It takes a lot of time and effort to get a good strawberry crop. In the spring, a number of manipulations should be carried out to enhance fruiting. One of the most important procedures is the fertilization of crops, this is the key to the development of strong and healthy bushes.
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Feeding in the spring
The best time to add fertilizer is spring. The procedure is usually carried out in late April - early May to stimulate the strawberry harvest. As soon as the soil dries out, the beds should be prepared for feeding:
- remove winter shelter from landings;
- pay attention to each strawberry bush, get rid of the remnants of dry foliage and tops;
- loosen the soil;
- weed weeds and remove roots from the soil.
As soon as the culture wakes up from hibernation, it will begin to grow rapidly and accumulate green foliage. Just at this time, fertilizers will be required for the plant, which directly affect the formation of strong shoots, deciduous mass, dense and healthy stems. In what condition the foliage will be - this will be the yield, the berries will grow quite large and beautiful.
During the formation of green foliage, strawberries will require nitrogen-containing fertilizers, as which you can use humus, mullein, chicken droppings or purchased mineral complexes.
Fertilizers, which include trace elements, accelerate the development of the plant, help the formation of ovaries, ripen berries that have good flavoring properties, moreover, help to cope with the vagaries of the weather (drought, temperature extremes, rain) more easily, increase resistance to diseases.
You need to feed the plants in spring in several steps:
- While there is still snow on the strawberry plantation, it is necessary to scatter mineral fertilizers and wood ash powder over the surface. They will mix with melt water and seep into the ground.
- Mineral fertilizers should be added during the period of digging the earth with further watering of the beds, while liquid preparations can be used.
- With a lack of moisture, foliar feeding of deciduous mass will be beneficial.
Types of spring dressings
Many experienced gardeners know very well how to fertilize strawberry plantations in the spring, so that the plants give a bountiful harvest in summer. There are many different means for feeding: natural and folk, mineral and formulations prepared from pharmaceutical preparations.
Natural remedies are popular among summer residents due to their availability, lowest costs and the absence of chemical additives in their composition.
Natural nutrient fertilizers include:
- Wood ash - the beneficial elements contained in the composition contribute to the rapid development of strawberry bushes, it is for this reason that it is added along with other fertilizers.
- Bird droppings - contains a large amount of nutrients that have a beneficial effect on the fruiting of the plant, is used in the form of an infusion. Such a composition must be used carefully for three years once, at a high concentration, the plant may die.
- Mullein - rich in potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus. It is used in its pure form, as a mixture, which includes manure, straw and peat, or as an infusion.
- Humus - the same manure, to which fallen leaves and cut grass are added, can be used after 1-2 years of keeping in a heap. It contains nitrogen necessary for spring feeding. Fertilizer is placed around the strawberry bushes, covering the open roots of the culture. Ideal for 2-3 year old strawberries.
You can use medications. In the form of fertilizer, they are often used:
- iodine;
- ammonia.
Folk recipes are also well used, contributing to a positive result. For their preparation, they use yeast, sour milk, bread, and also use tinctures from nettle and various herbs.
If there is no possibility of applying natural remedies, you can use mineral fertilizers. Top dressing is suitable for mature plants that require additional nutrition.
Do you know how to increase your strawberry harvest?
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