Strawberry, a sweet, delicious berry, is loved by almost every one of us. Many happy owners of summer cottages and homestead plots decide to grow this delicate culture themselves, in order to eat ecologically clean, beautiful berries in June. But strawberries, like any cultural plant, require a certain amount of care for stable growth, development and fruiting. This applies to feeding. By the way, it is introduced several times a year - in spring, sometimes in summer and in autumn, each time with a specific purpose. We will reveal the secrets of the autumn fertilization of strawberries.
Why do we need fertilizer for strawberries in autumn?
Strawberry is a plant that intensively absorbs nutrients from the soil. It is necessary for her not only for normal growth. Fertilizers in autumn are necessary for this berry culture to form the future harvest in the summer, for laying new color buds, where then such berries we love will appear. In the absence of such necessary fertilizers, strawberry shows a low yield, while the berries themselves reach a small size.
What fertilizers are needed for strawberries in the fall?
First of all, to fertilize any plant is better to use organic fertilizers. These include manure, compost, bird droppings, mullein , and wood ash . Such fertilizers are ecological, low concentration (which excludes overdose) and are natural. If you have chicken droppings, then it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, insisted for 2 days, and then pour this mixture of furrows between the rows of strawberries. In the same way, a solution is prepared for watering strawberry fertilizing in the fall from Mullein. If you decide to make organic fertilizers in the form of wood ash, then simply sprinkle the ground near the bush, and then pour the area with water. For every square meter of strawberry beds, 150 g of substance are added. As for pig manure, this type of fertilizer is contraindicated.
One-component and complex mineral fertilizers for strawberries can be used. They are distinguished by good digestibility and duration of action. First of all, the plant needs nitrogen, thanks to which berries reach large sizes, and their taste qualities improve. By the way, nitrogen in sufficient quantities is contained in ammonium nitrate and urea. Phosphorous and potassium fertilizers are needed for strawberries for harvest with high rates, as well as for increasing the content of sugar in berries. Incidentally, the brown edges of the leaves of the bush indicate the shortage of these trace elements. Potassium is found in potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, phosphorus in superphosphate.
The optimal option for improving the taste and yield of strawberries is combining organic and mineral fertilizers. There are several options for fertilizing strawberries in autumn. It is held in the middle-end of September. In 10 liters of water, you need to dilute 2 tablespoons of nitrofoski, 1 cup of wood ash and 20 g of potassium fertilizers. Mix well, the solution is poured onto the soil under the bushes.
To support the green bush, you can make foliar top dressing. For its preparation 2 liters of boiling water pour 1 cup of woody hall.
If you decide to plant young bushes or transplant the old ones to a new location, then a complex fertilizer for the strawberry should also be introduced into the soil. Be sure to dig up the earth, clean it of weeds and add 10 g of potassium chloride, 35 g of superphosphate and 3 kg of humus (compost) per square meter.
Remember that after top dressing it is recommended that the ground be covered with straw or fallen leaves.