How to care for strawberries after harvest?

After fruiting, strawberries have a "rest" time, during this period the plants begin to prepare for the new season. In late summer and autumn, the buds of the future harvest are formed, so it is important to provide plant crops with nutrients, to protect them from attack by pests and infectious diseases. Proper care of strawberries after harvest is the key to their active fruiting in the next season. In order for the harvest to be plentiful, complex measures must be taken.

After picking berries, gardeners and gardeners notice a lot of diseased leaves and whiskers on the strawberry garden, they weaken the plant and lead to a deterioration in its resistance to frost. By the end of July, the foliage begins to die off, black spots appear on the plates, they turn yellow, turn red or gray. Affected leaves should be removed a few days after the last harvest.

To free the bushes from diseased leaf plates, you should use scissors or a garden pruner. Do not pull them out - this can damage the root system of the strawberry.

Sometimes the aerial part is removed completely with a sickle or oblique, leaving 3-4 cm "stumps". Such activities should be resorted to if:

• you need to update the garden (for plants over 3 years old);
• the plants are severely damaged by fungal diseases or harmful insects.

All weeds must be removed from the garden bed, as they "draw" a lot of nutrients from the soil. It is recommended to burn the collected leaves and grass. When laying in a compost pit, they should be disinfected; for this, the foliage must be treated with Fitosporin-m.

In addition to collecting leaves, you need to trim the mustache: it takes a lot of energy for the plant to set and grow, the lion's share of nutrients is spent - all this leads to a decrease in the volume of the future harvest. It is recommended to cut the whiskers completely, capturing the shoots near the soil. It is best to use a pruner or a garden knife for this job.

The intensity of irrigation is influenced by weather conditions. If there is a lot of rainfall, due to which the earth is very humid, you do not need to water the strawberries. In rainy weather, it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil: thanks to such actions, excess moisture will evaporate faster, which will prevent root rot. In case of heavy rainfall, it is necessary to remove leaves from the bush that are on the ground: with an excess of moisture, they quickly rot and infect the soil.

In sunny weather, regular watering of the plants is important. It is best to irrigate the garden in the early morning or evening. Strawberries love moderately moist soil: excessive watering leads to rot, and due to overdrying, the bushes can become lethargic and painful. The optimal level of irrigation is when the ground is moistened about 5 cm deep. Experienced gardeners recommend bottom watering. It is necessary to avoid the contact of water on the foliage: when exposed to sunlight, burns form on wet plates.

Rainwater is considered the best for irrigation, which gardeners collect in advance in containers.

Once harvested, strawberries need a lot of nutrients to thrive in the new season. So that the plant does not experience a shortage of these components, nitrogen and mineral fertilizers should be additionally introduced.

When applying fertilizers, it is important to heed the recommendations of experienced gardeners:

• watering with nutrients should be carried out in the morning or in the evening, while the soil should be slightly moistened;
• fertilizing solutions are applied under the root of the plant, avoiding droplets of liquid falling on the foliage;
• chlorine-containing fertilizers should be excluded, since they have a detrimental effect on strawberries: the plant can become stunted and painful.

One of four substances can be used as fertilizer.

1. Mullein or chicken droppings (diluted with water in a ratio of 1:30 and 1:20, respectively). 8-10 adult bushes will require at least 10 liters of such organic fertilizer.
2. Shop complex additives in granules. They need to be scattered between rows and sprinkled with soil on top. For these purposes, you can use nitroammofosku, "Kristalon", "Shungit", ammofosku or other fertilizers for strawberries.
3. Humic fertilizers with a full range of micro- and macroelements.
4. Humus and compost.

From mid-August to September 15-20, you need to feed the bushes 1-2 times more. In autumn, it is recommended to use superphosphate or potassium salt (the substances are dissolved in water according to the manufacturer's instructions and the prepared composition is added to the soil at the rate of 1-2 liters per bush).

For the treatment and prevention of various diseases of strawberries, many different biological and chemical agents have been created. Folk recipes are also effective. Let's talk about each group of funds in more detail.

Three drugs are used to prevent most fungal infections.

1. Alirin-B. Effective in the treatment of rust, powdery mildew, root rot, scab and other diseases of fungal origin. The product is available in powder and tablet form. When it gets on a bush, it is absorbed by the foliage and roots, inhibits the development of the fungus at the cellular level.
2. "Verticillin". It is a bioinsecticide that actively fights against thrips, spider mites and whiteflies. It is produced in the form of a solution that contains spores and mycelium of the fungus Verticillium lecanii.
3. Fitosporin-M. Microbiological agent effective against fungal and bacterial diseases. Available in the form of powders, tablets and solutions.

There are many chemical products available to control pests on strawberries. Here are the most effective drugs:

• "Alatar" - to get rid of bushes from the honeydew, raspberry-strawberry weevil, leafworm and other insects;
• "Fufanon-Nova" - to combat gnawing and sucking insects (showed particular effectiveness when exposed to bugs and ticks);
• "Spark" - a domestic budgetary tool that is capable of destroying more than 100 types of pests.

Please note: after treating the bushes with chemicals, you should wait at least 14 days and only then pick the berries. Due to their high toxicity, these products are recommended to be used before the berries are set in June and after the harvest in late July - early August.

These include affordable and non-toxic products that are safe for both humans and plants.Thanks to such advantages, folk recipes have long been used by gardeners, they have not lost their relevance to this day. For different types of fungal diseases, various homemade formulations are used.

White bloom on leaf blades, stems and processes is the first sign of powdery mildew. This disease depresses the plant, it reduces its immunity to other pests and lowers its resistance to frost. Powdery mildew occurs due to excessive introduction of nitrogen fertilizers into the soil, high humidity and soil temperature.

To combat this disease, a soap-salt solution is used: for its preparation, 40 g of grated soap and 50 g of salt are dissolved in 10 liters of water. You need to spray the bushes once a week. And you can also prepare a mustard solution: dilute 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. tablespoons of dry mustard solution.

This disease primarily affects the berries that come into contact with the soil. From high humidity, a gray coating appears on them. If left untreated, the infection will quickly spread to the foliage, stems and rhizomes of strawberries.

It is recommended to use iodine to combat gray mold. To prepare the solution, dilute 1 ml of iodine in 5 ml of water. You need to spray the plants after harvesting. To destroy gray rot, you can mix 1 glass of ash and crushed chalk, 1 tsp. copper sulfate and dissolve them in a bucket of water.

Signs of the disease are spots with a dark border, abundantly affecting the strawberry foliage. The disease often appears at high humidity levels. It is most often affected by old leaves. When a disease occurs, the affected sheets should be removed with a pruner or scissors.

To combat brown mold, you need to use a pink solution of potassium permanganate with water (1:10). You can spray the bushes with an ash solution; for its preparation, take 350 grams of wood ash and 8 liters of water.

With this disease, small white blotches appear on the foliage. The disease progresses with excessive soil moisture and high air humidity. To combat white spot, you need to remove the affected leaves and feed the bushes with a potassium supplement.

The disease affects the root system, and then the foliage: they wither and gradually die off. Weakened bushes are susceptible to the disease. The disease progresses with temperature jumps, lack of mineral components. The affected plant cannot be saved: diseased bushes must be removed and burned. For the purpose of prevention, the remaining plants should be treated with an ash or iodine solution.

To get a good strawberry harvest next season, it is important to take responsible care of the plants after picking the berries.

You can learn how to care for strawberries in the video below.