Strawberries are a fairly easy-to-care plant. But if you make the following 3 mistakes in caring for it, then you can say goodbye to a good harvest of berries – the expert of the Zen channel “Country Stories” warned gardeners about this.
Myth No. 1: Strawberries stop bearing fruit because the bushes have degenerated into male ones.
In reality this is impossible. Strawberry varieties have flowers of both sexes and they are not capable of becoming only male. If plants do not bear fruit, there are several reasons. For example, after fruiting you mowed the strawberry leaves.
The opposite situation is also possible. If you feed strawberries abundantly, they begin to “fatify”. The plant puts all its energy into growing tendrils and leaves, but the flower buds remain unused.
Another reason is the aging of the bushes, which occurs in the 4-5th year of the plant’s life. The root system decreases over the years, many horns appear in the center, the roots protrude from the ground and rise, and the berries grow small. Unfortunately, fertilizers will not restore youth to old bushes; you will have to buy young seedlings.
Finally, the lack of harvest may be due to a weevil or nematode infestation.
Myth #2: Cold water is healthier
In fact, you can only water strawberries with warm, settled water. Watering with ice water from a well causes stress in plants. As a result, strawberries do not absorb moisture well, suffer from fungal diseases, and the berries grow insipid and small.
By the way, you can’t water strawberries on a sunny day – drops of water in the sun, like lenses, burn the leaves. The plants will weaken and there will be fewer berries.
Myth #3: Raised beds are bad for strawberries
No, long beds 1-2 m high, covered with film, are much healthier for plants. The soil warms up well in them, and it is much more difficult for weeds to take over the area.
Interesting fact: you can eat no more than 12 berries per day, otherwise, due to the abundance of fructose, you risk experiencing gastrointestinal upset.
