Every year the number of gardeners and vegetable gardeners covering their beds is growing. Mulching the soil involves covering the soil with lawn clippings, straw or leaves. This technique helps to grow a large crop with minimal losses. When mulching strawberries, you should pay attention to possible mistakes.
Insufficient or excessive layer
Often, novice summer residents are afraid to overdo it with the thickness of the covering material. In this case, the expected result is not achieved. The downside is adding too much raw material. The optimal value when mulching strawberry bushes will be a layer 5 cm wide. Do not forget about timely lining of the material: over time, the mulch rots and becomes thinner.
Applying unnecessary fertilizers
There is widespread advice on the Internet - the need to add superphosphate under the mulch layer. Leaves and other plant remains were formed as a result of the absorption of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and other macro- and microelements by a tree or shrub. Otherwise they would not have grown. The best natural potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is ash. However, during the process of rotting of the covering raw materials, the effect will be equal. The introduction of chemical additives is unnecessary: an excess of fertilizer will harm the plant.
Incorrect mulch composition
Experienced summer residents constantly develop a recipe for the most correct mulch. In fact, any raw material is better than no raw material. There is one rule: do not lay the beds only with sawdust or mowed grass. Mix the material: leaves of different trees, herbs, straw. The complex composition will help provide strawberries with all the necessary substances.
Lack of consistency
The mulching procedure is carried out twice a year. In spring, the material is placed in the beds when the first berry ovaries appear, so that the flower stalks do not come into contact with the soil. In the fall, strawberry beds are covered for the winter so that the plants can successfully survive the frosts and the soil has time to become saturated with useful elements. Mulching the soil is carried out annually; this is the only way to obtain high-quality, loose soil, which will have a positive effect on the plant.
Using the method of mulching strawberries requires attention and time, but the result will not keep you waiting. The result will be a rich harvest, no need for constant watering and loosening, and reduced weed growth. Strawberries will be reliably protected from pests, external debris, and rot.
