On large production plantations, the standard for combating weeds is the use of herbicides. Unfortunately, many studies indicate that they are not indifferent to our health, which is why I advise against their use in amateur strawberry cultivation. Weeds, depending on the species, differ in the degree of nuisance. So-called spring ephemeral weeds rarely pose a serious problem, they can be easily pulled out or cut with a hoe and the matter is settled. However, the real challenge may be the so-called perennial weeds, such as couch grass, thistle, or horsetail. Here, pulling or hoeing will not help much, so they should be eliminated before planting strawberries because, in my opinion, planting strawberries in a place heavily “infested with couch grass” makes no sense.
But how to do it? A few years ago, the norm for effectively combating weed infestation before planting strawberries was spraying the soil with Roundup (active substance glyphosate). It was an easily available, cheap, and extremely effective means, especially in combating true couch grass. Additionally, there was a belief that glyphosate was safe for health. Today, the harmfulness of Roundup (containing glyphosate) to human health is the subject of scientific and regulatory debate. Key concerns include its potential carcinogenic action and its impact on the environment of the microbiome, i.e., adverse effects on the bacterial microflora in human intestines. Moreover, Glyphosate can accumulate in the soil and water, and then penetrate food which can lead to accumulation in the food chain. Therefore, it would be better to forget about its existence. Someone will ask: if not Roundup then what? Especially since there is no alternative to this preparation on the horizon.
Fortunately, we are not helpless, we still have a range of so-called agrotechnical methods at our disposal. Indeed, most of them will require a lot of patience from us, but what wouldn’t one do for health? Roundup hit the market in 1974, so 50 years ago. Until that time, the world coped with couch grass and other troublesome weeds exclusively with the help of the aforementioned agrotechnical methods, i.e., careful, deep soil cultivation, cultivation of fast-growing plants that can “drown out” most weeds, proper crop rotation, etc. Today, additionally, we can use another invention: a black agrotextile or black nursery-garden mat (black PE film can also be used), which just needs to cover the weedy soil for a few weeks before planting strawberries. There are no weeds that would survive this experiment. So much for eliminating weed infestation before establishing a crop. And how to deal with weeds during the cultivation of strawberries? The answer is the same, i.e., using black agrotextile that is “eco” and very effective. This fabric, after making holes at the planned spacing (e.g., 25 × 70 cm or 30 × 60 cm), is spread out on the plot and in the holes (there can also be cuts in the shape of an X) we plant strawberries. Black agrotextile allows water to pass through but does not allow light to pass through, which gives weeds no chance. The fruits will always be clean, without a gram of sand. And we can forget about the hoe 🙂
