Healthy and pleasing with its appearance strawberries in the summer cottage is the pride of any gardener. But to grow a fragrant and tasty berry, you need to make a lot of efforts to protect the plant, especially in the spring, when the most dangerous pests are activated and there is a risk of serious diseases. Therefore, the question of how to spray strawberries in the spring is the most relevant in solving problems of care. Properly selected solutions in combination with the correct application will help protect the berry from many misfortunes, as well as get a plentiful harvest.
Urea Spraying
This is the simplest and most affordable spraying option, which is used by both experienced gardeners and amateur gardeners. The leaves are treated with urea, which ensures the necessary plant nutrition and protection against external threats. The solution is prepared at the rate of 40 g of urea per 12 liters of water. Before proceeding to the procedure, it is necessary to remove dried leaves - they are not of interest from the point of view of the life of strawberries, but they can become the basis for the development of harmful bacteria. Having decided how to spray strawberries in the spring from pests, you can think about feeding. Urea is preferably combined with a solution comprising liquid mullein, water and ammonium sulfate. The mixture is prepared in the following proportion: 1 tbsp. spoon of active ingredients in the same 12 liters of water. For one bush, 1 liter of solution should be consumed.
Spraying before flowering
Inveterate gardeners can determine the beginning of flowering with an accuracy of several days. Processing berries during this period will create a reliable barrier to parasites and the development of diseases. Now you need to figure out: what is the best way to spray strawberries in spring before flowering? The solution may consist of nitrophosphate and potassium sulfate, which are diluted with water. In the prepared container, add a teaspoon of potassium and 2 tbsp. tablespoons nitrofoski composition. Then it remains to mix the composition for processing strawberries and begin to water the bushes. The consumption of the mixture should be made at the rate of 0.5 l per strawberry bush. Also during this period, do not forget about the usual watering. After spraying, strawberries should be watered weekly with warm water in the morning.
Wormwood and tobacco decoctions
These plants help in the fight against strawberry diseases. So, decoctions based on them relieve the berry of powdery mildew, spotting, as well as gray rot. In search of a solution to the question "how to spray strawberries in the spring from diseases", many dwell on chemicals. Of course, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of special preparations, but the use of wormwood with tobacco dust is more appropriate in terms of environmental safety.
Wormwood before drying, is dried, after which its stems and leaves are boiled in water for 15 minutes. 12 kg of water should be used per 1 kg of plant. Tobacco dust, in turn, will also provide protection against aphids. The solution is prepared at the rate of 0.5 kg per 12 l, while the boiling time should be about 2 hours. Next, the tincture is filtered, cooled, and then used as intended.
Tick Remedies
Of course, solutions from natural ingredients are better than spraying strawberries in the spring from pests with potent chemicals. But, unfortunately, folk remedies do not always help to get rid or prevent the appearance of ticks on the berry bushes. Of the most effective and gentle chemicals, Fitoverm is worth mentioning. For 1 liter of water, it is quite possible to limit the use of 2 ml of the drug. This volume is enough to process one bush. Also, in order to protect strawberries, the next season you can use “Karbofos” - it is advisable to dilute 60 g of the product in 10 l.
Nematode control
This is perhaps the most unpleasant and dangerous pest. The nematode is a filamentous worm with a thickness of not more than 1 mm, so it is so difficult to detect visually. The pest feeds on tissues and strawberry juices, resulting in shortening of petioles, curvature of the plates and infection of the antennae of the plant. Usually, at the first signs of the presence of a nematode, the bushes are burned, since there is no clear answer to the question of how to spray strawberries in spring from small worms. The only option is the use of contact poisons, including "Mercaptophos". It is also used in the fight against ticks and leaflets. On the surface, the drug is actively destroyed under the influence of water, sunlight and high temperature. But, after saturating the plant tissue, he passes them toxic qualities that last up to three weeks.
Spraying against weevil
In the spring, this small bug wakes up after hibernation under a bush and begins to lay larvae in strawberry buds. Thus, even before the full ripening of the berries, the gardener is deprived of the most valuable fruits. Eaten and bitten buds are easily noticeable, so when they are found, you should proceed to the appropriate treatment of the bush. But for this it is important to know the time when to spray strawberries from a weevil in the spring in order to get the maximum result. The operation is performed at least twice: in late spring (late May) - before the start of the isolation of the buds - and in the first days of June. For spraying, such products as Iskra-bio and Fitoverm are recommended. These are not chemicals in the traditional sense of the word, but rather biological mixtures that contain soil microorganisms. Therefore, berries can be consumed within two days after such processing.
Manganese solution
Each season, an experienced gardener can notice white marks resembling saliva on strawberry bushes. This, indeed, is the result of salivation, but not of a person, but of another berry pest - pennies. The bug thus protects itself from the sun and other external influences. This insect can be destroyed manually, but it is less effective than spraying strawberries in spring with a solution of potassium permanganate. Bushes must be doused with hot water (temperature - about 70 ° C), in which potassium permanganate was previously introduced . In finished form, the resulting solution should have a bright pink color.
A peculiar hot shower will not harm the strawberry itself, but it will contribute to its healthy flowering. However, if there is a question about how to spray strawberries in early spring, then it is advisable to use warm solutions with a temperature of not more than 45 ° C. At this time, as a rule, young bushes also begin to develop, so processing should be as delicate as possible.
It is believed that for greater effect, along with potassium permanganate, you can add to water and boric acid. Perhaps, from the point of view of the effectiveness of pest control, this will really increase the effectiveness of spraying, but the strawberry itself will also suffer.
Secrets of "safe" strawberry planting
In order to comprehensively protect the berry from common diseases and pests, it is not enough to know how to spray strawberries in the spring (with what preparations and solutions). To do this, you must initially create conditions in which the plant will be protected as much as possible.
And in this matter, neighboring landings help well. For example, marigolds with onions and garlic will provide safety from many pests. Chafer beetle and its larvae avoid white clover. Fighting the same weevil and aphids will be optional if the needles grow nearby. At the same time, it is enough that the branches themselves are nearby - for example, they can be scattered between the beds. Also, tomato leaves, spread out under mulched straw, will help cope with wireworms. During fruiting periods, it is necessary to look through the bushes, identifying problem areas and revealing nesting pests. On the basis of such a revision, conclusions can be drawn about the advisability of a particular spraying.