Garden strawberry is one of the most beloved and common plants. There are many different varieties. The reproduction of wild strawberries and the increase in fertility always become acute issues for any summer resident. This is especially true for those who are engaged in the cultivation of berries for commercial purposes. The closest relative of the berry is strawberries, the care of which is very similar to caring for strawberries. Therefore, for those who have encountered the seating of berry bushes, this will not be a novelty.
Strawberries are distinguished by small berries, and it is rarely possible to harvest a large crop on a garden plot. But the taste and usefulness of the berries are worth the effort. Given the close family relationship of strawberries with strawberries, an increase in the number of bushes occurs similarly.
Strawberry propagation
There are only three main ways that will increase the yield of berries. So, the propagation of strawberries can occur:
- using seeds;
- due to the division of the bush;
- antennae.
Each of the above methods is quite effective and suitable for cultivating a plant in a summer cottage.
Wild strawberry
Breeders know that the daughter bush does not receive the full amount of the properties of the mother plant. Therefore, in order to develop new varieties of strawberries and ensure their productivity, they use the method of propagation of strawberries by seeds. They are obtained from ripe berries, for this, the top of the berry is cut with a blade and dried, after grinding it on canvas. Seeds completely dry can be stored before the spring season. Before planting the seeds in the soil, they are soaked in melt water for three days, the water should be replaced up to two times a day.
Reproduction of remontant strawberries is possible only by seeds, the fact is that this type of bushes does not give a mustache. In addition to transmitting the parental characteristics of the variety, this method is suitable for those who want to grow a special berry variety. For such experiments, you can buy ready-made seeds. It should be noted that growing a bush from seeds is quite difficult, the seed does not always sprout, and care is needed for it.
How to propagate by seed
Propagation of beardless strawberries by sowing seeds is one of the most effective ways to ensure the presence of artificially bred bushes on the site. To do this, you must:
- Mix in equal proportions sheet soil and rotted manure, sift it and put in a water bath for an hour.
- Immerse the seeds in the ground with a knitting needle or toothpick one at a time, if their number is small, then you can seed it in a separate container for grain. It is important not to sprinkle with earth.
- Cover with a film or bag and provide a temperature of 22 ° C, after 14 days the future bush will hatch.
- After two weeks, sprouts will appear. Providing a greenhouse temperature and constantly moistening the earth, you can achieve good growth of shoots. It is important to ventilate the greenhouse daily.
- After the appearance of the leaves, the seedlings dive and place in the ground in which they will be located before transplanting to the site.
- Sowing should be done in February or March, so in July you can already see the results of your work and harvest strawberries.
Sowing seeds can be done at a convenient time, regardless of the season and temperature outside the window.
It is important to remember: if the purpose of planting strawberries with seeds was the cultivation of a new variety, then in the future, the propagation of strawberries by division will be optimal. This will ensure the formation of healthy bushes and accelerate their growth.
Increase the number of seedlings by dividing
Propagation of garden strawberries by dividing the bush is a common practice, and it is used if there is a shortage of plants. So transplanted into the new land and especially rare and valuable specimens of bushes. This ensures the safety of one of the divided parts.
It is important to consider that the propagation of strawberries by dividing the bush is possible only if the age of the plant is more than three years. Year-old plants can not be subjected to such a procedure, the number of points is very small. Thanks to the separation of the horns, one can successfully plant seedless varieties. The number of seedlings in an adult bush is more than fifteen.
Breeding sequence
Reproduction of strawberries by dividing the bush occurs as follows:
- Remove the bush from the soil, slightly digging it with a small spatula.
- Dip in a basin filled with water to a level of 5-7 cm.
- Wet roots can be easily split without using a knife.
- Each individual seedling should have a healthy root system and several leaves.
- Roots that have rotted need to be cut. This also applies to yellowed leaves. To ensure the starting growth of the plant, the leaves are trimmed, leaving the smallest number of them, this will help to strengthen the root system and not lose the strength of the plant on leaf growth.
- The resulting seedlings are best placed in a greenhouse for up to one and a half months.
- Strawberries when planting should have straightened roots. They should be straightened and laid in the prepared hole, after slightly densifying the top layer of the earth.
- It is very important not to forget that the core of the plant must remain on the surface of the soil.
Planting seedlings is carried out only in well-moistened soil, humidity should be maintained throughout the entire period of growth of the berry bush. A horn that does not have strong roots may well take root in a new place. He and all only transplanted bushes need to provide shade.
Reproduction of remontant strawberries by dividing the bush at the age of three years is due to the fact that by this time the bush is overgrown with new shoots that are quite ready for independent development.
This method of planting a plant can be addressed when breeding a new variety, an insufficient number of bushes for planting and when moving strawberries to another place.
Propagation of garden strawberry mustache
The most popular and easily practiced method of propagation of berry bushes is a mustache additive. For this, the very first shoots appearing in the first year are used. They are considered the strongest and provide good and strong seedlings. Despite the fact that the annual strawberry has very few antennae, it is the most effective and fastest way to propagate it.
For rooting, a three-year-old mustache is used, not more than two outlets from the mother bush.
Whiskered varieties of strawberries are massively overgrown with shoots at the end of fruiting. In order to keep the bush healthy and maintain a strong root system, the mustache is removed. They simply need to be cut with a knife.
Work sequence
After the bushes bloom and ripen all the berries, you can begin to seedlings of shoots formed on the mustache. To do this, you need:
- on the largest and most developed bushes leave a few healthy mustaches;
- rosette of new bushes to dig and moisten the soil;
- after rooting the rosette, the mustache is cut off and, having dug up the bush, it is transferred to another place.
If there are well-developed bushes on the bed, they can throw up to seventy rosettes on the mustache. They are all transplantable. In this case, it is worth deciding what comes first - an increase in the number of bushes or their fruiting. A large number of mustaches takes away the strength of the plant, and it cannot bring a good harvest. The number of berries may decrease by one third of the expected.
For all baleen varieties of strawberries, mustache pruning is mandatory. Otherwise, the bushes will not be able to form berries. There is a certain peculiarity in the arrangement of strawberries by rooting shoots: you need to leave several bushes for propagation, which will form a mustache and rosettes, and cut the rest in the meadow.
In addition to harvesting, strawberries are grown for decorative purposes. This applies to large-fruited varieties or the smallest. Often, such strawberries are planted in a cache-pot or decorate balconies with it.
How to prolong the fruiting of strawberries?
In order to achieve the largest possible yield, it is possible to extend the fruiting of the bushes. The average period during which strawberries give berries is about three weeks. But thanks to certain tricks, this period can be extended by half.
To do this, take the following measures:
- To accelerate the onset of plant awakening after winter. Before the snow melts, the planting site is covered with a black film, and after melting, it is necessary to change to a transparent one. So the heat will remain under the cover, and the plant will grow faster. In early spring, when the sun's rays can cause burns, the greenhouse can be raised. It is important that the earth always remains wet. This simple method can reduce the ripening period of berries to ten days.
- It is possible to increase the term for harvesting from different sites by slowing down the vegetation of bushes. This is useful for those who sell strawberries. So, you can get a crop for a month and a half. In order to slow down the awakening of the bushes, it is necessary to lay straw or other materials that let air through to the area planted with wild strawberries. They will delay the warming of the earth. The top layer of sawdust or straw is laid on snow.
- Another technique is planting on the site of varieties that ripen at different times.
- Remontant strawberries are distinguished by large berries and a long fruiting period. This period is from late spring to mid autumn.
But the most effective was and is the cultivation of strawberries in greenhouse conditions. So the bushes can bear fruit up to six months. To speed up the vegetation process or slow it down, give the bushes time to rest or stimulate their growth and reproduction - this is possible when creating artificial conditions for the growth of berries.
Harvesting
The result of all work and effort is the harvest. At the same time, it is important to know several rules that will help preserve the beautiful appearance of berries longer:
- You need to pick berries in the early morning hours or in the evening, but before they are covered with dew. The berry must be dry.
- It is better not to add berries that are slightly rotten to healthy ones, otherwise everything will begin to deteriorate. Harvest strawberries fully ripened or slightly unripe, it ripens during storage.
- Berries must be plucked from the stalk so that they do not deteriorate or rot.
- The first few times the berries can be picked up every one or two days, after this gap increases.
- Before harvesting, the amount of watering is reduced.
Shelf life of strawberries is up to 7 days; for commercial purposes, varieties are grown whose skin is denser.
Tips on what to do after harvest
After the plant has ceased to bear fruit, it is necessary to take measures to strengthen it. For this, a mustache and yellowed and old leaves are trimmed. Before the temperature drops, the bush will grow new leaves and form a flower bud. Foliage removal is a very important point in maintaining a healthy and strong bush.
Pest control
Pests often start on the lower leaves. Trimming mustaches and leaves should be as close as possible to the mother plant. Only mustaches should be left that will ensure the reproduction of strawberries. Stopping leaflets and mustaches should be done no later than ten days before the end of July. Otherwise, it may be possible to transfer diseases to healthy leaves and mustaches of strawberries. After treatment of the bushes from ticks with special preparations and the removal of weeds around the bushes.
Top dressing
It is also very important to fertilize plants for the winter. It can be produced using drugs or natural fertilizers. After the plants have been fed, they should be watered so that the leaves do not get burns.
Before the onset of cold weather, you just need to look after the glade of wild strawberries and weed it from weeds. Also need infrequent watering.
Care
The reproduction of strawberries and the viability of its processes directly depend on the proper care of the bushes and their proper preparation for winter. Strawberries are unpretentious in winter care, the main factor in a successful winter is sheltering bushes under a layer of snow. Freezing leaves is not scary for the berry, worse if the roots are open. To do this, you need to root out the root system in advance. If winter is without snow, then beds with strawberries are covered with fir branches or artificial materials. It is very important to warm the bushes only after the first mild frosts have passed. So the plant will get used to the cold and will tolerate winter more easily.