The better to feed strawberries in autumn

How many times have they told the world ... to feed strawberries in the fall! No, most of them are planted in front of the bushes in the spring, they harvest some in the summer, and safely forget about the beds until the next season. And two years later, when the earth is completely exhausted and the berries become small, clumsy, such gardeners begin to complain. How to avoid such a nuisance? How to feed strawberries in the fall? Now we will tell.

Organics

Whoever praised mineral fertilizers, or better than organic, science has not yet come up with. In addition, when they are applied, the soil is enriched, in contrast to chemical top dressing. And do not even talk about the high nitrogen content in organic matter, and how harmful it is in the second half of summer and autumn. The damage is caused by excessive fertilizer with nitrogen fertilizing, and in other cases, organics will always benefit. You just need to know the measure, and not dump the car of fresh manure on the beds. What is the right way to feed strawberries in the fall?

Mullein
This is a liquid solution, which is poured very small doses right under the bush. How to cook it? Scheme:

1. 8 l of clean warm water is poured into a plastic or enamel bucket.
2. Add 2 kg of cow or horse manure.
3. Mix thoroughly and leave to ferment for 3 days.

After the liquid brightens, it can be used for autumn feeding strawberries. Only not in its pure form. It is necessary to dilute the obtained substance with ordinary water in the proportion of 10 to 1. This will be the mullein, which can be safely poured directly under the bushes.

Tip. It is not recommended to store the fermented solution, because it spoils very quickly. It is recommended to use the liquid within 2 days after final readiness.

Bird droppings
The preparation scheme is similar to the recipe described above. Only the final proportions are changed when diluting the liquid immediately before watering. Ready fermented solution is already bred not with 10 parts of water, but 20 or even 25. Because poultry manure is more concentrated than any manure. The dosage of nitrogen in it is higher.

Liquid green manure
It is prepared from the most waste material, but the effect is always invariably amazing. For cooking, you need only fresh grass, clean water and a hot sun. Preparation Scheme:

1. Any non-metal container is densely stuffed with fresh grass to half. It can be absolutely any weed grass.
2. Pour to the top with plain clean water.
3. Leave in the sun for about 5-7 days.

The finished liquid is filtered, and the rest of the grass is laid out in the rows of strawberries. Such mulching is also a kind of pre-winter feeding. Fertilizer is necessarily diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10, and only then used.

Humic fertilizers
Have to spend a little money on the purchase. But in the end it comes out very economically. Especially if you buy a gum paste, not a powder. Top dressing is divorced and used according to the instructions. In principle, a kind of manure is obtained. And strawberries will be very grateful for such a treat. Because it will help her:

• build a decent mass of lush healthy leaves
• lay quality flower buds for fruiting next season
• prepare for wintering without prejudice

Humic fertilizers are sold in almost all agricultural and flower shops, they are quite inexpensive. And most importantly, they do not contain chemicals.

Wood ash
Some sources recommend sprinkling her beds and foliage. This method is good in the fight against some pests, but as an autumn feeding of strawberries, it practically does not work. It will be much more effective to use water infusion.

To do this, take a 250 g glass of sifted ash, then dissolve it in 10 liters of ordinary water. The liquid is left for a day in a warm place. After this time, the solution is poured directly to the roots of strawberry bushes, but not more than 800 ml per plant.

Tip. Ash should only be from hardwood. Coniferous is not suitable, it contains many tarry substances, which impede the absorption of potassium by the root system.

Mineral water

Of course, organics is always good, especially when applied wisely. But autumn feeding strawberries can not do without minerals. The fact is that potassium and phosphorus are contained in the above fertilizers in small doses. A normal wintering and fruiting of the coming year is impossible without a decent dose of these trace elements.

Some sources advise scattering mineral water in the bed in a dry form. We highly recommend not doing this for several reasons:

1. Inadmissible luxury to “sow” fertilizers with handfuls.
2. It is very difficult to dose.
3. There is no guarantee that all micronutrients will go to strawberries, and not washed by rains or watering.
4. How to understand what a plant needs right now?
5. Top dressing may simply not be absorbed in dry weather.

It will be much more practical to use an aqueous solution of mineral fertilizer. You can do root dressing, and you can spray directly on the leaves. In the second case, the concentration is reduced. However, the exact instructions are always on the packaging. Strictly follow it so as not to harm the strawberries. Because plants simply do not have time to restore before winter.

And further. Try not to feed strawberries with complex fertilizers in the fall. They often contain excessive amounts of nitrogen. And its overabundance causes an unnecessary growth of loose crooked shoots that probably will not be able to survive even the warmest winter.

Important! All fertilizers are applied only after watering! Fertilizing on dry ground will instantly burn the root system.

Now you know how to feed strawberries in the fall. And you will pass the fate of unfortunate summer residents who do not care about the harvest properly.

Video: autumn strawberry fertilizer