When to open strawberries after winter?
Growing strawberries is a rather laborious, but very interesting process. To get a full-fledged tasty berry harvest, you need to open the bushes in time after winter. This article will discuss in what time frame to do this in different regions, as well as what you need to focus on in this case.
What to focus on?
Novice gardeners and gardeners often face many questions related to planting crops, processing, fertilizing, harvesting. Often they are interested in how to cover strawberries for the winter, what material to use and when to open the bushes after winter.
Young planted strawberries should be covered for the winter, otherwise immature plants may start to hurt and will not be able to withstand the harsh climatic conditions. Spunbond or any fabric is suitable as such a coating.
You can use a film, any materials at hand. Spruce branches, leaves or straw are also suitable for this purpose.
Work on strawberry plantations begins immediately after the snow melts, when the earth begins to dry out. This period can be very unstable - in terms of the appearance of night frosts, temperature changes.
The melting of snow can be accelerated by watering the beds with boiling water and further covering the area with a film coating or spunbond. Such watering will not only melt the snow, but also destroy the pests that hibernated in the soil.
Using boiling water, according to experienced summer residents, will help get rid of nematodes, fungi and ticks. Processing is carried out in early spring, without waiting for bud break. To water the garden, you need to pour boiling water into the watering can, put on the nozzle and start the procedure. It is enough to pour 0.5 liters of liquid under one bush.
Considering the air temperature, the water in the watering can slightly cool down, so there is no need to worry about the vitality of the bushes.
As soon as the snow completely melts, the bed is opened and cleaned of the remains of mulch and debris. The film is rolled up. You should not leave mulch in the garden, as numerous diseases can begin to develop due to dry foliage. That is why it is important to carefully clean the site.
Many gardeners recommend cut the soil a little, about 3 cm. This will reduce the likelihood of attacking young bushes by pests that may remain in the ground.
If the soil is not cut, you can dig up row spacings to a depth of 7 cm.
The earth must be treated with potassium permanganate by preparing a weak solution. It is better to pour a fresh layer on top, mixing the earth with sand and rotted humus. This mixture is also treated with a solution of hot potassium permanganate or "Fitosporin" is used.
High-quality and timely implementation of events in compliance with all the rules will allow you to get a full harvest.
To do this, you should:
- in time to remove the shelter from the beds in early spring;
- cleanse the area from mulch;
- prune plants;
- water the strawberry bushes;
- loosen and mulch the soil under them;
- fertilize and treat plants from pests and diseases;
- thickened bushes thin out, transplanting to other areas.
Mulch helps to protect the berries from contamination, as well as keep them from rotting with excessive watering.
Do not leave dry leaves, mustaches or flower stalks while pruning the bushes, as all this can cause the development of diseases and the appearance of pests.
When to shoot a hideout in different regions?
The beds should be opened taking into account the temperature regime. In different regions, garden work begins at different times.
- In outskirts of Moscow the summer cottage season is usually resumed from March 15th. At this time, the snow is already melting or it is no longer in the beds.
- Approximately at the same time, work begins in Volgograd.
- For others, more northern regions these terms are not appropriate. So, in the Urals and Buryatia, work on the care of strawberry beds begins later, not earlier than mid-April.
- In Siberia and Transbaikalia strawberries are opened only in early May. In Khabarovsk or Primorye, the terms can be completely different.
It is recommended to open the bushes at a temperature from +7 to +10 degrees regardless of the region, be it the Amur Region or the Primorsky Territory. But work should be done step by step.
Do not rush to remove the coating after winter frosts - you should focus on day and night temperatures, snow melting.
In the complete absence of the latter, without the threat of sudden frosts, you can remove the cover from the garden. It is not recommended to hide it far away due to possible deterioration of weather conditions (for at least two weeks).
A decrease in night temperatures to zero and below will lead to the death of young bushes and ovaries... In such cases, it is recommended to cover the bed at night using a light non-woven dense covering material. Having chosen ordinary plastic wrap for this purpose, the leaves and flowers should be protected from contact with it by driving in temporary pegs.
What happens if you don't open the strawberries on time?
Many inexperienced summer residents who grow strawberries on their site can make mistakes regarding the untimely opening of the bushes.
Even an experienced gardener is unlikely to be able to say exactly when to open strawberry bushes. It is important to take into account the region, the average daily temperature, the location of the site.
In the spring, it is necessary to remove the shelter from the garden. If this is not done in time, it can harm the plants. It is necessary to ensure that mold does not appear on the plants, which often happens when the shelter is removed late. The appearance of this unpleasant factor can lead to further damage to the root system, and then to the death of the plant itself. Untimely removal of the shelter can also provoke a slowdown in crop growth, the appearance of pale foliage and other adverse consequences.
Still, you should not remove the cover from the beds too early, as possible frost can lead to the freezing of the plantation.
The most suitable time to start work in the country comes after the snow melts and warming. During this period, you can start opening strawberries, removing mulch, preparing the soil.
According to the majority, it is recommended not to remove the cover completely, but only to slightly open it. This means that the shelter must be removed literally for 2-3 hours, then put on again. It is recommended to open it slightly during the day, but not during excessive sun activity, otherwise the plants may burn the leaves. Without shelter, the sun begins to warm up the earth unhindered, hitting the plants.
Do not remove the canvas immediately from the garden bed overwintering under agrofibre. On sunny days, it is opened slightly, on days with low temperatures, and it is also recommended to cover it at night.
Buds and flowers will feel great under agrofibre or arcs. The canvas is opened a little in the morning at 10-11 o'clock and in the afternoon, when solar activity subsides.
If you do not remove the leaves from the winter shelter, the fruit buds and roots will begin to rot, the root neck will rot.
In addition, the plants will start to ache. At the beginning of the growing season, they need sunlight.Lack of it threatens the appearance of chlorosis.
The reasons for the appearance of chlorosis:
- low air temperature;
- decrease in temperature and its drops (lead to less intensive work of the root system);
- insufficient lighting;
- excessive humidity due to irrigation or rain, leading to a decrease in the concentration of various salts.
To eliminate the signs of chlorosis will allow top dressing "Kristalon" and iron chelate.
To protect the site from fungal diseases will help spraying bushes with copper sulfate. Processing is carried out before young leaves begin to appear. For processing, use a solution consisting of copper sulfate (100 g), diluted in a bucket of water. Re-processing is carried out in 2-3 weeks.
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