Why some strawberry bushes do not bloom and do not bear fruit: reasons and what to do

Strawberries, or garden strawberries, are grown by domestic gardeners in almost all regions. These fragrant berries are the first to saturate the body with vitamins and minerals after a long winter. There are no particular difficulties in caring for a plant, however, sometimes summer residents notice that some strawberry bushes do not bloom and do not bear fruit, why this happens, it is worth understanding before starting to grow this crop.

Mistakes made while landing

If you violate the rules and terms of planting garden strawberries, the bushes will not only not bear fruit, but will not form flower buds at all.If strawberries were planted in open ground last season, and next spring the gardener did not find color on them, then the procedure was carried out too late. The plant did not have time to properly take root in a new place before the onset of cold weather, therefore it did not form flower buds and, accordingly, berries. Garden strawberries planted in autumn may not survive the winter at all and freeze. The best time for planting bushes is the last days of July or the beginning of August.

If the gardener still missed the summer deadlines and started work in September, he should be prepared for the fact that there will be no harvest in the first year. In spring and summer, strawberry bushes will continue to form the root system and increase leaf mass, and berries will appear only after a year.

The same applies to the spring planting of garden strawberries: this year there will be neither flowers nor berries on the bushes. The first harvest will please the gardener only next season.

Another reason for the lack of flowering is considered to be the wrong planting depth.If the hearts of the plant are underground, and not at ground level, this leads not only to a lack of fruiting, but also to decay of the bushes and their death. But even if the hearts are completely exposed, this will cause the strawberries to dry out soon.

Misnutrition

It is impossible to make strawberries bloom without adding nutrients. Garden strawberries need both organic and mineral fertilizers. If the soil at the place of cultivation is poor, the plants are fed as follows:

1. First fertilization in early spring, as soon as the snow melts. It is important to do this before the first leaves bloom. The composition of the first dressing must include nitrogen, which contributes to the growth of green mass and the growth of shoots. Make a mixture, adhering to the following proportions: 1 tablespoon of ammonium sulfate and 2 cups of mullein per 10 liters of water.Bushes are watered with this solution at the rate of 1 liter per 1 copy.
2. Next time garden strawberries are fertilized in mid-May, before flowering. To improve the taste properties of fruits at this time, top dressings are used, which include potassium. You can use mullein infusion or potassium nitrate in the amount of 1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water.
3. To get a crop of large fruits, one more top dressing is carried out at the stage of ovary formation. Any complex mineral fertilizer is used, applying it by the foliar method.

Useful are also considered fertilizers, consisting of natural ingredients - wood ash, iodine, bread crusts.

Overfeeding

Excessive application of nutrient complexes is just as harmful to plants as their deficiency. With an excess of fertilizer, strawberries begin to grow dense foliage to the detriment of flowers and fruits.An overdose of nitrogen is especially dangerous. If the gardener noticed that the strawberry bushes have excessively increased the leaf mass, it is worth reviewing the schedule and composition of the dressings. In addition, it is necessary to shed abundantly planting garden strawberries in order to quickly wash the nitrogen out of the soil.

Lack of lighting

Due to lack of sunlight, garden strawberries do not lay flower buds, from which berries are subsequently formed. The area for growing crops should be illuminated by the sun during the day.

In addition, the strawberry plantation should not be shaded by tall buildings. A plot with garden strawberries should not be located in places blown by the winds. Drafts lead to the fact that the plant begins to hurt, and the color is missing.

Weather conditions

For the successful laying of flower buds, garden strawberries need certain weather conditions, and this applies not only to the spring-summer season, but also to the winter.Very often, due to the lack of a full-fledged shelter in the cold season, frosts damage the hearts of the culture, and such specimens slowly begin to grow leaf mass in the spring and do not lay flower buds.

If strawberries are grown in a region with harsh and little snowy winters, they must provide a full-fledged shelter from frost. If the plant freezes over in the autumn-winter period, then next season it does not bloom, but gives a mustache.

Lack of color is also caused by rainy spring. Due to excess moisture, the root system of plants rots, and the bushes disappear. When growing garden strawberries on heavy soils that do not pass water well, be sure to equip a high-quality drainage system when planting bushes.

Another reason for the poor flowering of strawberries is the intense heat in the spring. If the gardener noticed that the plant lacks moisture, it is necessary to organize regular and plentiful watering. Without irrigation, the berries, if tied, will be small and sour.

Degeneration

In one place, strawberries bear fruit for no more than 3 years, so if the gardener noticed the absence of berries on the bushes, it is worth transplanting. In the case of remontant garden strawberries, it is recommended to rejuvenate plantings by dividing the bush. A new site is selected and the necessary fertilizers are applied. Young rosettes are separated from old bushes and transferred to another place. Already next season, the bushes will please with an abundance of tasty and large berries.

Weedy or not suitable for the region variety

In the absence of proper care, weed varieties appear on strawberry plantations that do not bloom and do not produce a crop. The source of their reproduction is considered to be the planting of mustaches of garden strawberries of unknown origin and seed propagation of the culture. Experienced gardeners recommend not to engage in the seed method of growing strawberries, as it does not preserve the technical characteristics of the original variety.

Weed specimens appear on plantations and in those cases when uncollected ripe berries remain on the bushes. Their seeds spread around the site, germinate and drown out fruiting strawberry varieties. Of all weed varieties, Bakhmutka, Zhmurka, Suspension and Dubnyak are dangerous for garden strawberries. They have a fast growth rate and aggressive mustache formation.

When choosing a strawberry variety for your plot, the gardener should pay attention to its frost resistance characteristics. The lack of a crop is the result of an incorrectly selected option for your region. Bushes frozen in winter develop poorly and do not form flower buds.

Possible diseases

The development of diseases and the lack of their prevention also affects the quality of flowering and fruiting. Of the most dangerous strawberry diseases, the following are noted:

1. Grey rot. The causative agent is the fungus botrytis, its development is facilitated by rainy weather. As a preventive measure, the fungicidal preparation Fitosporin is used, which is sprayed with bushes a week before the expected flowering.
2. Late blight. With this disease, flower stalks fade, and berries are not tied. If measures are not taken in time, strawberry bushes die 2 years after infection. For treatment and prevention, Trichodermin or Planriz is used, spraying strawberries 2-3 times during the growing season.

Pest attack

The reason for the lack of a plentiful harvest is also pests that damage young bushes. Most often found on plants:

1. Strawberry leaf beetle. The insect settles on the back of the leaf plate and lays eggs there. Young leaf beetles actively eat leaves, which is why the bushes wither and stop fruiting. To scare away the pest, they use tobacco dust and regularly loosen the soil between the rows.
2. Nematode. Because of this pest, the buds and ovaries are deformed.In the future, the bushes begin to lag behind in development and cease to please with berries. For prevention, crop rotation is observed and the soil is disinfected before planting young bushes. Affected plants are immediately dug up and removed from the site.

If you provide strawberries with competent agrotechnical care, every season it will delight with a harvest of large and fragrant berries.

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