Features of preparation for winter strawberries
The season ended with a fragrant sweet strawberries this year. Before preparing the strawberry plants in cold winter need to take some precautions in order to encourage them to grow again next spring. Strawberry is resistant to cold, but severe frost can have a significant impact on it. To enjoy it in the next year, we should not forget that caring for strawberries is not ended. Now is the right time to take care of her, and the next year to be a good harvest.
Additional information!After fruiting strawberries finished, you can prepare it for the winter.
How to properly treat the strawberries in winter
All strawberries, where whatever we were grown, to grow weed. First you need to remove any weeds and carefully loosen the soil around the bushes.
After removing the weeds begin to cut the leaves, remove the flower shoots, since they already are no longer fertile. Using scissors, cut mustache crawling. Shoots, which spread and form new roots in other places, too draw strength from the plant. This not only strengthens the crop plants, but also contributes to the formation of more fruit in the coming year. After cutting it is important to see to it that the core of the plant is not damaged.
Important!Do not tear the hands mustache, so it is possible to damage the bush core.
An important measure before wintering is to prevent diseases and pests by removing leaves. Old and unhealthy leaves with symptoms of diseases or pests for approximately five centimeters above the core is removed from the plant. By the winter of strawberries will be new leaves.
Mow young stands susceptible varieties or impractical – they will not be able to regenerate their leaves before the winter, and the plants will be in danger because of the frost.
Strawberry flower buds the next harvest from mid-September to mid-October, so pruning should be done as early as possible.
Note!Mowing old leaves rejuvenates and increases the yield of most varieties. In no case did not cut a new strawberries, planted in August or September.
With remontant strawberry varieties do likewise: cut whiskers and old leaves. Leave the young leaves, strawberries, which can still ripen (if berries are already painted) on the plants. Remove the flowers and green berries. Most likely, they will not ripen before winter.
Watering
In the second half of the summer there is little rain in some areas, and watering after harvest is important. In the strawberry root system is shallow in the soil. Therefore, this culture is equally not tolerate as rewet and drying of the surface layer. Lack of moisture causes the death of the plants in the winter due to freezing. 
For good plant hibernation should be dry for a long time. Otherwise, it will freeze, even if in fact dry, frost only help. Therefore strawberries watered relatively regularly, especially in late summer until frost.
Feeding strawberry</ h3>
It is also important for the strawberry is a fertilizer. Before the onset of winter autumn diet should contain less nitrogen, more potassium phosphorous and calcium. The first dressing is carried out in late August, and the second – no later than October. In more recent months, strawberry poorly absorbs nutrients. Scatter fertilizer between rows to dressing gets to the roots of the natural way. Autumn fertilizer to help strengthen the root system, and help the plants easier to spend the winter. It will also increase renal resistance to cold.
Diseases and pests of strawberries
Strawberry is attacked by many pests and diseases, the most dangerous of which is the strawberry beetle. Beetle eats the stems, larvae – the kidneys. Strawberry mite – a very dangerous pest. It causes damage to crops not only current, but also next year, because eats the flower buds in late summer. Plants will bear fruit very poorly or will not bear fruit.
For autumn treatment of strawberry plants against pests – they sprayed with fungicides.
How to cover for the winter strawberries?
In winter days begin ground or night frosts, because of which the strawberries can be protected even earlier, depending on the current weather. Warming of strawberries should be carried out in the cold days of October and November. The problem is not a part of the aerial part and the root system. If the soil temperature drops below -15 ° C, more than likely that the plant would not survive the winter.
Young plantations (planted in autumn), who are not yet developed root system weakened by fruiting varieties because of the multiple harvesting are susceptible to cold and so they need a shelter for the winter.
A layer of mulch can be a good shelter for wintering plants. Spreading garden compost, peat in the ranks is a good protection from the cold.
More carefully, you can cover with a layer of straw strawberries, fir branches, but only to place them between plants. They do not completely cover the bushes, because under the covering can grow fungi, bacteria. It should cover the weak or delicate varieties of non-woven fabric.
Proper overwintering strawberry is not only important for its survival next season, but also for the possible elimination of various diseases and pests. If a healthy root system and the temperature does not fall below -15 ° C – Strawberry able to survive the winter intact.
