Transplanting strawberries in autumn: when and how to do it

Transplanting strawberries in the fall is no less important than fertilizing and watering, especially for gardeners hoping for a bountiful harvest. However, replanting a plant is one thing, and doing it at the right time is quite another. The timing and month of replanting strawberries in the fall influence the subsequent growth and viability of the plants.

Why do you need to transplant strawberries in the fall?

Before choosing the time and month to replant strawberries in the fall, it's important to understand why. Strawberries shouldn't be grown in the same month for more than three years, and replanting in the fall helps rejuvenate the plantings. If you don't replant the strawberries, the area they've been growing in for a long time will become overgrown with bacteria and fungi, which can pose a serious threat to the health and life of the plant as a whole.

Important! There's no point in digging up an entire bush and replanting it, as older plants produce few flowers anyway, not to mention a small harvest. Therefore, strawberries must be replanted by dividing the bushes or using tendrils.

Timing, when and in what month to transplant strawberries in the fall

There are three times of year when you can transplant strawberries: spring, summer, and fall. Most gardeners leave this task until fall, and for good reason.

Spring replanting helps the plant's bushes take root well and develop actively, but they will only produce a harvest the following season.

Summer transplanting is carried out immediately after the last harvest. It is believed that this type of transplanting will be most appropriate and productive, but only if August is not too hot and there is occasional rainfall. Unfortunately, predicting the weather in advance is impossible. Therefore, to reduce the risk of unforeseen situations, gardeners postpone this work until the fall.

As for when and in what month to transplant strawberries in the fall, early September is the best time. In September, the soil is already quite moist, and the air temperature is such that the ground has not yet frozen, but has cooled from the summer heat. Fall is also the best time to transplant strawberries because by the time they are transplanted, the plant has already developed enough leaves to protect it from winter frosts, and by summer, the transplanted plant will produce a harvest.

Therefore, when choosing the time to replant strawberries in the fall, you should give preference to the month of September.

Preparing for transplantation

Before replanting, you need to select and prepare a site. Given that strawberries are easy to care for, preparatory work shouldn't be difficult.

Which place is best for a transfer?

Strawberries grow well in almost any soil. However, one thing this plant definitely cannot do without is feeding and fertilizing. Therefore, after choosing a transplanting site, add mineral fertilizer to the soil a month before the planned work. It's also a good idea to loosen the soil immediately after applying the fertilizer.

Read also: How to plant strawberries in the fall.

How to transplant strawberries

To ensure a harvest the following season after autumn transplanting, two-year-old plants need to be rooted. Seedlings for transplanting should be dug out of the soil immediately before transplanting. If for some reason you can't transplant the dug-up seedlings immediately, wrap the roots of the plants in a damp cloth and leave it there until you're ready to plant them in the new area.

Strawberries should be transplanted in the evening, or on a day with gray clouds. Strawberries should be harvested in 2-3 rows, spaced 25 centimeters apart. The distance between rows should be 40 centimeters.

The transplant hole should be deep enough to accommodate the length of the plant's roots. Fill the hole to the brim with water, and only then can the strawberries be transplanted. Once all the strawberries have been transplanted, mulch should be added to the soil.

Only timely strawberry transplantation, taking into account the timing of this work in the fall, will guarantee a bountiful harvest next season. It's important to remember that fall transplantation is one of the items on the list of... How to care for strawberries so they bear fruit abundantly and grew up healthy.