How to transplant strawberries in the summer to a new place?
Strawberries are one of the most common garden berries in Russia. It will be difficult to find a garden where at least one bed of this tasty and fragrant culture did not grow. However, the process of growing it is not at all so simple. In order for strawberries to give a rich and stable harvest, it must be monitored and cared for. The basis of strawberry care is its timely transplantation to a new place.
The reasons
Timely transplantation is very important when growing any crop. When a plant grows and bears fruit, it spends the nutrients taken from the soil. Over time, the piece of land on which the culture grows is depleted more and more. Because of this, the plant begins to lack substances for normal growth. And along with the lack of substances comes a decrease in yield. In addition, with repeated cultivation of plants in the same area, the risk of developing diseases in them increases.
Strawberries also have their own personal reasons for transplanting. One of them is the rapid growth of the strawberry bush. In the process of growth, the bush significantly increases in diameter, which has a very negative effect on the yield of the berry, as it begins to lack nutrition. So, the first year of life, strawberries will have only one horn, and after two or three years, there will be about nine. Sometimes this increase may even be imperceptible, since it is mainly the underground part of the bush that increases.When transplanting, you can divide the strawberry bushes into several parts, thereby returning the original harvest to it.
Another reason for transplanting is the formation of an excessive amount of tendrils on the bushes. Over time, they become more and more, they grow higher and higher, and then dry up or freeze. After that, a lot of strength and energy is spent on their restoration, although such antennae do not carry any benefit and are completely unnecessary for the bush. By transplanting these tendrils, you can replace old plants with new ones that will bear better fruit.
As you can see, without a transplant, strawberries will not be able to consistently produce a good harvest. Shrubs are recommended to be replanted every three years. However, there are various factors that can both shorten this period and increase it - this is the type of soil and climate. Therefore, many gardeners choose the transplant date based on signs of soil depletion. To understand that the soil has depleted its resources, just look at the plant itself. There are several main signs by which you can find out that strawberries are lacking in nutrients:
- a decrease in yield (the number of berries has greatly decreased compared to the first crops after planting);
- reduction in berry size;
- the plant begins to look sickly (dry and stunted leaves, drying stems and other signs of aging).
The longer the plant stays in its old place, the more obvious these signs will become. In the presence of even one of them, the plant should be transplanted. Almost immediately after the transplant, you will be able to notice positive changes. It is worth noting that, depending on the reasons for the transplant, there are two types of it: summer and autumn.Summer planting is done to rejuvenate bushes, when you plant new tendrils or divide a large bush into several smaller ones. Autumn planting is carried out when transplanting large bushes to new soil.
Location selection
When transplanting strawberries, it is extremely important to choose the right place for its growth, because the further growth of the bush will depend on it. You should pay attention to the temperature and lighting of the new place. Strawberries do not like high temperatures; a temperature of twenty degrees is considered optimal for it. At higher temperatures, bushes can dry out quickly from lack of moisture. Direct sunlight will also be undesirable. It is best to plant strawberries in the shade, for example, near a fence or other larger bushes (but do not plant them too close to them, they may not have enough nutrients).
As for the soil, here strawberries are very unpretentious and can easily grow on any type of soil. But she feels most comfortable on loose, slightly acidic soil, fertilized in advance with organic matter. By planting strawberries in such soil, you can count on a very plentiful harvest. If the soil in your garden does not meet these criteria, you can always correct it yourself by loosening it and artificially reducing the acidity, for example, with the help of ash.
Also, an important role in planting strawberries is played by what has grown on this land before. Strawberries do not take root well after potatoes, tomatoes or cabbage. But the land on which greens or beets grew, on the contrary, prefers. Strawberries grow especially well after various kinds of legumes.Before planting a bush in another place, do not forget to make sure that the earth has been carefully cleared of roots and various kinds of remains of old plants, because in the future they may interfere with its growth.
Soil preparation
The most important point in transplanting strawberries is the preparation of the site itself. Preparations begin a few months before planting. Then the earth must be dug up and fertilized (it is better to take organic fertilizers). If you have medium loamy soil on your site, it would be useful to add a baking powder from peat and ash to it (a glass of ash on a bucket of peat), you can also use sawdust, humus and turf. If you are going to plant seedlings in summer or autumn, then prepare the ground in the spring. And if you plan to plant strawberries in the spring, then it is better to prepare them in the fall and leave them for the winter.
Shortly before planting, the soil is cleared of weeds and various debris. The degreasing procedure is obligatory; Fitosporin and copper preparations are used for it. They will help protect strawberries from pathogens and pest larvae. At the same time, fertilizers are applied again. The ideal formula for a plot of ten square meters is the processing of a kilogram of superphosphate, half a kilogram of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and potassium salt, and 10 buckets of humus. Before transplanting, you can also loosen the soil again. But in no case do not add ash to it, as it contains a lot of calcium, which will interfere with plant growth.
An important element of the transplant is watering. The earth is moistened the day before transplantation. During the transplant, a hole with water is dug, the plant is placed directly in it. After planting, the plant is watered again. Do not be afraid that the plant will "drown", strawberries love a lot of water.If you transplant bushes in the summer, then not only the soil and the bush itself needs preparation. Before planting, its roots are placed in a solution of manure, clay and water. Also, for better growth, all excess loops should be removed from the bush. And in no case do not transplant strawberries during flowering, it is better to wait until the bushes bear fruit, and then transplant at any convenient time.
Timing
As mentioned earlier, depending on the purpose of the transplant, it can be carried out in summer or autumn. Summer replanting is especially preferable if you want to plant new bushes from the tendrils of old ones, as during this period they will especially need sunlight and warmth (but do not forget about shade). They are usually planted in June so that they have time to grow before the cold season. You can also transplant large bushes in the summer, but it is better to do this in July or August, after the bushes have yielded. In no case should flowering strawberry bushes be transplanted, as you will not only lose the annual crop, but also harm its further growth.
The most favorable time for planting strawberries is autumn. The main reason for this is the frequent rains typical of this season. At first, the transplanted bushes will require abundant watering, which the rains will provide them, thereby reducing your work to a minimum. The most favorable days for transplanting come in September, however, in warm regions, strawberries can be transplanted until mid-October.
Strawberries can also be transplanted in the spring. The main advantage of such a transplant is the good rooting of the bushes by winter, but it will require painstaking care, be prepared to spend much more effort than transplanting in summer or autumn.It is impossible to name a specific month for transplanting in the spring, as it will depend on climatic conditions. You need to plant bushes when all the snow has already melted, and the plant wakes up from winter. Be careful, because if frost hits again after transplanting, the bushes may die.
Transplantation methods and rules
There are three ways to plant strawberry bushes:
- separation of bush horns;
- planting antennae;
- using seeds.
The division of the bush
Each of them has its own advantages and nuances, which we will discuss. Seating strawberries using division is the most difficult of the options, but the fastest. For him, you need to choose an adult bush no younger than three years after fruiting. It is worth noting that remontant strawberries bear fruit several times a year and need to be replanted in the fall, after the bush gives the last harvest. Carefully dig the strawberry bush along with the ground, so as not to damage the roots, dig it around from all sides. Put it in a wide container.
Carefully dispose of dried leaves and shoots. Still, carefully free the roots from the ground. Next, lower the bush into a basin filled with water and wash its roots. Next, let the bush get wet, after which it will be possible to separate it with your hands (those horns that cannot be separated with your hands can be cut off with a knife, but be careful, each of them must have roots and an apical bud). Next, cut off all the old roots, peduncles and leaves, leaving only the youngest and greenest. Cut any leaves left on the stems in half to reduce moisture evaporation. For better growth, the roots can be soaked in stimulants or a solution of manure clay and water.
Then dig holes in the garden according to the size of the horns and fill them with water (the distance between them should be thirty to thirty-five centimeters). Put the seedlings in the holes and dig in (it is very important to place the seedling correctly, make sure that its roots stretch evenly, and not at an angle, and that its heart is exactly at ground level). Then water again and mulch. That's all, the whole procedure will take you a maximum of several hours, and as a result you will get mature bushes ready to bear fruit. Remember to water them well.
Mustache breeding
Propagation of strawberry bushes with a mustache is a fairly simple procedure. Two-year-old bushes are best suited for her, since the antennae on such bushes are the strongest. To begin with, if your strawberry is flowering, remove all flower stalks. Choose the most powerful and good mustache, fix their sockets in the center of pots with soil fertilized with compost or humus. If the whisker continues behind the rosette, trim it to give it more power. Now you need to water your pots once or twice a day and wait for the roots to grow.
When this happens, separate the new bush from the mother (usually takes about a month). After that, cut off the tendrils that have formed on your bush, and you can plant it in the garden. Dig holes the size of the pots in which the seedlings grew. Fill them with water. Gently transfer the seedlings from the pots to the holes (watch the heart, it should be at ground level). Dig, water and mulch. Then you just have to follow the bushes and water them in time, then they will surely please you with a bountiful harvest.
from seed
And to grow strawberries from seeds, you have to spend a lot of time.First, you will have to grow planting material at home in pots for several months. The timing of planting and the necessary care for it will depend on the variety and will be described in detail on the seed package. Landing on the garden occurs after the formation of a reliable root system and the formation of leaves, and its procedure is no different from other methods.
Aftercare
Transplanted strawberries will have a long period of formation of a reliable root system. To make it faster and easier, you should carefully monitor the culture. There is nothing complicated about this, the main rule is regular and abundant watering. During the first two weeks, strawberries need to be watered once a day, and if the weather is dry outside, then twice. You should not overdo it with the amount of water, otherwise you will simply flood your bushes, then they will die. After that, strawberries can be watered as the earth dries up.
As for top dressing, the first year you do not need to do anything. If you've followed the instructions above and fertilized the transplanting soil ahead of time, this should be enough for the first time. A year after transplanting, you can feed the strawberries with organic fertilizers after they produce a crop. This will help her to overwinter and give a good harvest next year.
Don't forget about pest control. Usually, Karbofos is used to process strawberries. They water the previously loosened earth around the bush, and then cover it with a film for three hours. This procedure will reliably protect your strawberries from pests, but you need to carry out the procedure at the end of the season only after the strawberries give the last harvest. You can also use other means, but only organic ones.
Tips & Tricks
Strawberries are quite cold-resistant plants, so an adult bush may well overwinter without your help. This rule does not apply to young bushes. If you planted strawberries in August or in the fall, then most likely your bushes will not have time to get stronger enough for independent wintering. In this case, you need to take care of them and create a reliable shelter for the winter. Strawberries transplanted in spring or June usually have time to quite securely gain a foothold in place and get stronger, so you don’t need to worry about it in this case.
If you are buying ready-made strawberry horns for transplanting, then you should sanitize them before planting. The best way to do this is to place the roots of the plant in boiling water for fifteen minutes and then let them cool in cold water for ten minutes. Such a simple method will help to kill almost any parasites.
How to transplant strawberries to a new place, see the next video.