Caring for strawberries after harvesting

Some people think, "So what? Do strawberries need post-harvest care?" What's the big deal? Just pick them and forget about them until next spring! But no, experienced gardeners say that the second half of summer, when the strawberries have finished growing, is the perfect time to give them the full treatment they need to enjoy a superb spring harvest. This requires watering, fertilizing, weeding, and trimming off old leaves along with any runners. Let's take a look at it all.

Interesting information: growwise-en.techinfus.com.

We trim old leaves and remove tendrils.

The fact is that in spring, strawberries, with their weak roots, can't extract the maximum amount of nutrients from the still-cold soil to produce a good harvest. Therefore, it's crucial to prepare them as much as possible after fruiting, as this is the period during which the quality of the future harvest is determined.

So, we start by trimming the old leaves, which are already yellowed, browned, and covered in holes and speckles. The plant doesn't need them. We cut them off, being careful not to damage the young rosette, and allow new, fresh leaves to grow. Trim the leaves so they have time to grow before the cold weather sets in, otherwise your bushes will overwinter bare, with no one to protect them from the frosts.

At the same time, we remove the runners that will form new rosettes. Unless, of course, you need new rosettes to expand your strawberry planting. If you don't, the new bushes will drain all the energy from the old ones, and you'll have small and sparse berries next year. Trim the runners carefully, and don't tear them, so as not to damage the weak strawberry roots. Now, after renewing the bed, you can treat it for various diseases, especially if you notice spider mites (leaves growing back wrinkled). Kleschevit or colloidal sulfur will come in handy.

We loosen the soil, water it, and fertilize it.

Now the soil needs to be thoroughly loosened, but not too close to the strawberry plants to avoid damaging the roots, which are located near the surface. If your strawberry plants have become raised above the ground and are overhanging the bed, be sure to mulch them to cover the roots. This will stimulate new root growth, strengthen the existing ones, and protect them from disease and winter frosts.

Now you can fertilize your plants with a complete mineral complex, which will strengthen your strawberries for a good harvest next year. You can add compost, and strawberries respond well to ammophoska (ammonium phosphate) containing nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. However, avoid adding chlorine-containing complexes. It's also a good idea to thoroughly water the strawberries and mulch them with peat. If rainfall is insufficient, water the beds periodically to prevent them from drying out.

If you notice gray mold on the berries during fruiting, treat them with Bordeaux mixture or Topaz after the berries have ripened to stop the disease.

Timing for trimming whiskers and leaves

The timing varies across regions—in the Krasnodar Krai and Kuban, for example, in June, in the central part of the country in July, in the south, and in Ukraine in August. The leaves only last a little over two months, then they begin to dry out, become diseased, and become infested with pests, which then overwinter to begin devouring the fresh harvest. Therefore, we mercilessly destroy them.

Mowing all the leaves

Some strawberry growers mow or trim all their leaves at the end of August. By winter, they'll have time to grow new leaves and develop heart-shaped buds, which then results in good fruit production. You could try this approach.

Take a look: 2015 gardening calendar for the Moscow region.