Preparing strawberries for winter in the fall in the Moscow region

With the strawberry season ending, it's time to start preparing them for winter. Successful overwintering depends on many factors, including weather conditions and proper care. By following the rules for preparing strawberries for winter in the Moscow region in the fall, you can ensure healthy growth and a bountiful harvest next year!

Protecting strawberries from diseases

Strawberries should be prepared for winter in the summer, as soon as they finish fruiting. In this case, remove all remaining shoots and leaves that could be damaged by disease. In practice, this is done by mowing the strawberries two weeks after harvest. After this mowing, the strawberries have time to produce new healthy shoots and leaves before winter sets in.

Preparing strawberries for winter in the Moscow region and other regions of Russia may seem complicated. However, this is only apparent, as careful attention is required to avoid unexpected situations. There's no need to mow down the strawberry vines if you expect a second crop, as they can continue to bear fruit until autumn. This means that everbearing varieties require a different approach than traditional strawberries, which bear fruit from spring to early summer.

Using a suspended structure on a balcony

Strawberries in hanging pots have become a real hit among balcony plants. This is not surprising, as throughout the season, from spring to fall, they are alternately covered with flowers and delicious berries. Proper preparation of strawberries By autumn, this ensures a good harvest in the Moscow region. With the onset of the first cold weather, the question arises of how to help this crop survive the winter on the balcony.

The post-harvest period is ideal for this procedure, as it's important not to spray fruit that will be eaten. For this procedure, we recommend using Topsin M 500 SC, a popular product among amateur growers. Dissolve 15 ml in 5-9 liters of water, which is enough to spray 100 m² of strawberry cultivation.

Healthy, disease-free strawberries will overwinter better until next spring. If you're growing strawberries in your garden or homestead, it's not recommended to use herbicides during weeding. They significantly alter plant metabolism, making it difficult for strawberries to prepare for winter. Therefore, you'll have to rely on manual weeding and mulching between plants.

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Fertilizing strawberries before winter

The final feeding of strawberries is done in the summer, after the leaves have been mown. This is usually done before the end of July and no later than mid-August. Mown strawberries have increased nutritional needs due to the need to regenerate the green parts.

That's why plants are fertilized with a general-purpose nitrogen-rich fertilizer (such as Azofoska) or a specialized complex fertilizer for strawberries. With Azofoska, 1 kg of fertilizer is sufficient for 100 m² of strawberry crops.

Later, avoid applying any nitrogen fertilizers, as this will overstimulate strawberry growth and make wintering difficult. Special autumn fertilizers can be used that do not contain nitrogen but are rich in phosphorus, potassium (thickens cell sap before winter), calcium (makes cell walls more flexible), sulfur (disinfects and stimulates the conversion of nitrogen into proteins), and micronutrients such as:

• boron;
• zinc;
• manganese.

Applying these fertilizers in the fall will make overwintering strawberries easier. However, in practice, such intensive feeding is usually unnecessary.

Fertilizers should be applied in the fall only if signs of deficiency of the specified components have been noted during the growing season, such as:

• bleaching of dark pigment on strawberry leaves, indicating a lack of phosphorus;
• dryness of the edges of young leaves and their deformation, which may be the result of calcium deficiency.

At the same time, fertilizing strawberries has a significant impact on plant growth, ensuring a bountiful harvest and exquisite flavor.

Covering strawberries for the winter

Thorough preparation strawberries for winter in autumn In the Moscow region, growing plants requires the use of various methods and materials. To protect the crop from frost, in addition to proper protection and fertilization, it is recommended to use covers. Covering is recommended not only for young plants but also for older specimens.

Covering strawberries for the winter helps protect flower buds and the entire plant from freezing in snowless winters, frosty dry winds, and reduced temperature ranges in the immediate vicinity of the bushes.

The use of shelters is especially recommended for growing strawberry varieties that are sensitive to low temperatures and for plantations located in colder regions with large temperature fluctuations during the winter.

Frost protection should be provided when strawberries enter dormancy. The right moment can be recognized by the leaf color changing from green to red or brownish-purple. This occurs in the fall, around October and November, usually after the first frost. Frost protection should be left on the plants until the end of February or even March (depending on weather conditions).

The soil under the cover must be kept constantly moist throughout the strawberry winter. A water deficit in the soil increases the risk of frost damage. Therefore, when choosing a winter cover material for the crop, it's important to choose one that is sufficiently permeable while limiting wind drying. Various materials can be used for covering strawberries.

The most commonly used are:

• straw;
• perforated film;
• agrotextiles.

Covering strawberries with straw for the winter

Using straw to protect strawberries from frost is only practiced by amateur gardeners with small strawberry plantations. It's a good choice for small berry plots. Despite its low cost and good water and air permeability, this type of protection has many drawbacks.

Straw is only effective in regions where winter temperatures are stable. In areas where thaws or prolonged warm spells are common during this time, straw promotes fungal growth and plant rot. Furthermore, this type of covering material is only suitable for one season (it must be replaced with new material each year).

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Application of perforated foil

Another option is to cover the strawberries with perforated foil. This material protects the strawberries from freezing, accelerating their growth and yield the following year. However, this material overheats the plants, which can impact the yield.

Perforated foil ensures constant substrate moisture, but in many cases it prevents proper air exchange, leading to the development of gray mold. A foil thickness of 0.1 mm is sufficient to ensure comfortable overwintering. If stored properly, it can last for several seasons.

Agrotextiles

Currently, one of the best materials for covering strawberries for the winter is nonwoven fabric. Agrotextile with a thickness of 23 g/m² is best suited for this purpose. Preparing strawberries for winter in the Moscow region in the fall using textiles is a proven method. The material mimics the natural protection of snow cover.

It is permeable to water, protects strawberries from dry winds, and ensures proper gas exchange. Using agrotextile accelerates fruiting and ensures the best quality berries. When used and stored properly, non-woven agrotextiles will last for many years.