How often to water strawberries during berry ripening and fruiting

In order not to be mistaken, figuring out how often and abundantly to water strawberry bushes, you should know the rules for caring for this crop. In addition to the use of water, it is possible to use liquid fertilizers, growth stimulants. Periods of flowering, fruiting require the opposite approach while observing the drinking regime. The climate zone and time of year also influence. Having an understanding of these subtleties is extremely important.

Rules for watering strawberries

To ensure a regular supply of juicy, fragrant strawberries to the table, to get a stable harvest, you need to properly water the bushes. The culture is specific, with a peculiar structure of the root system and water regime.

Most gardeners are aware that strawberries “drink” a lot of water, but few know that overflow is more dangerous for them than drought.

Roots are divided into superficial, absorbing moisture from shallow soil layers, and long, located in the lower soil horizons. Both eat separately.

The task of the summer resident is to ensure a uniform flow of liquid along the height of the earthen cake, avoiding waterlogging, stagnation.

How often and how to water strawberries for a high yield

Water watering strife. There is a drinking regimen for strawberries in dry weather, but there are also rules for rainy seasons. The plant experiences a special need for liquid from May to September, during the period of active growth and fruiting.

Until the heat comes, at the beginning of the growing season, the frequency of watering is once every 7 days.An upward change in temperature requires adjustment of "water procedures": 2-3 times a week. The type of soil, in turn, also affects the frequency and amount of moisture for feeding strawberries. Strawberries on sandy soils with high drainage need to be moistened every 2 days in summer. With the advent of autumn, watering is gradually reduced so as not to cause putrefactive processes in the soil and the underground part of the plant.

If it rains, the soil gets enough natural moisture, no additional water is needed.

Special attention is paid to the temperature of the water. Watering with cold liquid stimulates the development of rot, leads to the death of the bushes. It is recommended to defend the water in barrels or tanks, and only then carefully “drink” the strawberries, avoiding drops on the leaves. There is no time to painstakingly water each bush from a bucket, watering can - you can adapt the watering hose to the storage tank, it's not difficult.

Features of watering by vegetation stages

Separate several stages of watering, focused on different periods of bush development:

Immediately after landing. Planted strawberries will not be able to produce flower stalks in the absence of the required concentration of liquid in the soil mixture.
At the beginning of flowering. The formation of inflorescences, ovaries, fruiting depend on the observance of the “drinking regime”.
When berries appear, fruiting. If there is not enough water, there will be no harvest. This is an axiom.

The stages differ in the amount of moisture distributed, doses for each day. It is allowed to combine fertilizing and watering, but you can’t experiment freely. It is very important to give strawberries as much water as they need, not a milliliter more or less.

Water at the beginning of the growing season

As soon as a bush is planted in the ground, it immediately needs watering. It is important to choose the right dose of liquid. Most often, strawberries are planted in spring or autumn, in moderately warm weather, so you should not be too zealous with water. Be sure to direct the jet under the root, not at the top. The recommended dose is 500 milliliters per bush for 14 days. The water should be warm.

Subsequently, established seedlings receive up to 12 liters of feed per square meter of plantings.

The type of soil (sandy, loamy) also affects the maintenance of moisture levels, the amount of water received by the bush. It is important to maintain drainage in the soil. This requires loosening, which allows the root part of the plant to receive moisture and air. Get rid of weeds at the same time.

Flowering

The flowering period should be accompanied by dosed watering. Otherwise, general depletion of the plant, problems with fruiting cannot be avoided. The average displacement per square meter of plantation is up to 25. The specific amount varies depending on the type of soil, climate zone, weather. The average depth of moisture penetration into the ground is 25 centimeters.

Mulching placed between rows of strawberries will help keep nutrient fluid in the soil. This step helps to solve 2 problems:

avoid weed development;
isolate inflorescences, buds and fruits from contact with moisture (prevent rot).

In August, in autumn, watering is gradually reduced. If the weather is rainy, with regular precipitation, then the amount of moisture is proportionally regulated. But it is impossible to completely refuse watering so that the plant continues to develop. After all, right now there is a release of new mustaches.

Fruiting

The beginning of the harvest occurs in June, but this successful development of events may stop if you do not use growth stimulants, regulated watering in the open field. The secret to successfully getting not one, but several harvests, is to follow the rule of "25 liters of water per square meter."

But it works for hot weather with low levels of humidity in the atmosphere and soil.

The last indicator is set depending on the type of soil: in mixtures with sand - 70%, in loamy substrates - 80%. The need of flower rosettes for moisture increases during the formation of ovaries. Creating a special "channel" in the aisle will help retain water, preventing inflorescences from contacting with it during the ripening of berries.

After harvest

Strawberries are one of the crops that do not stop watering after fruiting. This is the care of the berry. Together with top dressing, it allows you to streamline the results, continue harvesting in the future.

First, pruning is carried out, old fragments are removed, the plant is formed. Then fertilizer is applied. Watering should be infrequent, but regular, so that the soil on which the bushes grow does not dry out. The more young leaves appear during this period, the better for strawberries: they will protect the bush during wintering, help the plant endure the cold.

Drip systems

For those who do not want (or cannot) systematically water each bush, dosing the amount of liquid received, there is an alternative solution. We are talking about drip irrigation technology.

The undoubted advantage of the method is as follows:

Strawberries get the right amount of moisture.
A dry layer of soil does not appear on the ground around the bushes.
No waterlogging occurs.

Drip irrigation, so named because water is delivered to the plant in precisely calculated amounts (drop by drop), is recommended for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. It is easy to make it both from ready-made kits and on your own.

The basis of the system is a pump that pumps water through a network of capillaries. Another advantage is the delivery of life-giving moisture to where it is needed (to the roots). Leaves, inflorescences remain dry. Pollen is not washed off, the plant does not get sunburn. Such an installation allows you to quickly and efficiently manage the feeding of strawberries, almost without human intervention. Fresh seedlings, deepened into the ground and protected by covering material from temperature changes, will be able to receive good nutrition, will grow faster if drip irrigation is provided.

The system is simple in design but extremely effective. It is enough to familiarize yourself once with the principle of its work in order to create the same on a personal plot. Moreover, components (hoses, pump, adapters) are easy to buy in a store or on the market.

Sprinkler irrigation systems

Each guide to growing strawberries, experienced gardeners put a special emphasis on watering. This aspect extends to timeliness, fluid volumes, and coverage area. It is equally important to find a balance between "pour, let it rot" and "do not add, allow an airtight crust to form."

The task is made easier by using irrigation systems. These include drip irrigation, structures with spraying water over the parsing area. To understand the difference and common features of these options, just compare them:

Drip systemSprinkler designFeaturesFlexible perforated capillaries.The pump pumps water, evenly supplying liquid to the strawberry roots. Flow rate, pressure can be adjusted. Fluid supply comes from belowA special movable unit is used to spray water. Automation is allowed, which allows delivering a dosed amount of moisture to each strawberry bush. Fluid supply from aboveBenefitsNo need for human presence. The system provides the supply of nutrient fluid to the strawberry bushesDisadvantagesRequires a large number of hoses, laying of capillaries and communication parts If the adjustment is incorrect, bushes, berries may be flooded, rot may develop

Type

In fact, a sprinkler is a special nozzle that creates a thin, almost imperceptible jet of water. At the same time, consumption is minimized, and a uniform distribution of liquid over the strawberry plantation area is ensured.Assembling such a system with your own hands is easier than others. In the future, automation can be added to the design to free yourself from the need to worry about watering strawberries, getting a stable harvest of berries.

Rookie Mistakes

No one is immune from misses. But most often they happen to beginners. This is natural, since there is a lack of experience and knowledge, and sometimes attentiveness, understanding of the essence of phenomena. Mistakes happen with the choice of a strawberry planting site. It is a low, swampy place, poor (poorly permeable) soil, lack of nutrients that the seedling will need to grow.

Depending on the severity of the problem, different methods of solution are used: replanting, replacing the earth mixture, using organic (mineral) fertilizers.

The next mistake concerns the wrong watering regimen. There are 2 options - excessive and insufficient.In the first case, the bushes will begin to rot, the berries will disappear, turn gray, the crop will be spoiled. In the second - the strawberries will dry out, it will develop poorly. The third mistake is related to the neglect of pruning strawberries. And absolutely in vain. The abundance of released whiskers draws juices from the bush, strawberries are deprived of essential nutrients, minerals and moisture.

Another miss is due to high hopes for irrigation systems: they are automatic, they can handle everything themselves. Both drip and sprinkler structures must be adjusted, adjusted depending on the weather, season, specific situation. Only in this case, they will supply the strawberry bushes with life-giving liquid, preventing waterlogging.

And one more thing. The water should not be cold. It is better to use a special container (sump) in which the liquid for watering strawberries is naturally heated.