Boric acid should be used only when there are clear signs of boron deficiency in strawberries. Here's what they look like:
- The bush remains small, growth slows down, the growing point may turn black and die.
- Few flowers and ovaries are formed, pollination is poor, the flowers turn black, and the ovary crumbles.
- The berries grow small, deformed and dry.
- The leaves take the shape of a “sail” and are covered with a brown, dry border along the edges.
Under what conditions is boron deficient?
- On poor sandy soils, boron is quickly washed away.
- On alkaline soils with high pH – there boron binds and becomes inaccessible to the roots.
- In regions with frequent rainfall.
- In arid regions, in the heat and with insufficient watering (boron comes only with water).
- With frequent alkalization of the soil.
How to feed correctly
If there are already signs of deficiency, a solution is prepared at the rate of 2 grams of boric acid per 10 liters of water. For prevention, 0.5–1 gram per 10 liters is sufficient. It is even better to use complex fertilizers with microelements – zinc and molybdenum, they help boron to be absorbed.
You need to feed with boron at the beginning of the growing season or in the fall. This is the only way that boron will have time to influence the ovary and flowers – by the time the buds are set, the supply should already be replenished.
An important nuance: boron does not move through plant tissues. Wherever I got there, I stayed there. Therefore, spraying on the leaf solves the problem worse than watering at the root. And during flowering, boron can even burn the flowers.
“And sweetness? Boron is responsible for the transport of carbohydrates in tissues. Like potassium and other elements… And they are synthesized thanks to photosynthesis. Yes, with a lack of boron, the berries can be unsweetened. But: sweetness is about the sun, about the variety, about agricultural technology – and not about boron alone. If a strawberry bush has sun, water, fertile soil, but the variety is sour, the strawberries will not become sweeter from boron,” shares Zen channel “In Valentine's Garden” (12+).
Why is excess boron dangerous?
If you feed it with boron just like that, unnecessarily, the strawberries will begin to wither.
The lower leaves become covered with brown necrotic spots and curl. The leaves become dome-shaped, turn yellow and fall off, and the growth of the bush stops.
Read also how to feed onions so that the feathers are bright green.
