When the strawberry season ends, it is time to start preparing the strawberries for winter. A goodwintering of strawberriesdepends on many factors, both weather conditions and appropriate care treatments. Seehow to prepare strawberries for winterso that next year they grow he althily and bear great fruit!
The work related to the preparation of strawberries for the winter has to be done in summer, after the fruit harvest. Photo pixabay.com
Protecting strawberries from disease
We start preparing strawberries for winter in summeras soon as the strawberries have finished fruiting. Then all remaining runners and leaves that may be infected by diseases should be removed. In practice, this is done by mowing strawberries 2 weeks after harvesting. After such mowing , strawberries will have time to develop new, he althy shoots and leaves until winter comes
Note!
Mowing is not performed in the case of climbing strawberries - repeated fruiting, because they can bear fruit until autumn. In their case, we act differently than with traditional strawberries, which bear fruit from spring to the beginning of summer.
If the strawberries were heavily affected by fungal diseases in the season,it is also worth spraying with a fungicideThe period after harvesting the fruit is good so that we will not spray the fruit with a protective agent, which we then eat. For this spraying, you can use Topsin M 500 SC, popular among horticultural enthusiasts, in the amount of 15 ml of the product dissolved in 5-9 l of water, which is enough to spray 100m² of strawberry cultivation.
He althy, disease-free strawberries will be stronger and will winter better until next spring.
In the case of amateur strawberry cultivation on a plot or in a home garden, I do not recommend the use of herbicides to weed strawberry beds. Herbicides significantly change the metabolism of plants, which maymake it difficult for strawberries to prepare for winterSo we stick to manual weeding and mulching the soil between plants.
Fertilizing strawberries before winter
The last strawberries are fertilized in summer , after the leaves have been mowed. Usually, this date is before the end of July and at the latest by mid-August. Mowed strawberries have increased nutritional needs due to the need to restore green parts. Therefore, they are fed with a universal compound fertilizer, rich in nitrogen (eg Azofoska) or with a specialized compound fertilizer for strawberries. In the case of Azofoski, 1 kg of fertilizer is given per 100m² of strawberry cultivation.We dose specialized fertilizers for strawberries according to the instructions on the packaging.
Later, we do not give nitrogen fertilizers, becausewould excessively stimulate strawberries to grow and make it difficult for them to go into winter rest .
Possible later fertilization of strawberriescan be done using special autumn fertilizers, which do not contain nitrogen but are rich in phosphorus, potassium (thickens cell sap before winter), calcium (makes cell walls more flexible), sulfur ( has a phytosanitary effect and stimulates the conversion of nitrogen into proteins) and microelements such as: boron, zinc, manganese.Applying these fertilizers in autumn will make it easier for strawberries to overwinterIn practice, however, in strawberry cultivation it is usually not necessary.
It is worth using the autumn fertilization of strawberriesonly if during the growing season there were symptoms of deficiencies of the above-mentioned ingredients, such as, for example, dark carmine discoloration on the strawberry leaf, indicating phosphorus deficiency, or drying of the leaf edges in young leaves and their deformities, which may be the result of calcium deficiency.
Covering strawberries for winter
In order toto effectively protect strawberries against frost , in addition to proper protection and fertilization, it is recommended to use covers. Cover not only freshly planted strawberry seedlings, but also older plants.
Covering strawberries for the winterprotects the plants against frosting of flower buds and entire plants during snow-free winters, freezing drying winds, and reduces the temperature range in the immediate vicinity of plants.The use of covers is especially recommended for the cultivation of strawberry varieties sensitive to low temperatures(e.g. Elsanta, Darselect) and strawberry plantations located in colder regions of Poland with large temperature changes during the winter.
Frost shields should be put on when strawberries enter the winter rest state.This moment is signaled by a change in the color of the strawberry leaves from green to red or brown-purple.This happens in the fall, at the turn of October and November, usually after the first frost. The covers stay on the plants until the end of February and even until March (depending on weather conditions).
Covering strawberries with foil
Fig. depositphotos.com
Throughout the wintering of strawberries, the soil under cover should be constantly moist.Water deficit in the soil increases the likelihood of frost damage. Thereforewhen choosing a material for the winter cover of strawberries , you should choose one that will be sufficiently permeable to water, and at the same time limit the drying of the soil by the wind.We can usevarious materials to cover strawberries. The most frequently used are: straw, perforated foil and agrotextile.
1. Covering strawberries with straw for the winter
Using straw to protect strawberries from frostis practiced only on amateur rock, in small strawberry plantations.It is quite a good choice for single strawberry beds in home gardens. Despite the low cost, good water and air permeability, such protection has many disadvantages. Straw works only in regions where the temperature is stable in winter. In regions where winter thaws and periods of longer warming occur, straw promotes the growth of fungi and plant rot. In strong winds it is airy above strawberries. In addition, the straw is only usable in one season (needs to be replaced every year).
Straw is a material traditionally used for mulching strawberries. During the growing season, it protects them against the growth of weeds, and its thicker layer may constitute a winter cover.
Fig. pixabay.com
2. Winter covering strawberries with perforated foil
Anotherway to protect them for the winter is to cover the strawberries with perforated foil The foil protects strawberries from freezing, accelerates their growth and yield in the next year. However, it overheats the plants, which can affect the amount of fruit. Perforated foil keeps the substrate moist, but in many cases it hinders proper air exchange, which is conducive to the development of gray mold. Adequately thick foil (0.1 mm), when stored properly, may be sufficient for several seasons.
3. Covering strawberries with agrotextile for the winter
Currently, one of the best materials for covering strawberries for winter is white winter agrotextile. For the preparation of covers, agrotextile with a thickness of 23 g / m² is the best. The agrotextile imitates the natural insulation that is snow cover. It is water permeable, protects strawberries well against drying winds and ensures proper gas exchange. The use of nonwoven agrotextile accelerates the fruiting of strawberries, and the fruit is of better quality. With proper use and storage, the nonwoven agrotextile will last for many years.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
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