Planting strawberries in open ground: detailed instructions

Content:

The article describes in detail the planting of strawberries in open ground: the rules for choosing dates, seedlings, plot, predecessors and neighbors, instructions for proper care are given.

Planting strawberries outdoors: when to plant

In order for your strawberries to grow healthy and bring you a rich harvest, the first thing you need to know is how to plant them correctly. Everyone knows that the best time to plant these berry bushes is spring. Many novice gardeners are wondering how to properly plant these bushes on their site, so that they quickly take root and begin to actively grow, and how to properly care for this delicious berry in the future, so that the harvest will please both in quality and quantity.

At what time you need to plant strawberries, you need to be determined by looking at the temperature outside, because the earth should already be well warmed up. At night, the temperature should not fall below +5 degrees, and during the day it should not fall below +10. At such a standard temperature, the earth will definitely be warmed up not lower than +8 degrees. If suddenly the spring frosts returned, then they are not terrible for garden strawberries, but this is only if it was grown immediately in the open field. But if you grew it with seedlings at home on the windowsill, then it is better to plant it outside later, when frosts are no longer expected. If, nevertheless, the planting of strawberries was early, then the planted bushes are best insulated and covered with a film or covering material. And the seedlings are opened even when the temperature is consistently high, at least +12 degrees.

Strawberries can be planted in spring and fall, but spring planting clearly has a greater advantage. Planting time is always determined by how early you want your first crop. Still, it is best to plant these berry bushes in the spring. With spring planting over the summer, the bushes will have time to form well and correctly. And the root system will definitely be well developed. And since over the summer the bushes will have time to perfectly take root in a new place, then in winter they will not freeze out. Also, over the summer you will see which bushes could not take root and dry up, in which case you will have time to carry out all the necessary measures or simply transplant new bushes to this place. For next year's yield. But there is also a minus of spring planting, it is that in the first year of planting there is very little chance that the bushes will bear fruit. Although even if the strawberry begins to bloom, the flowers will still need to be removed immediately. Otherwise, there will still be very little berries, but it will take all the strength from the bushes that have not yet taken root. Also, this fruiting will have a bad effect on the entire harvest of the next years. But if strawberries begin to bear fruit after spring planting only the next year, then you can get a large and high-quality harvest. If you decide to breed strawberries with a mustache, then it is best to transplant it at the very end of summer, or at the beginning of autumn. After all, by this time there will be a lot of material for planting and it will be of better quality. There will be plenty to choose from the best mustache for planting, and simply remove the mustache that is not needed.

Also, the time for planting directly depends on what kind of seedlings you have.If your seedlings have a closed root system, then you can plant them at any time. Throughout the season, both in spring and autumn and even in summer. But if the root system of the seedlings is open, then spring is suitable for planting, in the most extreme case, early autumn. And it depends on the fact that those seedlings that were with a closed root system always take root much faster than with open roots. By the way, if you buy seedlings in the market or in a gardening store, then you will have to pay more for seedlings with a closed root system. In each region, the timing of planting strawberries is different. It directly depends on what kind of climate you have. In the south of our country, strawberries are planted at the end of March or at the very beginning of April. In central Russia, the climate is always moderate, so you can plant strawberries in mid-April. In the North-West, strawberries begin to be planted only from mid-May, it is by this time that the earth will have time to warm up well enough. In Siberia and the Urals, planting can begin around May 10.

Also, the old generation of gardeners often pays attention to the lunar calendar, because it contains all the exact dates for planting, as well as unfavorable days. But you always need to remember that if you grew strawberries from seedlings, then this must be taken into account and planted in open ground later than the rest. And also do not forget that before planting, the seedlings must be hardened a couple of weeks before planting.

If, nevertheless, before planting seedlings in open ground, you look at the lunar calendar, then know that the planting dates change every year. Even if you were not able to plant seedlings on an auspicious day, this is not a reason not to plant them at all, just do not plant on unfavorable days, but on ordinary days, which means nothing is still complete.

If you want your strawberries planted in spring to take root as quickly as possible and go into active growth, you need to plant them correctly, and you also need to choose the right planting material. Seedlings for planting strawberries in the spring can be easily bought at the market or in a gardening store, but it is better to buy only proven varieties and from a trusted seller. But you can also sow the seeds yourself.

Planting strawberries in open ground: what should be the seedlings

Not only purchased, but also home seedlings can be of two types: a closed root system is a seedling that was grown from seeds, or those mustaches that were rooted in separate containers the previous year. Such seedlings can easily take root at any time after planting. To understand whether the root system of such seedlings is well developed, it is necessary to examine well the container in which it grows. She should have root shoots protruding from the holes of the container, which are needed for drainage. If the seedling is with an open root system, then planting it in the ground without isolating the roots. Saplings with such a root system take root a little worse than those with a closed system. And it will cost less on the market.

Also, special attention should be paid to the appearance of the seedling, it must have at least three real leaves, and 1 leaf can only begin to develop, and the other two should already be actively growing. Leaves should be strong and healthy in appearance, with a bright green color. In no case should there be any dullness or spots on the leaves. The diameter of the root collar should never be less than 6 mm. The root system must be fully formed, and the length of the roots must be at least 10 cm. Moreover, for seedlings with an open root system, when purchasing, you need to carefully look so that the roots are not dry and not chopped. Also, when buying strawberry bushes, you need to be able to distinguish young bushes that were grown from seeds or rooted mustache ties this year, from old bushes that are more than 2 years old.

The main external difference between old bushes is dark roots, while in young seedlings they are much lighter. Also, old plants have a kind of brown thickening, the so-called horn.

Plants must also be properly prepared before planting. If the seedlings have a closed root system, then initially it must be well shed with warm water, this is simply necessary in order to easily and safely get the seedling out of the container. And then, together with the earth, he is planted in a previously prepared hole.

If the root system of the strawberry is open, then it is best to dip the roots in a stimulating solution, this is necessary for active growth. If the roots are more than 10 cm long, then they will need to be pruned. But when landing in the hole, do not bend in any way. Experienced gardeners advise keeping strawberry seedlings in hot water, about 50 degrees, for 20 minutes before planting. This will get rid of pests that may be in the leaves of the plants. Also, instead of aging in water, plants can be treated with a special preparation such as acaricide.

Strawberries: open field planting and care. Choosing the right landing site, predecessors

When planting strawberries, be sure to choose a well-lit, sunny area. The beds for strawberry seedlings are always made straight and slightly elevated. After all, it is impossible to plant strawberries in a lowland, because after each rain, and especially in spring, all the water will accumulate in lowland areas. Then the earth will dry out and warm up for a very long time. Strawberry bushes will grow very slowly, and berries will ripen much later than usual. Strawberries will just as well grow on small slopes.

At the time when you choose a place for planting strawberries, be sure to consider whether it will be compatible with its predecessors. You can not plant strawberries after tomatoes, potatoes and peppers, pumpkin and cabbage. But legumes and any greens will be excellent predecessors for her. It is also impossible to plant strawberries in the same place twice; when transplanting, the site must be changed. Strawberries need to be transplanted every three years, but it will be possible to return them to their previous place no earlier than in five years. During the time while the earth is resting from strawberries, all the necessary substances will have time to be renewed in it. Since often people's garden plots and gardens are small, and you always want to grow as much as possible. Therefore, many plants grow very close to each other. But even in this case, you must always follow the rules of the neighborhood of plants.

Planting strawberries in open ground: the right neighborhood, feeding when planting

For growing strawberries, there are generally a number of rules for planting plants next to it. Plants that require the same nutrients and vitamins as strawberries should never be planted next to it. The watering regime for strawberries should always match the regime of its neighbors. Those plants that have the same diseases and pests as strawberries should not grow near the strawberries.

So next to strawberries, parsley of any kind, dill, garlic, legumes, roots and even flowers, mostly marigolds, will get along wonderfully.

Before planting strawberries, the ground must be fertilized. After all, it will grow only in nutritious and light soil. If there is a lot of peat or turf in the ground, then garden strawberries simply will not grow there, and all seedlings will simply die. A garden bed for spring planting of strawberries must be prepared in advance, even in the fall. So that all the nutrients and fertilizers have time to saturate it. During the autumn preparation of the site for strawberries, the soil must be dug to the depth of a bayonet shovel and fertilizers, both organic and mineral, must be added to it. During preparation, the site should be ideally weed-free.

And it is also desirable to disinfect the earth, for this it is spilled with Fitosporin.After that, the land on the site must again be loosened and leveled. If you did not manage to prepare a planting site in the fall, then this can be done in the spring. But the land prepared in spring must stand for at least 2 weeks. During this time, fertilizers will have time to penetrate deep into the soil and it will have time to settle. During preparation and digging, fertilizers such as humus or compost can be applied to the strawberry bed, 1 bucket is poured per 1 square meter of soil.

Potassium sulfate or wood ash, which is also very rich in potassium, only the ash must be clean without any impurities, and superphosphate can also be added to the ground. With the same success, a complex fertilizer such as nitroammofoska can be used in the soil.

Of course, instead of fertilizing during preparation, it can be applied directly to the hole when planting, but the effect of such fertilization will be much less, because the root system grows much better on the soil in which all the nutrients have already been absorbed. Then the bushes will grow much faster.

When planting strawberries, great attention should be paid to planting depth. More precisely, the fact that the plant cannot be buried. The growth point of strawberries should always be on the ground. With an open root system in the center of the hole, you need to make a tubercle and put the plant in the center, and the roots should go down exactly down it, it is also very important to ensure that the roots do not bend. If the root system is closed, then a tubercle is made in the same way, on which the plant is placed and carefully covered with earth, and just as carefully tamp it. If you plant strawberries too deep, then the bush may just simply rot. And if you plant the bushes too shallow, then the roots will constantly dry out, and in winter they are more likely to freeze out.

How to plant: scheme for planting strawberries in the open field

Strawberry bushes should be planted 25 cm apart. Most often, she is planted according to the carpet pattern. A carpet pattern is when a piece of land is planted in several rows. Most often, both the length and the width of such a bed are the same. The second most popular landing method is lowercase. When one or two rows are planted, but very long. You should always remember that you cannot plant bushes too close to each other. They simply will have nowhere to grow, they will climb on top of each other, and create a lot of shadow. In general, there are a lot of planting schemes, and how you plant your strawberries depends on the size of your plot.

You can plant strawberries in a solid carpet, in rows, with a two-line ribbon, a three-line ribbon, or even a five-line ribbon.

On a small plot of land, the belt planting method is just best suited. In this case, you can get the optimal amount of harvest.

If you have a large enough area and you can allocate a lot of space for strawberries, then it is best to grow it with a carpet or in one or two rows. Moreover, the carpet scheme is the simplest, and requires the least cost of berry care. When a strawberry grows with a carpet, you do not need to constantly remove the mustache, they take root and grow chaotically. And due to the fact that it grows too thick, it requires less watering. In this case, moisture from the ground evaporates very slowly. But after three years, the harvest becomes smaller, so if your strawberry grows with a carpet, then every year you need to remove excess, old and damaged bushes.

And also the most successful way of planting to achieve the largest possible harvest is the nest or, as it is also called, chess. But in this case, the distance between the berry must be sufficient, otherwise the care will be difficult. Due to the density, it will be difficult to approach the bushes and even more so to cut them off.

If your site is located in a lowland, and you really want a homemade, tasty berry, then you should plant strawberries in high beds. Firstly, high beds will be warmer than ordinary ones.Such beds should be raised from 15 to 30 cm from the total surface of the earth. In general, the altitude depends on what kind of climate is in your area. On the beds, the bushes should also grow at a distance of 25 cm from each other, and the distance between the beds can be up to half a meter.

Very often strawberries are grown in such a kind of greenhouse. Saplings are planted on a garden bed and arcs are installed over it, and then covered with black film or covering material. Such a greenhouse needs to be regularly ventilated, but much less care is needed for seedlings in such a greenhouse, and the amount of harvest will increase due to the heat in the greenhouse. You can grow strawberries without arcs, just under a black film. For this, the land must be fertilized well in advance in an increased volume, because by planting strawberries under a film, you cannot fertilize the ground all the time before transplanting. The film must be laid on the ground and its ends pressed down with something heavy. In the diaper, you need to carefully cut small holes for each seedling, carefully push the roots into this cut and plant them in the ground.

The sequence of actions for planting strawberries:
1. Grow seedlings by yourself, or buy ready-made and correctly selected seedlings.
2. Choose a site for planting and prepare it in advance, while you need to properly fertilize.
3. Dig holes for planting seedlings at the required distance from each other and the selected planting scheme.
4. Immediately before planting, spill wells well.
5. Carefully place the seedling in the hole without damaging the roots and just as carefully cover them with earth, while lightly tamping the ground with your hands.

The most important thing is not to damage the roots and correctly establish the growth point of the plant so that it is on the surface of the earth and the earth does not fall on it.

6. It is good to water the newly planted plant with warm water.
7. Do not touch the seedling until all the water has been absorbed and the earth underneath has settled.

If the growth point is too high, then you will need to carefully pour the earth under the bush.

If you want, you can mulch the bushes with freshly cut grass so that moisture does not evaporate from the ground too quickly. Also, many gardeners advise to water the newly planted plants with copper sulfate, as well as cover the planting with a covering material in order to protect the seedlings from direct sunlight in the first days.

Planting strawberries outdoors: proper care after planting

Two weeks after planting strawberries, you need to check where the growth point of the plant is, and if it has settled strongly, then you need to carefully raise the bush, you can add more earth over it so that the growth point always remains on the surface. When the seedlings are planted in the spring, it is not necessary to water them too often, because there is still enough moisture in the ground. In the future, strawberries need to be watered as needed, and abundant watering is needed for the berry only during flowering. If during the growth of seedlings there is too much moisture in the ground, then the roots of the plant, unable to cope with moisture, can simply rot, and waterlogged soil is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungus.

If the beds are mulched, then watering in general is practically reduced to zero. For mulch, you can use not only fresh grass, but also hay, straw or dry sawdust. Seedlings in such an environment with an optimal amount of moisture will take root and take root well. But do not forget that the land in which the strawberries grow must be regularly loosened and all weeds must be completely removed. After all, if a weed grows in strawberries, then the harvest will accordingly be bad. If you think about fertilizers, then if you have planted plants in well-fertilized soil, then in the near future you will no longer need additional fertilizing. But starting next year, top dressing will definitely need to be applied, and this should be done before flowering and after you harvest the last crop.

There are also a number of mistakes that novice gardeners make when planting strawberries.
1.The seedlings are not chosen correctly, most often they are simply not of high quality.
2. The seedlings are planted too early in open ground, while the ground is not yet warmed up, and the bushes are covered with a film or covering material.
3.The bushes are planted deeply, and the growth point is also deepened, or, on the contrary, they are planted too shallowly.
4. Plant the bushes too close to each other. Ventilation between the bushes in this case is very poor, the plants may develop diseases because of this. And also when they grow, they create a shadow for each other, and accordingly, due to the fact that they do not have enough light, the berries are tied and grow too small.
5. During fertilization, too much nitrogen is applied, which is why the bushes begin to grow actively, they become lush and beautiful, but at the same time the berries practically stop growing.

If you follow all the rules for preparation, selection of seedlings, planting and care, then absolutely any gardener can grow good strawberries on his site, even if he has no experience at all. All you need to do is just follow the advice on growing, and listen to experienced gardeners, because over the years of practice, they have definitely learned how to grow well strawberries that can produce an excellent harvest.

Planting strawberries in open ground: video