Strawberry garden - one of the most beloved and common plants. There are many different varieties. Reproduction of strawberries and an increase in fertility always become acute issues for any summer resident. This is especially true for those who grow berries for commercial purposes. The closest relative of the berry is strawberries, the care of which is very similar to the care of strawberries. Therefore, for those who have experienced planting berry bushes, this will not be new.
Strawberries are distinguished by small berries, and it is rarely possible to harvest a large crop in a garden plot. But the taste and usefulness of the berries are worth the effort. Given the close relationship of strawberries with strawberries, the increase in the number of bushes occurs in a similar way.
Propagation of strawberries
There are only three main ways that will increase the yield of berries. So, the reproduction of strawberries can occur:
- using seeds;
- by dividing the bush;
- mustache.
Each of the above methods is quite effective and suitable for cultivating a plant in a summer cottage.
Strawberries from seeds
Breeders know that the daughter bush does not receive the full range of properties of the mother plant. Therefore, in order to breed new varieties of strawberries and ensure their productivity, they use the method of propagating strawberries by seeds. They are obtained from ripe berries, to do this, cut off the top of the berry with a blade and dry it, after rubbing it on the canvas. Seeds completely dry can be stored until the spring season. Before planting the seeds in the ground, they are soaked in melt water for three days, the water should be replaced up to two times a day.
Propagation of remontant strawberries is possible only by seeds, the fact is that this type of bush does not give a mustache. In addition to transferring the parental characteristics of the variety, this method is suitable for those who want to grow a special variety of berries. For such experiments, you can purchase ready-made seeds. It should be noted that growing a bush from seeds is quite difficult, the seed does not always sprout, and it needs care.
How to propagate from seeds
Propagating bare strawberries by sowing seeds is one of the most effective ways to ensure the presence of artificially bred bushes on the site. For this you need:
- Mix equal proportions of leafy soil and rotted manure, sift it and put it in a water bath for an hour.
- Immerse the seeds into the ground with a knitting needle or a toothpick one at a time, if their number is small, then you can plant them in a separate container for grain. It is important not to sprinkle with earth.
- Cover with a film or bag and provide a temperature of 22 ° C, after 14 days the future bush will hatch.
- After two weeks, sprouts will appear. By providing a greenhouse temperature and constantly moistening the ground, good shoot growth can be achieved. It is important to ventilate the greenhouse daily.
- After the appearance of the leaves, the seedlings dive and are placed in the ground, in which they will be before transplanting to the site.
- Sowing should be done in February or March, so in July you can already see the results of your work and harvest strawberries.
Sowing seeds can be done at a convenient time, regardless of the season and the temperature outside.
It is important to remember: if the purpose of planting strawberries with seeds was to breed a new variety, then in the future it will be optimal to propagate strawberries by division. This will ensure the formation of he althy bushes and accelerate their growth.
Increasing the number of seedlings by dividing
Propagation of garden strawberries by dividing the bush is a common practice, and it is used if there is a shortage of plants. So transplanted into a new land and especially rare and valuable specimens of bushes. This ensures the safetyone of the separated parts.
It is important to consider that the reproduction of strawberries by dividing the bush is possible only if the plant is more than three years old. One-year-old plants cannot be subjected to such a procedure, the number of points is very small. Thanks to the separation of the horns, beardless varieties can be successfully planted. The number of seedlings on an adult bush is more than fifteen.
Breeding sequence
Propagation of strawberries by dividing the bush is as follows:
- Remove the bush from the ground, slightly digging it with a small spatula.
- Lower into a basin filled with water to a level of 5-7 cm.
- Wet roots are easy to separate without using a knife.
- Each individual seedling should have a he althy root system and several leaves.
- Roots that have rotted must be cut off. This also applies to yellowed leaves. To ensure the initial growth of the plant, the leaves are cut off, leaving only a small amount of them, this will help to strengthen the root system and not lose the plant's strength for leaf growth.
- It is better to place the resulting seedlings in a greenhouse for up to one and a half months.
- Strawberries should have straightened roots when planted. They should be straightened and laid in the prepared hole, after which the top layer of the earth should be slightly compacted.
- It is very important to remember that the core of the plant must remain on the surface of the soil.
Planting of seedlings is carried out only in well-moistened soil, moisture must be maintained throughout the entire period of growth of the berrybush. A horn that does not have strong roots may well take root in a new place. He and all newly transplanted bushes need to provide shade.
Propagation of remontant strawberries by dividing the bush at the age of three years is due to the fact that by this time the bush is overgrown with new shoots that are quite ready for independent development.
This planting method can be used when breeding a new variety, insufficient number of bushes for planting, and when moving a strawberry meadow to another place.
Propagation of garden strawberries with mustaches
The most popular and easily implemented method of propagating berry bushes is the addition of a mustache. For this, the very first shoots that appeared in the first year are used. They are considered the strongest and will provide good and strong seedlings. Despite the fact that the one-year-old strawberry has very few tendrils, this is the most efficient and fastest way to reproduce.
For rooting, use the mustache of a three-year-old plant, no more than two rosettes from the mother bush.
Moustache varieties of strawberries are massively overgrown with shoots during the end of fruiting. In order to keep the shrub he althy and maintain a strong root system, the whiskers are removed. They just need to be cut with a knife.
Sequence of work
After the bushes have faded and all the berries have ripened, you can start planting the shoots formed on the mustache. For this you need:
- onthe largest and most developed bushes leave a few he althy whiskers;
- sockets of new bushes to dig in and moisten the soil;
- after rooting the rosette, the mustache is cut off and, after digging up the bush, they transfer it to another place.
If there are well-developed bushes in the garden, they can throw out up to seventy rosettes on their mustaches. They are all transplantable. In this case, it is worth deciding what comes first - an increase in the number of bushes or their fruiting. A large number of whiskers takes away the strength of the plant, and it cannot bring a good harvest. The number of berries may be reduced by a third of what was expected.
For all mustachioed strawberry varieties, mustache trimming is mandatory. Otherwise, the bushes will not be able to form berries. There is a certain feature in the planting of strawberries by the method of rooting shoots: you need to leave several bushes for reproduction, which will form mustaches and rosettes, and cut the rest in the clearing.
In addition to harvesting, strawberries are also grown for decorative purposes. This applies to large-fruited varieties or the smallest. Often such strawberries are planted in flowerpots or decorate balconies with it.
How to prolong the fruiting of strawberries?
In order to achieve the maximum yield, you can extend the fruiting of the bushes. The average period during which strawberries produce berries is about three weeks. But thanks to certain tricks, this period can be extended twice.
To do this, you need to take the following measures:
- Speed upthe beginning of the awakening of the plant after winter. Before the snow melts, the planting site is covered with a black film, and after melting it must be changed to a transparent one. So the heat will remain under the cover, and the plant will grow faster. In early spring, when the sun's rays can cause burns, the greenhouse can be raised. It is important that the ground always remains moist. With this simple method, you can reduce the ripening period of berries to ten days.
- You can increase the harvest time from different areas by slowing down the vegetation of the bushes. This is useful for those who are engaged in the sale of strawberries. So, you can get a crop within one and a half months. In order to slow down the awakening of the bushes, it is necessary to lay straw or other materials that allow air to pass through the area planted with strawberries. They will delay the warming of the earth. The top layer of sawdust or straw is laid on the snow.
- Another trick is to plant varieties on the plot that ripen at different times.
- Remontant strawberries are distinguished by large berries and a long fruiting period. This period is from late spring to mid-autumn.
But the most effective was and is the cultivation of strawberries in greenhouse conditions. So the bushes can bear fruit for up to six months. To speed up the vegetation process or slow it down, give the bushes time to rest or stimulate their growth and reproduction - this is possible when creating artificial conditions for the growth of berries.
Harvesting
The result of all labor and effort is the harvest. It is important to know a few rules thatwill keep the beautiful appearance of the berries longer:
- Berries should be picked in the early morning hours or in the evening, but before they are covered with dew. The berry must be dry.
- Berries that are a little rotten, it is better not to add them to he althy ones, otherwise everything will start to deteriorate. Harvest strawberries fully ripened or slightly unripe, they will ripen in storage.
- Berries need to be plucked with the stalk so that they do not deteriorate and do not rot.
- The first few times the berries can be picked every one or two days, after this gap widens.
- Reduce watering before harvest.
Strawberries have a shelf life of up to 7 days, commercially grown varieties with thicker skins.
Tips on what to do after harvest
After the plant has ceased to bear fruit, it is necessary to take measures to strengthen it. To do this, cut off the mustache and yellowed and old leaves. Before the temperature drops, the bush will grow new leaves and form a flower bud. Removing foliage is a very important step in maintaining a he althy and strong bush.
Pest control
Pests often start on the lower leaves. Pruning mustaches and leaves should be as close as possible to the mother plant. Only mustaches should be left, which will ensure the reproduction of strawberries. Docking of leaves and whiskers must be done no later than ten days before the end of July. Otherwise, there may be a possibility of transferring diseases to he althy leaves and mustaches of strawberries. Followed by processingbushes from ticks with special preparations and removal of weeds around the bushes.
Feeding
It is also very important to feed plants for the winter. It can be produced using drugs or natural fertilizers. After the plants have received nourishment, they should be watered so that the leaves do not get burned.
Before the onset of cold weather, you just need to look after the meadow of strawberries and weed it from weeds. Also need infrequent watering.
Care
The reproduction of strawberries and the viability of its shoots directly depend on the correct care of the bushes and their proper preparation for winter. Strawberries are unpretentious in winter care, the main factor in a successful winter is the shelter of bushes under a layer of snow. The freezing of the leaves is not terrible for the berry, it is worse if the roots are open. To do this, it is necessary to spud the root system in advance. If the winter is without snow, then the beds with strawberries are covered with spruce branches or artificial materials. It is very important to insulate the bushes only after the first mild frosts have passed. So the plant will get used to the cold and endure the winter more easily.
