Content
Manure for strawberries is brought in only rotted. For this, the raw material is poured with water and left to ferment for 1-2 weeks. Then they are diluted 10 times and start watering. But chicken manure is used fresh, and it needs to be diluted 15–20 times.
Is it possible to fertilize strawberries with manure
It is possible and necessary to give the berry manure compositions. They contain macro- and microelements that are of great benefit to plants. They improve the structure of the soil, saturate it with oxygen. Unlike mineral dressings, organic matter saturates strawberries consistently. It is not washed out from the soil, which explains the "prolonged" effect. Organic matter stimulates the reproduction of beneficial soil bacteria, leads to a set of green mass. Thanks to manure, gardeners note good fruit set.
All this leads to an improvement in plant nutrition, an increase in their resistance to unfavorable weather conditions and pests, and ensures a consistently high yield.
When to fertilize strawberries with dung
Each fertilizer has a specific application period. In the case of organic matter, these terms are not so strict, since it contains different nutrients in a balanced way. You can make top dressing at any time of the season. An exception is chicken droppings, the infusion of which is watered for planting only in the spring (before the formation of buds).
The main terms for the introduction of manure compositions:
- The first time is used in late April or early May, that is, before budding.
- The second time is during the formation of buds or at the stage of early flowering.
- To prolong the harvest, organic matter is introduced during fruiting. This is especially important for remontant varieties and varieties with extended fruiting, which produce berries all season.
- After fruiting, you can feed the strawberries with cow, rabbit or horse manure (it must be rotted). This can be done at the end of August or at the beginning of September (while the soil temperature should be more than +10 degrees).
Regular feeding with manure ensures a consistently high yield
Which manure is best for strawberries
Several manure compositions are available to summer residents:
- bovine;
- horse;
- rabbit;
- chicken (droppings).
According to the reviews of summer residents, it is best to use the first two of them, since they are distinguished by a rich composition, which is evident from the increase in the yield of the berries.
Rabbit and chicken droppings are less suitable, but they can also be used. As for pork humus, it is not recommended to use it. It can be mixed with other raw materials such as mullein.
How to breed manure for feeding strawberries
Fertilizing strawberries is acceptable with horse manure, rabbit manure, mullein and bird droppings. The raw material is brought in undiluted, simply by spreading it over the surface or sealed during digging, as well as in the form of an infusion, which must be diluted at least 10 times.
Horse manure for strawberries
Horse manure for strawberries is used in the spring, just before planting. The overripe raw materials are diluted with water 1: 1, allowed to stand for a week and then laid out in the holes. If the planting has already been done, you can apply root dressing.The overripe manure is placed in a bucket (by a third), poured with water and insisted for seven days in the shade (without contact with direct rays). Stir occasionally, then dilute with water 10 times and watered. The procedure is carried out in April and May (before flowering).
Similarly, you can add horse manure when planting strawberries in August. Another way is to close up fresh raw materials 1–1.5 months before the planned planting. If the soil is infertile, then add 1.5-2 buckets per 1 m2, if normal - 10 liters. During this time, the manure will have time to overheat and release nutrients into the soil.
For feeding strawberries in the fall, fresh horse manure is used. But it is not embedded in the holes, but simply laid out between the beds in an amount of no more than 3 kg per square meter (in mid-October). Thanks to this, the manure overheats during the winter, the substances pass into the soil, they are processed by bacteria, after which they enter the roots. If you pour an infusion of fresh manure, it will simply burn the root hairs and may even lead to the death of the plantings.
Infusion of horse manure is given to each bush (0.5-1 l)
Feeding strawberries with cow dung
Mullein is considered the most valuable food for strawberries, since it contains all vital elements, including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and others. For cooking, it is necessary to fill the bucket with waste by a third and add water to its full volume.
The container is left in a warm place to ferment the raw material for 10-15 days. Then they are diluted 10 times and get slurry. This composition is watered at the root of the bushes in May and June - during flowering and the formation of ovaries.
Also, mullein can be used for application in late autumn (October, November) between planting rows. Take fresh, not rotted material and lay it out in the amount of 2-3 kg per 1 m2... In this form, it will remain for the winter and gradually release nitrogen and other substances into the soil. As a result, the plants will receive the necessary elements as early as next spring. The mullein can be laid out either separately or mixed with hay and straw (bedding material).
Mullein is considered one of the best types of manure for culture.
Rabbit dung for strawberries
For feeding strawberries, you can use an infusion of rabbit manure. It contains a number of valuable elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc and others. Rabbit humus is less commonly used because it is not as readily available as mullein or bird droppings.
There are several options for using top dressing:
- Prepare an infusion from fresh organic matter: fill the bucket with raw materials by a third and bring water to the final volume, let stand for 7-10 days. Then take 1 liter and dilute 10 times. Plants are watered with this infusion during the formation of buds, flowering, as well as at the stage of fruiting.
- Mix with wood ash in equal amounts and dilute with water 10 times. Let stand for a few days and then water 0.5-1 liters per bush.
- Use dry powder (it is made from crushed raw materials), adding a tablespoon (15 g) to the bush.
- When digging in the autumn (to prepare the site for planting in spring or summer), scatter 1 m of raw materials in a bucket2 and let it peel.
Is it possible to put chicken manure under strawberries
Chicken manure (droppings) is used as a top dressing for strawberries. In no case should you put it in a planting hole or under plant bushes. Fresh raw materials are semi-liquid, they will quickly rot and burn the root system. But you shouldn't insist on it for several days or even weeks, as, for example, in the case of the mullein. In this case, organic matter will lose nitrogen compounds, which is why the plantings will grow poorly.
This is an exceptional case when fresh droppings are used.It contains components in a concentrated form. Therefore, for spring processing it is necessary:
- Place 500-700 g of droppings on the bottom of the bucket.
- Dilute it with water 15–20 times.
- Then mix and immediately start watering.
- In this case, the composition is introduced not under the roots, but 10-15 cm from them.
It is not worth using bird manure during strawberry fruiting; it is better to feed with a mullein or a complex mineral composition.
Chicken droppings are not insisted, but used immediately after preparation
Frequent mistakes
Feeding strawberries with dung is beneficial, although in some cases it can be dangerous. It all depends on the form in which the raw materials are used, as well as on the proportions in which the slurry is diluted. Novice gardeners are often mistaken because they do not know all the nuances. To prevent this, it is recommended to take into account a few tips:
- Fresh manure for strawberries is used only when preparing the site (fertilizer is applied during digging at least a month in advance), as well as when laying in the aisles in late autumn. It is categorically impossible to lay it directly into the planting hole or use it to prepare a fresh solution.
- Don't cover strawberries with fresh manure in the fall. For mulching, only rotted material is used, and one manure bed will not be enough. Sawdust, needles, straw are also laid on the soil, and a frame is installed on top, on which agrofibre is pulled.
- Chicken droppings, unlike other types of organic matter, do not need to be insisted even for several days. It is diluted with water and immediately introduced into the soil. In this case, the plants are intensively watered, and the composition itself is preliminarily diluted 15–20 times.
- It is necessary to prepare the manure infusion in the amount that will be consumed at a time, since it is not worth storing the mixture for a long time. But if there is a surplus left, you can pour it into the aisles of the plantings.
Conclusion
Manure for strawberries must be applied in order to get a good harvest. The best option is to alternate organic fertilizing with mineral ones. It should be remembered that fresh manure is brought in only for digging or laid out in the aisles. Watering plants can only be done with a solution of fermented raw materials. It is also allowed to lay humus in the planting pit or use it as mulch.
