Determining the timing of planting strawberries
Every self-respecting summer resident has at least one strawberry garden on the site. And why not, because aromatic sweet berries are good in any form, both fresh and in compote or jam. One of the main tasks of cultivating a culture is timely planting, because the seedlings should not only take root, but also have time to get stronger before the arrival of cold weather, and in some cases - give a crop already this season. Some gardeners choose to do this in the fall, while others postpone the process until spring. How to determine the landing time so as not to miscalculate?
Choosing the time when plant strawberries, you need to focus on the following factors:
- type of planting material;
- the purpose of breeding (for obtaining seedlings or berries);
- variety of culture.
What are the seedlings?
The best choice is to purchase seedlings with a closed root system or grow them yourself in pots or cassettes. It is worth planting such material at the beginning of autumn, because by this time good roots will have formed in the bushes, they will be strong, they will be easier to transfer and take root quickly, especially if you do not damage the earthen ball, but simply transfer the seedling from the pot to the garden bed. In addition, before winter, such grown bushes will have time to lay fruit buds.
Planting material with an open root system will give a higher survival rate during spring planting. By sending such plants to the beds in the fall, there is a risk that they will not have time to get stronger before frost.
As for the early maturing seedlings strawberry frigo, it should definitely be planted only in the spring, and after three months it will be possible to harvest.
What is the purpose of breeding?
Most summer residents grow strawberries for "food" purposes, that is, to get berries. To get the first berries next summer, seedlings are planted at the end of August.
If the harvest is not as important as obtaining new planting material, then it is better to plant strawberries in the mother plant in spring.
Influence of variety on planting dates
As you know, strawberries can be early and remontant, each species has its own characteristics of vegetative development and its own planting time, namely:
- Early varieties. How do they develop: Ties flower buds with a short daylight hours and temperatures ranging from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. New rosettes are formed after the harvest is ripe, in early - mid-summer. New plants take root in August and bud in September. The root system of the bush, which developed in the fall, lives up to 9 months and is responsible for the formation of generative buds. When to plant: August - early September.
- Repaired varieties. How do they develop: the duration of daylight does not affect the budding, but such varieties are more thermophilic. When to plant: to get a harvest already in July-August of this year, it is better to plant in April.
As for the summer landing, there is no point in it. The high temperature and lack of moisture will do their job: even if the seedlings take over and survive the rest of the summer, they will not grow good roots and may die in winter, in addition, fruit buds will not form under such conditions.