Methods of fertilizing and treating strawberries in early spring

Strawberries are a delicious but capricious berry. Early summer is always associated with the first harvest of juicy, ripe strawberries. But to reap such rewards, you need to provide them with proper care and know how to feed and treat strawberries in early spring.

You can find many videos on the Internet that tell and show what to feed strawberries in early spring and how to process them, shared by both experienced and amateur gardeners. Therefore, even if this process seems laborious, detailed instructions make it much easier and help you harvest a full crop of large, delicious berries as early as the beginning of summer.

Caring for berries in early spring

Before discussing how to feed strawberries in early spring and how to treat them, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for the plant at this time of year, when the snow finally melts and the air temperature gradually becomes warmer.

The first thing to do with the arrival of spring is to clean the strawberry beds: remove accumulated dirt, mulch, and any remaining covering material. This is done once the snow has completely melted, using a garden rake. All mulch from the previous year should be collected and burned, as over the winter it becomes a veritable breeding ground for diseases and pests, which become active with the first rays of sun. After completing this difficult and painstaking task, you can confidently expect a bountiful harvest.

Next, the plant beds should be loosened. Loosening is done between rows and around the berry bushes. This process allows the root system to receive more oxygen, which has a positive effect on the health and yield of the plant.

Next, inspect the plant bushes and remove any dead or diseased leaves and stems. If this isn't done, there's a risk that the remaining leaves and stems will become carriers of infection, which will spread to the entire bush and simply kill it.

Caring for strawberries isn't limited to just gardening; it also involves applying fertilizers, which protect strawberries from diseases and pests and promote vigorous growth.

How to feed strawberries in early spring and how to treat them

Strawberry processing in spring

Once the beds are cleared and cleaned, you can move on to the next important step: treating the strawberry bushes. This is necessary to prevent diseases and pests from taking hold and damaging the plants. So, what should you fertilize and treat strawberries with in early spring?

Strawberry bush treatment involves spraying the plants twice a season. The first time is before flowering, and the second time is after the last harvest.

Important! Processing strawberries Spraying will only be effective if the air temperature hasn't dropped steadily below 15 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the process will be ineffective.

Treating strawberries doesn't require special treatments; simpler, more effective home remedies can be used. For example, spraying strawberry plants with hot water. Hot water kills strawberry mites, leaf beetles, spittlebugs, and other pests. Hot water means a temperature of at least 65 degrees Celsius.

When answering the question of how to feed and treat strawberries in early spring, it's impossible not to mention pine needle mulch. Pine needles contain terpenes, and it's this chemical component that poses a threat to diseases and pests.

Spring fertilizers for strawberries

After the strawberries were processed, you can also begin fertilizing, which is very important for the plant after a long winter. With the arrival of spring, the plant begins to starve, as it wasn't able to receive all the necessary nutrients during the winter. If you know how to feed and treat strawberries in early spring, you can have vigorous berry bushes in your garden that will be actively producing fruit by early summer.

Strawberries should be fertilized in the spring in late April, when new green leaves appear on the bushes. You can use ready-made mineral fertilizers sold in stores or organic fertilizers you can make yourself.

As organic fertilizer for strawberries, gardeners use yeast infusions, nettles, compost and humus, wood ash and chicken manure.

To feed strawberries with chicken manure, it's best to dilute it with water. Dilute one part fresh chicken manure to 20 parts water. Then, water the area under the strawberry plant, using half a liter of fertilizer per plant.

By providing your strawberries with proper care in the spring, including proper fertilizing and processing, you can expect the plant to reward you with a generous, healthy harvest—and, most importantly, a fresh, tasty, and juicy one!

Good luck in the garden and a rich harvest!