September is the time not only for harvesting and digging the beds for the next season, but also for planting strawberries. Usually this berry grows in one place for 4-5 years, so after this period the strawberry beds need to be updated. At first glance, everything is simple: old dried bushes should be removed, and instead of them, young shoots should be deepened into the soil. But, nevertheless, how to plant strawberries in the fall correctly? This is what our publication is about.
When to plant strawberries?
They do this in the second half of September - between hot weather and the first frosts. If you try to plant strawberries in too warm weather, the bushes may dry out and become exhausted from excessive solar activity. Late planting (closer to October) is another extreme, because then the processes of strawberry bushes can freeze and not come to life next season.
So for the sake of strawberries, it’s worth allotting a day or two and arriving at the hacienda in September, even if you already planned to complete the summer season and not appear on your site until spring.
If you are not going to transplant bushes, then find out how to feed strawberries after harvest.
How to plant strawberries in the fall?
1. The initial stage (the preparation of the garden itself) depends on whether you are making a strawberry garden "from scratch" or simply planting new bushes on existing rows of strawberries. For the first option, you will need to completely dig the bed, free the land from excess roots and carefully check the soil for larvae of the May beetle, which destroy the roots of berry bushes. For the second option (if before you were unable to protect the strawberries from pests, and in some places the bed was left without strawberry bushes), digging will not work: then just do shallow holes in the right places with a chopper.
2. Walk near the prepared holes with a watering can and pour them well with water: strawberries can be planted in autumn only in moist soil! Wait until the earth absorbs the liquid, and after that proceed with the planting of bushes.
3. Take a close look at the strawberry bush. Healthy, well-developed roots, the neck of the plant and several leaves - these are the parts of which a quality bush consists. In order for the strawberry to take up faster and direct all its forces to rooting in a new place, tear off the extra leaves at a distance of about 1 cm from the plant’s neck.
4. Deepen the roots of the strawberry bush in moist soil, hide them well. Then sprinkle dry earth on top, which will play the role of mulch - will protect the earth from the rapid evaporation of moisture. When filling a strawberry bush with earth, be careful: the plant should not be deepened too much, otherwise it may freeze in the first frosts! The plant’s neck should be left uncovered: only roots should be underground. In the same way, plant the remaining strawberry bushes.
That's all, the young strawberry bushes are already in place - they are preparing to winter, and then bring a generous harvest!
A day after planting, slightly moisten the ground under the bushes with water (pour from a watering can), and then entrust the September rains. Planting strawberries in the fall may not be too comfortable because of the cooled ground and cold air. But it is still worth doing if in the new season you want to taste the most delicious and sweet strawberries grown on your own site!
Also find out how to transplant currants in the fall to a new place.
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What month is better to choose for a strawberry transplant in the fall
How to cover strawberries for the winter
Proper care and pruning strawberries in the fall in the suburbs