is shoveled in different directions.

Pruning

Pruning dry and old strawberry leaves should also be done in early spring. In this case, it is very important to inspect each bush and cut off all foci of diseases.

First, remove old dried and frostbitten leaves. Leaves damaged by infections are removed completely.

Advice! With thickened plantings, overgrown mustaches, young rosettes and peduncles are also removed.

The leaf stalks must be cut off with a sharp, disinfected knife or scissors. In no case should you pull on the leaves, as you can damage the core and new young leaves. All cut greens are recommended to be burned.

Loosening

Loosening is necessary to improve air and moisture permeability, as well as to prevent the formation of a crust on the surface of the soil. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots of plants that are close to the surface of the earth. In this case, all weeds are immediately removed.

Important! During this procedure, the soil should not fall into the core of the bush.

If roots are bare on some of the bushes, they are piled up, leaving a growing point on the surface.

If the bushes, on the contrary, deepened, they are slightly raised so that the growth point is above the ground.

Watering

Watering is carried out in the evening or early in the morning. warm water, settled during the day.

The first time strawberries are watered after winter, when a lack of moisture in the soil is visually visible. Watering is carried out once a week before flowering. Pour 500 ml of water under each bush.

Important! If the bushes were transplanted, they are watered every day for 14 days. After that, watering is carried out every 2-3 days.

The soil should be saturated with moisture to a depth of 40 cm. This is enough for good soil moisture.

After watering, the beds are loosened and mulched with peat, pine needles, sawdust, straw, or covered with black film or spunbond.

If necessary, add mulch when ovaries appear. It is necessary to protect the berries from contamination and decay during watering.

Important! During fruiting, the bushes are watered only after picking the berries.

If the berries ripen in the heat, then it is necessary to increase the frequency and volume of watering.

If there are a lot of strawberry bushes, you can create drip irrigation, thanks to which the moisture will be evenly distributed.

Mulching

Mulching the beds will help prevent weed growth and reduce moisture evaporation. To do this, use sawdust, straw or fertile soil, consisting of peat, compost, humus and vermicompost.

Advice! The berries that lie on the mulch are much more beautiful, moreover, they practically do not rot and are well stored after harvest.

Also, strawberries are often grown under a special material or black film.

Interesting! If the strawberry is planted in spunbond, in the spring the covering material is not removed, but only the damaged and dry leaves are cut off.

Top dressing

Strawberries need to be fertilized for good growth and fruiting. Repaired and large-fruited varieties require 2 times more fertilizing.

Thanks to such fertilizers, the soil becomes more nutritious, which contributes to the correct growth and development of plants. In the spring, for good growth of strawberries, fertilizers are applied several times.

Important! The first top dressing can be applied when the soil has warmed up to + 8-10 degrees. If the soil temperature is lower, the roots do not absorb or assimilate fertilizers.

First (2-3 leaves)

In spring, strawberries are fertilized for the first time when 2-3 leaves are formed. In this case, nitrogen fertilizing is used - urea (carbamide), ammonium nitrate. They are necessary for the formation of the green mass.

Important! Mineral fertilizers are applied exclusively to wet soil, so it must be watered well beforehand.

With a lack of nitrogen, little leaves are formed, and the berries will be small.

For feeding take:

• 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonium or potassium nitrate;
• 1 tbsp. spoon of nitroammophoska;
• 10 liters of water.

Water at the root at the rate of 0.5-1 l for each bush.

You can also use urea, which promotes the growth of bushes, as well as the saturation of the taste and sugar content of ripe berries. When feeding, a handful is added under each bush wood ash.

Watch the video! Feeding strawberries in spring

Second (before flowering)

Carried out before flowering. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used to activate the formation of flower buds. You can also use the complex fertilizer Nitroammofosku, diluting 1 tbsp. spoon in 10 liters of water.

Many people use infusion chicken droppings:

• 200g of litter;
• 10 liters of water;
• Insist 24 hours;
• Add 10 g nitroammophoska;
• Water at the root.

Third (when forming ovaries)

It is carried out during the formation of ovaries. Organic or complex mineral fertilizers.

The bushes are watered with mullein solution:

• 300 g of manure;
• 200 g of ash;
• 10 liters of water;
• All insist 2-3 days;
• Add 60 g of superphosphate;
• 30 g of potassium salt;
• Watered at the root of 1 liter under the bush.

Advice! You can also use ready-made fertilizers for strawberries - Gumi-Omi "Berry" for raspberries, strawberries and others berry bushes, Agricola, Fertika.

Fourth (after fruiting)

Carried out after fruiting. This time, nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are used. For example, Nitroammofosk (1 tablespoon for 10 liters of water).

Water the bushes with a solution of wood ash or scatter it over the damp earth over the bush. It will help protect the crop from diseases and pests.

Important! On the Internet, they offer fertilizer for strawberries with boric acid, ammonia, iodine and potassium permanganate. However, at the same time to make boric acid and ammonia is not needed, since they neutralize each other's actions. But separately they are very effective.

Protection from pests and diseases

It is very important to treat the berry crop from diseases and pests in order to exclude the development of fungal diseases.

For this, the bushes are sprayed with fungicides and insecticides, including those with acaricidal action against ticks. They can be biological or chemical. You can also resort to folk remedies.

Chemicals used before the onset of fruiting, especially if strawberries are often affected by diseases or insect infestations.

Important! Strawberry mites are very small, it is difficult to see them, but when they multiply, strawberry leaves wrinkle and stop developing, acquiring a gray-brown color.

The first spraying is carried out with Bordeaux liquid or copper-based preparations after removing the mulch and cleaning up organic debris.

The first spraying is planned for the time before flowering with more serious chemical or biological products.

Important! Leaves and soil between the bushes are cultivated to destroy spores that winter in the upper layer of the soil. Biological products for pests:

• Fitoverm (against ticks).
• Lepidocide (complex remedy against leafworm, sawfly, firefly, moth).

Biological products for fungal diseases (powdery mildew, gray rot):

• Fitosporin.
• Fitolavin.
• Alirin.
• Gamair.
• Trichocin (against gray rot).

Advice! You can get rid of a strawberry mite with boiling water. They are watered with bushes (poured into the center of the bush) when the air temperature warms up to +5 degrees.

Chemicals from diseases:

• Bordeaux liquid (1-3% solution) (read how to dilute).
• Horus, Skor, Raek and Topaz.

Chemical preparations for pests:

• Actellic.
• Tiovit Jet (for powdery mildew and mites).
• Slug eater (from slugs and snails).
• Ant (from ants).

Transfer

In the fall or spring, shoots are transplanted from the uterine bushes. In the spring, this procedure is carried out on May 1-20.

They choose a place on a hill or slope so that there is no melt water on it in the spring. Best of all in the southwest of the site with a slope of 2-3 degrees.

Worst predecessors strawberries are eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage.

Strawberries best planted after legumes and cereals, garlic and onions, beets or carrots.

The soil should be light sandy loam or loamy with low acidity and rich in organic matter.
With increased acidity, a handful of wood ash is added to the wells during transplantation.

The site is prepared in the fall or 30 days before the transplant. It is fertilized with organic matter or mineral fertilizers and dug onto a shovel bayonet. After that, everything is leveled and sprinkled with sawdust, covered with foil or spunbond.

A strawberry transplant is carried out on a cloudy, windless day:

• New bushes are detached from the mother bush, the mustache is removed.
• A good seedling should have developed roots, leaves and stems without traces of disease or damage.
• The roots should be 8-10 cm long, those that are longer should be cut to this level.
• The diameter of the root collar is 6 mm.
• There are about 5 leaves on the bush.

After this period, the shelter is removed and the plants are looked after according to the standard scheme.

Mistakes in the care of strawberries in spring

Novice gardeners can make mistakes in caring for strawberries in spring, which leads to diseases and reduced yields. Here are the most common mistakes:

In spring, it is not difficult to care for strawberries. The main thing is to follow all the activities described in this article and avoid common mistakes. Then strawberries will delight you with an abundant harvest of tasty and large berries.

Watch the video! Spring strawberry care

Strawberry ( garden strawberry) Is a rather capricious culture. Therefore, it must be carefully looked after from early spring to late autumn. We will tell you what work and at what time you need to carry out.

They begin to take care of the strawberry bed even before the snow completely melts (usually in March), and finish work with the onset of frost.

March

When the first warm days come and the snow has partially melted from the beds, the strawberries are covered with plastic wrap or agrofiber. This will allow you to get early harvest berries.

The covering material is placed on arcs so that it remains between it and the plants air gap... Note: the greater the volume of air under the shelter, the lower the temperature the strawberry bushes can withstand.

As soon as the snow completely melts, the bed is cleaned: the dried leaves and peduncles are removed, the remains of the mustache are cut off with the help of scissors. Young rosettes are planted in the places where the dead bushes grew.

After the restoration of the beds, preventive treatment for diseases and pests is carried out. The plantings are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid or any chorus-based preparation.

When the ground thaws, the soil is loosened in the strawberry garden. This will keep the moisture accumulated during the winter in it. At the same time, the bushes are slightly huddled so that the root system grows faster.

April

If you plan to plant strawberries in the spring, do so as early as possible. In April, the weather is different: sometimes in the middle of spring there is still a dense layer of snow, and sometimes at this time the buds are already in full bloom. Therefore, when setting a suitable date for planting strawberries, they are more guided not by time, but by weather conditions.

Strawberry seedlings are planted in spring. It is important that by this time the soil has had time to warm up to about 10 ° С

When the strawberries start to grow, the plantings are mulched with organic matter or a special mulch film. During the period of massive foliage growth, a second prophylactic treatment against diseases is carried out.

If harmful insects appear in April, the bushes are sprayed with chemical insecticides (Aktellik, Teldor, Envidor, Calypso, etc.). Also recently, the complex drug Teovit Jet has proven itself well - contact fungicide and acaricide.

If the bushes of garden strawberries have been growing in one place for more than 3 years, they will need additional feeding. At the beginning of the growing season, garden strawberries need nitrogen fertilizers, during flowering - in phosphorus, and after fruiting - in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

May

Garden strawberries grown in tunnels are ventilated daily so that the plants do not overheat under the rays of the spring sun. In the morning, one or both ends are opened slightly, and closed at night.

Strawberries grown in open ground, at night they are covered with spunbond, since returnable spring frosts(and sometimes even lowering the temperature to 1 ° C) can destroy plants.

During the flowering of strawberries, strawberry weevils may appear on it. The bushes are sprayed with garlic infusion or other folk remedies for pest control.

May is often dry. For correct development plant and fruit formation, the strawberry garden is watered regularly. In the second half of May (depending on the region and weather), early strawberries begin to bear fruit. The harvest is collected in a timely manner, then watering is carried out after picking ripe berries.

If at this time there are frequent heavy rains, the plants protect them from rot and powdery mildew. And also, if necessary, weeds are weeded.

In May, garden strawberries begin to actively release whiskers, which take a large amount of nutrients from the plant. If you grow strawberries for berries, and not for reproduction, then the antennae should be removed regularly.

By correctly adjusting the number of mustaches on the bushes, you can get and planting material, and a good harvest of berries

June

The harvest continues. In the second half of the month, they begin to bear fruit and late varieties... To prevent the berries from getting dirty and rotting, black non-woven material is laid under the bushes or shavings are poured. This helps to protect garden strawberries from gray mold and weeds.

Also in June, strawberry rosettes are rooted in separate cups or cassettes. Such plants will be ready for transplanting to a new location in 2-3 weeks.

July

After the end of fruiting, all old, diseased and damaged leaves are removed from the bushes. The garden bed is well watered, the soil around the bushes is loosened and all unnecessary mustaches are removed from them.

In July, strawberry mites can settle on strawberry bushes. Leaves are cut from damaged plants and burned. Then the entire bed is sprayed with water (about 60 ° C) or a hot solution of potassium permanganate.

If other insect pests appear on the plants, the strawberry bushes are sprayed with chemical or biological insecticides. You can also resort to folk safe means... In addition, during this period, strawberries are often affected by spotting, powdery mildew, gray mold. 1% Bordeaux liquid with the addition of colloidal sulfur (100 g of the drug per 10 liters of water) helps to cope with diseases.

August

At the end of summer, on a strawberry bed, they deeply loosen the soil and apply complex fertilizer: 1 tsp each. under each bush. Until the end of the month, the mustache is being planted, the bushes are regularly watered.

In the second half of summer - early autumn, you should take care of timely watering of the strawberry garden

September

This month, flower buds are formed, of which in next year berries will appear. Therefore, it is important not to forget to water the plants in September.

October

In October, favorable conditions are created for plants that will help them to winter well. To do this, water the beds, loosen the soil, remove weeds. Strawberry bushes are covered with peat, humus or compost.

November

When the topsoil (to a depth of 5-7 cm) freezes, the beds are mulched. This will prevent the plants from being pushed out of the ground. To trap the snow, brushwood, Jerusalem artichoke leaves, raspberry or corn stalks are placed on top. In this form, strawberries overwinter.

Thanks to the correct and timely work on the care of strawberries, you will be able to grow healthy plant and harvest a good harvest of sweet berries. Follow these guidelines and you will succeed!

Strawberry care in spring in the photo

The first thing to do with strawberries in the spring is to conduct a detailed audit of the bushes that have survived after winter. Other agrotechnical measures what to do with strawberries in the spring after winter are described by months later in the article.

March.

What care for strawberries in spring can be started in March depends on climatic zone... The earlier in spring the soil around the plants thaws and warms up, the faster and more actively the roots will begin to grow. On damp and heavy clayey, as well as peaty-boggy soils, water often stagnates in spring. To ensure the respiration of the root system, excess melt water must be removed from the plantation. For this, drainage grooves are arranged or deep wells are made.

What else to do with strawberries in spring: when the snow has completely melted, all types of shelter are removed.

April.

Now let's look at what to do with strawberries. in early spring in April, what activities should be planned for this month. After the snow melts, it is assessed how successfully the strawberries overwintered. Living, well overwintered plants greet us with a bunch of young bright green leaves in the center of the bush. Dried, old, brown or dark maroon leaves lie on the ground at the outer edges of the bushes. Work on tidying up the strawberry plantation begins with the removal of obsolete and unsightly-looking leaves. It is they that serve as a wintering place for the spores of the causative agents of fungal diseases of strawberries ( different kinds leaf spots and gray rot).

The "stripping" operation is carried out by tearing off the dried foliage with your hands directly from the base of the bush or cutting with a pruner or ordinary scissors. It is important to remember that in order to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, it is always necessary to start all treatments, first of all, on young plants, and then move on to older plantings.

What else to do with strawberries in the spring in the country is, simultaneously with the removal of dead leaves on the bushes of strongly growing varieties (such as Carmen, Kubata, Redgauntlet, Stranger, etc.), it is imperative to thin out the horns - an analogue of pruning fruit trees and shrubs. Small, underdeveloped, thickening bush horns are broken out or cut out. It is advisable to leave 6-7 large full-fledged horns on the bush.

h2> How to properly thin out, peel and tidy strawberries in spring: weeding agricultural technology

Weeding strawberries in the spring begins with an assessment of the condition of the garden. In non-wintered bushes, as a rule, dried out brown leaves located not only along the outer contour of the bush, but also in the very core. Agricultural technology for strawberries in the spring recommends digging up such plants completely. Upon completion of the work, all plant waste is necessarily burned.

Before peeling strawberries in spring, you need to understand that "old" bushes, which are more than 4 years old, emerge from the winter very weakly. It is also more expedient to get rid of them now, if for some reason they did not manage to do this in the fall.

In areas with heavy, poorly cultivated soil, the so-called "bulging" of bushes can often be observed - the living green core of the plant is raised high above the soil surface, the roots are bare, the bush tilted to one side. If the core of such "raised" plants is good and powerful, and the age is not more than 1-2 years, then before putting the strawberries in order in spring, the situation can be corrected by digging them out from big lump and re-planting at the correct level.

Bulging, as well as soaking of plants in damp, low-lying areas, as a rule, are the main reasons for the death of strawberries in winter time... After “stripping” and removing the dead plants, we calculate the losses. If the number of dead and severely weakened plants is about 25-30%, then this is a solid reason to seriously think about transferring the plantings of strawberries to another, more favorable place on a site with light and cultivated soil.

Now you know how to properly thin out strawberries in spring in general terms, but that's not the whole job. In some places, young rosettes, which took root in late autumn, probably violate the harmony of the rows. Do not rush to weed them out immediately together with the weeds, trying to restore the geometric slenderness of the plantings. These sockets, quite possibly, will come in handy just for filling empty seats.

The main activities to do with strawberries in spring are over by the onset of May. Remained top dressing and loosening with weeding. Let's talk about this in more detail. The period when the snow has just melted and the soil stores a sufficient amount of moisture - the best time for loosening and the first mineral feeding to provide rapid growth vegetative mass and full development of peduncles.

See what to do in spring with strawberries in the video, where all types of work are presented:

The easiest way to feed the plants is to scatter granular complete complex mineral fertilizer in the aisles or around the bushes at a distance of 10-15 cm.

How to feed strawberries in spring after winter: mineral fertilizers

In spring, of all the nutrients for strawberries, nitrogen is most important. Now complete complex fertilizers with a sufficiently high nitrogen content are often sold under the trade name "Spring". The approximate application rate is 25-30 g of fertilizer for 2-3 adult bush.

Before feeding strawberries in spring, we recommend that you learn about another reliable "recipe" for spring feeding - dilute rotted manure with water in a ratio of 1: 8, and add 60 g of simple superphosphate and a glass (250 g) of wood to a bucket (10 l) of such a solution. ash. Spill this nutrient solution under the root of the plant at the rate of 1-2 liters per bush, depending on its age and size.

Opponents of "chemistry" and supporters of using only natural substances on the site feed the strawberries at this time, scattering wood ash and chicken droppings around the bushes. Approximate consumption rates for one adult bush: no more than 1 dessert spoon of dry chicken manure and a quarter of a glass of wood ash. As well as granules of mineral fertilizers, we scatter these substances around the bushes.

For gardeners who want to keep up with the new achievements of intensive agricultural technologies, we recommend that you additionally conduct foliar feeding... For this, mineral fertilizers for strawberries are used: in the spring, in the first decade of May, when sunny and warm weather is established, we spray the bushes over the leaves aqueous solution complex composition... The standard rate for such dressings is 10-15 g of fine-crystalline water-soluble fertilizer per 10 liters of water. The addition of growth regulators such as humate to this nutrient solution will help to enhance the spray effect. We add these drugs at the concentration recommended by the manufacturers. Spraying is carried out in dry, calm weather, abundantly wetting the leaves.

The most modern gardeners will find it convenient to feed the plants with dry fertilizer sticks. Several of them (according to the manufacturer's recommendation) are stuck into the soil around the plants. This is far from the whole arsenal of means, than to feed strawberries after winter in spring, manufacturers constantly offer all new compositions.

Do not forget that for young plants planted in the fall of last year, we reduce all the above norms by 30-50%.

Every gardener knows what kind of work with strawberries must be carried out in the spring. To incorporate fertilizers into the soil and to combat soil compaction, the aisles are dug up or deeply loosened. The depth of loosening in the aisles of at least 8-10 cm, near the bushes - so as not to damage the superficial root system - no more than 2-3 cm.The importance of this work cannot be underestimated, because it will ensure the incorporation of fertilizer granules, help in the fight against germinating weeds, and contribute preservation of moisture in the soil and access of oxygen to the root system.

After loosening, we proceed to the most favorite procedure for strawberries - mulching strawberries in spring with organic matter: it is this operation that optimizes the water regime of the soil, ensures good heating of the soil under the bushes, and stimulates the growth of young adventitious roots that will feed the ripening berries. Mulching creates conditions for an even and constant supply of nutrients to young roots.

How to mulch strawberries in spring: as a material, it is best and most convenient to use a mixture in equal proportions of low-lying peat and a fine fraction of manure humus. It is quite possible to use these substances separately, as well as leaf humus. The optimal layer of such nutritious mulch is 2-3 cm. We mulch the soil under the plants within a radius of 15-20 cm. Generous owners mulch the entire surface of the ridges.

It is undesirable to use for mulching humus from a compost heap, where weeds rot in summer. Subsequently, you will have to spend a lot of energy on weeding and combating the numerous shoots of these weeds.

In heavily clogged areas, just after fertilizing and digging, the most convenient moment comes to cover the soil in the aisles with the help of black non-woven material. It will not impede the flow of moisture and air to the roots, but it will not allow weed seedlings to germinate.

For those who want to get the earliest harvest of berries in the season or plan to feast on red berries in the fall, May is the best time to build and install film or polycarbonate shelters over strawberry bushes. In the spring, these structures will ensure faster development of plants and protection of flowers from possible frosts, and in the second half of summer they will provide additional heat necessary for the ripening of the second harvest in remontant varieties.

A decrease in the night temperature to minus 1 degrees Celsius is detrimental to flowers and young strawberry ovaries. In case of emergency at night flowering plants cover with a white non-woven fabric with a density of 30-40 g / m2. When using ordinary plastic wrap for covering, it is important to exclude its direct contact with leaves and flowers. Pull it on temporary pegs.

V last years cases of the May drought have become more frequent. Therefore, it is important not to miss the moment and when the weather is very hot and the soil is rapidly drying out (especially in areas with light sandy soils), start watering. It is optimal to carry them out in evening time into furrows made at a distance of 30 cm from the center of the bushes. The average rate is 0.5-1 liters of water per bush.

If you do not plan to propagate strawberries, to increase the yield of berries, quickly remove the whiskers that appear.

Usually, already in late April - early May, with the onset of warm weather and the regrowth of young leaves and peduncles, the first signs of pest damage appear in strawberries.

As soon as this happens, you need spring processing strawberries in the spring using insecticides. Small white flies 2-3 mm in size, sitting on the underside of leaves and taking off when touched by the leaves, strawberry whiteflies. They feed by sucking the sap of plants. The most numerous and, accordingly, they are harmful precisely in the years with early, dry and hot spring.

In years with warm and humid springs and in damp low-lying areas, strawberry leaves and peduncles can damage the nocturnal slugs. The first treatment of strawberries in the spring to protect against slugs and putrefactive diseases from folk remedies can be carried out by dusting the soil around the plants with tobacco dust mixed with slaked lime or ash (1: 1) at the rate of 20-25 g per square meter... From funds chemical protection- scatter preparations with the active ingredient metaldehyde around the plants.

It is possible that some of the gardeners will think that this is not such a problem - a certain amount of damaged leaves.

There are a lot of them growing, enough for everyone to feed, and chemical treatment is more expensive for us.

It really would be so, but at the same time other, much more dangerous pests begin to feed on strawberry leaves.

One of the most common and dangerous pests fruit crops is the raspberry-strawberry weevil - a grayish-black beetle 3-5 mm long. Treatment of strawberries in early spring from pests necessarily includes the fight against weevils and its larvae.

Adults hibernate in the soil at a depth of 1.5-2 cm or under a large layer of plant debris that has not been harvested since autumn. In the spring, when warm weather sets in, the beetles come to the surface and eat the leaves of the strawberries. However, the most great harm These insects inflict when the females begin to lay eggs in the retractable strawberry buds. The larvae hatching after a few days feed on the contents of the buds. A new generation of beetles feeds on young leaves, gnawing holes in them, and later the females lay eggs, damaging the buds of another berry culture - raspberries.

With a high number of pests, strawberry flower stalks can be completely destroyed. Refusal to carry out treatment against such a pest is a threat to completely lose this year's harvest. From preventive measures to reduce crop losses from the activity of the raspberry-strawberry weevil, it is not recommended to increase the number of early strawberry varieties on the site, since they are the ones who most suffer from this pest.

But still the most insidious and dangerous pests strawberries, we would name a group of root weevils, which include the lesser black beetle, earthy elephant and nettle leaf weevil.

Initially, adults eat the same way, gnawing holes in the leaves of strawberries. Damage to leaves and peduncles caused by slugs must be distinguished from more dangerous injuries by weevils by the shiny trail of dried mucus left behind. Holes in leaves damaged by weevils are usually clean, as if with scorched edges.

The eggs of the female weevils are laid not in the buds, but near the base of the bushes. The larvae that appear in June-July feed on juices from the root collar of the plant and young roots. Bushes, as a rule, with berries already poured, begin to lag behind in growth and, for no apparent reason, wither first in hot sundial, and then all the time, even if there is enough moisture in the soil. If several larvae feed on one bush, then we lose not only the harvest of this year, but also completely the plant.

To limit harmfulness and intensive reproduction of all species of weevils, the following are recommended preventive measures: careful removal from plantings in the fall of all decaying plant residues - dead leaves of strawberries, raspberries and apple trees - and deep digging of the soil in the fall. Individuals that hibernate in the upper layers of the soil find themselves at a greater depth and die.

Of the folk remedies for the fight and prevention of all types of weevils, a method of mulching the soil around spruce or pine needles... A layer of such mulch makes it difficult for insects to exit to the soil surface, and the strong smell scares off females laying eggs in buds.

Strawberry pest control in early spring

But no matter how much we would like to completely abandon strawberry pest control in the spring from holding chemical treatment in the spring, there is a great risk of losing not only a significant part of the harvest of strawberries and raspberries this year, but also losing fruit-bearing strawberry plants for the next year due to weevils.

The most reliable means of protecting plants in early spring from all types of sucking and gnawing pests in the spring is spraying plants with an insecticide solution. Of the old remedies, the universal drug karbofos can be called.

Of the new generation drugs, which are more gentle for humans and environment, which do not have a pronounced poisonous odor, we can recommend Aktelik and Aktar preparations in standard concentrations. However, in order for the processing to be beneficial, one must not forget about the basic rules for its implementation. Spray on dry, windless day at a temperature not lower than 14 degrees on dry leaves and buds of plants. Approximate consumption of the working solution - from 0.2 to 0.5 liters per running meter row.

The timing of work with strawberries in early spring is very important: it depends on the specific weather conditions of the year - approximately in the first ten days of May, when the buds of strawberries and apple trees begin to emerge and the first leaves damaged by beetles appear. The deadline for such processing is no later than 5-6 days before the beginning of flowering (approximate calendar dates are May 10-15). Chemical protection will scare off pollinating insects, which will adversely affect the harvest.

Watch how strawberry care is carried out in early spring in the video, which shows all agrotechnical measures:

If your strawberries are on summer cottage brings you a rich harvest, then we can safely congratulate you. You are considered an experienced gardener who is all right. However, not every summer resident has such a situation. In many cases, growing strawberries brings only frustration. And all because this berry is considered capricious. Consequently, it can be extremely difficult to get a rich harvest. But remember, this is possible. You should learn how to care for strawberries in spring so that you have a good harvest and collect a lot of berries from each bush already in the current season.

We take care of strawberries in the spring

Strawberry care in spring is considered challenging. However, it has a significant impact on harvesting. If you put the strawberry beds in order in the spring, then in the spring it will remain to control the growth of the bushes and monitor their health. Now it is worth considering in more detail all the stages of strawberry care.

With the onset of spring, many summer residents ask each other when to start caring for strawberries in spring? And it should be said that care must be carried out immediately, as soon as it gets warmer on the street and all the snow melts. So, at this stage, you need to clean the strawberry bushes from dead and dry leaves. Plants that are frozen must also be removed immediately. Remove about 3 cm of the topsoil from the strawberries. This will rid the strawberries of the pests that have been hibernating in them. It also warms up the strawberries faster.

On a note! In early spring, you should not add soil to the strawberry bushes. In this case, the root system will warm up for a long time. As a result, berries will ripen much later.

If you do not plan to clean the autumn soil, then it is recommended to loosen it between the rows of strawberries to a depth of 7 cm.

In order for strawberries to bring a good harvest of delicious berries, it is important to carry out proper care in the spring. And the advice of this publication should definitely be useful to you. It is worth noting that spring care for strawberries it is impossible to imagine without feeding and mulching. Therefore, after loosening the soil, it is worth doing the following:

Sprinkle the strawberry beds with sawdust, small straw, peat chips. You can also use humus as a bedding. At the same time, strawberry bushes are fed with fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

As soon as green leaves appear on the strawberry bushes, a mullein solution is applied under each bush. Also add ammonium sulfate to it.

Complex fertilizers should be applied in early May.

In order to prevent diseases of strawberry bushes and get rid of pests, each bush and the ground around it should be sprayed with a solution copper sulfate... This must be done before the strawberry leaves its leaves.

It is recommended to water the strawberries with warm water. This should be done once a week in the morning. Before the strawberries bloom, you can water them using the sprinkler method. And when flowers and berries appear, then water should not fall on them.

Strawberry beds should be free of weeds. A layer of sawdust will allow you to avoid their appearance. At the same time, water and fertilizers will freely flow to the root system, but the weeds will not be able to break through this layer.

How to care for strawberries in the summer

We described above how to care for strawberries in early spring. You've probably already noticed that this is not particularly difficult to do. Now it's worth talking about how to care for strawberries in the summer. Summer care for strawberries should include:

• Regular weeding of the beds;
• Watering once a week;
• Inspection of bushes for pests and signs of disease;
• Timely removal of strawberry bushes and those parts of the plant that are damaged;
• Adding fine straw or sawdust to the bushes;

On a note! Adding straw and sawdust must be done correctly. This usually happens before the first strawberries appear. In this case, they will not be contaminated from the soil.

• Picking strawberries with the stalk;
• Top dressing after harvesting with water with wood or nitrophobic ash. This procedure spend until August 10;
• If the summer is rainy, then the strawberry bed can be covered with a film. As a result, you will not allow the berries to become waterlogged. If this is not done, then diseases may develop in the strawberries, and the berries themselves will become too watery.

How to prepare strawberries for winter

When you have collected the last strawberries from the bushes, trim the leaves and whiskers. As a result, you will be able to prepare the plant for a comfortable wintering. In this case, the leaves of each bush are cut off 10 cm from the ground distance. All mustaches must also be cut off. In general, after such manipulations, you will only have stalks of strawberries. Do not be alarmed! There is still a lot of time before the onset of winter. The strawberry will be able to get new leaves, and the bush itself will get stronger. As a result, the strawberry bush is even better able to withstand the harsh temperatures.

Leave one mustache that comes from the strawberries for propagation. Stick its socket into the soil. From this outlet next year it can turn out healthy and beautiful bush... From this bush you will collect delicious berries... And if you replace strawberries in this way, then you can achieve a good harvest. And if you follow all the rules for caring for strawberries, then the yield can increase by another 15%.

Spray the bushes that you cut with remedies for diseases and pests. Then feed the plants. In this case, mineral fertilizers are used. Late autumn already prepared strawberry bushes can be mulched again. Used in this case, sawdust or peat. In this case, the layer should be 5 cm.

On a note! The filling should be done carefully. In this case, the bushes should not be covered. You will remove this bedding in the spring. As a result, the roots will receive a lot of sun and will be able to warm up quickly.

Finally

Now you have learned how to care for strawberries in spring after winter. We hope that these recommendations will help you achieve a rich berry harvest. Make sure to care for your strawberry bushes properly. Follow all the recommendations and then the harvest will be not only rich, but also delicious.

Spring strawberry care lays the foundation for a good harvest. After the winter awakening or during the spring transplantation of bushes to a new place, they need special attention... Many gardeners believe that strawberries are an unpretentious crop and they bear fruit under any conditions, but this is not so.
Some varieties are quite demanding on growing conditions and their yield may decrease even with standard care. In order for the plants to bear fruit abundantly and for a long time, it is necessary to make a lot of effort and take into account all the subtleties of care.

When to start caring for strawberries in spring

Care activities for strawberry beds begin before the snow completely melts, and end with the first autumn frosts. In different climatic regions, the start time of work in the spring is different.

Terms for Moscow region

In the Moscow region, work on strawberry beds begins in the second half of March.
By this time, the snow has begun to melt or has completely melted and the plants are properly cared for for growth and future fruiting.

For the Urals and Siberia

In the Urals and Siberia, work on strawberry care begins in mid-April. At this time, the main activities necessary for the development of the bushes are carried out.

Care for mature bushes

Strawberries grown in tunnels are ventilated daily to keep the plants from overheating in the sun. In the morning, one or both ends are opened, at night they are closed.

Strawberries grown in unprotected soil are covered with spunbond or film at night, since spring frosts can destroy the bushes.

The top layer of the earth, after thawing around the strawberries and in the aisles, is removed by 3 centimeters. This relieves strawberries from pathogens and pests that winter in the ground.
If the bushes are covered with earth for the winter, excess soil is raked up. Row spacings (if the earth is not covered in autumn) are dug to a depth of 7 centimeters.

For the regions of the Moscow region, the Urals and Siberia, you need to choose certain varieties of strawberries. When buying plants, many gardeners do not consider qualities such as:

• Increased resistance to frost;
• rapid growth and early fruiting;
• resistance to diseases, pests;
• good taste.

When choosing seedlings, it is best to take several varieties of strawberries that bear fruit at different times.

When fertilizing the soil in the fall or a month before planting, it is not necessary to feed strawberries. The soil has enough nutrients for a year. If fertilizers were not applied, fertilizing is carried out in the same way as for other bushes, that is, during the formation of leaves, before budding, when ovaries appear and after picking berries.

When planting plants, the core of the bushes should remain outside. Deepening the growth point can lead to the death of the bushes.

Water the plants immediately after planting every day. After 1.5-2 weeks, watering is reduced to 2-3 times a week, and when the plants grow, watering is carried out once a week. In hot weather, water the plants after the earth dries up.

After watering, the soil is gently loosened and covered with mulch to retain moisture.

Care after snow melt

Work on strawberry beds begins immediately after the snow melts, as soon as the ground has dried up. For plants, this is a rather vulnerable period, which can be manifested by unstable weather, temperature changes, frost. For creating favorable conditions the growth and formation of flowering buds of strawberries need support.

To speed up the melting of stale snow, gardeners sprinkle strawberry beds with ash, water the plants and soil around with boiling water, or cover them with film or spunbond.

Boiling water is poured onto dormant bushes. Such watering additionally destroys wintering pests and diseases in the soil.

Thawed bushes are cleaned of dry leaves, mulch. Frozen plants are removed.

Strawberry care in spring step by step

In order for strawberries to grow healthy, develop well and bear fruit, they need good care. It includes:

• pruning;
• watering;
• loosening;
• mulching;
• top dressing;
• treatment against diseases and pests;
• transplant.

When carrying out care measures, you must follow all the rules.
In early spring, shelters are removed from the beds. Plants are being pruned. Strawberry bushes are watered, and the soil under them is loosened and mulched. Plants are fertilized and treated against diseases and pests. Thickened plantings are thinned out and transplanted to a new site.

On the first warm spring days, strawberries take cover plastic wrap or spunbond. This allows for an earlier harvest. The covering material is located on the arcs.

After the snow has completely melted, the bed is opened and cleared of debris and mulch. The film is neatly rolled into a roll, vegetable mulch and debris are removed with a rake.
A large number of pathogens of various diseases develop in fallen, dry leaves and mulch. The beds must be cleaned thoroughly without leaving organic residues on them.

The earth is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. A new layer of a fertile mixture of earth, sand and rotted humus is lined on top. This mixture is also treated with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin.

If the soil is not cut, the aisles are dug to a depth of 7 centimeters.

When adding new soil or after the autumn hilling, the land around the bushes is raked up. The layer of soil around the bushes should not interfere with the growth of plants. Growth points should be above the ground.

Pruning old, dry leaves is done in early spring. At the same time, each bush is carefully examined. During pruning, foci of diseases are removed. First of all, old, dried, frozen leaves are removed. Leaves damaged by infections are removed completely. When thickening, the regrown mustache, peduncles and young rosettes are removed.

Tough leaf stalks are cut with a sharp, disinfected knife or scissors. Do not pull on the leaves, as there is a possibility of damage to the core and new young leaves. All cut leaves, whiskers, rosettes, peduncles are burned.

Water the strawberries in the evening or in the morning and always with warm water. Before watering, water must be defended for 24 hours.
The first watering is carried out when the lack of moisture in the ground is visually determined. Before flowering, strawberries are watered once a week.

Pour 0.5 liters of water for each plant. After transplanting strawberries, watering is carried out daily for 2 weeks. Then it is done every 2-3 days.

For sufficient moisture, the earth is shed to a depth of 40 centimeters. Watered beds are loosened and mulched. Peat, pine needles, steamed sawdust, fresh straw are used as mulch, black film or spunbond. In case of shortage, mulch is added when ovaries appear. It protects the berries from contamination and decay during watering.

Watering during fruiting is carried out after picking ripe berries.

If the weather is hot during the ripening period, the frequency of watering and the volume of water increases.
For a large number of strawberry bushes, you can equip drip irrigation, which allows you to evenly distribute moisture.

After watering the beds, the soil is loosened. This procedure is carried out very carefully, since the roots of the strawberry bushes are very close to the surface of the earth. All weed in this case it is deleted.

Loosening improves soil aeration and prevents the soil from drying out under the bushes. When loosening, the soil should not fall into the core of the bush.

Bushes with bare roots huddle up. In this case, the growth point must remain on the surface. Recessed plants are raised slightly so that the growing point is above the ground.

For good growth and fruiting, any strawberry needs additional feeding, and remontant and large-fruited varieties it takes twice as many.

Promotes saturation of the earth nutrients that are required for plant growth. In order for the bushes to grow quickly, they are fertilized several times during the spring.

1. The first feeding is carried out when 2-3 leaves are formed. For this, nitrogen fertilizing is used.
2. 2 times before flowering and phosphorus fertilizers are applied.
3. 3 times - when ovaries appear, organic matter or complex mineral fertilizing is used.
4. 4 times - after fruiting, and potash, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers are used.

Fertilizers are applied directly to the soil to stimulate the growth of green mass. For this, nitrogen fertilizing is used. They accelerate the regrowth of new leaves and increase the size of the berries. Lack of nitrogen leads to a decrease in leaf growth and crushing of berries.

For feeding is taken: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonium or potassium nitrate, a spoonful of nitroammophoska and 10 liters of water. Watering with a solution is carried out on wet soil, under the root of each bush. Each strawberry bush requires 0.5 to 1 liter of top dressing.

In addition to nitrate, urea is used. In addition to improving the growth of bushes, it contributes to the saturation of the taste and sugar content of ripe berries. A handful of wood ash is added under each bush when feeding.

Also, for feeding, you can use an infusion of chicken manure. 0.2 kilograms of dung is infused for a day in 10 liters of water. For the best effect, 10 grams of nitroammophoska is added to it. With this infusion, plants are watered at the root.

When ovaries appear, the plants are watered with mullein solution. For this, 0.3 kilograms of rotted manure, 200 grams of ash, 60 grams of superphosphate and 30 grams of potassium salt and a bucket of water are taken. Mullein is infused for several days. After that, the remaining components are added to it. The plants are watered with the prepared infusion at the root.

Against gray rot, fusarium wilting, spotting, tobacco thrips, aphids, slugs, whiteflies, leaf beetles, strawberry mites, nematodes, protective treatments. To combat them, strawberries are processed twice - immediately after winter and at the beginning of budding. For this, both chemicals (acaricide, fungicides) and folk remedies protection.

Treatment of strawberry bushes from diseases and pests is carried out in calm weather, in the morning or in the evening, after watering the plants.

The first spraying is carried out after removing the cover and mulch.

During flowering, weevils, aphids, and ticks may appear on strawberries. The bushes are sprayed with infusion of garlic, laundry soap or other means of controlling harmful insects.

For the treatment of strawberry bushes from pests, drugs are used: Urea, Actellik, Karbofos, Calypso, Envidor, Aktofit, Teldor and Heterofos.

For treatment of diseases, the following is used: 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur, Zircon, Fitosporin, Fundazol, Fito plus, Phytocid, Topaz. Good help preventive treatments solution of potassium permanganate.

The dosage of all drugs used must be in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Processing is carried out in compliance with protective measures (gloves, closed clothing and a respirator).

Shoots from mother bushes are experienced in spring or autumn. Spring transplant held in early - mid-May.
In this case, the soil should have time to warm up to 10 degrees.

The transplant site should be on a hill or slope so that there is no melt water on it in the spring.

The best place to grow strawberries is in the southwest area with a 2-3 degree slope.

You cannot plant strawberries in place of eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage. : legumes and cereals, garlic, beets, onions, carrots.

Strawberries prefer light, slightly acidic sandy loam or sous clay soil rich in organic fertilizers.
With high acidity of the soil, when planting, a handful of wood ash is added to the holes.

The strawberry plot is prepared in the fall or 1 month before transplanting. Organic or mineral fertilizers are applied to it for digging. After leveling, the ground is sprinkled with sawdust, covered with foil or spunbond.

A windless, cloudy day is chosen for landing.
The bushes are neatly detached from the uterine bush, the antennae are removed. The seedlings should have developed roots, strong healthy leaves and stems. Long root shoots are taken for rooting. The roots should be 8-10 centimeters long. Longer ones are shortened to the specified size. The diameter of the root collar should be 6 millimeters. The plant should have about 5 leaves.

Before planting, exposed roots are treated with any growth stimulant.

When planting, 25-30 centimeters are left between the bushes. Repaired varieties are planted at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other.
A gap of 80-100 centimeters is left in the row spacing. Strawberries grow on one bed for 3-4 years, then they are transplanted to a new site.

Wells are prepared before planting, then they are watered. Ash and rotted humus are poured into the bottom of the hole.

Bushes are installed in the holes. The roots are covered with earth, which is then slightly compacted. After that, the strawberries are watered and covered with foil for 1.5 weeks. This promotes better rooting and protects plants from cold snaps.

After this period has passed, the shelter is removed. Care for such plants is standard.

Of the most frequent mistakes gardeners are the following:

Absence or untimely pruning of bushes and cleaning of beds

In the spring, when pruning, old, dry leaves, peduncles, whiskers and mulch are not removed and burned.
Organic residues lead to the development of diseases and pests.

Thick soil on bushes

A common mistake is hilling bushes with a thick layer of soil (in autumn or spring). Root system at the same time, it starts to grow for a long time, and the ripening of berries is postponed to a later date.
The point of growth of the plant during any work with the ground must always be on the surface of the ground.

No mulch

Neglect of mulching leads to decay of the berries. In addition, it retains moisture, which allows you to reduce the number of waterings and reduce the likelihood of developing diseases.

Improper watering

For watering strawberries, you need to take a settled one, not cold water.
Water the strawberries late in the evening or in the morning. Watering is prohibited during the day! Loosening is carried out after watering.

Many gardeners, when watering, make the mistake of continuing to irrigate the strawberry area during flowering. This can lead to a complete lack of berries.

Poor landing site selection

Placing strawberries in poorly lit, flooded, poorly ventilated areas leads to disease and sometimes death of plants.

Choosing the wrong place for planting strawberries

The area should be light, sheltered from the wind. It should not be melted during spring snow melt.

Planting in unprepared soil

Strawberry bushes thrive in porous, light soils. Peat and sand must be added to dense soil. When planted in clay soil, the plants grow poorly and give small fruits.

Irregular berry picking

The berries must be picked as they ripen. Overripe berries begin to rot and attract harmful insects.

How to care for strawberries in spring How to feed strawberries: video

Strawberries are not only tasty, but also a healthy delicacy. It strengthens the immune system and health nervous system... For picking up on strawberry beds bountiful harvest, you must always comply with all care requirements. Caring for strawberries in spring is not difficult, but necessary, since without it the plants will grow poorly and bear fruit.