Every gardener loves to collect large crops of strawberries. But its cultivation does not end there. In this article, you can find out what actions are necessary to prepare strawberries for the new harvest season.
Many gardeners who grow strawberries on their plots will not be able to answer how strawberries develop after harvest, and what to do after fruiting. But proper care of strawberries after picking berries becomes the basis for a good harvest in next year. It is necessary to carry out preparatory activities in the fall.
Strawberry
Strawberries begin to bloom and bear fruit very early. Around the middle of the nurse, the first berries begin to ripen. However, during this time, plants simply could not get all the necessary substances in sufficient quantities to form sweet and large berries.
Here a natural question may arise, how is such a crop formed? The future harvest begins to form at the end of the summer of the previous year. As soon as the harvest of fragrant berries is harvested, the laying of new buds, the growth of flowers and the growth of mustaches begin. At this time, it is very important to take care of strawberries.
It should be borne in mind that different varieties of strawberries will ripen in different ways. Most varieties finish fruiting in early summer. However, the most late varieties remontant strawberries can ripen until mid-August. Therefore, the timing of events may be subject to change.
Straw mulching
pruning
After the end of the fruiting period, the foliage on the strawberry bushes begins to die off and be replaced by a new one. Thus, the strawberries themselves get rid of the old leaves after harvesting, what should the gardener do (video) in this case? It is necessary to help the plants get rid of excess old leaves and cut them off.
Reasons to get rid of leaves:
- Old leaves can no longer participate as effectively in the process of photosynthesis. Nutrients for their maintenance require much more than the benefits that they can bring. If the leaves begin to turn yellow and die due to their old age, then you should help the plants and carefully remove them.
- Leaves should be removed if they have been affected by diseases and or ticks. Such leaves must not only be cut off, but also burned in order to completely destroy the infection. The tools that will be used to trim the leaves must be disinfected so as not to spread the infection to all plants.
After such a procedure, it would be appropriate to feed the strawberries so that the roots of the strawberries have time to gain nutrients before the winter period.
In the same period, mustaches begin to actively form. It is important to know when processing strawberries after harvesting what to do with the mustache. Whiskers for strawberries are a means of reproduction. If there is no need for this, then you can cut them all. Otherwise, 1-2 best copies are left. They tuck in neatly.
It is not advisable to start trimming the mustache. In this case, all the nutrients necessary for laying new buds will be spent on the development of whiskers and rosettes, which will still be cut off.
The processing of strawberry bushes should be carried out constantly, but the main part of the work falls on the period after fruiting. If after such processing the strawberry bushes turned out to be completely without leaves, you should not panic. Before the onset winter period she will have time to grow new foliage.
Weed removal
There is nothing complicated in loosening the soil, although there are some features that should be considered when carrying out this agrotechnical event.
- The soil between the bushes is loosened carefully, but gently and not deep. The main part of the roots is at a depth of 10 cm. You need to loosen so as not to affect the roots.
- When loosening, the soil should be lightly hilled so that the side roots are underground.
- The question may arise when caring for strawberries after harvest, what to do with weeds. Weeding and removal of weeds is very convenient to carry out simultaneously with loosening.
top dressing
During flowering and fruiting, it is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers. They promote the formation of new foliage. And this is not very good for ripening berries. But after the end of fruiting, everything changes dramatically, and fertilizers containing nitrogen are especially necessary for strawberries.
Top dressing strawberries
Watering
Before the onset of the winter period, watering should be carried out regularly. Watering is very important for caring for strawberries after fruiting, what to do next and how to properly water can be found below.
- The soil must be kept moist. This can be ensured by regular watering.
- Frequent and superficial watering does not give the desired result. It is better to water strawberries rarely, but plentifully. Abundant watering every 7-10 days is considered optimal.
- To protect the soil from drying out quickly, it should be mulched with peat or a non-woven covering material should be used.
- Watering should be carried out in the morning or in the evening, otherwise the strawberry leaves may get burned.
Conducting a full-fledged irrigation after harvesting will positively affect the quality of the crop, which can be obtained in the next harvest year.
Treatment for diseases and insects
Diseases and insects can wreak havoc on strawberry crops. In some cases, this can lead to the complete destruction of all plants. Therefore, it is necessary to annually treat plantings from the most common pests and diseases. It is better to do this after harvesting, so as not to disturb the flowering and ripening of the berries. How the signs of the disease appear on strawberries after harvest, and what to do (video) to combat them, can be found below.
Diseases
powdery mildew
- Powdery mildew. The disease is quite common and manifests itself in the form of a white coating. Spores of the fungus overwinter in the affected parts of plants and are carried by the wind when favorable conditions occur. It can lead to a slowdown in the development of berries and further drying.
- Gray rot. A small patch of gray or brown color begins to appear on the berries, on which a gray mossy coating then forms. Such berries begin to rot very quickly and become unsuitable for food. On the foliage, such signs are much less common.
- Brown spotting. The fungus develops on old leaves from mid-summer. A sign of the disease is the formation of brown spots. The fungus negatively affects the formation of flower buds, which can adversely affect the future harvest.
- Phytophthora rot. Brown spots appear on the berries, which gradually pass to the entire surface of the berries. The berries themselves acquire a bitter taste and fall off. Dark green patches of heterogeneous shape form on the foliage.
- White spotting. It manifests itself in the appearance of brown spots on any part of the strawberry bush. Later the spots become white. The fungus reduces the yield of bushes on which it has managed to develop.
Pests
Pests can cause the destruction of the entire crop. They easily overwinter in plants, and in the spring they begin to feed on their juices. Therefore, it is very important to know the signs of their appearance on strawberries after harvest, and what to do to get rid of these pests.
spider mite
- Nematodes. Small and indistinguishable worms that usually live in the soil. They reproduce very quickly. They stick to the accessible parts of the plant, feeding on its juices and poisoning with their enzymes. They are very difficult to remove, and in advanced cases it is necessary to change the soil.
- Strawberry tick. Pretty small insect. Winters at the base of the leaves. Tick larvae feed on plant sap, after which wrinkling and yellowness appear on them, and then they die off altogether.
- Strawberry-raspberry weevil. A small black beetle, only 3 mm long. They overwinter under the leaves. With the onset of heat, young individuals begin to feed on foliage and buds. With the beginning of flowering, female beetles begin to lay eggs in buds.
- Small black bevel. Small black bugs, up to 5 mm long. They hibernate underground, where they lay their eggs. Larvae prefer to feed on roots, and young beetles prefer leaves.
Prevention
The best way to protect your crop from pests and insects is to carry out preventive measures acceptance.
The structure of the strawberry bush
- To protect plants from diseases and pests will help the cultivation of resistant varieties.
- It is not for nothing that compliance with the rules of crop rotation is considered the main one in gardening. You can grow strawberries in one place for no more than 2 years in a row. Then it should be transplanted to another place.
- Most strawberry diseases are fungal. Therefore, after harvesting, the site can be treated with fungicides for prevention. This is highly recommended if signs of disease have been detected.
- The use of insecticides will help to destroy most of the insects that live on plants and feed on their juices. This procedure should be carried out after harvesting, so as not to interfere with flowering and not turn the berries into an inedible poison.
- Weeds often become a haven for pests, so they should be removed from the site as soon as possible.
Compliance with these simple rules will help prepare strawberry bushes for wintering, and in the spring the efforts expended will pay off in the form of a rich harvest. Knowing how strawberries develop after harvest, and what to do (video), having removed all the berries, you can develop an optimal plan for growing these plants.
It is natural that there is no gardener who does not have garden plot at least a few strawberry bushes. There are also those who occupy whole "hundred square meters" with strawberry plantations and get good yields, but they sometimes do not know what to do with the plants after the entire crop, that is, up to a single strawberry berry, has been harvested. It turns out that during this period nothing should be left to chance and strawberry plants should not be left to their fate. The end of fruiting is the most important period when the harvest of the next year begins to be actively laid, and if the plant has enough of everything - warmth, moisture, nutrition and care, then next year the harvest can be even higher than this year.
Care of strawberries after harvest. © James A. Guilliam
Pineapple or garden strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) and its berries are often called strawberries, which is incorrect from the point of view of botanical nomenclature, but is universally accepted in everyday life. Using the word "strawberry" in this material, we mean garden strawberries.
Rules for the care of strawberries after harvest
So, we will tell you about what needs to be done immediately after harvesting the entire crop from strawberry plantations, and then we will analyze each stage in as much detail as possible so that no black (obscure) spots remain.
loosening
The first stage is, of course, loosening the soil. It is necessary to loosen the soil carefully, both in the aisles and under the bushes, trying not to damage the fragile root system of the strawberry and not to take its roots to the surface. Loosening will ensure soil ventilation, get rid of the soil crust, increase air and water exchanges, respectively, plants will begin to receive more nutrition and moisture from the same area unit, grow normally, develop and lay a sufficient number of generative buds to ensure a high yield of strawberries.
When loosening the soil around the strawberry bushes, try to at the same time slightly pile them up with fresh and nutritious soil, especially if you notice that one or more roots are bare.
Weeding
The second important event that can be carried out literally according to the list is weeding the beds, that is, removing all weeds, especially wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is extremely tenacious and consumes a lot of moisture and nutrients from the soil. It is better not to weed it out of the ground, but literally pull it out with your hands, then, perhaps, its further growth will be greatly slowed down.
Do not lose sight of other weeds, because they are the same competitors, and therefore must be removed. It is best to remove the weeds after watering or good rain, then the roots of the weeds are mostly and much more easily pulled out of the soil.
Watering
The beds need to be kept moist, just try to pour moisture under the bushes in the evening. It is better not to pour water on the leaves at noon - sunburn may occur. Naturally, you need to water strawberries based on the weather outside the window, for example, if it is raining and the soil is already saturated with moisture, then additional watering is not needed at all, it is much more appropriate to loosen the soil, and perhaps tear off a couple of lower leaves from those , which are literally nailed to the ground to enhance the evaporation of moisture and prevent rot from forming.
If the weather is dry, and there is not even a hint of rain, then watering is a must. When watering, it is best to use settled water or rainwater, it should soak the soil to a depth of at least 5-6 cm so that the roots are saturated with moisture. Waterlogging the soil is also impossible, but overdried soil will be detrimental to plants.
Drip irrigation of strawberries. © Reeser Manley If you are a resident suburban area, where you visit only on weekends, you can design simple system drip irrigation. To do this, you need to take a barrel of 200 liters, install it on a slight elevation, under the stream of rain from the roof, make a couple of holes in the base of the barrel (according to the number of rows in the garden) for special tubes - droppers and spread out along the beds with strawberries. Moisture, acting on droppers, will moisten the soil in your absence, where it is needed.
Mulching
If you don’t want to “bother” with the installation of droppers, then you can simply mulch the soil after each watering, with a layer of a couple of centimeters. As a mulch for strawberries, you can use straw, sawdust, humus, or just dry soil. For several days, such mulch will be quite enough to save moisture in the soil.
In the event that, after harvesting the garden strawberry, a layer of old mulch, say, straw, remains on the site, which you laid out to keep the berry clean and save it from fruit rot, you need to remove and burn such mulch as carefully as possible, reuse it not necessary, as harmful microorganisms can accumulate in it.
Removing old leaves
The next stage: as you know, leaf blades of garden strawberries, having served their two years, begin to age, so they can be safely removed. They do it in different ways: they comb it with a rake, mow it and even cut it out by hand. There is no clear guide to such actions, however, do not forget that when removing old strawberry leaf blades that have changed their color, it is important not to damage the growth points. Given this, two methods are considered the most sparing - raking old leaves with a rake (they are easily separated) and removing them manually.
Top dressing strawberries
This stage can be combined: the removal of old leaf blades can be combined with plant nutrition. Having reproduced offspring, strawberry plants are quite depleted, and there is a long winter ahead and a short period during which you need to have time to re-lay flower buds in order to give a good harvest next year.
If there is little nutrition in the soil, then this can also negatively affect immunity: it will weaken and plants can freeze in winter and at the stage of growth activity, so the bushes will lay a minimum number of flower buds.
What to feed garden strawberries after harvesting?
The introduction of one element to maintain the optimal balance of nutrients in the soil will not be enough. Moreover, we strongly recommend that all elements be introduced in a form dissolved in water so that they reach the roots as quickly as possible and, accordingly, into the plant.
It is best to use potassium sulfate (not chloride), ammonium nitrate and superphosphate dissolved in water during this period. Potassium sulfate, in terms of square meter soil previously diluted in a bucket of water needs 15-18 grams (this is one liter per square meter), ammonium nitrate - the same amount for the same area, but superphosphate needs 45-50 grams, also dissolved in a bucket of water, and in the same amount per square meter of beds with garden strawberries.
In addition to applying liquid mineral fertilizers, after about a week, 50-70 g of wood ash can be poured under each bush into the soil previously loosened and watered with water, although there is not much potassium in the wood ash, only 5-6%, but there are many other mineral substances (microelements).
In the absence of wood ash, you can sprinkle a handful of compost under the garden strawberry bushes, nothing bad will come of it. Somehow the advice came to me that a handful of dried manure was poured under the garden strawberries at that time, I tried it on a couple of plants, they dried up after that, so this advice is at your own peril and risk.
As for wood ash, it can be sprinkled not only under each bush, but also scattered in the aisles, previously loosened and weeded, spending two kilograms per square meter. Some write that it helps from the bear, I doubt it, but it’s a fact that ash enriches the soil with potassium and microelements.
It would probably be superfluous to say that when doing all these operations, you leave plant residues and old foliage on the plantation, of course, you shouldn’t do this, absolutely all garbage from the site must be removed and burned: diseases, pests and various diseases can accumulate in it. pathogens.
Loosening the soil and hilling strawberry bushes. © Gerri and Steve Grady Protection of strawberries from diseases and pests
The next important stage, which for some reason is neglected by many, is the preventive and eradicating treatments of garden strawberry plantations after the end of fruiting, both from pests and diseases. Once all the berries have been removed, carefully inspect the plants for pests or signs of various diseases.
Diseases, contrary to popular belief, there are quite a lot of garden strawberries. Take at least powdery mildew. Its first signs of manifestation are observed in the form of a grayish coating on the leaf blades of strawberries, in the future these leaves begin to rot, and of course, fall off, pre-twisting.
At the first sign of the presence of the disease, when the entire strawberry crop has already been harvested, the plants should be generously treated from above and below with a solution of colloidal sulfur, for which it is necessary to dilute 100 grams of colloidal sulfur in a bucket of water at room temperature, mix well, fill the spray bottle and treat the plants, wetting the entire surface.
Gray rot also harms garden strawberries. Usually, clearly visible gray spots are visible on the berries, and in some places such berries are still hanging, pickers simply ignore them. You can't do that. First you need to collect all the affected strawberries and destroy them by burning: after all, these are foci of infection; and then - treat all plants and especially carefully those where diseased berries were found, with a solution of copper oxychloride, in an amount of 45 g per bucket of water. It is necessary to moisten the entire aerial part of diseased plants with a solution.
Another rot that few people distinguish from gray rot is black rot, it can be distinguished by spots on the berries, they are exactly black, although the action itself and the treatment methods are exactly the same as for gray rot.
We go further: spotting, usually spotting, affects the leaf blades of garden strawberries, and brown-red spots appear on them. It is impossible to delay, the disease can quickly spread to still healthy plants and capture most of the plantation. Outwardly, it seems that this is nonsense, well, just think - spots, in fact, these spots lead to disruptions in the photosynthetic apparatus and, against this background, inhibit the overall development of the plant.
Of course, to a large extent this will not be able to affect the laying of the next year's strawberry crop, but spotting must still be fought. In this case, treatment with a solution of copper oxychloride effectively helps, it must be diluted at a concentration of 50 g per bucket of water and diseased strawberry plants should be treated with this solution.
By the way, beginners quite often confuse outdated foliage with a reddish tint with affected spotting. Firmly remember that the old foliage just needs to be removed, it no longer needs any additional processing.
From diseases, we smoothly move on to pests - during the period when the garden strawberry gave the entire crop, it also needs protection from pests. At this time, strawberries are attacked by strawberry weevil, strawberry mites and spider mites.
Strawberry weevil usually eats leaf blades, in earlier stages of plant development it can also affect buds. In order to get rid of the strawberry weevil, the plants must be treated with permitted insecticides such as karbofos, spending 70-80 g of the drug per bucket of water. When processing, you need to carefully moisten the top and bottom of the strawberry leaves and also process the soil.
An even smaller insect is the strawberry mite. It is possible to understand that it was he who struck the strawberry plantations by the slightly deformed foliage, which changed its color to yellow. The control measures here are the same as in the case of the weevil.
Finding a spider mite on strawberry plants is quite simple: if you turn the leaf over, you will see a cobweb from below, this is a trace of life spider mite.
After you notice a spider mite on strawberries, which sucks the juice from the leaf blades and greatly inhibits the development of the plant, reducing its immunity, it is necessary to treat the plants with any permitted acaricide, and if the strawberry plants are severely affected, it is better to remove them and burn them outside the site.
Mulching plantings of strawberries. © GrowOrganic Replacing old strawberry bushes
So, we have already said a lot about what needs to be done after the strawberries have fruited, but far from everything, there are still secrets left, and we will definitely tell about them now.
For example, do you know that the full-fledged fruiting of strawberries lasts only four years, but on sufficiently moist, nutritious soil it can last up to five years, after which, alas, it fades away without a trace, and it is better to renew the plantation? Now know!
Therefore, as soon as you have collected the fifth, full-fledged crop, the strawberry plantation will need to be replaced with a new one. Around the end of July, all old and drying strawberry leaves should be cut, removed, only the very base of the bush about 2-3 cm high should be left from the shoots and shoots.
All that is cut off must be removed from the site and burned. This procedure is cruel, however, this fall it will allow the plants to form a new leaf mass and lay flowering buds, that is, a guarantee of next year's harvest.
What to do with strawberry whiskers?
When removing processes, there are a lot of them and it happens to destroy them for real it's a pity. Given this, if you have enough free space, then the remaining shoots, choosing the strongest and most well-developed and healthy of them, should be transplanted into newly laid beds. All other whiskers must be removed, otherwise they will simply draw moisture and additional substances onto themselves to the detriment of the formation of the generative sphere of plants.
Cutting strawberry whiskers should be done in any way, for this a garden knife is usually taken and the whiskers are removed as close to the soil surface as possible. In no case do not pull out the process, so you almost always pull out part of the root, and it can dry out, and therefore the whole plant will die.
Rejuvenation of strawberry plantings with mustache layering. © Chloe
Preparing strawberries for winter
Preparing strawberries for winter should not be ignored, this is a significant part of the guarantee of a good harvest for next year. If there is enough moisture in the soil, then it is not necessary to water the plants in late autumn, if it is not enough, then around the end of October, you can pour a couple of buckets of water per square meter of soil.
Inspect the plants carefully again, especially after watering, if you notice that root system sticks out in some places, then be sure to dig it with moist and nutritious soil. At the onset of the first stable frosts, in order to retain snow in the garden with strawberries, it is necessary to cover it with spruce branches, it is not such a reliable protection from the cold, but it retains snow in the area just perfectly.
But many do not advise using straw for the winter as a covering material for strawberries, mice usually start there, so if you already have a lot of straw and nowhere to put it, then at the same time lay out poisoned baits to protect yourself from mice.
Well, that's all we wanted to tell you. If you have questions or tips, then write about them in the comments, we will be happy to answer questions and use the tips!
June-July is the time when strawberries thank us for their care. We are reaping the fruits of our labors, but do not think that after the harvest, you can forget about the berry beds. In August and September, plants need even more help and protection than in spring. It is at the end of summer - autumn that the laying of the next year's crop takes place.
What to do with strawberries after harvest
You need to start leaving at the end of July - August, the earliest - when the last berries are still hanging on the bushes, and at the latest - 2 weeks after harvesting:
- Cut off the old coarsened leaves, leaving 5-7 of the topmost young ones in the bush. Do this even if there are no signs of illness. So you thin out the plants, improve their ventilation and help the strawberries renew their leaves. Indeed, in August, the second wave of growth of green mass begins.
Cutting entire leaves is a last resort. The bush will direct all its forces to the restoration of the tops, and not to the laying of flower buds. Cardinal pruning to stumps is justified only in two cases: all strawberries are severely affected by diseases and pests, or the plantation is too large, overgrown, it is impossible to cut each bush.
- If you left your mustache to root in July, in August it's time to dress them from the mother plant and plant them in a separate bed. All other mustaches must be removed as they grow.
- After trimming the leaves and mustaches, feed with nitrogen fertilizer, but in a lower concentration than in spring, for example, instead of 1 tbsp. l. ammonium nitrate, take 0.5 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Many gardeners use weed infusion at this time. Combine top dressing with watering.
- Keep the soil under the strawberries constantly moist and loose until the first frost. This is also important for laying flower buds. To make the job easier, use mulch or grow strawberries on a spunbond. Install a drip irrigation system.
- Treat for pests and diseases. Use proven tools. Each gardener has their own. Many prefer folk recipes, for example, from Khrushchev - ammonia (40-50 g per 10 liters under the root), from diseases - brilliant green (40 drops per bucket). But it is more reliable to use fungicides (Scor, HOM, Arcerid, etc.) and insecticides (Aktara, Karbofos, Fufanon, etc.). Perform two treatments 10-14 days apart.
- In September, when the bushes recover and become lush again, apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers: 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and potassium sulfate per square meter of beds. You can use ash - 1-2 tbsp. l. under the bush Distribute the fertilizer evenly, loosen and water. Phosphorus and potassium also have a positive effect on the yield of the next year, and in addition, they help strawberries to winter better.
Do not apply fertilizers containing nitrogen in the fall, they will provoke another growth of greenery. Bushes with tender young leaves will freeze.
- With the advent of stable cold weather, when frosts begin to shackle the surface of the earth, cover the strawberries with straw, dry tops of vegetables, dill stalks, agrofibre and other warming materials.
This year, after harvesting, I plan to start transplanting young bushes to another place. Last summer I planted seedlings in the sunniest area near the house. I wanted the best, but early in the spring the snow melted there first of all. Strawberries stood in puddles during the day, and in ice at night. Several bushes died, I want to transplant the rest to the middle of the site. There is also a row that has fallen into the shadow of the fence, where the situation is reversed - the snow melts for a long time, the earth warms up slowly, strawberries bloom and bear fruit later, get sick. I will be transplanting it too.
After harvesting, there comes a period when the bushes, if necessary, can be transplanted to another place.
It is best to transplant adult bushes immediately after trimming excess leaves and mustaches. Plants become compact, evaporate less moisture, take root faster in a new place. Do not forget the rule: every 4 years you need to move the entire strawberry plantation to another place. But for this, take not old bushes, but rosettes obtained by rooting mustaches in July.
Video: strawberry care in the second half of summer - autumn
Features of caring for remontant strawberries
Remontant strawberries bear fruit all summer. After the first harvest, a dormant period begins for 2-3 weeks and the next wave begins. The berries grow and ripen until frost, so intensive care is required:
- Immediately after harvest, cut off old flower stalks and leaves with damage and spots. It is impossible to mow all the foliage and radically thin out the bushes. Strawberries need strength to lay the next crop, so it needs to be injured to a minimum.
- Be careful with mustaches: some varieties do not produce new ones after pruning. Therefore, read about the characteristics of your variety and decide how much mustache you need to leave. There are strawberries, which, on the contrary, grow mustaches all season and even give an additional crop on them. In this case, there will be a lot of berries, but small ones. In addition, it will be difficult for you to clear the bed later, it will be all overgrown.
- Keep the soil moist and always under mulch to keep the ever-growing berries from touching the damp soil.
- Feed every 10-14 days with a complex fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements, such as Fertika, Agricola, etc.
- From diseases and pests, use only biological products: Trichodermin, Planriz, Gaupsin, etc.
- In early September, cut off diseased leaves, as well as all flower stalks along with growing and ripening berries. Bushes should go into the winter stronger, so they need rest before the onset of cold weather.
- After trimming, feed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.
- Before the onset of frost, make charging watering, and with their arrival, cover the strawberry beds for the winter.
Video: caring for remontant strawberries
Be sure to handle strawberries after harvest. Do not leave it to grow weeds and stained with diseases. Without proper care, the bushes are quickly depleted, may freeze in the winter or be of low yield next summer.
When to prune strawberries or how to care for them after harvestThe term "leaf mowing" refers to a whole range of activities in the first-year strawberry bed.
There is no definite answer to the questions - why and when to cut strawberries. Opinions of gardeners on this matter are different.
Some are for it, some are vehemently against it. Why do this if it seems to be known that the foliage feeds the root, they say, the more foliage, the stronger the bush? Yes, this is certainly correct.
But ... Harvested - prepare for the next! Sounds like a slogan for a gardener.
So, caring for strawberries after harvesting is preparing the plantation for next year's harvest. And pruning strawberry leaves is one of the stages of this care.
We all love this berry. In the spring, a lot of time and effort is spent on care before flowering, during it, during the formation, ripening of berries. We want more strawberries, they were larger, juicier, tastier.
So, just after the harvest, you need to make every effort to improve, increase it next year. Strawberries need special care just after harvesting. This is the most important time for her and for us.
Why trim your mustache
Surely, you already noticed during the harvest that strawberries (strawberries) give a lot of whiskers. Of course, it depends on the variety. Some cultivars have a lot of whiskers, some have little, and some may be completely hairless.
We collected all the berries - carefully inspect the entire plantation. It is necessary to loosen the beds of garden strawberries, weed them from weeds, remove the mustache.
Mustaches are required for strawberries to breed. If you do not want to get new rosettes, new plants for propagation, then you need to cut them off immediately after they appear.
Usually there are several mustaches on one bush, we collect them in one bunch and cut them as close as possible to the base of the bush. By the way, this mustache trimming procedure will have to be repeated more than once per season. If we start, we don’t do it on time, then the plant will spend all its energy on growing mustaches, rosettes - the future crop will get less, there will be fewer flower buds, which means there will be fewer berries, they will be smaller.
Everything superfluous for the future harvest must be cut off.
In addition, this is necessary so that the strawberries do not thicken, since thickened plantings are more difficult to care for.
When to feed, fertilize
Some gardeners do the wrong thing by overfeeding strawberries before harvest. This leads to the fact that it is strongly affected by gray rot, this is, firstly. Secondly, although the berries become large, they are watery, less sweet, and have a shorter harvest period.
Early in the spring before flowering, we fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers. But, remember, the main fertilization should be after harvest. This is top dressing full mineral fertilizer and organic. Many bring manure under strawberries. This, of course, is good - manure not only nourishes the plants, but also takes care of the strawberry root system.
Hilling strawberries
The fact is that strawberries are a perennial berry plant. Over time, it builds up an aerial root system and begins, as it were, to bulge out of the ground. Every year, especially after 3-4 years of growing in one place, we are forced to add mulch, earth, compost, rotted manure to the aisles, thus covering the roots of strawberries. Mulching, hilling helps the roots develop well.
Reasons, timing of pruning leaves
The laying of fruit buds in strawberries (strawberries) occurs in June (Krasnodar Territory) - July (middle lane) after harvest. By this time, it is necessary to coincide with the first trimming of the mustache, leaves.
The fact is that a strawberry leaf lives only 60-70 days - 2-2.5 months. And after that, various spots appear on the leaves - whitish, rusty, red. These are signs of leaf aging, the development of various diseases on them.
That is, cutting the leaves of strawberries (strawberries) is necessary in order to protect the future crop from diseases.
Trim leaves or whiskers with secateurs or scissors. Tools must be sharp.
Do not tear them off with your hands - this way you can damage the root system. The plant, instead of building up leaf mass, will recover its strength for a long time.
The process of chlorophyll production stops 2-2.5 months after picking the berries - even in healthy plants, the leaves may turn red.
Advice:
reddened leaves should be removed to prevent the pests remaining on them from wintering quietly. Treat the plantation with pesticides.
There is a danger that young leaves will not have time to grow after pruning - bare bushes may not survive the frosty winter.
So, a month and a half after picking the last berries, we inspect the plantation of strawberries (garden strawberries) and remove all the leaves with specks, holes, while not forgetting to remove the flower stalks. We leave only young leaves.
When to do it?
V middle lane- the first half of August. I will not say the exact date - it is not so important. Most importantly, calculate the timing so that your strawberries leave in the winter with young leaves already grown.
How to prune strawberries if the plants are affected by diseases, pests
In the event that a bush or bushes of strawberries are affected by a strawberry mite, there is severe spotting on the leaves, it is necessary to remove all leaves, even young ones.
Leaves with signs of disease should be cut as close to the base of the bush as possible, since disease spores can also persist on petioles. Try not to touch the heart of the bush when pruning - the plant will be able to recover faster.
By doing such pruning, you will not harm the bush, as strawberries grow green mass very quickly. By cutting off the old leaves, you will immediately see where you can loosen the ground, where you need to remove the weeds.
Of course, by removing all the leaves from strawberries, you will not remove all pests and diseases. They will remain on the stumps of leaves, the ground.
Simply, such a bed is easier to treat with drugs for diseases and pests. This processing is more efficient.
Now you can feed the "rejuvenated" bed.
At this time, as I said, are laid fruit buds- the basis of the future harvest, so do not forget to periodically water your strawberries. A
if there is no rain, keep the soil moist.
Top dressing, watering at this time are required. It is at this time that strawberries will increase their leaf mass, which in winter, covered with snow, will protect the root system from freezing.
That is, the more foliage your bushes go into the winter, the better they will winter, the more harvest you will get.
If during the harvest period you notice berries affected by gray rot - after harvesting the last berries, treat the entire plantation with some kind of fungicide - it can be Bordeaux mixture, Topaz or Horus.
Is it possible to mow all strawberry leaves
The term "leaf mowing" refers to a whole range of activities in the first-year strawberry bed. Some gardeners take the word "mowing" so literally that they go out into the garden with a scythe and even with a lawn mower, and not in July, but in August, and ignore all other methods. The results of such leaf mowing are always deplorable.
In fact, this most important stage in the care of strawberries includes not only the removal of leaves, but also loosening, treatment for pests and diseases, removal of mustaches, replanting fallen plants and preparing seedlings for a new garden bed.
Not so long ago, walking along my dacha street, I saw that my acquaintances were mowing strawberry leaves with a scythe. They have a large berry plot - several acres - they cannot do without a scythe, as they believe. At first I thought that they decided to get rid of the old strawberries in this way, they say, it's time to start a new plantation. But it turned out that everything is not so. The owner of the dacha said that they mow the leaves of strawberries every year, three or four weeks after the last harvest. And this year, some circumstances prevented them from doing it on time and they mowed in mid-August. The strawberry harvest, according to them, is good all the time, it gets sick less.
If you have a large plantation and it is more than 3-4 years old, then you can follow the example of my friends.
There is another reason for completely cutting strawberry leaves with a scythe or secateurs (scissors) - this is a strong defeat of plantings by diseases and pests. After complete cutting (mowing) of the leaves, the plantation should be treated with some fungicide or pesticide. Be sure to feed your strawberries - help her quickly build up leaf mass.
It is not necessary to carry out mowing on young healthy plantings of strawberries, this depletes the bushes and you deprive yourself of the harvest.
How to care for strawberry beds after pruning or mowing
I will repeat myself a little, but this is very important.
Loosen the ground around the bushes.
Remove weeds.
Treat the plantation for diseases and pests.
Feed with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Water regularly if there is no rain during this period.
It is very important that the soil in the garden bed is wet all the time - this is very important for the growth of young foliage.
That's all the simple rules. Now you know how and when to prune strawberries (garden strawberries). A good harvest next year is guaranteed!
If you think that garden strawberries (strawberries) can be left alone after fruiting, then you are deeply mistaken. Many people wonder when to prune strawberries. Just after the harvest garden strawberries and you need to pay maximum attention, since it depends on your actions during this period how juicy, tasty and sweet the berries will be next year. The main thing is to make a thorough and complete processing of strawberry plants. And if you do everything right, then you are guaranteed an increase in yield next season (it can range from 35% to 40%, which is not bad at all). And it is necessary to start taking care of the future harvest when it is already necessary to cut the strawberries after harvesting immediately.
Caring for strawberries after harvest
In July, you harvested a wonderful harvest of berries, fully enjoyed their taste and made preparations for the winter: now you need to think about how to “thank” the strawberries so that they regain their strength and stock up on new ones. To make this happen, we do the following:
- we remove dry foliage and the old mulching mass from the beds: after all, those pests and pathogens are located in it various diseases, which are so detrimental to plants;
- weed out weeds;
- trim the mustache and old leaves;
- we dig up bushes with a nematode and mercilessly destroy them (so that the disease does not spread further);
- we loosen the soil not only in the beds, but also in the aisles;
- water (as needed, that is, only when there is no rain for a long time);
- we carry out treatment from diseases and pests;
- we fully feed the plants;
- we mulch the soil (for example, with peat).
On a note! It is not necessary to cut off or mow all the foliage from strawberry bushes: you can overdo it. Only unnecessary (that is, already yellowed and flawed) foliage is subject to removal.
And now let's dwell on each stage in more detail.
The crop is harvested: we prune strawberry plants
Some people are hesitant to trim the strawberries, maybe "it will do." There can be only one answer: of course, it is necessary. After the crop is harvested, without fail we weed the beds, removing withered foliage and all weeds. We burn the cut leaves immediately and in no case send them to the compost. It is also not worth arranging a layer of mulch from them. The thing is that pests can remain on the leaves, and they themselves can be infected with diseases. When to prune strawberry leaves? In July, right after the final berry picking.
Important! We do not recommend making a complete (total) pruning of leaves from the bushes (we do it only if the strawberry plantation has undergone a fungal infection or pest infestation). It is necessary to cut off selectively (only old and drying leaf blades).
Young bushes, which are only one year old, should not be touched at all: let them grow and gain strength.
As for the mustache, it is imperative to remove them, because if this is not done, then all the forces of the bush will be directed to the growth of new mustaches and flower buds: but we do not need this, because then we will not wait for the berries. And we cut off the mustache as close as possible to the center of the outlet. But if you have plans to propagate strawberries, then you can easily do this by digging in some whiskers.
On a note! When to prune strawberries (i.e. remove their leaves and whiskers)? The procedure must be repeated several times per season.
Cut strawberries correctly
On how well you trim the bushes and choose the right moment for this (that is, when it will be most effective to cut strawberries after picking berries), its fertility in the next season depends. We remove old leaves as follows:
- we cut them or mow them at a height of 8-9 cm (to avoid damage to growth points and healthy leaf mass) using a garden knife, pruner or scissors;
- comb out the cut leaves with a rake.
Advice! In no case do not cut off the leaves with your hands: by pulling the leaf, you can pull out either the entire bush or part of it, thereby violating the root system. Such actions will lead to the fact that the damaged plant, having become ill, will recover for a long time and is unlikely to produce a large number of berries.
When is it best to prune strawberries after harvest? Most likely, this is 8-11 days (no less) after the completion of fruiting.
Reasons why you need to cut the leaves of strawberries without fail
At the end of the fruiting of strawberry bushes, the second wave of the formation of new leaves begins, when it is simply necessary to cut the leaves of strawberries. Otherwise, all the forces of the plant will be spent only on their growth, and not on laying new flower buds. As a result, next summer you will have a lot of green leaves and very few berries.
In addition, pests try to quickly crawl from old (“tasteless”) leaves to new (“tasty”) ones and settle there. Why not? In general, we repeat once again that the most suitable moment when it is worth starting to cut strawberries is the July days (immediately after fruiting).
We loosen the soil
Advice! At the end of loosening, you can please your "favorites" and spud them with fresh soil (about 20 mm high). Moreover, special attention should be paid to bushes in which the root system is bare (most often this applies to plants whose age is 2-3 years). But be careful: the soil should not fall into the center of the bush.
Processing strawberries does not hurt
Chemical treatment of plants during this period will not interfere in any way, since during the picking of berries it was completely excluded (by the way, weeding was not recommended either). Especially if, when processing strawberries, you notice that some leaves look like corrugated paper: this is a sure sign that it is not dozing, but is doing its dirty work. In this case, we treat the plants with anti-mite devices (“Thiovit Jet”, “Fitoverm”, “Aktellik” or colloidal sulfur diluted with water), strictly following the instructions on the packages.
If brown spots are found on the leaves, then, most likely, the plants have caught viral diseases. We process them with Bordeaux solution.
If the berries rot, then the plants are affected by gray rot: we spray the bushes with copper oxychloride (a popular fungicide).
Advice! Before chemical treatment of the bushes, we recommend removing all diseased, old and pest-infested leaves from the garden.
Upon detection of yellowish leaves (located in the central part of the plant), the thickness of the petioles of which has increased significantly, we conclude: the bushes are affected by the nematode. It is useless to take any measures in this case, sometimes even spraying does not help. It is easier to get rid of diseased plants.
Advice! After removing the affected bushes from the garden, we strongly recommend that you shed the soil with very steep boiling water.
But it is better, as you know, to prevent a disease than to cure. Therefore, the following can be suggested as preventive measures:
- constantly inspect the bushes and, if sick are found, immediately remove them;
- spray the bushes and soil in the garden with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Feeding strawberries after harvest
Well-rotted compost (or biohumus) is excellent for feeding strawberry bushes, which is poured onto the beds directly to the roots. Ash, which is scattered between the bushes, can also serve as a good top dressing (based on the calculation: 2-liter jar per 1 m² of plantings).
Important! Due to the fact that wood ash does not combine well with fresh manure, you should not use them together.
Mineral top dressing, consisting of a mixture of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate (in a ratio of 1: 3: 1), diluted in water, is also not forbidden.
Getting ready for winter
After all the work has been done, when it is no longer necessary to cut the strawberries, you can think about winter preparations. And they consist, first of all, in the fact that in October to bring or peat) under the plants with a layer of at least 50 mm. Then, in November, cover them with spruce branches or raspberry branches so that the snow cover does not put much pressure on the plants.
