How to prepare a bed for strawberries in the fall. Proper preparation for planting garden strawberries How to prepare a bed for planting strawberries in the fall

How to prepare the soil for planting strawberries? Very carefully. After all, the harvest is planned to be received at least 4 years in a row from one bed. Still perennial. Therefore, all the preparatory stages are very important. Let's consider each in detail.

Digging

Some summer residents neglect the autumn digging of beds. And only in the spring they loosen the earth a little with a flat cutter. Then in August they plant poor strawberry rosettes in stone soil and naively wait for berries. Let them wait. They just don’t think that the root system of strawberries reaches a length of as much as 30 cm! It is at this depth that the soil should be loose, breathable. And it is difficult to achieve such care with a flat cutter.

By the way, winter digging without leveling the top layer helps frost get to most pupae and pest larvae. It will be possible to fence the bed in the spring.

Advice. If your health does not help you swing a shovel, then use a garden pitchfork. It is not so much important to turn over the layers of the earth, but to loosen them.

But autumn digging will be absolutely useless if the soil itself is heavy. After the first rain, such soil will turn into a monolith. Strawberries just suffocate. Therefore, if you have clay soils, then by all means add directly to the garden:

• sand
• rotten sawdust
• semi-rotten sod
• loose compost

These materials improve soil structure and increase its fertility. And further. Do not forget about the level of groundwater and meltwater. Choose a place higher for planting strawberries. Bushes love to drink in the summer, but they absolutely cannot stand the stagnation of moisture in the rest of the year. The root system reacts to flooding almost instantly. Already on the second day after the bay, a good third of the small feeding roots begin to rot.

If for some reason you have to grow strawberries in an unfavorable area, then try to arrange beds at the bottom drainage system from expanded clay, crushed stone. Or make tall boxes, and plant bushes in them.

Weeding

It is natural that the soil for planting strawberries should be free of weeds. Therefore, it is not enough to cut them off with a chopper or flat cutter. We'll have to tinker with the order, choosing the roots of perennials. Otherwise, all 4 years you will have to fight for the cleanliness of landings, and long and hard.

But, even if you choose each root with your own hands, then for sure there will still be a large number of annual seeds. What to do? Firstly, they are not as scary as wheatgrass, sow thistle, euphorbia or bindweed. Secondly, experienced summer residents advise:

1. As soon as the snow melts, immediately harrow the bed.
2. For a week, cover it with black non-woven material, dark film or even roofing material.
3. Then remove cover.
4. Cut off emerging shoots manual cultivator or flat cutter.

This procedure is suitable for spring planting strawberries. For autumn, shelter will not be removed until August. Or constantly cut off young shoots of weedy annuals. Some summer residents use herbicides to keep the land clean right up until strawberry planting. Well, this is also an option if you are not a supporter of organic farming.

Advice. In the spring, a thick layer of mulch can be laid on the bed. It perfectly prevents the growth of all weeds. And for planting strawberries, it will be enough to rake a patch in the shelter to attach a young outlet there. The same operation can be carried out with black agrofiber, only instead of a patch, cross-shaped incisions are made.

Watering

In some sources, there is such a phrase: "The soil for planting strawberries must be wet." It is clear that it is not dry, otherwise how will the sockets grow? But why water the garden bed 2 months before planting? These are again the recommendations of Internet farmers. It is immediately clear that the authors did not work on earth, otherwise they would not have offered Sisyphean labor. Well, after all, there are plenty of things to do on the site without this, except for how to pour water on bare ground. Yes, nothing will remain from moisture in 2 months.

Undoubtedly, there must be moisture in the soil for planting strawberries. But we advise to carry out only 2 waterings:

1. One week before boarding. Abundant, moisture-charging, with wetting of the soil to a depth of 40 cm.
2. At the time of landing. It was watering into the hole, under the strawberry outlet.

fertilizers

A very important component of soil preparation for planting strawberries. Just do not try to provide power for the entire period of intended operation. Because the root system does not know how to calculate exactly when it needs a certain microelement. She will strive to master everything nutrients straightaway. Therefore, with excessive filling of the soil, there is a high risk of getting powerful lush strawberry bushes, but with poor flowering and tiny berries.

We will not give here the exact proportions of any mineral complexes. Because even through the fence it happens absolutely different soil. Let's just write what supposedly needs to be added to the soil before planting:

1. Overripe manure. There are recommendations to make fresh manure. We strongly do not recommend. Ammonia will burn small nourishing roots, weed seeds will sprout in a meadow, and pathogenic bacteria will instantly occupy strawberry rosettes.
2. Oily sod compost. It can be prepared in just 1.5-2 months. To do this, layers of sod are laid in piles, watered abundantly and covered with a film. After about 55-60 days, you can sift the mass and lay it in the beds.
3. Minerals. There is no need for chemistry here. Urea, azofoska, nitrophoska will be required at first. In the presence of these fertilizers, green mass grows and develops beautifully. In the second year of growth, it will be possible to introduce potash and phosphate complexes. They are the ones responsible for lush bloom and abundant fruit.
4. Lime, chalk, dolomite flour. These additives will be required if the soil in the garden is highly acidic. Just don't bring eggshell. No doubt, it improves the structure of the soil, but the acidity remains at the same level. Better replace it with a generous portion of ash. There will be more benefits.

By the way, organic fertilizers are best applied to the soil in autumn or early spring. BUT mineral complexes add days 10-11 before planting. This is if you are going to plant strawberries in August.

At spring planting the mineral water application schedule remains the same, but organic matter is applied strictly only before winter.

Fungicides

To disinfect the soil for strawberries in advance, we recommend that you thoroughly shed it with any fungicide. It would be even better to thoroughly wet the soil with a strong hot burgundy solution of potassium permanganate, and in a day to populate it with beneficial microorganisms. This can be done with a solution of phytosporin. Moreover, only 5 g of dry powder is enough for a bucket of ordinary water.

All procedures must be carried out no later than 12 days before landing. This is the minimum period for the complete settlement of the beds with beneficial microflora and the destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Now you can not worry about your young plants. You did everything that was needed.

How to prepare the soil for planting strawberries? It is clear that the process is not one day. But then the harvest will be appropriate. Large sweet berries - isn't this the dream of every gardener?

Video: soil preparation for planting strawberry seedlings

Summer chores do not end with the onset of autumn. On the contrary, summer residents are doing everything possible to get a good harvest next year. One of the worries is the preparation of beds for strawberries in the fall. For the berry, not only a certain area is allocated, but additional efforts are required, since the plant is very picky in care.

How to prepare a bed for strawberries?

One of the characteristics of strawberries is that they love moisture. However, it should be borne in mind that an excess of the latter will spoil all landings. Therefore, one of the main tasks is right choice garden beds. Experienced summer residents equip it on a hill. Then water will not accumulate in the garden. In addition, due to this location, it is much easier to clear weeds.

When thinking about how to make a bed for strawberries in the fall, they take into account that the acceptable height at which the bed can be located is considered to be from 10 to 30 cm. If the place is on a slope or lowland, they resort to the most different ways to create a garden bed:

• use old tires and boxes. Then the beds are quite high, about 40–60 cm;
• from pipes with holes.

Any berry crop requires painstaking and thorough preparation before planting. And for strawberries, one should attend not only to the selection of a place and seed material, but also to the proper preparation of the soil substrate, for which there are requirements.

What should be the soil for strawberries

Before talking about the soil, it is necessary to say about the basic requirements for the landing site, because these same requirements also affect the soil.

And also strawberries do not tolerate drafts and cold winds, check that the chosen place is not strongly blown.

The following can be said about the soil for strawberries:

1. It should be loose.
2. Soil pH should be close to neutral (i.e. not less than 5.5 and not more than 8).
3. The soil should be moist, not wet. That is, the water content in the soil should be no more than 90% and no less than 70%.
4. For strawberries, medium or light loams, sandy loams are suitable. Of course, it can grow on heavy loams and sandy soils, but it will bear very little fruit.
5. The soil should have a high humus content (about 3%).

Strawberries are able to impoverish the soil on which they sit, so it needs to be transplanted every 3-4 years to a new, more fertile soil.

Strawberry predecessors

For strawberries, crop rotation is extremely important, so you should select the beds for planting very carefully. Being careful not to plant strawberries after crops that harm them.

The most harmful strawberry predecessors are Solanaceae. Indeed, it is extremely harmful to plant strawberries after potatoes or tomatoes, as they impoverish the soil and can infect it with fungal diseases or rot.

You should also not place strawberries on beds of cabbage or zucchini, because these plants tend to draw phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen from the soil, which are so necessary for strawberry bushes.

Strawberries also grow poorly after Compositae crops, such as Jerusalem artichoke, because they leave behind soil poor in both nutrients and moisture.

Precursors that are useful for strawberries are:

• Carrot.
• Garlic not only enriches the soil beneficial substances, but also when planted nearby drives away pests.
• Parsley, by the way, is good and easy to plant nearby, as it drives away slugs.
• Legumes (peas, beans, lentils), which enrich the soil with nitrogen compounds.
• Alkaloid lupine, which is also green manure, can make the soil whiter and looser.
• White buckwheat is not only a useful green manure, but also an excellent honey plant that fills the soil with a whole range of nutrients.

Indeed, such an order of changing cultures would be the most optimal and correct both for the strawberry itself and for the crops following it.

It should be immediately clarified that various varieties of strawberries, such as large-fruited or small-fruited, remontant, red, white, will not require specific soil. We only remember that you can not plant strawberries in the soil where the strawberries were sitting.

Preparation of soil substrate for strawberries

To improve the fertility of strawberries, the soil is prepared ahead of time, preferably a week before planting, and preferably in the fall, so that the beds have time to overwinter. And they do it like this:

Preparing the soil for growing strawberries at home

When you grow strawberries at home, planting them in pots, containers or other containers, you can use ready-made soil for strawberries. And you can prepare the soil yourself.

Do not forget to make a drainage layer in pots.

Video: preparing soil for planting strawberries

Features of soil preparation for growing strawberries in bags and pipes

Many gardeners like non-standard approaches to growing berry crops, for example, strawberries can be grown in nylon bags or in PVC pipes. And although planting in such unusual containers requires special materials and preparation, the soil itself for strawberries is not much different from the soil substrate for pots and containers. For example, the base soil for bags and pipes is the same as for planting in pots or containers. But soil additives are excellent.

Features of the soil for strawberry seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings requires a special laborious attitude of the gardener, so we will step by step analyze the preparation of the soil substrate.

So, although special soil is needed for strawberries, it is not difficult and quite realistic to prepare such soil at home. You just need to clearly imagine how strawberries will be grown further, in open ground or closed, in bags, pots, or maybe, in general, in pipes. And if strawberry seedlings are grown, then it is imperative to disinfect the soil in which the seeds will be placed.

Strawberries are one of the favorites of most gardeners. Many are striving to grow it, and who wouldn’t want to have strawberries of their own production? That is why many are interested in the question of how to properly grow this most useful and delicious berry in their garden. An indispensable condition for obtaining a bountiful harvest is the proper preparation of the site for planting. We will tell you how to prepare a bed for planting strawberries in the fall, what soil is suitable for the normal growth and development of a plant, and what time is best to plant a crop.

What can please the strawberry bush of any gardener is the number of ripe berries. To achieve this effect, planting seedlings in the fall is used. In other words, it is the autumn planting that, like nothing else, contributes to the yield in the first year of planting. Although remontant culture has a yield, this rule is suitable for all species.

In the spring, you can also plant plants, but there will be few berries. Plant strawberries in autumn or spring - decide for yourself. But autumn planting remains a priority. When is the best time to plant strawberries in the fall? Due to the thermophilic nature of the culture, the period from August 15 to September 15 is considered optimal. Why such a short period of time?

How to choose and buy strawberries for planting in the fall

To get healthy strawberry bushes that will grow well without disease and give a large harvest of sweet berries, you need to plant high-quality seedlings. How to choose the right material for planting? Experts recommend buying annual seedlings with a closed root system (in cups). They should have fibrous roots at least 5 cm long and no more than three well-developed leaves.

A good harvest is given by elite varieties of strawberries. It will be good if you purchase and plant on personal plot such seedlings. Even for the cultivation of this crop, gardeners use frigo-seedlings, which are carefully selected from the bushes of berries available in the garden, then dug out in late autumn and stored in bags at a slight negative temperature. Inspect the seedlings, there should be no signs of disease on the leaves and stems

Choosing a place for planting strawberries in the fall

Preparing a bed for strawberries begins with choosing the best planting site. The plant does not tolerate excessive moisture, which must be taken into account when planting. If groundwater is close to the surface of the earth, the beds are made high so that water does not stagnate on them. It is equally important to provide the plant with good lighting throughout the day. The lack of light will negatively affect the quality and quantity of the crop.

The best predecessors of strawberries are cereals, cereals and legumes. And at the place where potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage are grown, it is impossible to plant a crop - the plant can become infected with various diseases.

Preparing soil for planting strawberries in the fall

Strawberries are quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil. It can grow on almost any soil, with the exception of sandstones. Loamy soils are considered the most favorable for cultivation. At the same time, the fertility of the soil increases the yield and improves the quality of the berries.

The acidity of the soil in the beds for strawberries should be medium, about 5-5.5 pH. If the indicator exceeds the specified limits, then the soil should be limed. To do this, it is necessary to add dolomite flour, slaked lime or cement dust to the soil. It is important to know that strawberries perceive fresh lime poorly: its roots slow down their growth. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the land by liming in advance 1-2 years before planting strawberry bushes.

How to prepare a bed for autumn planting strawberries

• soil digging. This contributes to the fact that in winter it will be moistened with snow;
• thorough removal of weeds;
• exclusion of the location of the beds in the place where tomatoes, cabbage or potatoes were grown last season;
• compliance with the alternation of the location of strawberries - no more than 4 years in one place.

Fertilizers in the soil for growing strawberries should also be applied in advance:

• if it is supposed to plant strawberries in the spring, then you need to fertilize the soil in the fall;
• if planting is planned in August, then fertilizers are applied to the soil at the beginning of the summer season.

For normal growth and fruiting, strawberries need a whole complex of organic and mineral substances. Manure is applied while digging the soil. The volume of fertilizer should be 5-6 kg/m2. Superphosphate (50 g), potassium chloride (15 g) and ammonium sulfate (25 g) are sprinkled over the dug up soil and covered with a rake. The depth of digging for planting strawberries should be at least 20 cm.

Planting strawberries in autumn with seedlings

autumn planting may include planting "babies" sprouted from seeds. For this, the largest and most ripe berry is taken from a strong bush, and seeds are removed from it. Then they are placed in a shallow bowl with fertilized and moist soil. Sprinkle the same soil on top. Place the seed bowl in plastic bag and put in a dark place. When the seeds sprout, we put them in the sun and, watering them in a timely manner, we grow them until the autumn transplant in open ground. Immediately before planting strawberry seedlings, level and drip the prepared beds with a roller. This will allow you to accurately place the young strawberry bushes at the correct depth and ensure better establishment.

Planting strawberries in autumn with a mustache

Proper preparation beds for strawberries in the fall will be the key to getting its good harvest. What mustache from strawberries should be planted? If your goal is to grow good strawberries, you need to select the mustache correctly. Mustaches need the strongest, growing from good quality bushes. The rest of the whiskers, which appear gradually on the bush, must be cut off so that they do not take strength from the mother bush.

Planting strawberries in autumn by dividing the bush

Let's try to deal with such a method as dividing a bush. The division of the bush is considered by some to be an emergency method of propagating strawberries. It is advisable to use it in such cases:

• When there are not enough seedlings to propagate strawberries in the garden.
• When strawberries have no or little mustache (for example, remontant strawberries).

At the end of the season, from one point of growth, young plant there are many points of growth. This large bush can be divided into many small ones. Select the roots that are the strongest and most solid. Leaves should not be affected. In order for the new bush to become stronger, it should be spudded. Only the growth point (heart) cannot be covered, otherwise the bush will die.

Covering strawberries after planting in autumn

Autumn care for strawberries includes preparing the plant for winter. The bushes of this crop are covered with straw, peat, compost, fallen leaves or corn stalks. These natural substances will not only keep plants from cold in winter, but also fertilize the soil. Special materials are also used as mulch for bushes - spunbond, lutrasil. Covered strawberries will be protected from frost and will give a good harvest next year. Further agrotechnical work with strawberries begins in April.

Strawberries become smaller every year, the berries lose their aroma and taste, the plant starts to get sick a lot? So, it's time to start laying a new plantation.

Site selection and soil preparation

The laying of a new strawberry plantation is carried out 4 years after planting the previous one. Best time for bookmarking - early April or mid-August to early September, three weeks before the first frost.

If the plants are planted later in the spring, the seedlings will grow slowly. With summer and autumn planting, a good harvest can be obtained only for the next season. Work begins in the evening or cloudy weather.

The place is chosen on the southern or western part of the garden, dry and well lit. The acidity of the soil should be no higher than average, the pH should be from 5.5 to 6.5 with a humus content of at least 2%, and the occurrence of groundwater at a depth of no more than 60 cm.

Strawberries are best planted after legumes, cereals, carrots, garlic, onions. Not recommended: after cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, Asteraceae and Ranunculaceae. Strawberries can be planted at the previous plantation site only after 6 years.

The soil is dug up well to a depth of 20 cm and organic and mineral supplements: from 4 to 6 kg of manure, 20 g of potassium and 60 g of superphosphate per 1 sq.m. After fertilization, the earth is dug up and loosened.

If the laying of a new strawberry plantation takes place in the spring, then the soil is fertilized and prepared at the end of summer, after harvesting. When the autumn planting of seedlings is planned, fertilizers are applied in the spring and greens are grown on these beds.

Planting seedlings and planting schemes

For transplanting, seedlings are dug up, together with the roots, without shaking off the earth, they are placed in any dish and the leaves are sprayed with water. Before planting, the plants are placed in a cool place for 5 days and the root system is disinfected by immersing it for 15 minutes in a solution of sodium chloride with copper sulfate (3 tablespoons of salt, 1 tsp of vitriol per 10 liters of water).

The soil is pre-moistened, when planting, the root neck of the plant (heart) is located at ground level, and the roots are vertical. If the main root of the plant is very long, it is shortened to 10 cm. After planting, the bushes are watered and mulched so that a dry crust does not form on the surface of the earth.

by the most the best way planting strawberries is considered two-line: the distance between the ribbons is up to 70 cm, between the lines - 30 cm, the distance between rows - 15-20 cm. cm.

If the landing site is lowland, then strawberries are placed on ridges up to 70 cm wide. The distance between rows is 15-20 cm, between ridges - up to 30 cm. Ridges are placed from the north to the south side.

Caring for strawberry seedlings after planting

2 weeks after planting, the seedlings are checked, dried plants are removed and new ones are planted. Bushes are watered at the rate of 1 liter of water per plant by rain or drip.

At the end of April, 1 irrigation is carried out, from May to July - 2-3, in August and September - 2 irrigations. With a lack of moisture, productivity will decrease, and with an overabundance, the risk of disease will increase.

In the first year after planting, weeds are fought with agrotechnical methods: weeding and treatment with directed herbicides. Mustaches and grown leaves are periodically removed on young plants, preventing the weakening of plants, and protecting strawberries from diseases and pests.

In winters with little snow, young bushes are covered with mulch:

• coniferous branches;
• dry grass;
• covering material.

Mulching begins with small but established frosts, up to minus 5 gr. Celsius. The correct laying of a strawberry plantation will provide a tasty and healthy berry for several years.