It is advantageous to plant strawberry seedlings in the fall. At this time of year, seedlings take root well, and gardeners have time to leisurely prepare the beds. Next summer, the young bushes will already begin to bear fruit. However, some of these advantages can be lost if you make mistakes during landing. A few common mistakes can lead to no harvest next year.
Failure to comply with planting deadlines
If you are late in planting strawberries in the fall, you can lose not only the harvest, but also the bushes themselves. According to the rules, seedlings are planted in the ground a month before the arrival of frost so that the plants can take root normally. If the bushes do not have time to take root in the soil, the strawberries will freeze in winter.
In this case, you will have to start all over again. In the middle zone, planting is carried out no later than the first ten days of September. In cold regions, work must be completed before the end of August. In southern climates, it is permissible to postpone planting seedlings until mid-October.
If you plan to get planting material from your own bushes of late varieties, you will have to postpone planting until spring, since the mustache on such strawberries will form by the end of September, which is already too late. You can plant seedlings early in moderately warm weather in August. In this case, the yield of the bushes next season will be higher.
Unprepared bed
In order for the bushes to take root well in the fall and begin to quickly gain strength in the spring, strawberries need well-fertilized soil. Fertilizer is added to the ground in advance, about a month before planting.
The bed is first cleared of plant residues and dug up, adding for each square. meter for 1 bucket of compost or humus. At the same time, the ground is watered with water with the addition of “Fitoverma” or “Trichoflora”.
Both drugs give the earth biological protection from harmful microorganisms. It is worth taking care to improve the composition of the soil. If the soil is clayey, it is diluted with sand. Clay and peat are added to sandy soil.
Planting too deep
Sometimes summer residents try to plant strawberries deeper in the fall so that they do not freeze. As a result, the growing point ends up underground. It is strictly forbidden to bury the center of the rosette, otherwise the bush will begin to rot and die.
To protect seedlings from frost, it is safer to cover them with a layer of mulch 12-15 cm thick. For this purpose, use hay or chopped straw. It is necessary to lay mulching material with the arrival of the first frost. In spring, the mulch is raked to the side as soon as the temperature becomes above zero, otherwise the bushes may dry out.
Narrow landing hole
When planting, strawberry roots should be straightened. Individual roots should not be allowed to bend upward. That is why the hole is made so wide that the root system of the plants fits freely, with a small margin.
As the root system is covered with soil, the bush is shaken a little so that the lumps of soil fit more tightly to the roots.If there are voids in the soil, the strawberries will take root worse. When planting seedlings from cups, do not destroy the earthen lump.
After planting, the plants are watered. Moisture also helps the soil adhere more tightly. You can add succinic acid to the water for irrigation (2 g per 10 liters). The drug can be bought at a pharmacy.
For plants, succinic acid serves as a growth stimulant and adaptogen. If runners are planted in the fall, they must first be rooted in small cups, waiting for roots 2-3 cm long to appear. You should not delay transplanting any longer.
Refusal to use mineral fertilizers
Organic matter alone, introduced when preparing the soil for planting strawberries, will not be enough for the plants. Mineral fertilizers must be added 2 weeks after planting. You can water the bed with a solution of superphosphate (50 g) and potassium sulfate (15 g), dissolving the granules in 10 liters of water, or with an infusion of wood ash (1 glass per bucket of water).
There is no need to add mineral nitrogen fertilizers to the soil; this is done in early spring. Potassium in combination with phosphorus will increase the resistance of planted seedlings to frost and promote better rooting of the bushes. If it is a rainy autumn, you can add fertilizers in dry form, sealing the mixture into the top layer of soil.
After the snow falls, it is thrown on top of the mulch. Covering for strawberries is a must in cold regions, especially if purchased pampered seedlings were planted in the fall. You can cover the bed with breathable agromaterial. It is not recommended to use film for these purposes.
