Many people think that strawberries should be allowed to float freely in June. But that's not true. In some regions it is just beginning to form and turn red. And in order for me to remain intact for years and not be touched by pests, there are two ingredients. They are mixed in a bucket and scattered over the beds. The author of the Zen channel “At Grandfather Yegor’s Dacha” (12+) claims that after such processing the fruits grow large, dense and very sweet.
You will need two kilograms of sifted wood ash and one kilogram of tobacco dust. The mixture is stirred in a bucket until smooth. There is no need to infuse or dilute anything additional.
Ash works as a fertilizer and repellent. It contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium – everything strawberries need. Pests cannot tolerate ash powder: it irritates their integument, clogs their respiratory openings and creates an alkaline environment that is unpleasant for them.
Tobacco dust acts as a natural poison. The nicotine it contains kills weevils, aphids and mites on contact. The dust is safe for plants, and over time it enriches the soil with nitrogen.
How to use
Treatment is carried out in dry weather. It's best early in the morning while there is dew on the leaves. It holds the powder and prevents it from scattering.
Take a handful of the mixture and carefully powder each bush: on top, on the sides and inside the rosette. They also sprinkle the ground around where the larvae are hiding. A thin, uniform layer is more effective than heaps in one place.
Approximately one bucket of mixture is required for a bed ten linear meters long.
Why are the berries getting bigger?
If the weevil eats the buds, up to 40% of the future harvest is lost. When the mite sucks the juices from the leaves, the bush weakens and cannot produce large fruits. When infested with aphids, the plant spends energy on fighting rather than on berries.
If pests are removed, the entire resource of the bush goes into the fruit. In addition, the ash in the mixture provides potassium, which is responsible for the size and sweetness of the berries.
After treatment, the bushes look healthy and clean, with strong peduncles. The berries are tied together and poured evenly. By July from ten bushes you can collect one and a half buckets of large, whole fruits.
Read also what you need to throw into your carrot bed to get the harvest of your dreams.
