Strawberries, like all cultivated plants, are quite demanding on the quality of the soil. After all, she has much more berries than wild strawberries, and in order for the crop to be good, she needs a lot of nutrients. Therefore, the question of how to fertilize strawberries can be very relevant.
The first top dressing is done in the spring. It is best to do this at a time when you will put the bed with strawberries in order - remove the antennae, old leaves and replant the plants. It’s very good to use
chicken droppings. It contains much more trace elements than in manure, and strawberries are exactly that plant that responds very sensitively to this type of fertilizer. It is best to make an infusion. For this, 3-4 parts of water are taken for one part of the litter and the mixture is fermented for a week. For watering, it is diluted with water in a proportion of one to twenty.
So, now you know how to fertilize strawberries in the spring. In addition to slurry from chicken manure, humus can also be used. However, this must be done carefully so as not to fall asleep bushes, otherwise the plant may die. In summer, strawberries also require top dressing. Most often this is done in mid-late July, after harvesting. In this case, complex fertilizers, for example nitrofoska, are perfect. The fruit-and-berry mixture fertilizer will also be useful. During this period, plants should be treated with Bordeaux liquid in order to rid them of insects.
How to fertilize strawberries in the fall? During this period, infusion from chicken manure will also be very useful. It is best to make it in mid-September, after waiting for dry weather. You can also feed the plants with manure. However, it is advisable to conduct such events only if strawberries have been growing on your site for several years. For younger plants, autumn top dressing is not necessary, as the soil is usually well fertilized in the spring before planting.
All of the above are general recommendations on how to fertilize strawberries. However, in order for top dressing to be more effective, during the growing season you need to monitor the condition of the plants. Sometimes it happens that the leaves of the strawberries become pale, and the berries become smaller and lose their taste. This may mean that the plant lacks nitrogen. In this case, for example, nitrate or ammonium sulfate should be used .
If the plants begin to wilt with sufficient watering, this may indicate that they lack potassium. At the same time, the question of how to fertilize strawberries cannot be called too complicated. Urea should be used. A lack of potassium leads to the fact that the berries do not become too sweet. Urea will help correct this situation. However, its use in too large quantities is also not recommended. Otherwise, the berries may become watery.
How can you fertilize strawberries yet? An excellent way to increase the yield of this berry is ordinary ash. It can be applied under the bushes twice a season, a handful under each bush. You can do this in spring or autumn, after pruning the bushes. The ash contains a huge amount of trace elements that can be very useful for strawberries.
Summarize. How to fertilize strawberries is now no problem for you. Great remedies are chicken droppings, ash, humus or urea. In some cases, it is worth using nitrophosphate and nitrate.