Fertilization of Strawberries: Key to a Successful Harvest. How, When, and What to Fertilize with Strawberries

Strawberries are not particularly “greedy” plants, however, without fertilizing them, there is no talking about successful cultivation.😀 Strawberries grow in one place most often for two or three years, sometimes even longer, so their fertilization, as in the case of all perennial plants, takes place in certain stages.

Before establishing a plantation, the basis of fertilization is the scattering of organic fertilizers, such as compost or manure (which can be granulated), which are intended to provide strawberries with basic nutrients (especially P, K, Ca, and Mg) for a period of two, or even three years. If we do not have organic fertilizers, we should alternatively sow multi-component mineral fertilizers, in the amount of 3kg to 6kg per 100m2. However, in my opinion, such initial fertilization, considering the long period of maintaining the plantation, is insufficient.🧐Therefore, during the subsequent years of cultivation, supplementary fertilization of strawberries seems necessary. For this purpose, I advise spreading one of the fertilizers dedicated to strawberries as early as possible each spring, after the end of the winter dormancy period, in the amount of 1.5kg to 2.5kg per 100m2. The composition of these fertilizers most often reflects the nutritional needs of strawberry plants in terms of so-called macronutrients, but numerous micronutrients act on plants just like vitamins act on our bodies.🌱

Do not neglect the spring fertilization of strawberries.☀️ Naturally, all “eco” and “bio” enthusiasts, instead of mineral fertilizers, can use natural organic fertilizers such as the recently fashionable biohumus or guano. Similarly, after the harvest, it is advisable to feed the strawberries the same, or only a slightly smaller dose of identical fertilizers as in the spring. I advise spreading these fertilizers as soon as possible after the end of the harvest. The nitrogen contained in them will stimulate the strawberry plants to strong vegetative growth and the remaining macro- and micronutrients will help them generate a large number of flower bud initiations, which will decide the height of the yield in the next year of cultivation. As for the autumn 🍁 fertilization of strawberries, the opinions of experts are divided. Some say: to fertilize, others – on the contrary, that it makes no sense. However, considering the increasing popularity of varieties from warmer countries, I lean towards the view that autumn feeding of strawberries with one of the typically pre-winter fertilizers, i.e., without nitrogen, but with a high concentration of easily absorbable potassium and phosphorus, will not harm them.🙂

It will help the plants prepare for winter dormancy and increase their level of frost resistance, it is worth remembering that thanks to phosphorus-potassium fertilization, the concentration of salts and sugars in plant cells increases, which causes an increase in the density of the cytoplasm and significantly affects the lowering of the freezing threshold of the cell sap

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