We are preparing a bed for strawberries. Preparing a bed for strawberries

@yagodyvam

Properly planting strawberries in August, you can get a good harvest at the beginning of next summer. In order for the berries to be large and fragrant, the pests could not spoil the young bushes, and the frosts did not kill the plants, you need to follow the basic rules for planting garden strawberries. The optimal period for planting strawberry seedlings is from August 20 to September 15.

How to choose the right strawberries for planting?

Not all varieties are suitable for planting in August. The most resistant to adverse conditions are hybrids:

1. Temptation. An early ripe and large-fruited hybrid variety bred by English breeders. From one bush you can collect 3 kg of berries with a delicate musky flavor.
2. Albion. American hybrid of garden strawberry. The yield of 1 bush is 2 kg of berries.
3. Queen Elizabeth II. Bred by Russian breeders. This variety produces 2 harvests per year. The berries are perfectly stored and easily tolerate transportation.
4. Mara de Bois. French hybrid, which is particularly frost-resistant and has sweet, rounded fruits.

For planting in August, it is necessary to purchase seedlings of good quality. It is recommended to buy annual bushes with three well-developed leaves. It is better if their root system is closed. Therefore, preference should be given to seedlings grown in transparent cups. The roots of young strawberries should be fibrous and well grown.

Signs of healthy seedlings:

1. The leaves are leathery and shiny, have pubescence and are painted in rich green.
2. The horn has a thickness of at least 0.7 cm.
3. The length of the roots in open seedlings is more than 7 cm, in closed seedlings - more than 5 cm.
4. Seedlings without damage to the leaves and root system.
5. The core of the bush is elastic and strong.
6. The root system of seedlings grown in cups occupies the entire volume of the container.
7. Roots are visible from the peat pot.

If you buy seedlings on the market from private gardeners, then you need to consider the risk of infection of the bushes with insect larvae, fungal spores and pathogens. In large nurseries, “healthy” plants are sold, but this does not guarantee the complete absence of infection. Strawberry bushes for planting are sold from late July to early August.

You should not buy seedlings if they have pale and shriveled leaves. Dots, tubercles, dashes and spots on seedlings are signs of infection with pathogenic microorganisms or pests.

Before planting, the acquired seedlings must be completely immersed (together with cups) in hot water (+50 ° C) for 20 minutes. This treatment will help get rid of root aphids, nematodes and spider mites. It is recommended to spray seedlings and planting holes with a fungicide solution.

Selection and formation of beds for strawberries

You need to start creating a new bed already in July in order to complete the planting in August, otherwise the strawberry mustache will not have time to prepare for winter. Raised beds are suitable for areas with high groundwater, and trenches are suitable for dry regions with little snowy winters.

Bulk beds

Bulk warm beds are made in a special wooden box made of boards 25 cm wide. It will hold the ground, and if you line the bottom with cardboard, it will protect strawberries from weeds and pests. Bulk beds are warmer due to the fact that wood and sand retain heat inside the box. The width of the bulk bed is 1 m. Good drainage will protect the strawberry root system from rotting.

Order of bulk layers:

1. Cardboard.
2. Sand.
3. Compost.
4. 10 cm of soil.

vertical beds

The beds shown in the photo save space on the site and are easy to care for. They are made using various materials:

1. Plastic pipes filled with soil mixture are installed vertically. Holes are cut in them every 40 cm. Seedlings of garden strawberries are rooted in the slots.
2. Dense polyethylene or burlap bags are filled with a nutrient substrate for fruit and berry crops. They are hung on the wall or stacked one on top of the other. Slots are made in the material of the bag for planting sprouts.
3. The chain-link mesh is used for a vertical cylindrical bed. To do this, a pipe of the required diameter is rolled out of it, which is filled with a substrate for growing strawberries. It is convenient to plant young bushes in the grid cells.

@cityvillagefarmer

trenches

In order to form nutrient soil for strawberry beds, trenches 30 cm deep and up to 1 m wide are dug in the selected area. Wooden boards, slate sheets or lining sections are laid inside along the perimeter. At the bottom of the trench, you can lay out cardboard to protect against weeds or chain-link mesh, if there is a possibility of damage to plants by moles.

The order of the layers filling the trench:

1. Fresh plant residues (legumes or corn).
2. Humus.
3. Chernozem.

Before planting garden strawberries, the trench bed is covered with agrofiber with perforated holes, into which sprouts are planted. Then tighten the top with protective material. Such beds are also called “smart” because they have everything necessary for independent plant growth.

Low German bed for strawberries

To create a low bed according to German technology, furrows are not laid between the rows, but partitions made of slate, boards, lining or bricks are put up. The height of the beds is 20-40 cm, and the width is 40-80 cm. Strawberry bushes can be planted in 2 rows, while the distance between seedlings should be at least 40 cm.

Decorative vertical beds

These beds can decorate the site and help optimize the space on it:

• Pocket;
• pyramid structures;
• from plastic pipes.

To sew a pocket bed, you need to fold the foil insulation in half, stitch it around the edges, forming a bag. No more than three pockets are planned per 1 m² and sewn according to the markup. On each pocket, stepping back from the seam 3 cm, make a cut in a semicircle. The pockets are filled with a nutrient mixture, watered abundantly and sprouts are rooted in them. Such a bed can be attached to a fence or to a wall.

Pyramidal structures are made of wooden slats or reinforcement. From three rails of the same length, a tripod-pyramid is made. Between them, shelves for pots or strips for hanging containers with a substrate for strawberries are fixed.

Plastic pipes filled with a nutrient substrate can be placed vertically and cut into them for rooting sprouts. Another way is to cut a piece of plastic along the empty pipe. Place the resulting long container horizontally, with the cut part up, with a slight inclination of the cut point. Cut the next pipe in the same way and put it on top of the first one, tilting the slot. Build the structure like a log wall. Fill the pipes with a substrate and plant strawberry sprouts in them.

High beds from barrels or tires

In order to make a high pyramidal bed, use car tires or plastic barrels of different diameters. In the center of the structure, you can install a vertical plastic pipe with small holes for internal irrigation of cascades. Under the bed, you can put a chain-link mesh, which will prevent damage to strawberries by moles.

From the tires you need to cut the rubber in such a way that rubber cylinders are obtained. The bottom and top are cut from the barrel so that the remaining plastic rim is 40 cm high.

The first tier of the cascade is made from a tire or a plastic rim of the largest diameter. It is installed on a chain-link mesh and filled with a nutrient soil mixture. For the second level, the tire or rim is chosen so that when they are installed in the center of the first tier, the width of the bed remains 20-40 cm. The collection of the cascade structure can be continued as long as the diameter of the previous level allows.

Preparing a bed for strawberries

Before planting, it is necessary to fertilize and disinfect the soil.

What crops are best to plant after?

Strawberries grow well after legumes (beans, peas) and cereals (oats, corn) plants. Root crops will be good predecessors: carrots, radishes and radishes. Before strawberries, you can grow greens in the selected area: parsley, dill, lettuce, garlic or onions. You can alternate this crop rotation: garden strawberries and bulbous flowers (crocuses, tulips, snowdrops).

How to fertilize the soil before planting?

When digging a site and forming a bed for 1 m² of soil, you need to add:

• 100 g of superphosphate top dressing;
• 50 g of nitrogenous fertilizers;
• 7 kg of humus soil;
• 50 g of potassium salts.

Soil disinfection

Before planting young bushes, weed seeds must be destroyed. Garden strawberries reproduce with a mustache, which, when growing, should not meet root obstacles. To prevent strawberry diseases, it is necessary to neutralize the fungal spores and insect pest larvae in the soil in time. You can cope with these tasks using an ammonia solution or Roundup.

The process of planting strawberries in August

When planting strawberries in open ground, you need to follow the basic rules of planting:

1. Sprouts are planted in a hole in which a small earthen tubercle is made.
2. The roots do not bend - they must freely descend along the tubercle from all sides. Long roots that bend in the hole are cut a little.
3. Seedlings do not dig deep into the soil: if the core of the bush is below ground level, the plant will die. Shallow planting leads to the drying of the bush. You need to root the sprout so that the socket is slightly visible from the soil.
4. Planting is completed by abundant watering with the introduction of a natural growth stimulator (for example, HB 101), which activates the plant's immune system.
5. Preparation for winter involves mulching the beds and covering it with agrofiber or a dense film to protect against weeds and winter cold.

Best time to land

For planting strawberries, there must be suitable weather conditions:

• air temperature does not exceed +20…+25°С;
• air humidity up to 70-80%.

In the southern regions, garden strawberries are planted in early autumn. But if August is cool enough and wet, then planting work can begin.

Can different varieties be planted side by side?

It is better to avoid joint plantings of different varieties, because they can get mixed up with each other, releasing a mustache to a neighboring bed. To avoid confusion, rows of garlic can be planted between different varieties.

Landing pattern

Single-line planting is done on a bed 40 cm wide. Plants are planted in one row every 30 cm.

Two-line planting can be implemented on a bed with a width of at least 80 cm. Seedlings are rooted in 2 lines. The distance between rows is 40 cm. At the same time, strawberry bushes should be 30 cm apart from each other. Dense planting of garden strawberries leads to a decrease in the size of the berries.

Planting strawberries in a checkerboard pattern allows you to reduce the gaps between the bushes without harming the plants. On a bed 50 cm wide, in 2 rows with an interval of 25 cm, seedlings are planted in such a way that there is a gap in the other in front of the bush in one row. Row spacing can be reduced to 30 cm.

Landing method

For planting, you can use a black film with slots for seedlings or perforated dark agrofibre (spunbond). This method allows you to mulch the soil and protects plants from the germination of weeds. For the winter, landing is covered from wind, hail and low temperatures with a special white agrofibre.

strawberry care

Strawberry care involves regular watering, fertilizing and mulching.

Watering

In August and September, strawberries are watered 2 times a month, and in October, water-charging watering is carried out. It is advisable to install a drip irrigation system before planting on the beds. The second method is sprinkling, that is, spraying the supplied water.

Mulching

Sawdust or hay is used to cover the soil. Landing under agrofibre does not require additional mulching.

top dressing

Fertilizers with manganese and zinc are key elements for feeding berry crops. Foliar top dressings with molybdenum and boron are also recommended. Such fertilizers will not only increase productivity, but also protect plants from diseases and pests.

For the correct choice of mineral dressings, the composition of the soil is taken into account. Strawberries need manganese fertilizers if the bed is located on slightly alkaline carbonate or chestnut soil. On sandy and sandy soils, there may be a lack of zinc. It manifests itself in the fact that strawberries begin to get sick often and its yield decreases sharply.

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Any berry crop requires painstaking and thorough preparation before planting. And for strawberries, one should attend not only to the selection of a place and seed material, but also to the proper preparation of the soil substrate, for which there are requirements.

What should be the soil for strawberries

Before talking about the soil, it is necessary to say about the basic requirements for the landing site, because these same requirements also affect the soil.

And also strawberries do not tolerate drafts and cold winds, check that the chosen place is not strongly blown.

The following can be said about the soil for strawberries:

1. It should be loose.
2. Soil pH should be close to neutral (i.e. not less than 5.5 and not more than 8).
3. The soil should be moist, not wet. That is, the water content in the soil should be no more than 90% and no less than 70%.
4. For strawberries, medium or light loams, sandy loams are suitable. Of course, it can grow on heavy loams and sandy soils, but it will bear very little fruit.
5. The soil should have a high humus content (about 3%).

Strawberries are able to impoverish the soil on which they sit, so it needs to be transplanted every 3-4 years to a new, more fertile soil.

Strawberry predecessors

For strawberries, crop rotation is extremely important, so you should select the beds for planting very carefully. Being careful not to plant strawberries after crops that harm them.

The most harmful strawberry predecessors are Solanaceae. Indeed, it is extremely harmful to plant strawberries after potatoes or tomatoes, as they impoverish the soil and can infect it with fungal diseases or rot.

You should also not place strawberries on beds of cabbage or zucchini, because these plants tend to draw phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen from the soil, which are so necessary for strawberry bushes.

Strawberries also grow poorly after Compositae crops, such as Jerusalem artichoke, because they leave behind soil poor in both nutrients and moisture.

Precursors that are useful for strawberries are:

• Carrot.
• Garlic not only enriches the soil with useful substances, but also drives away pests when planted nearby.
• Parsley, by the way, is good and easy to plant nearby, as it drives away slugs.
• Legumes (peas, beans, lentils), which enrich the soil with nitrogen compounds.
• Alkaloid lupine, which is also green manure, can make the soil whiter and looser.
• White buckwheat is not only a useful green manure, but also an excellent honey plant that fills the soil with a whole range of nutrients.

Indeed, such an order of changing cultures would be the most optimal and correct both for the strawberry itself and for the crops following it.

It should be immediately clarified that various varieties of strawberries, such as large-fruited or small-fruited, remontant, red, white, will not require specific soil. We only remember that you can not plant strawberries in the soil where the strawberries were sitting.

Preparation of soil substrate for strawberries

To improve the fertility of strawberries, the soil is prepared ahead of time, preferably a week before planting, and preferably in the fall, so that the beds have time to overwinter. And they do it like this:

Preparing the soil for growing strawberries at home

When you grow strawberries at home, planting them in pots, containers or other containers, you can use ready-made soil for strawberries. And you can prepare the soil yourself.

Do not forget to make a drainage layer in pots.

Video: preparing soil for planting strawberries

Features of soil preparation for growing strawberries in bags and pipes

Many gardeners like non-standard approaches to growing berry crops, for example, strawberries can be grown in nylon bags or in PVC pipes. And although planting in such unusual containers requires special materials and preparation, the soil itself for strawberries is not much different from the soil substrate for pots and containers. For example, the base soil for bags and pipes is the same as for planting in pots or containers. But soil additives are excellent.

Features of the soil for strawberry seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings requires a special laborious attitude of the gardener, so we will step by step analyze the preparation of the soil substrate.

So, although special soil is needed for strawberries, it is not difficult and quite realistic to prepare such soil at home. You just need to clearly imagine how strawberries will be grown further, in open ground or closed, in bags, pots, or maybe, in general, in pipes. And if strawberry seedlings are grown, then it is imperative to disinfect the soil in which the seeds will be placed.

Grown on a personal plot, tasty, fragrant and large strawberries bring a lot of pleasant emotions to the gardener. But to collect a rich harvest of this berry is not quite easy. Only by knowing the secrets of planting and caring for her, it is possible to grow delicious strawberries. New bushes of this berry are rooted in late summer or autumn. How to plant strawberries in August? Consider a description of the sequence of agrotechnical work before planting seedlings of a given crop and methods for planting berry bushes.

How to choose and buy strawberries for planting

To get healthy strawberry bushes that will grow well without disease and give a large harvest of sweet berries, you need to plant high-quality seedlings. How to choose the right material for planting? Experts recommend buying annual seedlings with a closed root system (in cups). They should have fibrous roots at least 5 cm long and no more than 3 well-developed leaves.

A good harvest is given by elite varieties of strawberries. It will be great if you purchase and plant such seedlings on your plot. Even for breeding this crop, gardeners use free seedlings, which are carefully selected from the bushes of berries available in the garden, then dug out in late autumn and stored in bags at a slight negative temperature.

Where is the best place to buy strawberry seedlings? If you buy it in the markets from private traders, then there is a chance that the purchased plant will be infected with diseases and pests. It is best to take healthy seedlings obtained from sterile plants grown according to a special test-tube method. Such seedlings are sold by large manufacturers. In their specialized nurseries, strawberry seedlings are sold from late July to early August.

The earlier at the end of summer you plant the bushes of this plant, the more likely it is that flower buds will be laid on them, and the first harvest will be next year. When choosing seedlings, inspect the seedlings well. If you see pale, shriveled leaves on the plants, or there are some points on them, it is better not to buy such material. These signs indicate the poor quality of seedlings, infection with diseases / pests. Buy strawberry seedlings with the following features:

• The leaves of the seedlings are leathery / with pubescence, have a rich, healthy, shiny, green color.
• The horn of the seedling has a thickness of at least 0.7 cm.
• The length of the roots of open seedlings is more than 7 cm.
• Seedlings have no damage to the roots, leaves.
• The core of the bush is strong, elastic, has a rich green color.
• For seedlings in cups or cassettes, the roots should envelop the entire volume of the container in which they are located.
• The peat pot should be with roots that have pierced through it and look out.

Soil preparation

Planting strawberries is best at the end of the summer season in August. It is desirable to do this in sunny places and on southwestern slopes with a slope of 2-3 degrees. It is not desirable to use plots in the lowlands or a closed type for growing this plant. The acidity of the soil for planting strawberry seedlings should not be more than 5.5-6.5. Bushes of berries will give a good harvest if they are planted on chernozem podzolized soils or on dark gray forest soil, which has a medium or light composition.

The berry will also bear fruit well on sod-podzolic, sandy loamy soils. It is not advisable to plant strawberries where groundwater is close to the surface. Before planting seedlings in a certain area, it is necessary to first examine it for the presence of pests, and if they are found, destroy the insects with special means. The land for planting strawberries is first cleared of weeds. Then, 2 weeks before planting seedlings, prepare the soil for planting seedlings. 2-3 buckets of organic matter are scattered over the territory of the site per 1 sq. m.

What crops to plant after: strawberry predecessors

When choosing a site for planting strawberries, consider which plant grew on it before. You should not use the land for growing this delicious berry if plants from the Asteraceae family, buttercups or tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, sunflowers have recently grown on it. So after what can you plant strawberries? And is it possible to plant this plant after onions? The harvest of berries will be good if you plant seedlings in the soil where they previously grew:

• peas;
• beans;
• radish;
• garlic;
• parsley;
• radish;
• mustard;
• dill;
• salad;
• oats;

At what distance to root a berry: planting scheme with a photo

When planting seedlings, do not bury them too deep into the ground, otherwise the central point or heart of the bush will be below ground level, which will lead to the death of the plant. It is also impossible to allow shallow planting of strawberries. This is fraught with drying of the heart and death of the bush. Seedlings will take root well and will grow if planted so that the central point of the seedling protrudes slightly above the soil surface.

• When planting seedlings in a hole, you need to make a mound in it and put a plant on it.
• The roots should not be bent, they should smoothly descend along the tubercle. If they are too long, be sure to trim them a little.
• After planting the seedlings, the plant should be watered abundantly and a l of HB 101-93 solution should be applied under each seedling, diluting 93 drops of this substance in 1 liter of water.
• Then young bushes are mulched with compost (5-6 cm) or straw, hay, sawdust (10 cm) and covered with special material to create a greenhouse effect for better rooting of seedlings.

In the future, regular weeding of the bushes is carried out and the mustache is removed. If the weather is dry after planting the seedlings, you need to water the crop so that the ground on the site is moist. During this period, flower buds are laid, on which the next year's berry harvest depends. There are several schemes for planting strawberries:

• Single line. This is planting seedlings in one row. The distance between the bushes of plants should be 15-20 cm, and between the rows - 60-70 cm.
• Two-line. This is planting with ribbons, consisting of 2 rows of bushes. The distance between the ribbons is 60-70 cm, in rows - 30 cm, bushes - 15-20 cm.
• Natural agricultural technology. With this scheme, seedlings are planted every 50 cm in one row on beds 50 cm wide. The distance between rows is 50 cm.

How to fertilize the soil before planting

2 weeks before planting seedlings, it is advisable to add to the soil (for every 1 m2) 40 g of double superphosphate, up to 20 g of potash fertilizers (wood ash or potassium sulfate). It is desirable to add organic matter to the holes for planting seedling bushes. To do this, dig a hole 25x25x25 for each seedling and fill it with a mixture consisting of 1 bucket of earth from the site, 1 bucket of compost, 1 bucket of rotted horse manure, 2 cups of ash.

Planting garden strawberries with a mustache in open ground

One of the ways to obtain strawberry seedlings is to root the mustache from a specially prepared mother bush of this crop. Rosettes and their own root system are formed on such shoots:

• 2 weeks before transplantation, separate the young seedling obtained from the rooting of the mustache with scissors from the adult plant. From now on, he will switch to his own diet.
• When the strawberry rosettes mature, transplant them to a permanent place. And when to plant strawberries with a mustache? It is better to start this process in time from the end of July to the end of August. This should be done on a cloudy day or in the evening, so that the root system of the plant adapts well to the new place.
• Divide the area for planting strawberries into rows with a distance of 1 m between them. Plant strawberries at a distance of 20-30 cm between the bushes.
• Make a hole for strawberry seedlings 15 cm deep.
• The core of the outlet after planting should be at ground level. It is important not to deepen it and leave it above the ground so that the bush does not die.

How to plant under a black film

To get a large crop of strawberries, gardeners use the method of planting a plant under a black film or agrofiber. These devices cover the entire area. Holes are made in the film for planting berry bushes. Black material on the ground does not let sunlight through, and weeds and other plants that are undesirable in this area do not grow under it. To implement this landing method:

• Purchase agrofibre or black film, an area equal to the size of the plot of the future strawberry plantation.
• Next, lay the mulching material on the ground, laying its corners in holes around the perimeter and filling it with soil.
• Then start the process of planting seedlings. It is advisable to plant them in a checkerboard pattern with a distance between the bushes of 25-30 cm.
• On the film, pre-mark the places for the holes and make small perpendicular cuts in them.
• Then, through each hole, dig holes with your hands and plant seedlings.
• Holes in the film should not be large, so as not to provoke the growth of weeds.

What fertilizer to use or how to feed in the fall

Plants planted in August must be fertilized. This is done with different substances. It is useful to treat strawberries with a solution consisting of 30 g of urea and 10 liters of water. Foliar top dressing is carried out with boron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc. Treated bushes will bring more harvest in summer, and the quality of berries will be higher than on plants not fertilized with these substances. To make a feed mixture, prepare the following ingredients:

• molybdenum - 2 g;
• manganese - 50 g;
• boric acid - 15 g;
• water - 15 l.

Autumn care for strawberries includes preparing the plant for winter. The bushes of this crop are covered with straw, peat, compost, fallen leaves or corn stalks. These natural substances will not only keep plants from cold in winter, but also fertilize the soil. Special materials are also used as mulch for bushes - spunbond, lutrasil. Covered strawberries will be protected from frost and will give a good harvest next year. Further agricultural work with strawberries begins in April.

Is it possible to plant different varieties of strawberries next to each other

In some reviews of gardeners, there is a deep conviction that it is impossible to plant different varieties of strawberries together. So they pollinate among themselves, and then on their bushes the quality of the berries becomes worse. But experts say that the reason for the deterioration of the crop in such cases is not that pollination occurs, but because the plant is degenerating.

If you delve a little into botany, then you can remember that during the pollination of crops, double fertilization occurs. As a result of this process, seeds are obtained that have the genetic information from the pollinator plant. However, the situation is different with strawberries, because its fruit is not quite what the botanist understands by this term.

A juicy red berry on a bush of this crop is an overgrown receptacle, which is part of the mother plant and carries only its genetic characteristics. Therefore, the culture whose pollen pollinates strawberry flowers does not affect the quality of the berries. So, planting different varieties side by side is not prohibited. But when propagating a plant with a mustache, it is important not to confuse which variety of strawberries the daughter outlet belongs to.

Video: landing technology on covering material

Experienced gardeners prefer to use black film, spunbond, agrofibre for growing strawberries. The technology of planting seedlings of this plant on covering material allows you to get a good harvest and prevents the appearance of weeds. You will learn about the features of planting strawberry seedlings on agrofibre, spunbond from 3 videos below, which show different ways of rooting seedlings.

Under black spunbond

How to plant under agrofibre

The original way of landing

Strawberries (or garden strawberries) are the very first and long-awaited berry in the country. In order to enjoy its unique taste every summer, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil and beds for planting crops. The composition and acidity of the soil are crucial for obtaining a fragrant crop.

Choosing a place for strawberries

Before you start preparing the soil, decide on a place for planting strawberries. The quantity and quality of the crop depends on the right choice of location.

A place for planting strawberries should have the following characteristics:

Strawberries are grown in one place for no more than 4–5 years. After this period, the berries become smaller, and the yield decreases. When choosing a new place, observe crop rotation. The best predecessors are:

• garlic,
• carrot,
• any greenery,
• legumes and green manure.

Do not plant a berry after potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes. These crops are often affected by fungal diseases that are also dangerous for strawberries. The berry can be returned to its original place no earlier than after 4 years.

When choosing a place for planting strawberries, try not to place the bed close to the trees. Once I made a mistake with the choice of location, making a bed near the apple tree. In the spring, when the leaves had not yet blossomed, the strawberries were fully lit by the sun. Then, because of the abundant foliage, my garden bed was in the shade for a good half of the day.

Soil preparation for planting in spring

In order for strawberries to give a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil for planting it. If you plan to plant strawberries in the spring, the garden bed must be prepared in the fall.

Sandy or loamy soils are best suited for growing strawberries. They are good because:

But not always the garden plot can meet such requirements. Soil structure can be improved in various ways:

• if the soil in the area is sandy, then add a bucket of dry clay and 2 buckets of humus per 1 m 2;
• in clay soil, add 1 bucket of peat and 1/4 bucket of sand per 1 m 2 beds. Make drainage grooves if necessary.

From experienced gardeners, I heard different opinions about adding peat to the soil. Some believe that peat loosens and enriches it with oxygen. Others - that peat increases the acidity of the soil. Still others suggest adding a glass of ash to a bucket of peat, which will balance the acidity.

In fact, only high-moor peat increases acidity, and for most crops, low-lying peat is used, which enriches the soil with essential mineral and organic substances, and helps retain moisture in the soil.

Only low-lying peat is suitable for strawberry beds

Clay soils can also be improved with sawdust. Prepare them like this:

It is necessary to add rotted sawdust to improve the soil before winter, while digging the site.

Soil acidity

Strawberries grow poorly and bear fruit in acidic soils. The optimum pH is 5.5-6, i.e. the soil should be slightly acidic or neutral.

To understand that your site has acidic soil, you can by the following signs:

• abundant growth of such wild crops as plantain, field mint, horsetail, horse sorrel, creeping ranunculus;
• the presence of brown plaque on stones and paths;
• soil color with a touch of rust.

Cornflower, chamomile, nettle, quinoa, and couch grass grow on slightly acidic soils. On neutral soils - coltsfoot, bindweed. On alkaline - field mustard, poppy self-seed.

You can determine the acidity of the soil using ordinary table vinegar. Take some dirt from the lot and drop acid on it. If bubbles appear, it means that lime is present in the soil and its acidity is neutral. If there is no reaction, the soil is acidic.

And you can also determine the acidity with a special device - a pH meter.

A pH meter is used to measure soil acidity.

To reduce the acidity of the soil, it must be limed:

You can also deoxidize the soil with the help of wood ash: for 1 m 2 of soil - 700 g of ash. In addition to reducing acidity, it perfectly fertilizes the soil: the ash contains many trace elements, such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, etc.

Wood ash is a good soil deoxidizer.

I have an old metal stove in my country house, which was left from the previous owners. She stood idle for a long time. Once the electricity was cut off and the stove turned out to be indispensable. Now, in addition to fragrant smoky tea, I always have wood ash. I scoop it out of the oven, pour it into a small barrel, cover it tightly and store it in a dry place.

Soil disinfection

So that young strawberry seedlings are not affected by diseases and pests, the soil must be disinfected. It can be processed in different ways.

Chemical method

Soil treatment with chemicals destroys pathogens, but beneficial bacteria are also destroyed along with them. In addition, chemical elements accumulate in the soil and affect the quality of the crop. Therefore, use the chemical method when other means do not work.

To disinfect the soil when planting strawberries use:

• fungicide TMTD: per 1 m 2 of soil - 60 g of powder;
• 1% solution of copper sulfate: dilute 100 g in 10 liters of water and spill the soil.

Treat the soil with preparations containing copper once every five years. With their frequent use, the quality of the soil deteriorates and the number of beneficial bacteria decreases.

Copper sulphate is used no more than once every five years

Biological method

Treatment with biological preparations rids the soil of pathogenic microorganisms, pest larvae and populates it with beneficial bacteria. You can use these preparations before planting strawberries:

Each drug comes with detailed instructions for use.

It is impossible to treat the soil with chemical and biological preparations at the same time, the interval between treatments must be at least 14 days.

Agrotechnical method

The agrotechnical method includes the organization of the correct crop rotation and the competent distribution of plantings. Due to the periodic change of crops (as mentioned above), pathogenic infections and pests do not spread in the soil.

Strawberry beds are not located near raspberries, cabbage, Jerusalem artichoke. But garlic and root parsley coexist perfectly with this culture. They can be planted between rows to repel pests with a specific smell. For the same purpose, calendula and marigolds are planted along the beds with strawberries.

Calendula not only drives pests away from strawberries, but also decorates the garden

I scatter calendula and marigold seeds all over the site. Extra plants that interfere with the growth of garden crops, I pull out and use as mulch material. Bright flowers not only repel pests, but also decorate the site. At the end of summer, I collect the seeds and use them for sowing in the spring.

To disinfect a small bed for strawberries, you can spill it with boiling water before planting, which will destroy pathogens and pest larvae that have overwintered in the soil.

Fertilizing the soil before planting

For better survival of strawberry seedlings and a good harvest of berries, fertilizers must be added to the soil before planting. As mentioned earlier, if you plan to plant strawberries in the spring, then the soil is prepared in the fall. September is considered the best time.

The following composition is used as a fertilizer per 1 m 2 of soil:

Fertilize the soil as follows:

In the spring, two weeks before planting, evenly scatter and rake up 1 m 2 of soil:

• 20–25 g of superphosphate;
• 20-25 g potassium sulfate.

Fresh manure cannot be used as a fertilizer, as it will burn the tender strawberry roots. It is also undesirable to use fertilizers containing chlorine.

Ground insulation

For regions where long return frosts are possible, it is advisable to build warm beds for strawberries. They are fertile and serve to insulate the soil. The principle of manufacturing such beds is simple - they should consist of three main layers:

• the lower layer performs the function of drainage and retains heat, preventing it from escaping into deeper layers (dry tree branches, cutting boards, etc.);
• the middle layer consists of organic residues (weeds, tops, food waste (except for meat), etc.);
• the top layer is fertile land at least 20–25 cm high.

There are several types of warm beds.

Bed-box

This type of bed is used in areas where there is a high level of groundwater. A box is knocked together from boards (or slate) and filled in layers with dry branches, organic matter and earth.

In a warm bed-box, strawberries are not afraid of recurrent frosts

Trench bed

Where groundwater runs low and does not flood the site, a trench bed is made.

To make a warm bed, they dig a trench on a shovel bayonet

Combined garden

Such a bed is more difficult to manufacture, but justifies its purpose. It is done like this:

1. A trench is dug into which coarse waste is laid.
2. A metal mesh is laid into it from mice that can settle in a warm bed.
3. The place above the trench is fenced with a box.
4. Organics and a fertile layer are placed in the box.

Combined bed combines a trench bed and a box bed

Formation of beds for planting strawberries

For planting strawberries, there are many options for the formation of beds.

The easy way

The most common way is to plant strawberry seedlings on simple beds. They are not raised or fenced. Only between the rows of strawberries do furrows 30–40 cm wide and 15–20 cm deep. Excess water will accumulate in them after watering and rain. And it is also convenient to walk on them, harvesting.

Furrows are made between the rows of strawberries, which are convenient to walk on.

carpet fit

The carpet method of planting strawberries is very easy to care for. Plants settle in free places and cover the soil with a continuous carpet. As a result, moisture is retained and weed growth is suppressed. However, over time, the berries become smaller, as the plantings become too dense.

Strawberries can be planted with a carpet and ribbons in several rows, in the latter case, the possibility of berry shredding is reduced.

Landing on the ridges

A variant of a simple bed is planting on ridges. This achieves several goals:

• roots are protected from nearby groundwater;
• water and fertilizers enter the furrows between the ridges, which prevents the soil from being washed out from under the roots.

However, such beds are quite laborious in terms of weeding.

Video: planting strawberries on the ridges

Low German garden

Strawberry beds using German technology are gaining more and more popularity. At the same time, not simple furrows are made between the rows of strawberries, but fences made of boards, slate or bricks are installed.

German beds for strawberries can be made in any shape

Formation of the German garden:

Watering low beds is carried out with caution. It is best to water with a watering can, making circular movements so as not to wash away the soil near the roots. If a hose is used for irrigation, then wrap its end with a cloth that passes water well. In this case, you need to water under the root of the plant.

High beds from tires or barrels

When there is little space on the site, you can make high vertical beds from old car tires or barrels. Such beds have a number of advantages:

• saves a lot of space in a small area;
• beautifully designed tires or barrels will decorate your garden;
• plant care is simplified - no need to bend over, moving from one bush to another;
• the ripe berry does not touch the ground and it is convenient to collect it.

The disadvantages include:

• frequent watering, as the soil dries out quickly;
• the need to feed strawberries at least once every two weeks;
• complete soil replacement every 2 years to get a good harvest;
• planting new strawberries every spring, as they freeze in winter.

Not all varieties of strawberries can be grown in tires or barrels. Empirically, gardeners have come to the conclusion that it is best to plant remontant varieties that develop well and bear fruit under various growing conditions (for example, Elizabeth 2).

A bed of car tires

It is most convenient to use tires of different sizes. Procedure:

If the tires are of the same diameter, then make holes in each tire with a diameter of 7-10 cm at a distance of 15-20 cm, fill with soil and plant strawberries. For uniform watering, be sure to insert a tube with holes with a diameter of 5 cm along the entire length. Put the hose on the end of the tube and turn on the water.

Video: planting strawberries in car tires

A barrel for growing strawberries can be made of any material - metal, plastic or wood. Do not use barrels after salted fish and chemicals.

Prepare the barrel for planting strawberries:

1. Make drainage holes in the bottom of the barrel with a diameter of at least 2 cm.
2. On the side walls, make cells 7–10 cm in size in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other.

   The tube diameter should not be more than 1/3 of the barrel diameter.

3. Fill the barrel with fertile soil to the bottom cells, compacting it a little. Place the strawberry seedlings in the holes, spreading the roots inside the barrel.
4. Fill in the ground to the next cells. Gently water the planted bushes. Place the seedlings in the second row of cells and so on to the top row. Plant a few strawberry bushes on the surface of the barrel.

   You can plant strawberries in a wooden and iron barrel

Landing under agrofibre

A very convenient way to grow strawberries under agrofibre (spunbond or lutrasil). You can buy it at any gardening store. As a rule, agrofibre is used in black.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

When planting strawberries, black agrofibre is used.

Soil mulching

Mulching strawberry beds is a prerequisite for growing a good crop of berries. It is necessary in order to:

As a mulching material use:

• straw or cut grass;
• black agrofibre;
• coniferous litter or twigs of coniferous trees;
• shavings and sawdust;
• manure and compost.

Photo gallery: mulching strawberry beds

When straw or cut grass rots, hay stick develops, which kills fungal infections.
Agrofibre protects the soil from drying out and weeds
The needles increase the acidity of the soil, so use it with caution on acidic soils.
Decayed shavings and sawdust acidify the soil, so you need to periodically add ash or dolomite flour
Humus or compost as mulch requires frequent updating, as it is quickly processed by microorganisms

Video: how to plant strawberries in spring

On well-prepared soil, in compliance with all the rules for the formation of beds, you can harvest an excellent harvest of tasty and fragrant strawberries for several years in a row.