Planting strawberries cannot be called a difficult task, but there are subtleties, failure to observe which leads to growth inhibition or even death of the plant.
Landing time
Strawberries are planted either in spring or late summer.
When planting at the end of summer, be sure to shade the plants from the bright sun and water them generously so that the plant has enough moisture.
When planting in spring, it is very important not to plant the bushes too early. Night temperatures should remain above 8 degrees, and during the day the air should warm up to 10 degrees.
If you are planting seedlings, it is important to wait until the threat of frost has passed.
Strawberries are a frost-resistant plant, but young seedlings grown indoors or in a greenhouse are not yet accustomed to the cold.
Exposure to low temperatures will negatively affect their development.
Deepening
The most common mistake is the incorrect positioning of the root collar, which is called the heart in strawberries. The heart is the place where the leaves pass into the roots, that is, the base of the rosette of leaves. It should always be level with the soil level.
The heart should not be buried deep, as the bush will grow poorly and rot. If the heart is above ground level, the upper part of the root system will stick out, which will lead to the bush freezing in winter.
Root pruning
If the seedling has too long roots, they need to be cut with scissors.
It is important that the roots do not bend upwards or curl into a ring when planting. They should be located in the planting hole naturally, as happens with uniform growth of the root system.
Some gardeners who grow strawberries regularly even put seedlings from cups into water, wash out the soil, straighten the roots in the planting hole, and then sprinkle them with soil.
The thing is that bent roots do not perform their function and die off over time. And until new roots grow, the bush will not take root and will not start growing. To make this happen quickly, it is better to cut and straighten the roots. This way the bush will quickly take root and start growing.
Leaf pruning
When transplanting seedlings with a bare root system, it is recommended to cut off excess leaves, leaving one small and one larger. The leaf blade evaporates moisture, and the roots cannot provide the plant with water after transplantation.
It is especially important to trim the leaves when planting in summer. It is also advisable to shade the bed with agrofibre or something else.
Note: when planting in spring, all flower stalks should be removed, as fruiting will exhaust the immature bush and next year fruiting will be weaker than it could be.
Shelter for the winter
If you want to increase the harvest and speed up its appearance, then after planting at the end of summer, you should cover the bed with agrofibre and leave it under this cover for the entire autumn, winter and spring.
Strawberries can withstand even severe frosts, but this does not mean that they do not suffer from them. Bushes under cover take root faster, survive the winter more easily, start growing faster in the spring and have more energy left for the harvest. As a result, flowering begins earlier, it is more abundant, and the berries are large and tasty, since they get the potential that strawberries usually spend on restoring the bush after winter.
Knowing these subtleties, you will be able to plant strawberries so that they take root immediately, easily survive the winter, and produce a rich harvest next year.
