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Why experienced gardeners are against mowing strawberries in summer: pros and cons
21.06.2023 18:49
Often, recommendations for caring for strawberries include a separate item on mowing the bushes after fruiting.
Experienced gardeners do not advise doing this, and there are reasons for that. But this does not mean that after harvesting, they leave the strawberry bed to overgrow.
Let's find out whether it is necessary to mow strawberries in the summer after harvesting.
Why do this?
It is believed that after "cutting" the root system develops better. But how can one not remember photosynthesis, which occurs while the plant has leaves.
Summer residents also claim that by cutting off old foliage, gardeners give the plant the opportunity to sprout new shoots. But there is a nuance here: such intervention is always stressful for the plant, which disrupts its development.
The idea that you can get rid of pests along with old leaves also doesn’t stand up to criticism.
How to do the right thing
In fact, there is no need to mow the tops, even though it is quick.
Experience suggests that pruning that is carried out selectively brings much more benefit to the plant.
In this case, only those leaves that have been growing for the last few years are completely removed.
Pruning is carried out after harvesting using pruning shears or garden shears.
Infected bushes are not pruned, but removed entirely.
After pruning, you need to tidy up the bed, burn the leaves, and loosen the soil between the rows.
You can also treat the plant with a carbophos solution, and after two weeks apply complex fertilizers.
