Preparing strawberries for the winter or how to do it right?

Beloved by children and adults, strawberries are a long-lasting plant. With proper care, it will bear fruit for more than a dozen years, and the berries will be not only large, but also very sweet and juicy. But how to prepare strawberries for the winter correctly? Mulching, weeding, fertilizing throughout the season - all this is very important, knowing our frosty winters, it is worth paying special attention to the safety of plants during this period.

Plant health is the key to normal wintering

Only a healthy bush can tolerate winter normally. That is why one of the important stages of preparing strawberries for winter is the pruning of old leaves and antennae. This must be done correctly at the very beginning of autumn, while it is still warm. After removing all the excess, the strawberries should be well watered, and this is not recommended in the cool. It is best to remove leaves and antennae with scissors or secateurs, then the plant is not so badly injured and there is no risk to remove young sprouts, which will yield the next year.

Read - when and how to sow strawberry seeds for seedlings.

Pruning is inevitable

There is an opinion that it is impossible to cut strawberries, that because of this, the plant becomes weaker, having lost important vegetative organs. Allegedly, the larger the size of the leaves, and the larger it is on the strawberry, the better it “breathes”. But adherents of this opinion should know that all microbes and viruses settle on old leaves, so the hotbed of disease must be ruthlessly removed.

Mulching

Strawberry is very fond of loosening the soil. This must be done carefully so that enough air and nutrients penetrate the earth, but very carefully so that it does not inadvertently damage the roots. These works should also be carried out in warm time so as not to expose the plant to additional danger. Before and after mulching, it is advisable to water the beds abundantly.

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Fertilizer

After pruning, mulching and generous watering, a new stage follows - fertilizer. Strawberries need it much more in autumn than in spring and summer. From the earth, she had already sucked out everything that could be useful, and ahead was a long wintering. For fertilizers Ideally use natural humus or mullein. They need to be applied both directly to the soil and to the leaves, making a solution for spraying. Feeding should be done in warm weather, it is better that there is no rain. After fertilizing, the plant should not be touched or watered for several days, so that all useful substances are absorbed naturally.

Hilling

When these works are carried out, one must not forget another very important final stage - hilling. Truncated plants are weak, and additional roots will grow on the root system, which can damage the frost. The hilling process is simple, but care should be taken to ensure that the main points of strawberry growth are not covered with soil. When applying peat, it must be controlled so that it does not get on the bushes. This can damage the plant.

How to cover strawberries for the winter?

Snow is able to reliably protect strawberries from frost, but nature is unpredictable and what if there is no snow, or frosts will strike earlier? It is advisable to play it safe. The best covering material for strawberries is raspberry twigs or needles of needles. Often used for this purpose and straw. It is warm, passes a sufficient amount of air, but at the same time it retains moisture.It is worth remembering that mice and other rodents are very fond of straw, so if there are many such guests in the area, it is better to abandon such shelter. If you decide to use fallen leaves, you must do this with caution. The leaves absorb moisture well, and too thick a layer will lead to excessive moisture strawberries. One of the modern options is the use of agrofibre. For those who have long wanted to experience this inorganic material, it is possible to cover the beds with a continuous layer for the winter, and in the spring it remains only to make openings in it for bushes. It will come out, of course, not cheap, but the result is excellent!

Neither wind nor frost are terrible for plants prepared for wintering. Take care of your strawberries in the fall, and in the summer she will thank you with a generous harvest.

It will also be useful to know what post-harvest strawberry care.