How to grow big strawberries to make neighbors envy and what mistakes to avoid: useful secrets

Strawberries are a berry worth keeping a garden for. It takes root well and gives a generous harvest. However, you can help it not just bear fruit but produce large and juicy berries. To do this, you need to provide strawberries with proper care in the spring.

OBOZ.UA found out what experienced gardeners advise for growing strawberries and what mistakes should be avoided at all costs.

Remove mulch

If you covered the strawberry bed with mulch for the winter, you need to remove it as soon as the snow melts. Plants should not be allowed to grow in the ground.

Protect strawberries from pests in time

The most common insect pests of strawberries are weevils and spider mites. They can leave you with no harvest at all. Still, it is very difficult to fight them when they have already started in the garden as it is easier to carry out prevention by loosening the soil in the garden, as well as treating the bushes with Bordeaux liquid and ash. This should be done before the insects wake up and attack the strawberries.

Provide quality watering

Strawberries need generous watering in the spring when the bushes wake up and release new greenery. To better retain water in the soil, you can cover it with loose mulch such as hay. However, after the ovaries appear, watering should be reduced so that the berries do not grow watery. After harvesting, the amount of water is increased again.

Fertilize properly

When fertilizing strawberries, you need to be careful with nitrogen. It will put all the strength of the plant into growing leaves and the berries may turn out to be small and not sweet. Therefore, the plant is fed with nitrogen in early spring when it blooms and sets. You should use mineral complex at that time and phosphorus and potassium after fruiting and in early fall.

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