Processing strawberries after harvesting with a burner. When to prune strawberry leaves after harvest (is it necessary at all?). Gray rot of berries

After picking berries, strawberry bushes require special care to recuperate and intensively lay fruiting buds for the next year.

With the correct implementation of summer-autumn preventive measures, garden strawberries (the scientific name of strawberries) increase fruiting by at least 15-30 percent. The fruits become larger, juicier and sweeter. Any variety, simple or remontant strawberry, responds with gratitude to care and attention, therefore, berries grown by one's own hands are noticeably different from store-bought ones.

Care for strawberries after harvest

At the end of July-beginning of August, after the fruiting of strawberries, the care corresponding to this period is carried out, consisting of: trimming the mustache, removing damaged leaves, weeding, top dressing, hilling the bushes.

In July, after harvesting strawberries, the plants begin to grow new leaves, form new horns, the growth of whiskers with side rosettes intensifies and new flower buds are laid for the new season.

Be sure to weed the beds, that is, the removal of all weeds. Excess mustache and dried leaves are also removed. Reddened leaf blades are removed first.

It is impossible to cut off foliage and mustaches, you can only cut it off, otherwise the bush will be damaged and will hurt. For trimming, take only sharp scissors or secateurs. Old, cut leaves, in order to avoid the reproduction of pests, it is better to burn. If young leaves curl or look corrugated, this indicates that the plants are infected with strawberry mites and they should be treated with a special preparation.

After pruning, the soil around the strawberries is loosened, fertilized, and watered. The aisles are loosened 10 centimeters deep. Around the plants, loosening is carried out by 5-7 centimeters. It is desirable to spud bushes.

In this case, the roots should be completely covered, and the upper part of the bush should remain above the ground. In no case do not fill up the growth point, that is, the middle of the rosette of leaves.

Feeding strawberries in July

Mineral fertilizers with a wide content of trace elements are taken for top dressing. About 30 grams of fertilizer goes per square meter. For this, a special fertilizer for garden strawberries is suitable - Fertik, ammophoska.

Fertilizers containing potassium chloride should not be used, as it slows down growth and impairs fruiting. Fertilizers are embedded in the soil to a depth of about 5-8 centimeters.

In addition to these fertilizers, you can use last year's humus. It crumbles around the bushes and digs a little into the soil. Humus improves soil structure and makes it more fertile.

You can also fertilize the beds with diluted chicken manure (breeding it in a ratio of 1:15 with water). When feeding, we must not forget that this solution should not fall on the foliage, otherwise burns will appear on the plants, which provokes the development of diseases. A high concentration of the solution can generally destroy the bush. Therefore, this type of dressing is not used so often. And more often in spring than in summer and autumn.

If the weather is dry, then the beds with strawberries are abundantly spilled with water. Soil moisture should be maintained until the end of the season. Watering is done once a week in a bucket per square meter.

For best results, drip irrigation can be used. This type of watering allows you to get the right amount of moisture and at the same time the plants do not rot, since the soil does not become waterlogged.

Caring for strawberries in August

To get a bountiful harvest for the next season, perennials need proper care at the end of summer. It includes: pruning leaves, transplanting mustaches, preparing plants in winter, that is, sheltering bushes.

Old leaves are cut off. Here, gardeners act differently, some mow all the foliage completely, others remove only leaves damaged by diseases. If strawberries grow in groups, early varieties are processed first. Then come the middle and late varieties, this will allow you to evenly care for the plants and prevent them from overgrowing, which leads to the threat of infection with diseases and pests.

Mustaches with new rosettes and young roots are planted to form young bushes. For this, the strongest specimens are selected, usually this is the first rosette on the antennae. Strawberry plantings are recommended to be renewed every 3 years, this is how many years the bush bears fruit as much as possible, then the bush ages and the yield decreases markedly.

To protect strawberries from various fungi, powdery mildew, and pests, the bushes are sprayed with special preparations, or with self-prepared means.

For spraying, drugs such as:

Karbofos or Actellik, this is protection against weevil and strawberry mites;
Azocen and Topaz are used for the prevention and control of powdery mildew;
a one percent solution of lime and copper sulfate saves bushes and berries from rot, spotting.

Fertilizing strawberries in August

Top dressing of the bushes during this period increases the degree of frost resistance of the plant and contributes to the laying of future flower buds.

Complex mineral fertilizers should include: 1 part nitrogen, 2 parts phosphorus, 4 parts potassium. In the finished version, it can be: Fasco, Autumn, Autumn. All these preparations, except for the base, contain other useful substances.

Fertilizer Autumn in its composition does not contain nitrogen, which allows it to be used even in a later period, but this preparation contains all the elements that are necessary for the growth and good fruiting of strawberries.

In the form of organic fertilizers suitable: peat, horse manure in granules, humus, bone meal.

Mineral and organic fertilizers should not be mixed. In rare cases, when the soil is depleted, mineral and organic top dressings are applied over the entire area of the beds. If the strawberry planting area is quite large, this mixture can also be used.

After feeding, the plants are covered with mulch, and for wintering, the bushes are covered with leaves, needles, potato tops, and straw. Dry weather is chosen for shelter, otherwise the layer may compact and cause the formation of pests and diseases within the layer or lead to root rot.

The layer of mulch covering plants from frost should be at least 7 centimeters. In addition to mulch, non-woven material is used, for example, spunbond.

Autumn care for remontant strawberries

Remontant strawberries, in comparison with simple varieties, have a short life span and after two years the plants must change new ones. Some varieties do not produce mustaches and are easier to care for, but seeds are used to propagate them, which complicates the breeding process.

July and August are suitable for updating strawberry plantations. By autumn, the bushes take root and easily endure the winter.

In preparation for winter, flower stalks and leaves are cut off from the mother bushes. Bushes are hilled so that the roots are covered with soil. But the core of the plant must remain open, otherwise it will begin to rot.

The best reviews of gardeners
I always cut off almost all the leaves, leaving 3-4 leaves. when the first frosts begin, I cover with spruce branches so that they do not freeze in winter. in the Urals it happens in winter -30, so you can’t do without shelter. and I cut off the leaves because by the end of the season they are almost all sick.

Strawberries are the leader among berry crops, requiring increased attention. The goal of care is to get tasty, big, fragrant berries, but you need to start thinking about the future harvest immediately after you finish picking berries this year. This is a crucial time, and one of the important aspects of care is trimming the mustache.

Gardeners, especially beginners, find it difficult to deal with this issue - some believe that this should be done before July 20, others - that not earlier than August, and others generally believe that it is not necessary to remove the leaves.

So after all, do you need to cut strawberries, or not, and when to do it?

Let's weigh all the pros and cons

Each of us knows that strawberries have a lot of whiskers. Of course, all varieties are different. There are those who have few mustaches, and there are completely beardless. After the last berry is picked from the plantation, you must not forget your way here until next summer.

Strawberries reproduce with a mustache, so the berry bush will not suffer from pruning. The "green mass" will quickly be restored, and perhaps there will be even more of it than before. But, despite this, there are skeptics who consider this procedure meaningless, useless and even harmful to the plant. Here are just a few of their arguments.

Strawberry leaves, like any other plant, are involved in the process of photosynthesis, due to them its respiration is carried out. By depriving the bush of such important organs, we deprive the strawberries of “oxygen”, which means that the bush will meet the winter unprepared.
It makes no sense to trim the leaves in order to get rid of pests and spores of the fungus, since the latter still crumble to the ground from the leaves, quietly winter there and are taken in the spring for their previous work.

Surely, you have noticed more than once that strawberry leaves have a healthy appearance only for the first two months, then they turn red, spots, “rust” and other signs of dying appear on them. Such aged leaves must be removed in a timely manner to allow young green leaves to grow.

Whether pruning is part of your plans or not, it is imperative to fight pests and harmful bacteria. To do this, the soil is sprayed with special preparations or sprinkled with ash.

So, after weighing all the pros and cons, we will still make a choice in favor of cropping, but before we get to work, let's find out how to do it right.

Let's start cutting

There is no exact timeline for pruning. It all depends on the weather conditions of the area, the characteristics of the variety and many other factors. You need to understand that after this procedure, enough time must pass for new shoots to grow and strengthen before the onset of cold weather.

Most often, the mustache is cut off after harvesting, in the Krasnodar Territory, for example, this is done in June, in central Russia in July, in some areas - in early August. From the moment the picking of berries is over, at least a month should pass, but you should not delay it either, otherwise the bushes will not overwinter. As practice shows, late pruning reduces yield by 30-35%. Sometimes pruning is postponed until some disease, such as brown spot, has been destroyed. It should be noted that it is not easy to deal with it, it is worth considering, it may be more expedient to replace the bushes with others, healthy ones, especially if the degree of damage is more than 50%.

The weather should be dry and warm, but not hot, the best time for this is morning or evening.

Before work, it is better to treat the tool with any disinfectant, secateurs or scissors must be sharp. It is strictly forbidden to pick off the mustache with your hands, you can damage the root.

They remove not only darkened, dry and pest-damaged mustaches, but also absolutely healthy ones. The leaves can be cut to the very base, but the “growth point” must be preserved, otherwise new shoots will not appear. If you planted bushes this year, then it will be enough to get rid of yellow and dry leaves.

First of all, they get rid of sluggish, drooping leaves; in older plants, you can completely remove all the leaves. Strong, green tendrils with healthy rosettes are left, if they are dug in, they will give roots. If the propagation of strawberries is not included in your plans, you need to remove all the mustaches, since thickening will negatively affect the yield.

If the color of the leaves in your area has changed, they have become red, orange and spots have appeared on them, they must be removed. So you protect yourself next year from the invasion of pests. The purpose of autumn pruning is to help the plant overwinter. Summer pruning is carried out in order to rejuvenate the bushes, this is done so that they are better blown by the wind and illuminated by the sun.

Can the leaves be cut?

Some summer residents, especially if the strawberry plantations are large, prefer to take a scythe and mow the leaves with a scythe. Are they doing the right thing? Experienced gardeners believe that if the plantation was planted three to four years ago, then this method can be used. It is also appropriate to use a scythe if your planting is running, and there are more than enough diseases and pests on it. In this case, after cutting the leaves, the area is sprayed with a fungicide or other special preparation. In order for the leaves to grow as quickly as possible, strawberries will need to be fed.

If the planting is young, the bushes are green, there are no signs of disease, then by mowing the bushes, you can cause their depletion, which will not have the best effect on the future harvest.

Pruning remontant strawberries

Care, including pruning, for remontant varieties is the same as for ordinary ones. "Thinning" should be competent, because the more green mass you remove, the larger the berries will be next year. But you need to cut not at the very root, up to 9 stems should remain on a two-year-old bush, only then sweet and juicy fruits will ripen on it. Mustaches are removed simultaneously with the collection of berries. Before the onset of cold weather, old, diseased bushes are removed from the site.

How to prune diseased bushes

If pests are present on the site, for example, strawberry mites, the leaves are stained, they have holes, all leaf plates are removed to the base of the leaf, even young ones. The thing is that the petiole is the place where the spores of diseases feel comfortable, but you can’t touch the heart of the bush, otherwise the bush will hurt for a long time. Of course, pathogenic microbes will remain on the legs of the leaves, on the ground. But it will be much easier to treat a plantation with cut bushes with chemicals.

When bushes planted in different years grow on the plantation, pruning begins with the young ones, the old ones are cut last. This sequence is very important, it eliminates the possibility of infection of healthy bushes with strawberry mites, which are easily transferred from one bush to another with a tool or clothing.

Where to put the damaged parts of plants? They are collected, removed from the site, buried or burned.

Further care

Care after harvesting is to prepare the bushes for the cold and fruiting for the next year.

When excess leaves and mustaches are removed, weeds are pulled out and taken out of the site. The earth on the site should be loosened, poured with a pink solution of manganese. By the way, a manganese solution will be appropriate if you are transplanting a bush that is not quite healthy, or if you are planting a healthy plant where diseased bushes used to grow.

After that, top dressing (mineral or organic fertilizers) is applied and the soil around the “rejuvenated” bushes is covered with wood ash. If possible, apply manure. At first, strawberries are watered every day, or once every two days, so that moisture is present in the area. With the advent of young foliage, there will no longer be a need for such an amount of moisture, but the earth should not dry out.

The better you take care of the bushes, the greater the harvest of berries, they will thank you. Bushes with enough leaves will be covered with snow, which means that their roots will not die from frost. Thus, the more young leaves have time to grow before winter, the stronger the root will be in spring, which means that more berries will ripen on each bush.

If your area has cold winters, the bush will need to be sprinkled with needles, walnut leaves, or covered with covering material.

It happens that when picking berries, we notice gray rot on them. Do not forget, after the crop is harvested, treat all the bushes with Bordeaux liquid or another fungicide.

Pruning after harvest will have a positive effect on the quality and quantity of berries. This will boost her immune system. And if you have remontant varieties planted on your site, then you will enjoy not one, but two harvests of tasty, fragrant and healthy berries. Take care of this amazing berry correctly, and this culture will thank you with a rich harvest of juicy, fragrant, tasty and healthy berries.

After the crop is harvested, it's time to prepare the garden strawberry bushes for the next season. Proper care of Victoria berries after fruiting will ensure a bountiful harvest next season.

Victoria - what to do after the harvest?

So, the last berries are collected and you can start laying the foundation for a bountiful harvest for the next season. The Victoria strawberry variety after harvesting requires careful weeding and removal of all weeds. Your task is to completely clear the area with and thoroughly loosen the ground.

The first stage has been completed. Now let's take a step-by-step look at how to care for a Victoria berry after harvest.

If you do weeding and fertilizing Victoria after harvesting, all the young bushes that have formed during this season will fully strengthen. If adult tendrils have time to grow side shoots, they will be able to take root and you will get young growth by the new season. But you should work with bushes that are two or three years old, since pathogens and pests accumulate in older ones.

At the end of summer, strawberries run out of leaf growth resources. They need to be cut off, especially those with reddening stems - this is a sign that the plant cannot provide them with nutrients. On old bushes, which are 3 - 4 years old, the foliage is cut off completely. Do not be afraid of this, as there is a saving of minerals and next year the berry bushes will again bring a big harvest. But this fall, you still need to think about how to feed strawberries after harvest.

A prerequisite for the rapid growth of shoots in the spring and the appearance of a large number of buds is top dressing of strawberries in August after pruning. From them, ovaries are subsequently formed.

How strawberries are processed in the fall for the winter

In order for all the ovaries to survive until autumn and bear fruit, care must be carried out regularly during the entire growing season. It consists in the timely removal of dry leaves and mustaches. The tendrils that the bush throws out take a lot of nutrients, taking them away from the ripening berries.

Pruning in the summer is done with scissors or secateurs. Cut shoots are not thrown away if you need to propagate the garden. They are dug in for a while to be planted in their permanent place in the fall. Until autumn, they will develop a root system and take root in a new place without problems.

This method of planting strawberries in August with a mustache requires the use of fertilizers - organic or mineral. Bushes are watered with manure infusion or a diluted mixture of a complex mineral mixture, for example, containing potassium and phosphorus. It is better not to use nitrogen supplements so that young seedlings do not grow. This will not allow her to winter well. The main thing that needs to develop is the root system.

The best way to feed a strawberry mustache in September for seedlings is ash from tree branches, straw, tops and grass. It does not contain nitrogen, only phosphorus, potassium, calcium and trace elements.

When a place is chosen for planting a new bed, it is cleared of weeds, loosened, apply fertilizer:

Compost- the most useful mixture of organic matter, soil, superphosphates.

Humus- lying manure of cattle. Applied by adding to each hole at planting. Under the influence of soil microorganisms, it turns into nutritious humus.

Infusion of chicken manure. The substance must be insisted for at least a week so that excess ammonia disappears and does not damage the roots of young strawberry seedlings.

mineral fertilizers. They are introduced to feed young strawberries in August based on the dosages in the instructions for one well.

siderates. If this method is used by the owners of the site, then in addition it disinfects the soil and at the same time feeds the plants with organic matter, which decomposes in the soil.

No more than two young rosettes can be left on the mother strawberry bush. The rest are cut off and planted in a nutritious soil mixture.

Caring for old strawberry bushes

Fertilizing for strawberries after fruiting should begin towards the end of the season so that all the berries ripen. The next step is sorting. Shrubs that are over 4 years old should be removed by the roots and thrown into compost. The largest increase in yield is given by 2-3 year old plants.

Work order:

Removing old leaves from bushes. Experienced gardeners practice full mowing of greenery.

Weed weeding.

Moisturizing the soil and watering with a nutrient mixture.

Mulching with straw or green manure.

Video: Care for strawberries after harvest

How to feed strawberries after cutting leaves:

Ammophoska. You can use dry granules by sprinkling them evenly under the roots, then water the soil so that the fertilizer dissolves and enters the soil.

Kemira for berries. Dig a hole around the bush and sprinkle with granules. Pour water and cover with a layer of soil.

Furnace ash. Make an extract, fill the substance with boiling water and insist 2 - 3 days.

Green manure in the form of a solution or in a beveled form. Place chopped nettles or other plants that are used as green manure in a bucket. Pour in water and leave for 2 weeks until it begins to ferment. With the resulting infusion, treat each strawberry bush under the root after fruiting and pruning.

So that the plants do not get sick and are not damaged by pests, autumn feeding of strawberries after pruning includes treatment with urea 30 g per bucket of water.

Cheap Strawberry Fertilizing Methods

Planting green manure in a summer cottage is a way to save on the purchase of fertilizers. Siderates restore the fertile layer and give the plants all the necessary nutrients - potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. The advantage of the method is that it is suitable for all garden crops, including garden strawberries.

Green mass is used in different ways:

cut and dig with soil - in the case of strawberries, this must be done carefully so as not to damage the root system with a shovel or flat cutter;

mulch berry bushes with greenery;

prepare an infusion and water the strawberry garden, which feed it after fruiting for the next harvest.

Mulching is the safest and most beneficial way in every way. Firstly, you don’t need to waste your energy on digging up the earth, simply by laying the mulch between the rows. By spring, she herself will rot and the food will get to the roots of the bushes.

Secondly, the work of the soil microflora, which dies when digging from ultraviolet rays, is not disturbed. Thirdly, the mulch warms the roots in winter and the plants survive even at very low temperatures.

Fourthly, plant residues retain snow and moisture in spring, enabling plants to grow green mass faster. Fifth, mulch prevents weeds from spreading, which reduces manual labor costs and preserves nutrients for strawberries.

Variety Victoria - how to feed in the fall

Victoria strawberries are the most popular and unpretentious variety, but to obtain annual crops, they also need care, which consists in periodic cutting of the whiskers, watering, transplanting as needed and treatment against diseases and pests. The variety belongs to the remontant and bears fruit only once per season.

With the right agricultural technology, more than 1 kg of berries can be obtained from one bush in one season. For proper care, it is better to use the O. Ganichkina method for feeding strawberries after fruiting:

Fertilizing Victoria in the fall is carried out with natural fertilizers to restore the fertile layer.

It is necessary to mulch with plant materials - sawdust, straw, green manure, peat.

Feeding remontant strawberries after fruiting begins in July, so that the plant gains strength before wintering. During this period, generative buds are being laid, which will provide a harvest next year. It is important that these buds receive nutrition and do not degenerate, then the promised kilogram of berries from the bush will definitely ripen.

autumn before feeding victoria need to pour up to 10 liters of water per 1 square meter to moisten the soil well and deeply. Then you can prepare a working solution of fertilizers and water the bushes. The roots of strawberries are deep enough - up to 30 cm, so you need a lot of liquid.

So that the strawberry mite does not disturb in the spring, in the fall it is necessary to shed the seedlings with a preparation from pests, preferably natural - Fitovir or its analogues. In the spring, when the growing leaves are deformed, repeat the treatment.