Almost everyone makes these mistakes and useless actions. Caring for strawberries in the fall - unexpected nuances and subtleties. How to give up meaningless work in the beds and in the field, how to prepare a generous harvest in the fall - simple tips agronomists and experienced farmers.

1. Caring for strawberries in the fall: don’t cut them!

This is a fact: experienced gardeners do not prune strawberries in the fall. And farmers don’t prune, and unpruned strawberries overwinter in industrial areas, and the harvest is early and plentiful. Why?

Strawberries of single fruiting, short daylight hours (SDD), and NSD, varieties of neutral daylight hours, do not need pruning. They only need sanitary cleaning: only diseased and damaged leaves are cut off.

Old, reddened, yellowed ones are useful for strawberries: they still participate in the life of the plant and protect young foliage.

The death of chloroplasts and the cessation of chorophyll synthesis with cold weather does not mean the cessation of leaf respiration and does not eliminate their necessity.

Lack of cellular respiration, by the way, is one of the reasons for the decrease in yield. Pruning also slows down the growth of a new rosette - protection from the cold and the basis of the future harvest.

Fruit buds of the strawberry variety KSD are laid in August-September, in the axils upper leaves, vegetative - in the lower sinuses.

By pruning at the end of summer or early autumn, we destroy both the buds and part of the harvest. And we do this from generation to generation!

Remontant strawberries bear fruit until frost: pruning them is not autumn care, but sabotage.

NSD (and remontant) varieties lay buds regardless of the length of daylight hours, but they also do not need autumn pruning.

The reasons are the same: weakening of the bush due to loss of leaves, decreased winter hardiness.
If something needs to be pruned on NSD varieties, it is better to do it before the end of July - both your conscience is clear and the plant will prepare for winter.

Important! Strawberries are not pruned for 20-25 days after harvest: the leaves transfer plastic substances to the plant, which is exhausted by fruiting.

Pruning in September-October is too late, it’s not care, it’s a crime: for the puny bushes remaining after the “cut,” this winter may be the last.

Pruning diseased strawberry leaves in the fall is not care, but the spread of infection.

In addition, fruiting is shifted due to the late formation of fruit buds, and productivity decreases due to a decrease in their number.

- And the diseased leaves, - will the gardeners be indignant? How not to cut it? You can object this way: the flu cannot be cured with a haircut.

If there is fungal spotting or other disease on the leaves, you need to treat them with fungicides or get rid of diseased plants.

Trimming is pointless: in the spring the strawberries will again “bloom” with a rainbow of diseases, and new plants will be infected.

This is not autumn care for strawberries - it is a waste of time and the spread of infection.

Important! Pruning in wet, cold weather – cause of fungal diseases: fungal spores and bacterial infection enter damaged tissues.

2. Caring for strawberries in the fall is not planting or replanting

Nonsense? Not at all: strawberries should be planted at the end of August, maximum at the beginning of September. Further landing- seedlings to the wind. And another useless job.

Why? Again, the laying of generative buds. Seedlings planted in the fall will have them in small quantities. And the risk of freezing in winter is great.

Replanting is recommended before the first or second decade of September: even in warm regions, October relocation is fraught with attacks and a decrease in yield. And if you replant, then your own seedlings with a large lump of earth: so autumn chores are less traumatic, and may not reduce next year’s harvest as much.

Advice! Frigo seedlings planted in the fall are money down the drain. And seedlings. Alas, only unscrupulous sellers sell frigo seedlings in the fall.

The lifespan of frigo seedlings is short, several months - slightly more than the natural dormant period, and instead of intensive growth, “overdue” seedlings experience slow development.

There will be a queen cell, don’t expect a harvest!

Those who plant beds with Dutch and Italian frigo seedlings know: the mother liquor next year It will be good, but you can’t expect fruiting next year.

3. Nitrogen: when autumn strawberry care is dangerous

The most blasphemous thing for a gardener’s ear: after all, caring for strawberries in the fall always means adding nitrogen! And organic matter - manure, compost, humus, and a nitrogen-mineral complex.

From biology lessons: at the end of August, all plants, including strawberries, stop growing green mass - the growth phase of the root system begins.

During this period, nitrogen is almost not absorbed. The plant needs phosphorus to form roots, potassium to build tissues and increase frost resistance, and potassium. And – in the microelements of iron, manganese, molybdenum and others, which allow the absorption of macroelements.

They don't need nitrogen. It is needed after harvesting, in the summer - for bushes that bear fruit.

Meanwhile, nitrogen fertilizers applied in the fall cause fallout and freezing. Why?

• Firstly, nitrogen simulates the growth of green mass and the root system - it delays the dormant phase. The plant enters winter in the growing season, when sap flow is at its peak. And - he dies from the cold.
• Secondly, neither organic matter nor other nitrogen nutrients will be absorbed by the plant in the fall - only in the spring.
• Thirdly, in the spring a good part of the fertilizers will become unavailable.

This is especially true for manure. Introducing it is not an autumn departure, again, but a useless tribute to tradition.

Looking ahead: caring for strawberries in the fall, the last stage is mulching.

Nitrogen in “agricultural gold” is presented in nitrate form – 50%, and in ammonium form – 50%. The conversion of ammonium nitrogen into the nitrate form occurs both in the process of oxidation and due to nitrifying bacteria.

Adding nitrogen in the form of organic matter does not make sense in the fall: nitrate forms of nitrogen are quickly washed out, they are very mobile in the soil.

Thus, in the spring, nitrogen will go into the underlying layers of the soil, and the strawberries will not reach it. As well as ammonium, which turned into a nitrate form over the winter.

In addition, manure in the fall is a breeding ground for pests in the spring: wireworms, chafer and others.

If you add organic matter, then in the form of bee pollen. And not in the fall - real strawberry care begins in the spring.

4. When mulch is evil

Caring for strawberries in the fall includes covering - mulching with a plant layer (straw, spruce branches, etc.), agrovolk. How often they recommend and use mulch, which is harmful in the fall. Sawdust and shavings, sunflower and buckwheat husks, peat - but this is pointless and not useful.

Do not cover with straw mulch for the winter: in comparison with nonwoven materials This is a “cold” shelter, and can delay fruiting up to two weeks due to prolonged warming of the soil.

Do not mulch with peat in the fall: it protects from the cold, but does not allow the soil to warm up in the spring.

Peat is mulched in the fall, if the timing of the harvest is not critical, and also in the spring - for nutrition and moisture retention, protection from overheating.

Autumn on strawberries is the time to install arcs.

As for sawdust, shavings, and husks, these are moisture-intensive materials, and the plants do not face protection from the cold, but rather icing or warming of the roots during the thaw.

5. Do not cover strawberries...

Do not cover with film for the winter without vegetable mulch: the leaves “freeze” when they touch the film, the agrofibre.

If freezing is the only drawback of agrofibre, the best option, then the air-tight film will destroy the plants during a thaw due to condensation, the greenhouse effect and airless space.

Also, do not cover it if you want to install arcs for early berries in the spring or simply cover them with spunbond.

Autumn is the time to install arcs for a greenhouse, mini-tunnel and send strawberries for the winter. This is the only way to get early berries.

Unexpectedly for many experienced gardeners, but true: installing a greenhouse or tunnel shelter in the spring will speed up ripening by only 10-12 days. Simply covering with spunbond in the spring will give practically nothing - at best, 5-7 days. And in the winter greenhouse, tunnel - under them the resting phase will begin later, the buds will have time to form and differentiate, and the growing season will begin earlier.

Caring for strawberries in August and September:

Caring for strawberries in summer should be carried out systematically. It depends a lot on this future harvest strawberries You need to pay attention to spots on strawberries, also mites on strawberries can do a lot of harm and you also need to constantly fight them.

Caring for strawberries in August

Without knowing how to care for strawberries in August, you risk losing your harvest next year. The last month of summer is often dry and hot. Therefore, it is important to water at least 2 times a week. The plants themselves “signal” the need for watering - the bushes droop and the foliage dries out.

You can water strawberries either by sprinkling or at the root - the sun is no longer so aggressive, and there will be no burn on the leaves

If the leaves continue to dry out, become stained, or weaken, they should be carefully cut off and only 3-4 healthy leaves should be left to improve the health of the “green mass.” The same goes for mustaches, which can be removed if they are still growing or if you forgot to do so in July.

Plants can be fed with a weak solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) and loosen the soil. One 10 liter bucket should be enough for 10-12 bushes. You can form earthen “sides” up to 15 cm high around the beds and fill them with water to the top.

And it is also recommended in August plant new strawberry bushes on the site. It is best to do this in the evening or on a cloudy day. The seedlings must have three true leaves and a developed root system. It is planted in a previously prepared wet hole.

Caring for strawberries in September

Autumn strawberry care differs slightly from summer activities. However, they should not be neglected either.

Some varieties of strawberries continue to form flowers even in September. The berries on them will not ripen before the onset of cold weather, so such “idle” inflorescences should be picked off. The same goes for strawberry mustaches.

Even if the forecasts promise mild winter, feed the bushes. Ammophos is perfect for this (the contents are added at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq.m.). For “warming”, rotted chicken manure, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:15, is also added. 1-1.5 liters of the composition are poured under each bush. Sometimes cow manure is also used, diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 with the addition of 1 cup of ash. Strawberries are watered generously with the resulting mixture at the rate of 1.5-2 liters per bush.

IN last time Before winter, inspect the strawberry bushes and discard diseased and affected specimens, as well as remove excess tendrils and withered leaves. Don't throw away "bad" plants, but put them in the compost pile.

Caring for strawberries after trimming the leaves

Caring for strawberries open ground involves not only the removal of tendrils and inflorescences, but also leaves. However, there is no need to “expose” the plant completely, since by tearing off healthy leaves, you reduce the likelihood of the formation of peduncles and fruits, reduce the yield and doom the strawberry to difficulties during the wintering period. First of all, remove dry and withered leaves affected by strawberry mites. If the fruit-bearing plant is almost entirely affected, then it is easier to cut it off with pruners just above the growth point and burn the remains.

If you need seedlings for propagation, then you should not remove the whiskers, you need to give them the opportunity to take root and grow a strong rosette

After pruning, loosen the soil and water it. Treat the bushes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and sprinkle with ash. To provide good growth kidneys, feed the strawberries universal fertilizer at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water. Ammonium nitrate and nitrogen fertilizers are also suitable (use according to instructions).

Towards the end of September, strawberry bushes can be covered with straw to protect them from upcoming frosts. Place freshly cut grass between the rows - it will become the first spring fertilizer.

Fertilizing strawberries in autumn

After the above work on autumn strawberry care, dig up the rows, hill up and feed the bushes with fertilizer. You can use manure (2-4 kg per 1 sq.m.), chicken droppings (1 kg per 10 liters of water) or wood ash (100 g per 1 sq.m.). In this case, manure is applied so that the fertilizer does not touch the strawberry leaves: to avoid burns to the plant. On the contrary, ash is sprayed not only under the roots, but also on the leaves.

Suitable as a mineral supplement complex fertilizer(2 tablespoons of nitroammophoska per 10 liters of water).

Caring for remontant strawberries

From mid-September, start caring for fruit-bearing bushes. Loosen the soil to hide root system and protect her from the cold. As a rule, at this time the plants are covered with a “blanket” of cut green manure or the soil is mulched with straw, hay, fallen leaves and mowed weeds. Remove remaining flower stalks so that they do not weaken the plants, and cut off any withered leaves after the first frost.

Covering strawberries for the winter

Final stage autumn care for garden strawberries- this is insulation. 2 days after treatment and feeding, cover the bushes with straw, spruce paws or fallen leaves. This will not only protect your strawberries from winter frosts, but will also serve additional source organic substances.

Autumn processing is a guarantee of a rich and high-quality harvest in the coming season. Cut and remove old leaves, loosen and feed, cover plants on winter period- this is the basic care of strawberries. Autumn work with this crop they begin after the fruiting phase.

Weeding and loosening

The basic rule of pruning is: don't overdo it. For each bush, you need to cut off the leaf blade itself, preserving the protruding stems. Thus, the growing point remains intact, and the bushes soon begin to sprout new leaves. All tendrils of berry bushes also need to be removed.

Top dressing

Fertilizer application is another one important stage on the question of how to care for strawberries in the fall. The plant responds well to organic nutrients: bird (chicken) droppings, horse manure, mullein or humus. Gardeners also often add it (it replaces fertilizing well).

Regarding mineral fertilizers, you can use superphosphate or potassium salt.

Important!It is highly undesirable to apply chlorine-containing substances as fertilizer, since strawberry plant reacts poorly to chlorine.

First, humus, mullein, or mullein are laid out in small pieces over all the beds. Rains and scheduled watering will gradually dilute fertilizers, evaporating useful substances from them and delivering them deep into the strawberry root system.

However, the bed method works much faster. For this purpose, fresh droppings are dissolved in water in a ratio of 1:20 and thoroughly mixed. Then the resulting liquid is poured under the berry bushes. Consumption for 7–10 bushes is approximately 1 bucket of the composition. In case of use mineral supplements they are scattered around the area, embedded in the ground with a hoe. It is necessary to water immediately. To prevent a crust from forming on its surface after moistening the soil, the area is mulched or covered with pine needles. In the future, it will be possible to loosen the soil and water the plants through the layer.

Soil renewal

If you have a small land plot and you have to grow the same plant crop in one place year after year, it is natural that the soil needs renewal (improvement). In old soil, pathogens of fungal diseases accumulate, and the number of nutrients decreases.

The whole secret of renewing the land lies in enhanced agricultural cultivation techniques. For example, you can create sunken or raised beds by filling them with humus or compost. In such conditions, the soil is partially replaced, microorganisms are intensively functioning, processing organic matter into new soil. In addition, the berries are abundantly supplied with nutrients.
Plants can be protected from and thanks to health-improving treatment of the soil under strawberries in the fall. Do not forget also that the beds need to be mulched from time to time. Mulch will serve as a barrier to the penetration of infections into the above-ground parts of strawberry plants.

Autumn transplant

For replanting, take one- or two-year-old bushes, previously divided into parts. You can also use the growth formed on the antennae. Transplantation is carried out primarily for the purpose of rejuvenating the planting. Over 3–4 years, berry bushes age, the number of flower stalks decreases, and the berries themselves become smaller.

It is carried out in the fall, since during this period the soil is wetter and warmer, and the weather is cool. Start replanting bushes in mid-August and finish in the first weeks of September. This way you give the plant time to take root, take root and grow good green mass.
Before winter, the strawberries will leave stronger and dressed in lush foliage. Most of the seedlings transplanted during this period easily survive the winter, and

It is at the end of summer and autumn that the crop for the next year is formed, so it is necessary to take care of the plants. The root system of this moisture-loving crop is located at a shallow depth, in the surface layer of soil. It cannot extract moisture from deeper layers and depends on its supply from the outside. Therefore, it simply needs periodic watering. And it needs to be produced almost all year round starting in spring, when the leaves grow, and ending in late autumn, if there is no rain. Of course, the seasonal frequency of irrigation varies, and the most frequent watering is done in the summer.

Watering in autumn is no different from spring.

Naturally, the numbers may fluctuate depending on the place where the strawberries grow and the climatic features of the current year. autumn season. In dry and warm weather, the frequency of watering increases; in heavy rains, strawberries not only do not need additional moisture, but also suffer from excess moisture. Therefore, during heavy rains it is covered with a light film.

There are several rules regarding watering strawberries:

1. It is better to do it in the morning so that the plants can dry out by evening.
2. It is recommended to water rarely, but abundantly, so that the soil is well saturated with moisture. If you moisten the soil often and little by little, strawberries may be affected fungal disease: gray rot, powdery mildew and others. The recommended rate is 10-12 liters per square meter.
3. The amount of water directly depends on the type of soil in which the berry grows. If the soil is loamy, the plant requires more moisture than growing in light soils. There are developed and time-tested standards that provide for loamy soils 120 m³ of water per 1 ha, for soils with a light mechanical composition - 80 m³ per 1 ha. In autumn, these numbers are reduced by 10%.

Types of watering strawberries

At small area Strawberry plants are irrigated using a regular watering can. It is better to take warm water. Its optimal temperature for the plant is 18-20°C. The water from a well or well is too cold, so you need to make sure there is a tank or old bath, into which water intended for irrigation is poured. The water will be heated in the sun and then used. Of course, manual watering takes a lot of time and effort, so it is used for small plantings of strawberries.

When watering with a hose, physical costs are reduced, but water consumption becomes maximum, because it gets not only onto the plants, but also into the rows and spills to the sides.

You can also purchase modern watering systems, which are divided into:

• drip;
• sprinkling.

Drip systems are the most effective during flowering and fruiting. Such systems are divided into internal and end, adjustable and not. The water in them is supplied to the very root of the plant. This is very economical systems, allowing to reduce water consumption by 2-3 times compared to a sprinkler system. The soil under the plants is always kept moist, and the row spacing remains dry.

Sprinkling is carried out stationary or with a movable sprinkler, which can be moved around the site. A variety of sprinklers: circular, fan, rotary, swinging and others - allow you to water both small areas and large plantations. You can make automatic water supply using timers and sensors. The disadvantage of sprinkler systems is high consumption water.

Autumn work on caring for young and adult plants

It is known that autumn is a favorable time for planting young strawberry bushes. And their watering differs significantly from irrigating adult plants. When planting, use ½ liter of water for each plant. Next, for 2 weeks they are watered several times a day with a small amount warm water. Then the frequency of watering is reduced to 1 time every 1 - 2 days. When the bushes have completely taken root and become stronger, they are watered according to the pattern of adult plants.

Another technique for caring for berries is mulching, which is necessary to retain moisture near the roots. To do this, use straw, sawdust, pine branches or cardboard, and film residues. Mulch also protects plants from weeds and dirt.

Autumn feeding consists of applying phosphate fertilizers(per bucket of water - 50-60 g of superphosphate) and wood ash (per 1 bucket - 1 - 2 cups). The plant responds well to feeding with boron and manganese.

When growing strawberries on your plot, caring for them will be exactly the same as for strawberries.

We hope that the above material has dotted all the i’s and answered the question of whether strawberries need to be watered during the fall.

At the end of summer, strawberries run out of leaf growth resources. They need to be cut off, especially those whose stems turn red - this is a sign that the plant cannot provide them with nutrients. On old bushes that are 3-4 years old, the foliage is cut off completely. You shouldn’t be afraid of this, as minerals are saved and next year the berry bushes will bear fruit again. big harvest. But this fall you still need to think about how to feed your strawberries after harvesting.

A prerequisite for the rapid growth of shoots in the spring and the appearance of a large number of buds is feeding strawberries in August after pruning. From these, ovaries are subsequently formed.

How to process strawberries in autumn for winter

In order for all the ovaries to survive until autumn and bear fruit, care must be carried out regularly throughout the growing season. It consists of timely removal of dry leaves and whiskers. The tendrils that the bush throws out take a lot of nutrients, taking them away from the ripening berries.

Pruning in summer is done with scissors or pruning shears. Cut shoots are not thrown away if you need to propagate the bed. They are dug in for a while so that they can be planted on their own in the fall. permanent place. By autumn they will develop a root system and take root in a new place without problems.

This method of planting strawberries in August requires the use of fertilizers - organic or mineral. The bushes are watered with an infusion of manure or a diluted mixture of a complex mineral mixture, for example, containing potassium and phosphorus. It is better not to use nitrogen supplements to prevent young seedlings from growing. This will not allow her to survive the winter well. The main thing that needs to develop is the root system.

The best way to feed strawberry mustache seedlings in September is ash from tree branches, straw, tops and grass. It does not contain nitrogen, only phosphorus, potassium, calcium and trace elements.

When a landing site is selected new bed, it is cleared of weeds, loosened, apply fertilizers:

• Compost– the most useful mixture of organic matter, soil, superphosphates.

• Humus– lying cattle manure. It is used by adding to each hole when planting. Under the influence of soil microorganisms it turns into nutritious humus.

• Infusion of chicken manure. The substance must be infused for at least a week so that excess ammonia disappears and does not damage the roots of young strawberry seedlings.

• Mineral fertilizers. They are applied to feed young strawberries in August based on the dosages in the instructions for one hole.

• Green manure. If this method used by the owners of the site, it also disinfects the soil and at the same time nourishes the plants with organic matter, which decomposes in the soil.

No more than two young rosettes can be left on the mother strawberry bush. Trim the rest and plant in a nutritious soil mixture.

Caring for old strawberry bushes

Fertilizing strawberries after fruiting should begin towards the end of the season so that all the berries ripen. The next stage is sorting. Bushes that are more than 4 years old should be removed by the roots and thrown into compost. The greatest increase in yield is given by 2-3 year old plants.

Work order:

• Removing old leaves from bushes. Experienced gardeners practice complete mowing of greenery.

• Weeding.

• Moistening the soil and watering with a nutrient mixture.

• Mulching with straw or green manure.

Video: Caring for strawberries after harvest

How to feed strawberries after trimming the leaves:

• Ammofoska. You can use dry granules, sprinkle them evenly under the roots, then water the soil so that the fertilizer dissolves and gets into the soil.

• Kemira for berries. Dig a hole around the bush and sprinkle with granules. Pour water and cover with a layer of soil.

• Furnace ash. Make an extract, pour boiling water over the substance and leave for 2 – 3 days.

• Green manure in the form of a solution or in beveled form. Place crushed nettles or other plants that are used as green manure in a bucket. Pour water and leave for 2 weeks until it starts to ferment. Apply the resulting infusion to each strawberry bush at the root after fruiting and pruning.

To prevent plants from getting sick or being damaged by pests, autumn fertilizing of strawberries after pruning includes urea treatment - 30 g per bucket of water.

Cheap methods for feeding strawberries

Planting green manure on summer cottage- This is a way to save on the purchase of fertilizers. Green manure is restored fertile layer and provide plants with all the necessary nutrients - potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. The advantage of this method is that it is suitable for everyone garden crops, including for garden strawberries.

Green mass is used in different ways:

• cut and dig up with soil - in the case of strawberries, this must be done carefully so as not to damage the root system with a shovel or flat cutter;

• mulch berry bushes with greens;

• prepare an infusion and pour over it strawberry patch what they feed it after fruiting for the future harvest.

Mulching is the safest and most useful way in all respects. Firstly, you don’t need to waste your energy digging up the soil, simply laying mulch between the rows. By spring, it will rot on its own and food will reach the roots of the bushes.

Secondly, the work of soil microflora, which dies during digging from ultraviolet rays, is not disrupted. Thirdly, mulch warms the roots in winter and plants survive even at very low temperatures.

Fourthly, plant residues retain snow and moisture in the spring, allowing plants to quickly grow green mass. Fifthly, mulch prevents weeds from spreading, which reduces the cost of manual labor and preserves nutrients for strawberries.

Variety Victoria - what to feed in the fall

Strawberry Victoria - the most popular and unpretentious variety, but to obtain annual harvests, it also requires care, which consists of periodically trimming the mustache, watering, replanting as necessary, and treating against diseases and pests. The variety is classified as remontant and bears fruit only once per season.

With proper agricultural technology, you can get more than 1 kg of berries from one bush in one season. For proper care It’s better to use O. Ganichkina’s method for feeding strawberries after fruiting:

• Victoria is fertilized in the fall with natural fertilizers to restore the fertile layer.

• It is necessary to mulch with plant materials - sawdust, straw, green manure, peat.

• Feed remontant strawberries After fruiting, they begin in July so that the plant gains strength before wintering. During this period, generative buds are being laid, which will provide the next year's harvest. It is important that these buds receive nutrition and do not degenerate, then the promised kilogram of berries from the bush will definitely ripen.

• in autumn before feeding Victoria need to be poured out up to 10 liters of water per 1 square meter to moisten the soil well and deeply. Then you can prepare a working solution of fertilizers and water the bushes. Strawberry roots are quite deep - up to 30 cm, so you need a lot of liquid.

To prevent strawberry mites from bothering you in the spring, you need to spray the seedlings with a pest repellent in the fall, preferably natural - Fitovir or its analogues. In spring, if growing leaves become deformed, repeat the treatment.