Strawberries are grown in different climatic zones.
In a temperate climate, strawberries grow in open ground, and in cold areas, berries are grown in greenhouses.
How to fertilize strawberries. Types of fertilizers
Strawberry cultivation requires the fulfillment of certain conditions.
For many gardeners, the first strawberry crop is disappointing: the berries are small and watery.
To get a good crop, it’s important to use the right fertilizer.
Fertilizers are divided into:
- organic;
- mineral.
Organic fertilizers include:
- manure;
- humus;
- wood ash;
- milk serum;
- siderates (plants).
Mineral fertilizers:
- complex (ammophos, nitrophos, diammophos, nitroammophosco);
- potash;
- nitrogen (amide, nitrate, ammonia-nitrate);
- phosphoric (bone meal, vivianite, simple and double superphosphate, open-hearth slag, precipitate, phosphorite flour).
What fertilizes strawberries best, also depends on the soil.
How to fertilize strawberries: organic fertilizers
Fresh manure is not used. It can be used as fertilizer, scattering in aisles, just before the onset of frost. Until spring, manure will turn into humus and will serve not only as a source of nutrients for plants, but also as mulch that impedes weed growth.
Humus is also used directly when planting berries. It is poured into prepared wells or scattered on the surface of the soil at the rate of 3 kg per 1 sq.m.
In autumn, beds with strawberries are mulched with sawdust, peat, covered with leaves or straw. In the spring, decaying organic matter passes into the soil, saturating it with nitrogen.
In spring, liquid manure from chicken manure is also used. Aisles are watered with them (around each bush - no more than 500 ml), trying not to get into the area near the roots. Chicken manure is bred as follows: for 10 liters of water - 1 liter of manure.
To saturate the soil with potassium and nitrogen, you can use nettle infusion. To prepare the infusion, the bushes of the plant are placed in a container and filled with water. Before use, the infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20.
Wood ash contains phosphorus and potassium. A bucket of water requires a glass of ash. Before use, the solution is thoroughly mixed. For 1 square. m a glass of solution is required. Fertilizer has been in operation for several years. Nitrogen fertilizers should not be applied together with ash so that the release of ammonia, which is harmful in large quantities to berries, does not begin.
Serum contains many beneficial substances. It is recommended to use it together with manure, humus or ash.
How to fertilize strawberries: complex fertilizers
Nitrophos is released in the form of granules. Fertilizer is used with a low content of potassium in the soil and a high content of phosphorus. For 1 square. m requires 80 g of fertilizer.
Nitroammophosk contains sulfur. Used to feed strawberries in the summer, after flowering. For 10 liters of water, 1.5 matchbox is enough. Immediately after top dressing, strawberries need to be abundantly watered.
Ammophos contains nitrogen and phosphorus. Fertilizer provides berries with all the necessary substances and enhances resistance to diseases.
Diammophos contains magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen. Available in granules.
How to fertilize strawberries: potash fertilizers
Chlorine-free sulfuric acid fertilizers are recommended. More effective on floodplain, podzolic and peat soils.
Potassium chloride acidifies the soil, so it is recommended to use it after liming on acidic soils. Not recommended for strawberries due to the chlorine content that is bad for berries.
Potassium salt oxidizes the soil, in arid areas it creates signs of salinity. Contains chlorine.
Potassium sulfate can be used to feed strawberries, as it contains a small amount of chlorine. It is considered the best potash fertilizer.
How to fertilize strawberries: nitrogen fertilizers
A lot of nitrogen is found in urea and nitrate. Without nitrogen, the berries lose their taste, become small and inconspicuous. These fertilizers are well suited for any soil, positively affect the growth and development of plants. Nitrogen fertilizers must be applied carefully, since an excess of nitrogen negatively affects the taste of the berries.
Urea is used for incorporation into the soil and foliar top dressing. The soil is sprayed with a solution (for 10 l of water - 50 g of urea). The solution is enough for 100 square meters. m. It is forbidden to mix with superphosphate and ammonium nitrate.
Ammonium sulfate can serve as the main fertilizer. Contains ammonia in a form accessible to plants. It acidifies the soil, 1.3 kg of chalk or lime should be added per 1 kg of fertilizer.
Ammonium chloride contains chlorine, which is poorly tolerated by strawberries. It is permissible to use fertilizer only in autumn during deep plowing.
Ammonia fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride) should be used carefully, since a high ammonia content can cause poisoning of plants.
Sodium nitrate alkalizes, the application of 1 kg of fertilizer has an effect identical to 0.3 kg of lime or chalk.
Calcium nitrate also alkalizes, but the effect is slightly less - 1 kg of fertilizer is similar to 0.2 kg of chalk.
Sodium and calcium nitrate are the safest for plants. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers to the soil in autumn.
How to fertilize strawberries: phosphorus fertilizers
Superphosphate simple quickly binds in acidic soil, so its effectiveness increases after liming. It is introduced into the soil to a depth of more than 10 cm. Do not mix this fertilizer with urea and ammonium nitrate. For 1 square. m - 20 g of fertilizer.
There is superphosphate simple in powder form and granular, double granular.
Bone meal goes into an affordable strawberry form slower than superphosphate. Apply long before planting strawberries on acidic soils. For 1 square. m - 30-40 g of fertilizer (twice as much as superphosphate).
Phosphorite flour - an alkaline fertilizer, passes into a form available for strawberries only on acidic soil. Apply when plowing. It is valid for about three years, so the dosage is twice as much as superphosphate.
Open-hearth slag reduces soil acidity. Contains phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, cobalt. It goes into a state accessible to strawberries, slower than superphosphate.
How to fertilize strawberries: tips
The first time fertilizers are applied during the preparation of plants for winter. They are brought directly into the soil.
At the second top dressing, after collecting berries, it is recommended to use mineral complex fertilizers. At this stage, the plants form roots and new buds. During flowering and fruiting, strawberries are not fertilized.
Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to light soil in spring, to clay soil in autumn.
The next feeding is around mid-September. As fertilizer, it is advisable to use wood ash with mullein - half a glass of ash on a bucket of cow manure (fermented). After a couple of weeks, strawberries are fertilized with this solution: a glass of ash, 2 tbsp. l nitrophos, 30 g of potash fertilizers.
When transplanting bushes to a new place, the soil is fertilized with 8 kg of organic fertilizers and 30 g of mineral fertilizers.
