Garden

How to plant strawberries in the fall

Strawberry is a whimsical and capricious berry, which has excellent taste. Growing this berry is not an easy task, as it may seem. In order to get a good harvest, you must follow the rules of agricultural technology for this crop. In many ways, the quality of strawberries and the timing of the collection depend on when and how to plant it.

Is it possible to plant strawberries in autumn

There is no reason to refuse the autumn planting of strawberries. This berry is able to endure frost to -15 ° C without snow cover. With enough snow, the berry will not suffer in 30-degree frost.

Did you know? The first strawberries were grown by the Romans more than two thousand years ago.

Advantages and disadvantages

It is believed that the best time for planting strawberries is spring.

However, autumn landing has its advantages:
the plant takes root faster and is less stressed;
the crop can be obtained in the first season;
in spring there is time to care for other crops.

But, besides the obvious advantages, there is one very important drawback: seedlings must have time to take root before the onset of the first frost. Otherwise they will die.

Only a well-rooted plant can tolerate sub-zero temperatures.

Strawberry Planting Dates

The deadline for planting strawberries in autumn is determined based on certain conditions.

Calendar conditions

According to calendar conditions, there are three landing dates:

early (from August to October);
medium (from September to mid-October);
late (produced in October-November, before the onset of the first frost).

In order to get a high crop already in the first spring, you should give preference to an early or medium term planting.

Weather

Saplings of this crop have the same weather requirements as any other crop. Landing should be done in the evening, preferably a day after the rain.

In cloudy weather, the landing date can be shifted to the middle of the day.

Region features

Climatic features of the region play an important role in determining the time of planting seedlings. For some regions, autumn planting is generally undesirable, therefore, in determining the time of planting, the features of the region take the main place.

Did you know? The best in the world in quality is considered strawberries grown in Britain.

Landing rules

In order to get a high yield and a large berry, you need to be very serious about the choice of planting material and the planting process.

Selection of seedlings

When buying seedlings, a trusted nursery should be preferred, as this guarantees the purchase of a healthy plant.

In addition, when buying, you should pay attention to:

leaves (lack of spots and damage);
heart (not rotten or dried);
root neck (without spots and rot);
root system (well developed).

Bed preparation

When preparing the beds, the first thing to do is dig the soil, as well as get rid of weeds. If desired, peat mixed with ash can be added to the soil. This will help loosen the soil and retain moisture.

For the same purpose, you can use rotted sawdust.

Planting strawberries

There are several ways to plant strawberries.

Important! With any method of planting, pay attention to the roots and hearts. The roots should be straightened, and the hearts should be at ground level.

Under agrofibre

Landing under agrofibre has several advantages:
berries do not touch the ground;
the root system is protected from freezing;
eliminating the need for weeding.

Strawberries are planted under agrofibre according to the following scheme:

Trapezoidal beds are formed on the prepared soil with a width of 50–80 cm and a height of 20–50 cm.
Lay agrofibre, the edges of which are fixed with brackets or stones.
On agrofibre marking of the future landing.
Cross-shaped incisions are made in marked areas where seedlings are planted.

Under the black film

This method captivates with its low cost, but has several disadvantages. So, under the film, the soil overheats in the summer. In winter, this type of shelter does not help to keep warm, and you need to additionally insulate the beds with straw. The preparation of the bed is similar to the preparation for planting under the agrofibre.

However, it should be borne in mind that the film is not capable of transmitting moisture, so a drip irrigation system should be mounted under it.

In open ground

When planting in open ground, weeds must first be removed, the soil must be dug up to a depth of 20–25 cm. The height of the formation of beds depends on how deep the ground water is. With close proximity of groundwater, the height of the beds should be at least 40 cm. In dry areas, you can do without the formation of beds.

Strawberry Care After Planting

In order to get a high crop, it is necessary to ensure proper care of the plant, follow the rules of watering and feeding. The main task during the autumn planting is to build up the root system, which will help the plant to winter.

Watering

After planting, strawberries should be observed daily for a week. Watering is carried out every other day. If the lower leaves dry out with sufficient watering, remove them, this will help the seedlings to take up faster.

Water should not fall on the leaves of the seedling, as well as be cold. After rooting, watering is gradually reduced.

Top dressing

Strawberries are planted in pre-prepared soil, and it does not need to be fed for 3-4 years.

Important! When planting in autumn, fertilizer should be applied at the beginning of summer.

Winter preparations

Strawberries are a fairly frost-resistant plant, however, for a favorable wintering, they need a large amount of snow. In order to retain more snow on the beds, they should be mulched. As mulch, sawdust, peat, fallen leaves or spruce branches are suitable.

The time it takes to plant strawberries depends on many factors. After studying the climatic features of the area and talking with experienced gardeners, you can choose the most favorable time and get a plentiful harvest.