The secrets of planting strawberries in autumn: the advantages of the method, the choice of place, care

Strawberries, no doubt, is a universal favorite. This tasty and healthy berry first appears on our beds as a harbinger of summer. But a lot of trouble with strawberries: she is very moody and demanding to leave. It will take a lot of experience to successfully cultivate it every year. Cultivation of any culture begins with planting. Many problems can be avoided by planting strawberries in the fall.

The benefits of planting strawberries in the fall

Traditionally, strawberries were planted in early spring. The earth has already warmed up to a sufficient depth and has dried up, a warm summer is ahead, and young seedlings will easily take root. But it turns out that the autumn landing is also very promising. In addition, it has several advantages compared to spring:

1. Strawberries planted in the fall will yield the next summer. Spring planting seedlings usually do not form berries in the same year.
2. In the fall, the gardener has much more free time than in spring. Almost the entire crop of other garden crops has already been harvested, you can do strawberries. In addition, there is already a lot of planting material.
3. Strawberries planted in autumn will require less maintenance.
4. Autumn warmth and humidity will allow young bushes to take root and take root on the ground, so that later they can winter well.

Choosing the best time to land

You can determine the landing date yourself, based on the climate in your area. In general, there are three such terms:

• Early fall planting lasts from mid-August to mid-September.
• Mid-Autumn - from mid-September to mid-October.
• Late autumn planting is carried out a month before the onset of frost.

Almost all varieties of strawberries give a mustache from June to July. Rooting takes place at the latest in August, and fruit buds form in September and October. Therefore, early and mid-autumn plantings are considered the most favorable for obtaining large yields.

Planting strawberries from early to mid-autumn will get a good harvest next season

If you plan to propagate the plant by means of a mustache, it is better to plant them on August 20 - September 15. With a later planting, the bushes may suffer from frost, not having time to get stronger. Even a film coating will not save, and further cultivation will be difficult.

The gardener's lunar calendar will help you choose the best day to plant. Do not forget that the beds of strawberries require regular updates every 3-4 years. For high yields, transplanting should be gradual. Try to update one bed each year, and the berries will delight you with quantity and appearance.

Transplant strawberries every 3-4 years to get a stable harvest

In addition, it is necessary to change from time to time places for strawberry beds. It is best to choose the soil on which they grew:

• radish;
• beet;
• carrot;
• garlic;
• bow;
• greens (dill, celery, salad, parsley).

Areas not recommended on which previously grown:

• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• eggplant;
• cucumbers
• pepper.

Strawberries are very susceptible to viral diseases characteristic of these crops.

Autumn Planting Rules

So that young seedlings probably take root and give a stable crop in the future, they need to be planted according to certain rules.

We prepare a place for beds

Although strawberry is moody, it does not impose special requirements on the soil. The culture will grow on the soil of almost any type, but with one caveat: the berry gives high yields on black soil, loamy and loamy soil. Peat, sod-podzolic, clay and sandy soil, on the contrary, will significantly reduce productivity. And in wetlands, culture will not grow at all.

Before planting bushes, carry out work to improve the composition of the soil. If the site has heavy clay soil, the introduction of a small amount of humus, manure and peat will help, which will significantly improve aeration.

Soil composition can be improved by adding fertilizer when digging

A good effect on the soil has the cultivation of green manure. Sow in the places where you plan to make beds with strawberries, lupins or mustard. When they grow, mow and trick, mixing with the ground. So you will get several advantages:

• the soil is enriched with nitrogen, you need less fertilizer;
• significantly weed control;
• pest attacks are prevented - they are afraid of mustard and lupine.

If you do not have enough time to grow green manure, apply a mixture of the following substances to the soil immediately before planting (per 1 m² beds):

• 100 g of superphosphate;
• 60 g of potassium salt;
• 7 kg of humus.

Strawberries have very little resistance to pests. Strawberry nematodes, the Colorado potato beetle and the wireworm were especially fond of it as a treat. Be sure to check the place under the beds for the presence of insect larvae in the soil. If you find, spill the soil with water and ammonia, and then remove the weeds from the beds.

Sunlight is a prerequisite for a healthy and rapid growth of strawberries, so good light is important to the site. It is also necessary to provide the plant with a nutrient medium; for this, add compost to the soil.

Selection and preparation of planting material

Without good seedlings, successful strawberry cultivation is not possible. In the fall season, the right choice of seedlings is especially important.

Choose bushes with a root neck diameter of at least 6 mm. The aerial part of a quality seedling should have 3-5 formed leaves, and the fibrous root system should consist of succulent white processes longer than 7 cm long.

If you bought seedlings in the market or asked your neighbors, try to plant them in a permanent place immediately. In extreme cases, drip seedlings into loosened, moist soil in the shade. You can also wrap the roots with moistened moss and temporarily put the seedlings in a cool place.

It is recommended to immediately plant the purchased seedlings on the garden

If you yourself have grown bushes from seeds, leave the seedlings in shade for several days. Before planting, lower the roots for 10 minutes in a clay mash to protect them from drying out and increase the survival rate in a new area.

Planting seedlings

In order not to make a mistake when planting bushes, follow these recommendations:

1. Plant seedlings in well-moistened soil. It is best to choose an evening of a cloudy day for this event. Keep seedlings in the shade while planting them.
2. Shorten the roots that are longer than 10 cm. The optimal length is 7 cm. You also need to remove dried or damaged leaves.
   

   A good strawberry seedling has a healthy root system and juicy green leaves

3. Before planting, carefully water the seedlings or leave for an hour in the growth biostimulator. It is recommended to hold the bushes in the garlic infusion, this will help increase the resistance of strawberries to pests.
4. Make holes in the bed from a depth of 15 cm and a diameter of about 20 cm. Observe a distance of 30-50 cm between them. The optimal row spacing is about 40 cm.
   

   When planting strawberries, the distance between the holes should be 30-50 cm, and between the rows 40 cm

5. In the soil extracted from the holes, add 2 cups of rotted manure and 1 bucket of compost, mix well. Sprinkle the resulting composition with mounds inside the holes.
6. Place 1 bush on each mound so that the seedling growth point is at the level of the surface of the bed. Gently spread the roots.
   

   When planting, the seedling growth point (heart) should be located at ground level

7. Fill the strawberry bush with earth, gently supporting it in a strictly vertical position, pour it with settled water. Sprinkle the top of the hole with earth, or even better humus - this will reduce the drying of the soil.
8. After planting all the bushes, loosen the earth in the garden. So the water will easily and unhindered flow to the root system.

Video: planting strawberries in the fall

How to propagate a strawberry with a mustache

A very popular method of propagating strawberries is growing seedlings from the so-called mustache. It is done like this:

1. When the plant bears fruit, take note of the most productive bushes, the berries on which are especially large and beautiful. It is desirable that these bushes are annuals, maximum two years old.
   

   Choose only the largest and healthiest bushes for mustache propagation.

2. Select the largest rosettes growing from these bushes. Plant them in the soil, adding some nutrient soil, and pin them. Remove the mustache shoots connecting the outlets to the mother bush. Also get rid of the mustache of the second and third order.
3. In July, 4-6 full-fledged leaves will develop at the planted outlet. Now remove the remaining mustache and plant the young bushes on a permanent site, without destroying the lump on the roots, and pour over the settled water.

Video: strawberry breeding secrets

Autumn transplant

If it's time to transplant strawberries to a new place, then you do not need to wait for spring. The plant tolerates transplanting well in the fall, in addition, it will be easier for you to choose a suitable place for the garden after harvesting other crops.

The transplant itself is very useful for strawberries: it rejuvenates the bushes and relieves the plant of pathogens that are characteristic of the culture of diseases that have accumulated in the soil.

Experts recommend changing the plot for strawberries from the end of August and throughout September. At this time, the plant no longer bears fruit and ends its growing season, the earth is well warmed by the sun and moist, and the air is cool. Until real colds come, strawberries will take root, grow new leaves and grow stronger before wintering.

Do not plant old bushes on a new site. For this, take only annual, maximum two-year-old bushes and seedlings from mustache layering. From two-year-old sprouts, you will get the crop next year.

To change to a new place, take one- and two-year-old bushes

Place the bushes in a furrow or hole, filled with water, in the same way as when planting. Spread the roots carefully, sprinkle with soil and lightly tamp around the bush. Mulch the bed with a layer of humus or peat.

Features of growing on agrofibre

Now many gardeners and gardeners use agrofibre when growing crops. This material has already established itself as an excellent assistant in the garden. Increasingly, covering material is also used in strawberry cultivation, because it allows you to take a crop of berries earlier than usual.

Agrofibre has several obvious advantages:

• the dense structure of the material prevents the weeds from germinating;
• micro-holes between the fibers perfectly pass air and moisture in the right quantities;
• soil temperature in a covered bed is several degrees higher than in the area around;
• the berries are protected from contact with the ground, so they remain clean, do not rot and practically do not endanger the disease.

Thus, strawberries grown on agrofibre require minimal care: you just need to ensure timely watering.

Agrofibre greatly facilitates the maintenance of beds and provides strawberries with good growth.

As soon as the snow melts, cover the berry bushes with agrofiber. So you protect the awakening sprouts from drafts and frequent frosts during this period. The material will create and maintain under itself the optimum temperature for the growth and development of the plant. As soon as the weather improves and the threats of frost pass, remove the canvas.

By growing strawberries in agrofiber tunnels, you can harvest 2 weeks earlier than it usually ripens. It is only necessary to erect an ordinary greenhouse on arcs over a strawberry bed.

1. Install several such arcs of wire about 6 mm thick along the bed at a distance of 1 m from each other.
2. Deepen them by 25-30 cm into the ground, fasten the top with strips that will not allow the frame to fall over.
3. Cover with agrofibre and dig the canvas on one side of the greenhouse with earth to fix it. The other side can simply be pressed down with several stones in order to conveniently turn away the material for ventilation.
4. In good weather, open the agrofibre every day for 15-30 minutes, and when the heat is thoroughly established, remove the material completely. When the strawberries bloom, you can cover the bed again and ensure it is regularly ventilated.

Please note that the standard width of agrofibre cloths is 1.6 m or 3.2 m. You will have to make a bed for strawberries, given these parameters. In an extreme case, you can connect several stripes of canvas, but remember that you do not need to do this end-to-end, but overlap. In this case, the approach should be at least 20 cm.

Read more about the method in our article: Planting strawberries on agrofiber and laying drip irrigation.

Autumn planting of strawberries on agrofiber is as follows:

1. During the autumn planting of strawberries under agrofibre, prepare the bed in the usual way, just loosen the soil as deep as possible, because you do not need to dig this site for 3-4 years. Organic and mineral fertilizers are best done in advance, because strawberry roots do not like top dressing during planting.
2. Make several hairpins from the wire to fix the agrofibre on the soil. Lay the canvas on top of the garden bed, secure it with studs around the perimeter. If multiple strips are used, position the studs along the line of their connection. In addition, you can pin down the material along the edges with something heavy: boards, bricks, reinforcement bars and other improvised means.
   

   Spread agrofibre on the bed, fix it with studs or improvised materials

3. On agrofibre, make chalk marks on the places where the bushes will be located. Observe the distance between them, as in the usual landing pattern. At the marks, make cross-cuts with a knife, cross the resulting corners outward.
4. Make holes under the cuts, plant strawberries in them in the usual way. Bend the corners of the agrofibre into the holes, fill the ground to the top of the holes. Water each bush.

Video: planting strawberries in the fall under agrofiber

Strawberry Care

When the strawberry planting is completed, you need to provide it with such care, thanks to which the root system will develop and grow strong enough to nourish the bushes in winter. Since fertilizers in the required quantity were applied before planting, the next top dressing will need to be done only in the third or fourth year.

How to water

Immediately after planting, a plant on open ground needs watering 2-3 times a week. After a couple of weeks, the bushes will take root, watering can be reduced by controlling that the soil is constantly moist and well loosened. Water the strawberries in the morning using settled, cold water. Pour it so that it does not fall on the leaves; better to take a watering can for this.

Water the strawberries under the root so that water does not fall on the leaves

Pest and Disease Control

Under the shelter of agrofiber or other similar material, strawberries are not afraid of adversity, but on the open ground is another matter. It is very important to get rid of pests wintering inside the topsoil. They can damage the root system during the winter or become active in early spring when the bushes grow.

1. In 10 l of water heated to 30 ° C, dissolve 3 tbsp. l karbofosa.
2. With this liquid, process the bed with strawberries, previously loosening the earth around the bushes 6-8 cm deep.
3. Cover the treated bed with a film and leave for 3 hours.

To prevent the development of diseases, spray strawberry beds with 2% Bordeaux liquid or a solution of 10 liters of water and 1 tbsp. l copper oxychloride.

In the fight against pests and fungal infections of strawberries, the composition of the following ingredients showed itself very well:

• 10 liters of warm water;
• 2 tablespoons of wood ash;
• 3 tablespoons of refried vegetable oil;
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar;
• 2 cups of liquid soap.

Thoroughly mix all the substances until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and thoroughly process the strawberry garden. At the same time, moisten not only the soil around the bushes and under them, but also the leaves of the plant.

Pruning

Immediately after planting or transplanting, strawberry seedlings do not need to be pruned. On the contrary, the more new leaves grow on the outlet, the better. But the mustache that appears must be removed. Now the plant should spend all the nutrients to build up the root system. Therefore, cut off the processes at their very base as soon as you notice them. The same applies to peduncles.

After the autumn transplant, strawberries need to be trimmed not only with a mustache, but also with flower stalks

Winter preparations

Before the onset of cold weather, you need to take care of the preparation for the fact that winter can be little snow. To begin, carry out additional mulching of the soil on the bed. Experienced gardeners recommend taking needles for this, which will scare away pests and protect against diseases.

Mulch will protect transplanted strawberries from freezing

Then you need to provide strawberries with shelter to hold the snow and save from frost. Such materials are well suited:

• straw,
• dry foliage
• lapnik,
• peat,
• stems of large plants (corn, sunflower),
• sawdust.

The protective layer should be more than 5 cm thick. With the onset of spring, you need to remove the old mulch from the garden.

Video: ways to mulch beds

Autumn planting of strawberries is a simple and even useful affair. If you carefully approach this event and strictly follow the recommendations, you can significantly increase the yield of this wonderful berry. Please share with us in the comments your experience of planting strawberries in the fall or ask questions on this topic. Good luck and a good harvest!