Fertilizer for strawberries - how to increase yield in simple ways? What you need to know about feeding strawberries during flowering and fruiting How to feed blooming strawberries

Strawberries are a demanding berry. To get the best harvest you need high-quality and timely care, rich soil and good lighting. One of the most important stages of caring for strawberries is feeding during the formation of the ovaries. How to feed strawberries during flowering for a good harvest and how to do it correctly - read on.

Means for feeding strawberries during flowering

Fertilizing strawberries is a very serious matter. The quality of the harvest subsequently depends on the correct and timely addition of fertilizers. The most important stage of caring for strawberries is during their flowering. Strawberries need fertilizing, protection from pests, and removal of excess mustache.

Already in the spring, in mid-May, when the ovaries begin to bud on the strawberry shoots, it is important to prepare the soil for applying fertilizers. To do this, it is carefully loosened - such soil better absorbs nutrients from fertilizers.

Important! Fertilizing strawberries during flowering is carried out only once, so you need to choose the right mineral fertilizers for open ground.

A novice gardener may have a question: how to feed and spray strawberries when they bloom. First things first.

Root feeding of strawberries

During fruit set, strawberries need a high potassium content. To saturate the soil with it, gardeners often use an infusion of chicken manure or a mixture of mullein and ash. Potassium nitrate (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water) will also be useful. 0.5 liters of solution is poured under each bush. The use of the solution is recommended precisely during the appearance of buds.

When inflorescences appear, the strawberries are watered with a solution of chicken droppings or a mixture of mullein and ash (0.5 liters per 10 liters of water).

Strawberry blossom

Ammophoska will be a good fertilizer, as it does not contain nitrates. It is rich in nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur. The content of each element is about 15% of the total volume of fertilizer. It can be used on its own or added to a compost mixture.

Foliar feeding

Foliar feeding - spraying the leaves of a plant with fertilizer. There are several types:

• Boric acid increases the number of inflorescences. To spray, 1 g of boric acid must be diluted in 10 liters of water.
• Zinc sulfate. To treat bushes, use a 0.02% solution. This feeding saturates strawberries with microelements and promotes the formation of ovaries, increasing yield by up to 30%.

Fertilizing strawberries

Traditional methods

In addition to ready-made fertilizer compositions, you can treat them with products that every home has:

• Yeast contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. To feed, 1 teaspoon of yeast is diluted in 1 liter of warm water and left for 2 hours, after which the resulting solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. This species can be fertilized three times per season: during budding, when green berries appear and after harvesting.
• Onion peels are rich in carotene (stimulates the immune system, destroys fungus and rot), phytoncides and vitamin B, which help improve plant growth. To obtain a solution 1 tbsp. 3 liters of boiling water are poured into the husk and left to infuse for 2 days. Before use, dilute with water (1:2). The prepared solution can be watered and sprayed on the plant.

Care and watering

To prevent useful substances from “going nowhere”, it is important to promptly trim excess leaves and tendrils, which do not carry a productive effect, but take away a lot of useful elements. This is especially true for dried leaves, which needlessly take away moisture. To remove, you can use pruners and carefully trim off the excess.

It will also be correct to remove too small inflorescences, in the place of which larger flowers will then grow. Large flowers produce sweet berries, which is important. Be sure to loosen the soil around the bush and remove weeds. This way the strawberries will grow better.

Strawberry pruning

When watering strawberries, you need to follow some rules. Strawberry bushes have a shallow root system and are unable to take moisture from deep in the soil. The main thing is not to overdo it when watering the berries. Excess moisture leads to rotting, and lack of moisture leads to drying out.

If the site has loose soil, it is enough to use 10-12 liters of water to water 1 square meter. m, with a high clay content in the soil - 2 liters more. Blooming strawberries are watered in the morning with slightly warm water. This way it is better absorbed and does not overcool the plant. Watering is carried out once every 10 days, if the weather is hot, then 2-3 times a week.

Important! It is necessary to water the strawberries at the root during flowering so that water does not get on the inflorescences.

Processing strawberries during flowering

To increase productivity, you need to protect strawberries from pests and properly care for them both during flowering and after - during fruiting.

During the flowering period, it is better to avoid treating the plant against harmful insects so as not to frighten off pollinating insects. You can resort to drastic measures when you really need it.

The list of products that can be used during flowering is very limited. Suitable for processing bushes:

• Boric acid. To prepare the solution, you need to dilute a third of a teaspoon in 1 bucket of water. By spraying with this solution, you can protect strawberries from pests and make the bushes more resilient. It is also permissible to use a solution of potassium permanganate, but it is only effective against pests.
• Ovary is a special preparation for processing strawberries and garden strawberries during flowering. To spray plants you will need only 2 g per 1 liter of water. You should not make a lot of solution, since it can be stored in its finished form for no more than a day.
• Acrophyte is used to damage the nervous system of pests. Not only gets rid of harmful insects, but also accelerates the growth and development of strawberries.

Pests and diseases

Strawberry diseases

During flowering, plants can be affected by diseases that damage the inflorescences, stopping the formation of berries. The most common are:

If the question arises about what you can feed strawberries after flowering, then the answer is simple - you can use the same fertilizers as during flowering. The best options are organic compounds without chemical additives, such as compost or mullein. Receiving only natural fertilizers, the berry will grow large and very sweet. It is very important that the bushes receive fertilizer in small portions throughout the summer.

Processing and fertilizing strawberries after harvest

Strawberry ripening time after flowering

The ripening time of strawberries depends not only on proper care and conditions. The main factor in cultivation is the territorial location. For example, in the southern regions the harvest can be harvested in late May - early June, and in the middle zone - in the second half of July. In the northern regions, ripening occurs later.

On average, 4-5 weeks pass from the moment of flowering to the ripening of the berries. Weather conditions play a decisive role here, and, naturally, ripening occurs faster in warm, sunny weather.

According to the intensity of fruiting, strawberries are divided into two types:

• ordinary - bears fruit once per season;
• remontant - produces a harvest from May to September-October.

If it is important for a gardener that strawberries delight with their taste throughout the summer, it is better to choose the second option.

To obtain a rich harvest, you need to feed not only during the period of setting inflorescences, but also after - during fruiting. By following the recommendations for caring for the crop, you can get a rich harvest of sweet berries the very next year after planting the seedlings.

Wood ash is an excellent fertilizer for many garden plants. Strawberries are no exception in this regard. This natural feeding is especially valuable during the period of flowering, berry setting and fruiting.

How to apply wood ash to strawberries

By its nature, ash is a calcareous potassium-phosphorus fertilizer with a large amount of microelements. If nitrogen is needed by plants, first of all, during the active growth of green mass, then potassium and phosphorus are needed at the time of fruit formation.

Before the next watering or rain, small handfuls of crushed dry wood ash are added under the strawberry bushes. You can use an ash solution (1 glass of ash per 1 liter of hot water, infuse for 1 day, then the composition is diluted with 9 liters of clean water). For 1 m2 of strawberry bed, about 1 liter of ash solution should be consumed.

Advantages of the method

You will see the effect very soon:

• The berries will become larger, juicier and more aromatic. Their shelf life increases.
• The bushes will avoid fungal diseases (for example, gray mold), pest invasions (for example, weevil) and remain healthy.
• Plants treated in this way will tolerate the drought period more easily.
• Strawberry bushes fed with ash produce more flower stalks.

Some summer residents powder not only the surrounding area, but also the strawberries themselves, leaf by leaf, at the rate of 10-15 g per bush. With repeated applications, the concentration is reduced by 1.5-2 times. Don't be afraid that the bushes will look inconspicuous. The next rain or next watering will return the garden strawberries to their usual purity.

The ash should be wood ash, that is, from burned wood, and not from burning any garbage. Only in this case will it be able to compete even with manure in terms of its benefits to the plant.

In addition to effective fertilizing, wood ash helps deoxidize the surrounding soil. For example, in our area the soil is acidic, as clearly evidenced by the horsetail growing on it.

Fertilizing strawberries in early spring and then in subsequent phases of development is an important stage. If you do not feed it on time or skip feeding altogether, the harvest will fall behind schedule and will not be distinguished by its abundance. Spring feeding is especially important, when the season is just beginning. In addition, during this period it is necessary to carry out a number of activities necessary for the proper development and fruiting of the crop.

Caring for flowering strawberries consists of the following: fertilizing, proper watering, trimming the mustache and pollination. To care for the crop correctly, it is necessary to analyze each stage separately.

On a note! It is very important to feed strawberries according to a certain pattern. This will help you get a healthy and rich harvest.

Fertilizer scheme by age:

• 1 year of development - the berry is not fertilized. When planting, strawberries receive enough nutrition and mineral elements to last the season;
• 2 year - it is necessary to fertilize the berries with mineral and organic fertilizers;
• 3rd year - the crop only needs mineral supplements;
• 4th year - needs organic and mineral fertilizers.

That’s right, according to age, you need to alternate fertilizers annually.

The first fertilization of strawberries is carried out in early spring, around mid-April, when the snow has just melted and the leaves have not yet blossomed. At this time, nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be applied. Before feeding, it is recommended to trim the bushes. This method will allow you not to disturb the plant several times. Popular mineral complexes are used for feeding; you can use folk recipes for preparing the solution.

Mineral complexes:

• 1 tbsp. l. ammonium sulfate + 2 tbsp. mullein + 10 l water. Mix the fertilizer well. Apply 1 liter under the berry bush;
• 1 tbsp. l. nitroammophoska + 10 l water. Apply 0.5 liters under the berry bush;
• Fill a bucket of fresh nettle with a bucket of water, preferably warm, and leave for 3-4 days. For root feeding, the mixture does not need to be filtered. It is diluted in a ratio of 1:10 liters with water. Depending on its size, you need to water strawberries from 1 liter to 0.5 liters. for 1 plant. For foliar use, you will need to strain the nettle solution and dilute 1:20 liters with water;
• Fertilizers based on mullein or chicken droppings are perfect. To prepare them, you need to take 1 part of manure or mullein and add 10 liters of water, leave the solution for 3-4 days. Water the strawberry bushes with a dosage of 0.5 liters of solution per 1 bush.

To make root feeding more effective, it is best to carry out foliar feeding at the same time. This will allow the bush to receive several times more nutrition and useful elements.

Spring foliar feeding

Conducted in cloudy, dry weather, the optimal time is early morning or late evening.

Rules for foliar feeding:

• carried out after abundant watering of strawberries;
• spraying begins with young shoots and leaves;
• Better yields can be expected if you fertilize strawberries during the flowering period;
• It is most effective to use fertilizing with the addition of boric acid in spring.

The best option for foliar spring feeding is a solution: 1 tsp. boric acid + 30 drops of iodine + 1 tbsp. ash + 10 liters of water.

Feeding during the flowering period

The plant is fed the second time when it enters the flowering phase. In time, this is approximately the beginning of June, when strawberries are just beginning to bloom. At this time, strawberries need potassium. Potassium fertilizing helps improve the appearance of the bushes and produce sweeter berries. In addition, the harvest will be several times larger than if you ignore this event. In addition, potassium promotes longer shelf life of strawberries.

When a plant lacks this element, the tips of the leaves begin to turn brown. If you do not fertilize in a timely manner to improve the situation, you can lose absolutely the entire harvest.

Popular feedings:

• 1 tsp. potassium nitrate + water 10 l. All berry bushes are watered with the resulting product at a dosage of 0.5 l;
• for foliar feeding, a 0.02% solution of zinc sulfate is used;
• At the beginning of the flowering phase, it is good to use a mullein solution.

The use of such fertilizing makes it possible to obtain large berries if you carry out extraordinary fertilizing when the plant has already faded. For it, use any complex fertilizer that contains the maximum amount of microelements.

Important! It should be remembered that the solution for spraying using fertilizers in combination is prepared in a much lower concentration than for root feeding.

Traditional methods of fertilization

There are several effective ways to fertilize berries, which are considered folk. Compost is great for this. It is simply laid in a circle around the plant; when moisture gets on it, nutrients enter the root system.

Ash

Coniferous and wood ash, as well as ash obtained by burning grapevines, sunflowers, and potato tops, contains a huge amount of useful microelements. Ash is used in early spring. A handful of ash must be added to the hole when planting berry bushes.

For root feeding, it is recommended to make an ash product. Infuse 1 liter of ash in 10 liters of water, water each berry bush with 1 liter of the product. Ash helps very well against diseases. If damaged or dry leaves appear on the bush, you need to powder the bush with ash. For each infected bush, you need to use about 15 g of ash.

Iodine

Iodine has antiseptic effects. It is used not only for treatment, it is perfect as a fertilizer. Spraying with iodine solution is carried out before the plant blooms. Next, the procedure must be repeated 3 times with a time interval of 10 days. For the solution, you need to dissolve 5-10 drops of iodine in 10 liters of water. The dosage must be observed, otherwise the plants may get burned.

Bread crusts

Yeast has a beneficial effect on the growth of bushes; it is found in abundance in rye bread. For the solution you need 1 loaf of rye bread or crusts, soak in 1 liter of warm water. Let it ferment well for 7 days. This mixture turns out to be quite concentrated; before use, it is diluted in 10 liters of water.

On a note! Fertilizer based on rye bread is valued for its high content of amino acids and essential minerals.

Boric acid

It is very useful to feed the berries with boric acid-based fertilizer during the budding period. It stimulates the setting of buds. To prepare the product, 2 g of boric acid is dissolved in 10 liters of water, 1 liter of ash and 2 g of potassium permanganate are added. The entire bush is sprayed with the solution from all sides.

Yeast

Yeast feeding is also very useful. Thanks to it, strawberry bushes get sick less often and grow faster. To fertilize, soak 200 g of fresh yeast in 0.5 liters of water and leave for 20 minutes. The water should be warm. After which the mixture is poured into 9 liters of water, the berries are watered generously.

You can use dry baker's yeast. The mixture is prepared as follows: dissolve 1 packet of yeast and 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. sugar and leave the mixture for 2 hours. Fertilizer is applied to the soil at an air temperature of +15 degrees.

Spoiled milk

To fill the soil with phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and normalize the acidity of the soil, you can fertilize with sour milk. Before use, the sour milk product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. Milk is added to the soil at a distance of 10 cm from the root system of the plant. This method helps to increase yield and disease resistance. The solution can be applied by the root method, as well as sprayed.

Mineral fertilizers

There are complex mineral fertilizers and single-component ones. Applying single-component fertilizers means that only one useful element, such as nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus, enters the soil. The introduction of complex or complex fertilizers into the soil involves the introduction of several important elements into the soil, along with which substances such as copper, boron, iron, and calcium enter.

Such fertilizers are produced in granular, dry and liquid form. They can be used for root and foliar feeding.

Important! Strawberries do not tolerate chlorine, so fertilizers containing this element are not recommended.

The next fertilization of the berries is carried out around mid-April; the constant air temperature at this time should be at least +16 degrees. It is necessary to add fertilizing with urea to the soil. This is very important, because at lower temperatures, strawberries do not absorb nitrogen well. For this feeding, the main thing is to dilute the solution correctly. For 10 liters of water add only 1 tbsp. l. urea. Each bush is watered with the product at a dosage of 0.5 liters.

Mineral fertilizers should be diluted strictly according to the instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Otherwise, a more concentrated solution may burn the plant, while a weaker solution will have no effect.

Organic fertilizers

They have undeniable advantages. They are completely safe, environmentally friendly and accessible to absolutely everyone.

One such remedy is chicken manure. In early spring, its solution is applied to the soil only once every 2-3 years. This fertilizer supplies the soil with a huge amount of useful macro and microelements. The litter-based product is prepared in a 1:2 ratio with water. Mixes well. For a working solution, 1 liter of this mixture is diluted with 10 liters of water. It is introduced into the soil not under the bush itself, but at a distance of 8-10 cm.

Important! The maximum amount of fertilizer based on chicken manure is once a year. Frequent feeding with this product can contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in fruits. Also, if you fertilize too much, you can burn the plant.

Mineral-organic fertilizers

The greatest efficiency is achieved when feeding the plant with mineral-organic fertilizers. They include all the nutrients and microelements necessary for the plant. They are introduced at a time when the leaves begin to bloom.

Mineral-organic complexes:

• 1 tbsp. l. Dilute ammonium sulfate in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 1 liter;
• 1 tbsp. l. urea + 0.5 tbsp. ash + 0.5 tsp. boric acid + 3 g potassium permanganate. All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Water with a dosage of 0.5 liters. for 1 bush.

Removing unnecessary mustaches

Whiskers on strawberries grow very quickly, so if you don’t watch them, after a while the strawberry plantings will become very thick. If you trim the mustache in time, you can get high-quality material for planting. To increase the yield of strawberries, excess mustache must be removed.

For planting material, it is necessary to select the first rosettes of the mustache. They need to be lightly sprinkled with soil for them to take root. After complete rooting, the mustache and subsequent rosettes should be cut off. At the end of August, you can already plant strawberries in a permanent place.

Mustache trimming rules:

• it is strictly forbidden to pick off the strawberry tendrils; along with them, you can tear out the plant completely or damage the roots;
• carry out processing in dry, cloudy weather. You can also prune early in the morning or late in the evening. It is not recommended to prune the plant in hot weather. At high temperatures and the scorching sun it can become stressed, and in damp weather it can become infected with fungal or infectious diseases;
• cut the mustache at a distance of 10 cm from the native bush;
• pruning is carried out using sharp pruning shears or scissors.

Watering during flowering

Watering during the flowering phase for strawberries plays a vital role. At this point, it requires moderate and regular watering. Lack of moisture can negatively affect the fruits; they will not be able to fill in time. Excessive moisture is also not advisable. In this case, the berry may rot. Therefore, when watering it is necessary to adhere to the golden mean.

In particular, everything depends on climatic conditions. If there is a lot of rainfall at this time, the strawberries do not need to be watered at all. If the weather is dry and hot, the berries should be watered after 3 days.

Strawberries need to be watered with water whose temperature is close to the temperature of the soil. Watering with cold water is not recommended. The watering process is carried out strictly at the root, and care must be taken to ensure that the roots of the plant are not exposed.

Strawberry pollination

Inadequate pollination can be a consequence of rain, fog, decreased air temperature and results in the production of small deformed berries. To help strawberries, you can resort to manual pollination. To do this, use a sponge or soft cloth to transfer pollen from one flower to another. If the size of the strawberry is impressive, pollination can be carried out using a fan.

Another way to pollinate strawberries is with a honey solution. 1 tbsp. l. honey should be diluted with 1 liter of warm water and the bushes should be sprayed with the solution. This will attract pollinating insects, which will help pollinate naturally.

Each of the activities described above is of great importance in the development of strawberries. If you care for the crop correctly and do not skip important processes, you can get a harvest of tasty large berries from your strawberry bed every year.

Fragrant, fragrant and so sweet strawberries are one of the most favorite plants of many people at any age. Constant demand at all times made strawberry growing quite a profitable endeavor. In pursuit of a harvest, many gardeners are experimenting with many different ways to care for this tasty berry. Today we will take a closer look at how best to fertilize strawberries during the flowering period.

In central Russia, the first flower stalks of strawberries begin to appear at the end of May. During this period, proper balanced feeding plays a special role:

1. During flowering, strawberries experience an acute lack of potassium, so it is worth feeding them with a solution of potassium nitrate (1 teaspoon of potassium nitrate per 10 liters of water).
2. As buds form, strawberries should be fed with diluted chicken droppings, ash or humus. Remember that these fertilizers are extremely caustic, so dilute them thoroughly in water (it is better to make the solution weaker than to burn the roots).
3. The number of inflorescences will be greater if, at the moment of ovary, you pour boric acid dissolved in water over the strawberries (a pinch of boric acid per 10 liters of water).

To ensure that a flowering bush spends all its energy on producing berries, do not forget to cut off the emerging mustache. Many experienced gardeners recommend removing the very first flower stalks to allow larger subsequent inflorescences to develop.

In order for strawberries to bloom better, regularly weed the beds to remove weeds and loosen the soil, breaking up the surface crust that forms. This will increase air access to the roots.

To get a good strawberry harvest, you need to provide it with proper and timely feeding. This is especially true for young plants that will bear fruit only for the first year. Any fertilizer must be kept in the recommended proportions and prepared from high-quality ingredients.

Feeding remontant strawberries

• These strawberries must be fed exactly on time, at least 3 times a day. in a year. Before rapid leaf growth, the plant can be fed with a solution of manure and ammonium sulfate.It is enough to mix 1 tbsp. l. sulfate with 2 cups of cow dung and dilute them in 10 liters of water. It is advisable to pour 1 liter of fertilizer under each bush.

• In the first year of planting, it is advisable to water it with a solution of mullein, diluting 1 glass in 5 liters of water. You can pour 1 liter of the resulting mixture under each bush. Nettle infusion has also proven itself well. To prepare it, you need to fill a bucket of freshly picked herbs with water and leave to infuse for 3 days. You can spray the strawberry bushes with this infusion for the first time even before it begins to bloom. And the second time after the harvest is harvested.
• Before flowering at the end of May, it also doesn’t hurt to water it with fertilizers. To do this you will need 10 liters of water, 2 tbsp. l. nitrophoska and 1 tsp. potassium sulfate. Under each bush you need to pour at least 0.5 liters of the resulting fertilizer.
• It is advisable to fertilize in the spring just before the leaves bloom. This can be done simultaneously with the removal of old tendrils, leaves, and even replanting.
• You should feed strawberries very carefully with chicken droppings or humus, because if you fall asleep on the bush itself, you can destroy the entire future harvest of berries.

How to feed strawberries during flowering?

• During fruit formation, strawberries need a large amount of potassium, so you can use infusion of chicken manure, ash or potassium nitrate as a top dressing.

• You can feed plants 2 times per season; a 5-liter bucket is usually enough for 10 bushes. A pack of yeast weighing 1 kg must be diluted in 5 liters of water. To feed, 0.5 liters of the mixture should be diluted in 10 liters of water. It is enough to pour 0.5 liters of the resulting mixture under the strawberry bush.
• In addition to regular yeast, you can also use quick yeast. 1 packet of dry yeast, 2 tbsp. Dilute spoons of sugar in a small amount of warm water and add the mixture to a bucket of water, then leave to infuse for 2 hours. When planning to water the strawberries, you need to add 0.5 liters of this solution to the watering can.

Fertilizing strawberries plays an important role in the ripening of berries. It can and should be done immediately after planting, during growth and even during the flowering period. Remember that fertilizing during the flowering period of strawberries should be carried out only once and using the recommended types of fertilizers!