The rich harvest of sweet and juicy strawberry cannot be received without introduction of fertilizing from year to year. Even if berry is planted in fertile soil, additional power supply is all the same necessary, only in smaller quantity.
Cultural large-fruited grades of strawberry require to themselves the closest attention. To receive from each bush at most of berries, it is not enough to put and water well proved grade only. Without fertilizing and the corresponding leaving of berry will be crushed sooner or later and will lose inherent sweet.
How often and it is necessary to introduce fertilizers much
The most frequent fertilizing is demanded by young bushes of strawberry which are only prepared for the first fructification. Already before their landing it is recommended to bring 20–30 g on square meter of the complex fertilizer intended for strawberry in the soil. It becomes when redigging, as a rule, in the fall: since the end of August and prior to the beginning of October.
Depending on the region of cultivation, the first spring fertilizing of berry can fall on the beginning or the end of April when leaves were not dismissed up to the end yet. This time needs to be used for removal of the undesirable young growth which has remained since fall, old dry leaves. If the soil on personal plot extremely poor, fertilizing is required during the entire period of vegetation: when landing, in the early spring, during emergence of peduncles, during blossoming, fructification and after its termination. When the soil is rather fertilized, and strawberry already repeatedly yielded harvest, it is possible to be limited to three main fertilizing: in April, July (after fructification) and in September.
As well as than it is necessary to fertilize
The industry produces various complex fertilizers today, but any of them will not be compared to organic chemistry. Berry needs both mineral, and organic additives. It is important to know only in what time to bring them that it has brought benefit to plant. So, at the beginning of vegetation, for growth and blossoming strawberry will need nitrogen. Additional introduction will allow to receive good harvest next year in its fall. Phosphoric, potash fertilizers bring twice too: is deeper in the fall (under redigging), and closing up them small in the spring. Potassium promotes receiving sweet berries, and superphosphate is necessary for full development of root system. As replacement to potash mineral fertilizer (urea) it is possible to use wood ashes successfully. It is admissible to mix ashes with nitrogen fertilizer just before introduction, but to store them in the mixed state harmfully. It will lead to nitrogen destruction. Any mineral fertilizers can be replaced with manure or chicken dung which get divorced water. The bird's dung demands cultivation 1:10, and cow 1:4. At the low maintenance of organic chemistry it is possible to receive the deformed berries that is sign of lack of pine forest. During active blossoming and fructification the mineral fertilizing is absolutely useless. At this time it is necessary to delete in due time mustache which take away the lion's share of nutrients from berry, to weed, loosen the soil and to water. Better if during the entire period of vegetation strawberry pours down at the roots. Overhead irrigation leads to disease of gray decay. From above it is possible to spray bushes with 2% solution of the Bordeaux liquid. It will save or will prevent invasion of wreckers. It is important to respect the rules of the introduced fertilizers because the excess of nitrogen can negatively affect winter hardiness of strawberry in the fall, and the excess of potash fertilizers can promote increase in chlorine in the soil that too is pernicious for berry.