Do strawberries need to be processed after harvest. Care for strawberries after harvest

There is no definite answer to the questions - why and when to cut strawberries after harvesting. Opinions of gardeners on this matter are different. Some are for it, some are vehemently against it. Why trim the leaves? Why do this if it seems to be known that the foliage feeds the root? Like, the more foliage, the stronger the bush. Yes, this, of course, is correct. But ... Harvested - prepare for the next! Sounds like a slogan for a gardener. So, after harvesting, this is the preparation of the plantation for the new season. And pruning strawberry leaves is one of the stages of this care.

We all love this berry. In the spring, a lot of effort is spent on caring for strawberries before and during flowering, during the formation and ripening of berries. We want more strawberries. To make them bigger, juicier, tastier. So, just after the harvest, you need to make every effort to improve, increase it in next year. Strawberries need special care just after harvesting. This is the most important time for her and for us.

Why trim the mustache of strawberries

Surely, you already noticed during the harvest that strawberries (strawberries) give a lot of whiskers. Of course, it depends on the variety. Some varieties form a lot of mustache, some a little, they can even be completely beardless.

We collected all the berries - carefully inspect the entire plantation. It is necessary to loosen the beds of garden strawberries, weed them from weeds, remove the mustache.

Mustaches are required for strawberries to breed. If you do not want to get young rosettes, new plants for propagation, then you need to cut them off immediately after they appear.

Usually there are several mustaches on one bush. We collect them in one bunch and cut them as close as possible to the base of the bush. By the way, this mustache trimming procedure will have to be repeated more than once per season. If we start, we don’t do it on time, then the plant will spend all its strength on the growth of whiskers, rosettes, and the future crop will get less. Strawberries lay less flower buds, which means that there will not be many berries, they will become smaller.

Everything superfluous for the future harvest must be cut off.

In addition, this is necessary so that the strawberries do not thicken, since thickened plantings are more difficult to care for.

When to feed, fertilize

Some gardeners do the wrong thing by overfeeding strawberries before harvest. This leads to the fact that it is strongly affected by gray rot, this is, firstly. Secondly, although the berries become large, they are watery, less sweet, and have a shorter harvest period.

In early spring before flowering we spend nitrogen fertilizers. But, remember, the main fertilization should be after harvest. This is top dressing full mineral fertilizer and organic. Many bring manure under strawberries. This, of course, is good - manure not only nourishes the plants, but also takes care of the strawberry root system.

Hilling strawberries

The thing is, strawberries berry plant- perennial. Over time, it builds up air root system and begins, as it were, to bulge out of the ground. Every year, especially after 3-4 years of growing in one place, we are forced to add mulch, earth, compost, rotted manure to the aisles, thus covering the roots of strawberries. Mulching helps the roots develop well.

Reasons, timing of pruning leaves

The laying of fruit buds in strawberries (garden strawberries) occurs in June ( Krasnodar region) - July (middle lane) after harvest. By this time, it is necessary to coincide with the first trimming of the mustache, leaves.

The fact is that a strawberry leaf lives only 60-70 days - 2-2.5 months. And after that, various spots appear on the leaves - whitish, rusty, red. These are signs of leaf aging, the development of various diseases on them.

That is, cutting the leaves of strawberries (strawberries) is necessary in order to protect the future crop from diseases.

Trim leaves or whiskers with secateurs or scissors. Tools must be sharp. Do not tear them off with your hands - this way you can damage the root system. The plant, instead of building up leaf mass, will recover its strength for a long time.

The process of chlorophyll production stops 2-2.5 months after picking the berries - even in healthy plants, the leaves may turn red.

Tip: the reddened leaves should be removed to prevent the pests remaining on them from wintering quietly. Treat the plantation with pesticides. Only it should have been done much earlier: the picture was taken in September. There is a danger that young leaves will not have time to grow after pruning - bare bushes may not survive the frosty winter.

So, a month and a half after picking the berries, we inspect the plantation of strawberries (garden strawberries) and remove all the leaves with spots, holes, while not forgetting to cut the flower stalks. We leave only young leaves.

When to do it? In the Kuban, this is the end of June-beginning of July, in middle lane- the first half of August. exact date I won't say it's not that important. Most importantly, calculate the timing so that your strawberries leave in the winter with young leaves already grown.

How to prune strawberries if the plants are affected by diseases, pests

In the event that strawberry bushes are affected by a tick, there is severe spotting on the leaves, it is necessary to remove all leaves, even young ones. Leaves with signs of disease should be cut as close to the base of the bush as possible, since disease spores can also persist on the petioles. Try not to touch the heart of the bush when pruning - the plant will be able to recover faster. By doing such pruning, you will not harm the bush, as strawberries grow green mass very quickly. By cutting off the old leaves, you will immediately see where you can loosen the ground, where you need to remove the weeds.

Of course, by removing all the leaves from strawberries, you will not get rid of all pests and diseases. They will remain on the stumps of leaves, the ground. Simply, such a bed is easier to treat with drugs for diseases and pests. This processing is more efficient.

Now you can feed the "rejuvenated" bed. At this time, as I said, fruit buds are laid - the basis of the future harvest, so do not forget to periodically water your strawberries. And if it doesn't rain, keep the soil moist.

Top dressing, at this time are required. It is at this time that strawberries will increase their leaf mass, which in winter, covered with snow, will protect the root system from freezing. That is, than with large quantity foliage your bushes will go into the winter, the better they will winter. And this will increase your yield.

If during the harvest period you notice berries affected by gray rot, then after fruiting, treat the entire plantation with some kind of fungicide - this may be Topaz or Horus.

Is it possible to mow all strawberry leaves

Not so long ago, walking along my dacha street, I saw that my acquaintances were mowing strawberry leaves with a scythe. berry plot they have a large one - several acres - they cannot do without a scythe, as they believe. At first I thought that they thus decided to get rid of old strawberry, they say, it's time to lay a new plantation. But it turned out that everything is not so. The owner of the dacha said that they mow the leaves of strawberries every year, three or four weeks after the last harvest. And this year, some circumstances prevented them from doing it on time and they mowed in mid-August. The strawberry harvest, according to them, is good all the time, it gets sick less.

If you have a large plantation and it is older than 3-4 years, then you can follow the example of my friends.

There is another reason for completely cutting strawberry leaves with a scythe or secateurs (scissors) - this is a strong defeat of plantings by diseases and pests. After completely cutting (mowing) the leaves, the plantation should be treated with some kind of fungicide or pesticide. Be sure to feed your strawberries - help her quickly build up leaf mass.

It is not necessary to carry out mowing on young healthy plantings of strawberries, this depletes the bushes and you deprive yourself of the harvest.

How to care for strawberry beds after pruning or mowing

I will repeat myself a little, but this is very important.

• Loosen the ground around the bushes.
• Remove weeds.
• Treat the plantation for diseases and pests.
• Feed with mineral and organic fertilizers.
• Water regularly if there is no rain during this period.
• It is very important that the soil in the garden bed is wet all the time - this is necessary for the growth of young foliage.

That's all the simple rules. Now you know how and when to prune strawberries ( garden strawberries) after harvest. good harvest next year you are guaranteed!

Every gardener wants to get tasty, large and juicy strawberries in season. And it's time to take care of the future harvest immediately after harvest.

Caring for a fragrant berry is a long process, almost all-weather, but having felt the careful care of the gardener, strawberries will not be stingy to reward him with a generous harvest. Consider how to care for the soil after harvesting strawberries.

Pruning old strawberry leaves and whiskers

The plant has transferred its juices to ripening berries, now the task of the gardener is to help the bushes regain strength, give them the opportunity to form new leaves and prepare for a long winter in order to next spring be with a decent harvest.

Important! Five-year plantations of strawberries should be replaced with young plants.

Having collected the last berries at the beginning of summer, it is necessary to carry out weeding the beds with strawberries, because weeding is not carried out during the entire period of fruiting. Then straw, sawdust, needles and other mulch are removed and carefully loosen the soil under bushes and between rows.

The cut material must be removed from the beds. Such a seemingly cruel procedure will give the bush the opportunity to release new leaves and buds by autumn.

Having found a lot of shoots thrown out by the plant, a natural question arises: what to do with strawberry whiskers. Nature provides that the mustache of strawberries is necessary only for reproduction.

Therefore, if it is necessary to propagate strawberries, the strongest tendrils are left for rooting, and the resulting young seedlings are separated in the fall and transplanted into beds.

The rest of the whiskers must be removed, as they will take juices and strength from the mother bush, thereby making it weak and reducing the next year's harvest. Discarded by the plant, not needed by the gardener mustache cut off as low as possible to the ground with a sharp pruner or knife.

Cutting off a shoot is fraught with pulling out and death of the whole plant. Since strawberries shed their whiskers several times during the warm season, the trimming of the whiskers is carried out several times as they appear. This will save the bush from unnecessary expenditure of effort.

How to feed strawberries after harvest

The plant needs good nutrition to recover, therefore it is necessary to strawberry fertilizer after harvest. It can be done with this mixture: potassium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate in a ratio of 1: 1: 3 dissolve in water and pour the bushes with this solution.

Strawberries will also benefit from sprinkling the base of the bush with vermicompost, rotted compost, or laying pieces of dried manure around the plant. You can energize a strawberry plantation by sprinkling it with crushed wood ash, - 2 kg per square meter.

Did you know?After two months of growth, strawberry leaves begin to age.

How to water strawberries after harvest

After the harvest, strawberries do not require intensive watering of the soil. Watering the bushes is necessary only in the dry season. The main thing is to prevent the land from drying out after fruiting.

In the strawberry growing area, it is recommended to carry out soil mulching straw, peat or sawdust - this will keep moisture in the soil. After watering, you need to let the soil around the strawberries dry slightly and thoroughly loosen the soil in the beds.

How to process strawberries to prevent diseases and pests

After the completion of fruiting, the plants should be inspected and made treatment for diseases and pests.

Diseases affecting strawberries:

• powdery mildew- manifested by a gray coating on the foliage, which rots, twists and falls off. For treatment, the beds are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur - 50 grams per 5 liters of warm water.
• gray rot- manifested by gray spots that affect berries, cured with a solution of copper chloride - 40 grams per 10 liters of water.
• black rot- an analogue of gray, only spots on the berries are black, the treatment methods are the same.
• spotting- damage to the leaves with brown-red spots, get rid of it with a solution of copper chloride - 50 grams per 10 liters of water.

Important! Foliage of a reddish hue is cut and burned in preparation for wintering - this will protect the plantings from pests

Areas for growing berries need constant struggle and protection from strawberry pests.

Most frequent pests:

• strawberry weevil- an insect that eats leaves and buds, get rid of it by spraying the bushes with karbofos - 75 g per 10 liters of water.
• strawberry mite- a small insect, the presence of which gives out yellowed deformed foliage. Get rid of it in the same way as the weevil.
• spider mite- forms a web on the foliage, the fight against it consists in treating the plant with a phytoverm solution, as well as cutting and burning all the leaves after fruiting is completed.

After picking berries, strawberry bushes require special care to restore strength and intensive laying of fruiting buds for the next year.

At proper conduct summer-autumn preventive measures garden strawberries ( scientific name strawberries) increases fruiting by at least 15-30 percent. The fruits become larger, juicier and sweeter. Any variety, plain or remontant strawberries responds with gratitude to the care and care, so the berries grown with their own hands are noticeably different from the store ones.

Care for strawberries after harvest

At the end of July-beginning of August, after the fruiting of strawberries, the care corresponding to this period is carried out, consisting of: trimming the mustache, removing damaged leaves, weeding, top dressing, hilling the bushes.

In July, after harvesting strawberries, the plants begin to grow new leaves, form new horns, the growth of whiskers with side rosettes intensifies and new flower buds are laid for the new season.

Be sure to weed the beds, that is, the removal of all weeds. Excess mustache and dried leaves are also removed. Reddened leaf blades are removed first.

It is impossible to cut off foliage and mustaches, you can only cut it off, otherwise the bush will be damaged and will hurt. For trimming, take only sharp scissors or secateurs. Old, cut leaves, in order to avoid the reproduction of pests, it is better to burn. If young leaves curl or look corrugated, this indicates that the plants are infected with strawberry mites and they should be treated with a special preparation.

After pruning, the soil around the strawberries is loosened, fertilized, and watered. The aisles are loosened 10 centimeters deep. Around the plants, loosening is carried out by 5-7 centimeters. It is desirable to spud bushes.

In this case, the roots must be completely closed, and top part the bush should remain above the ground. In no case do not fill up the growth point, that is, the middle of the rosette of leaves.

Feeding strawberries in July

Mineral fertilizers with a wide content of trace elements are taken for top dressing. About 30 grams of fertilizer goes per square meter. For this, a special fertilizer for garden strawberries is suitable - Fertik, ammophoska.

Fertilizers containing potassium chloride should not be used, as it slows down growth and impairs fruiting. Fertilizers are embedded in the soil to a depth of about 5-8 centimeters.

In addition to these fertilizers, you can use last year's humus. It crumbles around the bushes and digs a little into the soil. Humus improves soil structure and makes it more fertile.

You can also fertilize the beds with diluted chicken manure (breeding it in a ratio of 1:15 with water). When feeding, we must not forget that this solution should not fall on the foliage, otherwise burns will appear on the plants, which provokes the development of diseases. A high concentration of the solution can generally destroy the bush. Therefore, this type of dressing is not used so often. And more often in spring than in summer and autumn.

If the weather is dry, then the beds with strawberries are abundantly spilled with water. Soil moisture should be maintained until the end of the season. Watering is done once a week in a bucket per square meter.

For best results, drip irrigation can be used. This type of irrigation allows you to get right amount moisture and at the same time the plants do not rot, as the soil does not become swampy.

Caring for strawberries in August

To get a bountiful harvest for the next season, at the end of summer perennials proper care is required. It includes: pruning leaves, transplanting mustaches, preparing plants in winter, that is, sheltering bushes.

Old leaves are cut off. Here, gardeners act differently, some mow all the foliage completely, others remove only leaves damaged by diseases. If strawberries grow in groups, then the first processed early varieties. Then come the middle and late varieties, this will allow you to evenly care for the plants and prevent them from overgrowing, which leads to the threat of infection with diseases and pests.

Mustaches with new rosettes and young roots are planted to form young bushes. For this, the strongest specimens are selected, usually this is the first rosette on the antennae. Strawberry plantings are recommended to be renewed every 3 years, this is how many years the bush bears fruit as much as possible, then the bush ages and the yield decreases markedly.

To protect strawberries from various fungi, powdery mildew, pests, the bushes are sprayed with special preparations, or with self-prepared means.

For spraying, drugs such as:

• Karbofos or Actellik, this is protection against weevil and strawberry mites;
• Azocen and Topaz are used for the prevention and control of powdery mildew;
• 1% solution of lime and blue vitriol saves bushes and berries from rot, spotting.

Fertilizing strawberries in August

Top dressing of the bushes during this period increases the degree of frost resistance of the plant and contributes to the laying of future flower buds.

Complex mineral fertilizers should include: 1 part nitrogen, 2 parts phosphorus, 4 parts potassium. AT finished version, it can be: Fusco, Autumn, Autumn. All these preparations, except for the base, contain other useful substances.

Fertilizer Autumn in its composition does not contain nitrogen, which allows it to be used even in a later period, but this preparation contains all the elements that are necessary for the growth and good fruiting of strawberries.

In the form of organic fertilizers suitable: peat, horse dung in granules, humus, bone meal.

Mineral and organic fertilizers should not be mixed. In rare cases, with depleted soil, mineral and organic top dressing applied over the entire area of ​​the beds. If the strawberry planting area is quite large, this mixture can also be used.

After feeding, the plants are covered with mulch, and for wintering, the bushes are covered with leaves, needles, potato tops, straw. Dry weather is chosen for shelter, otherwise the layer may compact and cause the formation of pests and diseases within the layer or lead to root rot.

The layer of mulch covering plants from frost should be at least 7 centimeters. Used in addition to mulch nonwoven fabric e.g. spunbond.

Autumn care for remontant strawberries

Remontant strawberries compared to simple varieties has a short period of life and after two years the plants must change new ones. Some varieties do not produce mustaches and are easier to care for, but seeds are used to propagate them, which complicates the breeding process.

July and August are suitable for updating strawberry plantations. By autumn, the bushes take root and easily endure the winter.

In preparation for winter, flower stalks and leaves are cut off from the mother bushes. Bushes are hilled so that the roots are covered with soil. But the core of the plant must remain open, otherwise it will begin to rot.

Treated beds are covered with foliage, grass, hay, or a special covering material - this allows strawberries to easily endure even a snowless winter.

When warm days come in the spring, the mulch from the strawberries must be removed so that the plants do not begin to rot.

Processing strawberries after harvest, video

Have a good harvest!

When to prune strawberries or how to care for them after harvest

The term "leaf mowing" refers to a whole range of activities in the first-year strawberry bed.

There is no definite answer to the questions - why and when to cut strawberries. Opinions of gardeners on this matter are different.

Some are for it, some are vehemently against it. Why do this if it seems to be known that the foliage feeds the root, they say, the more foliage, the stronger the bush? Yes, this is certainly correct.

But ... Harvested - prepare for the next! Sounds like a slogan for a gardener.

So, caring for strawberries after harvesting is preparing the plantation for next year's harvest. And pruning strawberry leaves is one of the stages of this care.

We all love this berry. In the spring, a lot of time and effort is spent on care before flowering, during it, during the formation, ripening of berries. We want more strawberries, they were larger, juicier, tastier.

So, just after the harvest, you need to make every effort to improve, increase it next year. Strawberries need special care just after harvesting. This is the most important time for her and for us.

Why trim your mustache

Surely, you already noticed during the harvest that strawberries (strawberries) give a lot of whiskers. Of course, it depends on the variety. Some cultivars have a lot of whiskers, some have little, and some may be completely hairless.

We collected all the berries - carefully inspect the entire plantation. It is necessary to loosen the beds of garden strawberries, weed them from weeds, remove the mustache.

Mustaches are required for strawberries to reproduce. If you do not want to get new rosettes, new plants for propagation, then you need to cut them off immediately after they appear.

Usually there are several mustaches on one bush, we collect them in one bunch and cut them as close as possible to the base of the bush. By the way, this mustache trimming procedure will have to be repeated more than once per season. If we start, we don’t do it on time, then the plant will spend all its energy on growing mustaches, rosettes - the future crop will get less, there will be fewer flower buds, which means there will be fewer berries, they will be smaller.

Everything superfluous for the future harvest must be cut off.

In addition, this is necessary so that the strawberries do not thicken, since thickened plantings are more difficult to care for.

When to feed, fertilize

Some gardeners do the wrong thing by overfeeding strawberries before harvest. This leads to the fact that it is strongly affected by gray rot, this is, firstly. Secondly, although the berries become large, they are watery, less sweet, and have a shorter harvest period.

Early in the spring before flowering, we fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers. But, remember, the main fertilization should be after harvest. This is top dressing with complete mineral fertilizer and organic matter. Many bring manure under strawberries. This, of course, is good - manure not only nourishes the plants, but also takes care of the strawberry root system.

Hilling strawberries

The fact is that strawberries are a perennial berry plant. Over time, it builds up an aerial root system and begins, as it were, to bulge out of the ground. Every year, especially after 3-4 years of growing in one place, we are forced to add mulch, earth, compost, rotted manure to the aisles, thus covering the roots of strawberries. Mulching, hilling helps the roots develop well.

Reasons, timing of pruning leaves

The laying of fruit buds in strawberries (strawberries) occurs in June (Krasnodar Territory) - July (middle lane) after harvest. By this time, it is necessary to coincide with the first trimming of the mustache, leaves.

The fact is that a strawberry leaf lives only 60-70 days - 2-2.5 months. And after that, various spots appear on the leaves - whitish, rusty, red. These are signs of leaf aging, the development of various diseases on them.

That is, cutting the leaves of strawberries (strawberries) is necessary in order to protect the future crop from diseases.

Trim leaves or whiskers with secateurs or scissors. Tools must be sharp.

Do not tear them off with your hands - this way you can damage the root system. The plant, instead of building up leaf mass, will recover its strength for a long time.

The process of chlorophyll production stops 2-2.5 months after picking the berries - even in healthy plants, the leaves may turn red.

Advice:

reddened leaves should be removed to prevent the pests remaining on them from wintering quietly. Treat the plantation with pesticides.

There is a danger that young leaves will not have time to grow after pruning - bare bushes may not survive the frosty winter.

So, a month and a half after picking the last berries, we inspect the plantation of strawberries (garden strawberries) and remove all the leaves with specks, holes, while not forgetting to remove the flower stalks. We leave only young leaves.

When to do it?

In the middle lane - the first half of August. I will not say the exact date - it is not so important. Most importantly, calculate the timing so that your strawberries leave in the winter with young leaves already grown.

How to prune strawberries if the plants are affected by diseases, pests

In the event that a bush or bushes of strawberries are affected by a strawberry mite, there is severe spotting on the leaves, it is necessary to remove all leaves, even young ones.

Leaves with signs of disease should be cut as close to the base of the bush as possible, since disease spores can also persist on the petioles. Try not to touch the heart of the bush when pruning - the plant will be able to recover faster.

By doing such pruning, you will not harm the bush, as strawberries grow green mass very quickly. By cutting off the old leaves, you will immediately see where you can loosen the ground, where you need to remove the weeds.

Of course, by removing all the leaves from strawberries, you will not remove all pests and diseases. They will remain on the stumps of leaves, the ground.

Simply, such a bed is easier to treat with drugs for diseases and pests. This processing is more efficient.

Now you can feed the "rejuvenated" bed.

At this time, as I said, fruit buds are laid - the basis of the future harvest, so do not forget to periodically water your strawberries. BUT

if there is no rain, keep the soil moist.

Top dressing, watering at this time are required. It is at this time that strawberries will increase their leaf mass, which in winter, covered with snow, will protect the root system from freezing.

That is, the more foliage your bushes go into the winter, the better they will winter, the more harvest you will get.

If during the harvest period you notice berries affected by gray rot - after harvesting the last berries, treat the entire plantation with some kind of fungicide - it can be Bordeaux mixture, Topaz or Horus.

Is it possible to mow all strawberry leaves

The term "leaf mowing" refers to a whole range of activities in the first-year strawberry bed. Some gardeners take the word "mowing" so literally that they go out into the garden with a scythe and even with a lawn mower, and not in July, but in August, and ignore all other methods. The results of such leaf mowing are always deplorable.

Actually this milestone in the care of strawberries includes not only the removal of leaves, but also loosening, treatment for pests and diseases, removal of mustaches, replanting fallen plants and preparing seedlings for a new garden bed.

Not so long ago, walking along my dacha street, I saw that my acquaintances were mowing strawberry leaves with a scythe. They have a large berry plot - several acres - they cannot do without a scythe, as they believe. At first I thought that they decided to get rid of the old strawberries in this way, they say, it's time to start a new plantation. But it turned out that everything is not so. The owner of the dacha said that they mow the leaves of strawberries every year, three or four weeks after the last harvest. And this year, some circumstances prevented them from doing it on time and they mowed in mid-August. The strawberry harvest, according to them, is good all the time, it gets sick less.

If you have a large plantation and it is more than 3-4 years old, then you can follow the example of my friends.

There is another reason for completely cutting strawberry leaves with a scythe or secateurs (scissors) - this is a strong defeat of plantings by diseases and pests. After completely cutting (mowing) the leaves, the plantation should be treated with some kind of fungicide or pesticide. Be sure to feed your strawberries - help her quickly build up leaf mass.

It is not necessary to carry out mowing on young healthy plantings of strawberries, this depletes the bushes and you deprive yourself of the harvest.

How to care for strawberry beds after pruning or mowing

I will repeat myself a little, but this is very important.

Loosen the ground around the bushes.

Remove weeds.

Treat the plantation for diseases and pests.

Feed with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Water regularly if there is no rain during this period.

It is very important that the soil in the garden bed is wet all the time - this is very important for the growth of young foliage.

That's all the simple rules. Now you know how and when to prune strawberries (garden strawberries). A good harvest next year is guaranteed!

WHEN TO CUT THE STRAWBERRY OR HOW TO CARE FOR THEM AFTER HARVESTING The term "leaf cutting" refers to a number of activities in the first-year strawberry bed. There is no definite answer to the questions - why and when to cut strawberries. Opinions of gardeners on this matter are different. Some are for it, some are vehemently against it. Why do this if it seems to be known that the foliage feeds the root, they say, the more foliage, the stronger the bush? Yes, this is certainly correct. But ... Harvested - prepare for the next! Sounds like a slogan for a gardener. So, caring for strawberries after harvesting is preparing the plantation for the next year's harvest. And pruning strawberry leaves is one of the stages of this care. We all love this berry. In the spring, a lot of time and effort is spent on care before flowering, during it, during the formation, ripening of berries. We want more strawberries, they were larger, juicier, tastier. So, just after the harvest, you need to make every effort to improve, increase it next year. Strawberries need special care just after harvesting. This is the most important time for her and for us. Why Trim Your Mustache You've probably already noticed at harvest time that strawberries produce a lot of mustache. Of course, it depends on the variety. Some cultivars have a lot of whiskers, some have little, and some may be completely hairless. We collected all the berries - carefully inspect the entire plantation. It is necessary to loosen the beds of garden strawberries, weed them from weeds, remove the mustache. Mustaches are required for strawberries to reproduce. If you do not want to get new rosettes, new plants for propagation, then you need to cut them off immediately after they appear. Usually there are several mustaches on one bush, we collect them in one bunch and cut them as close as possible to the base of the bush. By the way, this mustache trimming procedure will have to be repeated more than once per season. If we start, we don’t do it on time, then the plant will spend all its energy on growing mustaches, rosettes - the future crop will get less, there will be fewer flower buds, which means there will be fewer berries, they will be smaller. Everything superfluous for the future harvest must be cut off. In addition, this is necessary so that the strawberries do not thicken, since thickened plantings are more difficult to care for. When to Feed, Fertilize Some growers do the wrong thing by overfeeding their strawberries before harvest. This leads to the fact that it is strongly affected by gray rot, this is, firstly. Secondly, although the berries become large, they are watery, less sweet, and have a shorter harvest period. Early in the spring before flowering, we fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers. But, remember, the main fertilization should be after harvest. This is top dressing with complete mineral fertilizer and organic matter. Many bring manure under strawberries. This, of course, is good - manure not only nourishes the plants, but also takes care of the strawberry root system. Hilling strawberries The fact is that strawberries are a berry plant - a perennial. Over time, it builds up an aerial root system and begins, as it were, to bulge out of the ground. Every year, especially after 3-4 years of growing in one place, we are forced to add mulch, earth, compost, rotted manure to the aisles, thus covering the roots of strawberries. Mulching, hilling helps the roots develop well. Causes, timing of pruning leaves The laying of fruit buds in strawberries (strawberries) occurs in June (Krasnodar Territory) - July (middle lane) after harvest. By this time, it is necessary to coincide with the first trimming of the mustache, leaves. The fact is that a strawberry leaf lives only 60-70 days - 2-2.5 months. And after that, various spots appear on the leaves - whitish, rusty, red. These are signs of leaf aging, the development of various diseases on them. That is, cutting the leaves of strawberries (strawberries) is necessary in order to protect the future crop from diseases. Trim leaves or whiskers with secateurs or scissors. Tools must be sharp. Do not tear them off with your hands - this way you can damage the root system. The plant, instead of building up leaf mass, will recover its strength for a long time. The process of chlorophyll production stops 2-2.5 months after picking the berries - even in healthy plants, the leaves may turn red. Tip: the reddened leaves should be removed to prevent the pests remaining on them from wintering quietly. Treat the plantation with pesticides. There is a danger that young leaves will not have time to grow after pruning - bare bushes may not survive the frosty winter. So, a month and a half after picking the last berries, we inspect the plantation of strawberries (garden strawberries) and remove all the leaves with specks, holes, while not forgetting to remove the flower stalks. We leave only young leaves. When to do it? In the middle lane - the first half of August. I will not say the exact date - it is not so important. Most importantly, calculate the timing so that your strawberries leave in the winter with young leaves already grown. How to prune strawberries if the plants are affected by diseases, pests If the bush or bushes of strawberries are affected by strawberry mites, there is severe spotting on the leaves, all leaves, even young ones, must be removed. Leaves with signs of disease should be cut as close to the base of the bush as possible, since disease spores can also persist on the petioles. Try not to touch the heart of the bush when pruning - the plant will be able to recover faster. By doing such pruning, you will not harm the bush, as strawberries grow green mass very quickly. By cutting off the old leaves, you will immediately see where you can loosen the ground, where you need to remove the weeds. Of course, by removing all the leaves from strawberries, you will not remove all pests and diseases. They will remain on the stumps of leaves, the ground. Simply, such a bed is easier to treat with drugs for diseases and pests. This processing is more efficient. Now you can feed the "rejuvenated" bed. At this time, as I said, fruit buds are laid - the basis of the future harvest, so do not forget to periodically water your strawberries. And if it doesn't rain, keep the soil moist. Top dressing, watering at this time are required. It is at this time that strawberries will increase their leaf mass, which in winter, covered with snow, will protect the root system from freezing. That is, the more foliage your bushes go into the winter, the better they will winter, the more harvest you will get. If during the harvest period you notice berries affected by gray rot - after harvesting the last berries, treat the entire plantation with some kind of fungicide - it can be Bordeaux mixture, Topaz or Horus. Is it possible to mow all the strawberry leaves The term "leaf mowing" refers to a number of activities on a fertile bed of strawberries of the first year. Some gardeners take the word "mowing" so literally that they go out into the garden with a scythe and even with a lawn mower, and not in July, but in August, and ignore all other methods. The results of such leaf mowing are always deplorable. In fact, this most important stage in the care of strawberries includes not only the removal of leaves, but also loosening, treatment for pests and diseases, removal of mustaches, replanting fallen plants and preparing seedlings for a new garden bed. Not so long ago, walking along my dacha street, I saw that my acquaintances were mowing strawberry leaves with a scythe. They have a large berry plot - several acres - they cannot do without a scythe, as they believe. At first I thought that they decided to get rid of the old strawberries in this way, they say, it's time to start a new plantation. But it turned out that everything is not so. The owner of the dacha said that they mow the leaves of strawberries every year, three or four weeks after the last harvest. And this year, some circumstances prevented them from doing it on time and they mowed in mid-August. The strawberry harvest, according to them, is good all the time, it gets sick less. If you have a large plantation and it is more than 3-4 years old, then you can follow the example of my friends. There is another reason for completely cutting strawberry leaves with a scythe or secateurs (scissors) - this is a strong defeat of plantings by diseases and pests. After completely cutting (mowing) the leaves, the plantation should be treated with some kind of fungicide or pesticide. Be sure to feed your strawberries - help her quickly build up leaf mass. It is not necessary to carry out mowing on young healthy plantings of strawberries, this depletes the bushes and you deprive yourself of the harvest. How to care for strawberry beds after pruning or mowing I will repeat a little, but this is very important. Loosen the ground around the bushes. Remove weeds. Treat the plantation for diseases and pests. Feed with mineral and organic fertilizers. Water regularly if there is no rain during this period. It is very important that the soil in the garden bed is wet all the time - this is very important for the growth of young foliage. That's all the simple rules. Now you know how and when to prune strawberries (garden strawberries). A good harvest next year is guaranteed!