Content
Cultivation and strawberry care in Siberia have their own characteristics. The weather conditions of the region establish certain requirements for the rules of planting, organization of watering, pruning of plants and other procedures. Increased attention is paid to the choice of varieties, the location of strawberries and plant nutrition. When the rules of care are followed, a high yield of berries is obtained.
Requirements for strawberry varieties for Siberia
For the regions of Siberia, strawberries of certain varieties are selected. The berry must meet the following conditions:
- increased resistance to frost in winter and cold snaps in spring;
- the ability to grow and yield quickly;
- fruiting in conditions of short daylight hours;
- resistance to fungal diseases, pests and decay;
- good taste.
Many varieties of strawberries for Siberia are distinguished by early or medium fruiting. No less in demand repairing varieties capable of producing crops from June to the arrival of frost. About 2 weeks pass between each harvest of remontant varieties.
Most of the strawberry varieties for Siberia were bred by domestic specialists. The plants are adapted to the conditions of this region and produce good yields.
The most popular varieties in Siberia are:
- Darenka - an early strawberry that bears large sweet berries with a sour taste;
- Omskaya early - a variety bred specifically for the regions of Siberia, characterized by small sweetish fruits;
- Amulet is a dessert variety that gives a bountiful harvest;
- Tanyusha is another variety of strawberries adapted to Siberian conditions;
- Elizaveta Vtoraya is a remontant variety, distinguished by large fruits and long fruiting;
- Temptation - remontant strawberry with nutmeg flavor.
Soil preparation
Strawberries prefer light sandy or loamy soils rich in organic fertilizers.
To prepare the soil before planting plants, you will need the following components:
- black soil - 1 bucket;
- wood ash - 0.5 l;
- fertilizer containing a complex of nutrients - 30 g.
Good fertilizers for strawberries are compost, humus, or rotted manure. For 1 sq. m of soil requires up to 20 kg of organic matter. Additionally, you can use superphosphate (30 g) and potassium chloride (15 g).
When growing remontant or large-fruited varieties, the fertilizer rate is doubled. The substances must be added according to the dosage in order to avoid an excess of minerals.
Strawberries do not tolerate highly acidic soils. You can reduce this figure by adding slaked lime (5 kg per hundred square meters).
Site selection
Strawberries require certain conditions that must be provided regardless of the region of their cultivation. Plants require abundant sunlight for abundant fruiting. Therefore, the beds are arranged in such a way that no shadow from trees or buildings falls on them.
When choosing a place for planting in the open field, the rules of crop rotation are taken into account. It is not allowed to plant strawberries where eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage previously grew.Good predecessors for strawberries are: garlic, lek, beets, oats, legumes.
When choosing a site, it should be borne in mind that severe frosts are typical for Siberia. High snow cover serves as a reliable protection of plants from freezing.
In the spring, the snow begins to melt, due to which numerous deep streams are formed. If the spring stream touches the strawberry bed, it will have a detrimental effect on plantings. As a result, you will have to equip a new area for the berry.
Landing rules
Proper planting will help ensure long-term fruiting of strawberries. Leave at least 25 cm between the plants. Although the seedlings take up little free space in the spring, they grow over the summer and form a powerful bush.
A distance of 0.8 m is left between the rows.This way you can avoid thickening of the plantings and facilitate the care of plants. On one bed, strawberries are grown for 3-4 years, after which a new plot is equipped for it.
Before planting strawberries, you need to dig holes, then water well land and wait until the moisture is absorbed. Fertilizer for plants is applied in the autumn, however, in the spring it is allowed to use humus and ash.
The seedlings are carefully placed in the pits so as not to damage their root system, which is covered with earth. After planting, the soil must be compacted. Then the strawberries are watered and covered with foil for 10 days. This will protect the plants from cold snaps and strengthen their roots.
Feeding strawberries
The fruiting of strawberries is largely dependent on the supply of nutrients.
It is necessary to take care of plants in order to saturate them with useful components in several stages:
- spring processing;
- feeding after the appearance of the ovary;
- post-harvest processing;
- autumn feeding.
In the spring, strawberries are fertilized with poultry droppings (0.2 kg), which are diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution is infused for a day, then the plants are watered at the root.
Nitroammofoska is a complex fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These trace elements are responsible for the development of strawberries.
When ovaries appear, you need to water the plants with mullein solution. For this, rotted manure is used, which should be infused for several days.
In summer, the plants are provided with potassium, which is responsible for the taste of the berries. This substance is found in humus and ash. Humus (0.3 kg) is diluted with water (10 l), after which it is left for a day.
Ash is versatile fertilizer for strawberriescontaining a whole range of useful substances. It is embedded in the soil between rows with plantings or used as a solution. An additional effect of ash is to protect plants from pests.
In the fall, the main fertilizer for strawberries is mullein. Superphosphate or potassium sulfate is added to a solution based on it. For 10 liters of water, the norm of mineral fertilizers is no more than 30 g.
Watering strawberries
Strawberries need to be watered regularly to harvest. Additionally, it is required to provide oxygen access to the plant roots. Therefore, another stage of care is soil loosening.
The rate of incoming moisture is determined taking into account precipitation. In rainy weather, strawberries are covered with agrofilm during flowering and fruiting. So you can protect the planting from the spread of fungal diseases.
The soil moisture level for strawberries depends on the type of soil. For sandy soils, moisture indicators should be about 70%, for clayey - about 80%.
Each plant requires up to 0.5 liters of water. After planting strawberries, watering is carried out daily for 2 weeks. Then a break of 2-3 days is made between procedures.
On average, strawberries are watered 1-2 times every week. Plants prefer a rare but abundant supply of moisture. It is better to refuse from frequent and scanty watering.
The water used to water the strawberries should not be too cold. It can be defended in greenhouses or you can wait until it warms up in the sun. For a large number of plants, it is better to equip drip irrigation, which ensures an even flow of moisture.
Mustache trimming
As the strawberry grows, it produces whiskers - long branches that allow the plant to grow. Due to the mustache, you can get new seedlings. If you do not carry out timely pruning of shoots, this will lead to thickening of the plantings and a decrease in yield.
It is recommended to remove excess shoots immediately, since strawberries spend a lot of vitality on them. Additionally, dry leaves and stems of plants are removed. Leave only shoots that are planned to be used for seedlings.
Mustache pruning is done in the spring before flowering and in the fall when the last crop is harvested. A dry day without wind, morning or evening, is chosen for work. Strawberry shoots are cut with scissors or pruning shears.
Soil mulching
Mulching creates a protective layer on the soil surface. Its additional function is to enrich the soil with nutrients.
For mulching plantings with strawberries, you can choose an inorganic material - film, polyethylene or woven material. It is recommended to cover plants in Siberia in spring to protect them from cold snaps.
Organic mulch - straw, hay, sawdust helps to enrich the soil. This layer dries quickly after watering, which reduces the spread of rot on plants. Mulch becomes an obstacle to growth weeds.
Mulching is performed in spring when the first strawberry ovaries appear. Under the weight of the berries, the stems of the plants often sink. The protective layer will keep the fruits from contamination.
For mulching in the fall, synthetic materials, straw, needles, fallen leaves are used. This will keep the plants from freezing before the snow appears. In spring, mulch will accelerate the heating of the soil, which has a positive effect on the rate of ripening of berries.
Conclusion
For growing strawberries in Siberia mainly varieties bred for this region are used. Plants must be resistant to cold temperatures, mature in a short time and provide good palatability.
Siberian conditions are capable of tolerating strong plants that receive regular watering and feeding. A sunny place is chosen under the berry, where there are no darkening and the likelihood of flooding with melt water. Particular attention is paid to mulching the soil and sheltering plants from frost and spring cold snaps.
