Mowing or not: what to do with strawberry bushes in July

The fruiting period of strawberries has come to an end. However, experienced gardeners emphasize that you should not stop caring for the bushes when the harvest is already over.

To increase the yield next season, you should fertilize strawberries in July. Many people start mowing the bushes so that the root system of the plants begins to develop better. OBOZ.UA figured out what to do with strawberry bushes after fruiting and whether to mow them.

Do you need to mow strawberry bushes

There is a theory that by mowing the bushes immediately after harvesting, you can improve the growth and expansion of strawberries in the next season. New shoots will begin to grow, and the plants' immunity will only improve from radical mowing. They even say that mowing will help remove pests.

You should not resort to such methods of plant care. Plants will be stressed after mowing and will not be able to recover for a long time, which will, of course, negatively affect the next season's harvest.

Experts say that after radical mowing, strawberry bushes may not produce berries at all.

Proper care

If mowing is not worth doing, pruning is another matter. You can prune those bushes that need this procedure.

• Take secateurs or garden shears.
• Remove old leaves and shoots.
• Diseased bushes should be dug up so that the infection does not spread to the entire garden.
• Remove dry leaves and shoots from the bed, and carefully dig up the soil between the rows. This is to allow more oxygen, moisture, and nutrients to reach the root system.

How to fertilize strawberries

After fruiting, do not apply nitrogen fertilizers, otherwise, the plant will not winter well and the bushes may even freeze out.

Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers will be the most effective. In a container with 10 liters of water, add 20 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfate. Watering is best done in the morning or late in the evening.

Another way is to incorporate a mixture of sulfate and superphosphate into the soil in a dry form. You just need to scatter the fertilizer on the bed and water it abundantly.

Organics are also always relevant. For example, you can dilute mullein with water in a ratio of 1:10, add 10 grams of ash, and carry out root watering at the rate of one liter per bush.

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