Strawberry is a wonderful berry, tasty, beautiful and very he althy. It contains only slightly less vitamin C than currants, and it is desirable to eat it in unlimited quantities. In addition to fresh, strawberries are excellent in preserves and jams, compotes and other preservation. True, in order to grow it on your personal plot, you need to work hard.
For the berry to grow
Let's talk about how to care for garden strawberries. If you already have beds, then in the spring be sure to free them from the old foliage that has fallen and hibernated under the snow. Near young bushes, work only with your hands. And the old ones can also be cleaned with a rake - their root system is better attached to the soil. Then treat the earth with a special compound so that the weevil does not start. After all, she is very tender and whimsical - garden strawberries, diseases and pests stick to her, and the weevil bug is one of the first enemies. Then you should fertilize the earth with a mixture of humus and manure, lightly sprinkle the beds with it. Such top dressing will strengthen the plants before flowering and fruiting, give them the necessary strength, and you - tasty andbountiful harvest. In the early period of growth and flowering, at the beginning of ripening, it is recommended to regularly moisten and loosen the soil around the fruit bushes so that it does not harden and does not stray into clods. It is on soft, moist soils that garden strawberries grow best. Diseases and pests begin to affect it with improper care, excessively wet lands. And the roots themselves quickly rot and die. The planting site of the bushes should be changed every 3-5 years. Then the harvest will be larger, and the berries will be larger.
Fight for the harvest
Now in more detail about what garden strawberries can be affected by, what diseases and pests are most dangerous for it.
Brown spotting on leaves. This is a fungal disease that most often affects the plant. Gardeners have bred varieties that are more resistant to it, and it is better to plant them in their beds. These include Festivalnaya, Luch, Epic, Zarya, Bohemia and others. And as a struggle and prevention, it is necessary in the fall, before hiding the beds for the winter, spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid (four percent) or three percent copper sulphate. After a couple of days, remove the old leaves and clean the soil. Repeat the procedure in early spring.
Weakened garden strawberries are most easily infected. Diseases and pests affect the roots, stems with leaves, and fruits. For example, with a nematode, the leaves curl, the berries grow small, also irregular in shape. Upon detectiondamaged plants are immediately dug up and burned. And for prevention, seedlings are immersed for 10 minutes. in hot (50 degrees) water, then cooled and planted in the ground.
How the diseases of garden strawberries manifest themselves outwardly, the photos clearly demonstrate. For example, with a strawberry mite, the leaves become pale in color, wither, curl and dry. Berries grow crooked, spotted. To prevent the appearance of a pest, the beds are sprayed with an infusion of onions, yarrow or garlic. Colloidal sulfur helps well in a solution of 100: 10 (100 g of sulfur per 10 liters of liquid).
Weevils have already been mentioned: bugs feed on plant juices, lay eggs in buds. Needles will help get rid of them, which should be crushed and covered with beds. Not enduring the coniferous spirit, the insect will run away from the odorous bushes and will not return soon.
Here are some simple ways to care, choose the most suitable for you, and garden strawberries will delight you with a delicious, he althy, refreshing berry!
