How can you preserve strawberries for the winter without cooking them fresh?

Popular varieties

Varieties of remontant strawberries come without mustaches, which save gardeners space and time; there are varieties with mustaches, which are more resistant to heat and drought.

• Albion. The variety has powerful bushes, the berries are large, dark red, and oblong in shape. This variety produces a rich harvest, it is resistant to diseases, and the berries are easy to transport without damage. Has average frost resistance. Fruits in spring, summer and mid-September.
• Queen Elizabeth. Small variety. Some berries reach 100 grams, they are dark crimson in color, very juicy and fragrant. The culture tolerates winter well and is resistant to diseases. The whole season pleases with juicy berries.
• Lyubava. Red oval berries ripen on small bushes. The variety is winter-hardy and almost does not suffer from pests.
• Selva. The berries are aromatic, very large, regular in shape. The variety is characterized by high productivity and almost no disease. Winter resistant. But it is necessary to properly care for Selva, otherwise the berries will become small.
• Vima Rina. Ideal for dry areas. It tolerates heat well, the berries are large, sweet and sour.
• Mahern. The advantages of the variety are tasty, medium-sized berries and high yield. Can bear fruit in the shade.

How to properly care for garden strawberries

How to properly care for garden strawberries to get a good harvest? Caring for a strawberry plantation is determined by the characteristics of strawberry growth. The spring growing season of plants begins early, due to reserves deposited mainly in the rhizomes; the subsequent development of leaves and roots, as well as flowering and fruit formation are due to the nutrients entering the plant. After fruiting, the further development of the strawberry plant is directed towards the renewal of the leaf apparatus, the formation of runners, the autumn laying of fruit buds for next year's harvest, the creation of a reserve of substances for the beginning of the growing season, as well as hardening during overwintering. With age, the development of the root system in strawberries weakens, which is the main reason for the decrease in yield and the shortening of the life of the plantation.

Caring for strawberries in the first half of the growing season should be aimed at improving the water-nutrient regime, ensuring moderate (but not violent) leaf growth and a good harvest.

The strawberry plantation must be kept under fallow, systematically fertilized with manure or humus and mineral fertilizers.

In early spring, as soon as the soil becomes ready for cultivation after the snow melts, the plantation is cleared of dry leaves, covering material is removed and the rows are loosened with a cultivator, and in the rows between plants with a hoe.

In non-irrigated areas, this should be followed by mulching the rows with manure, humus, etc., spreading the mulch in a layer of 5-6 cm.

In irrigated areas, humus is placed in the rows simultaneously with loosening, if it was not introduced during autumn tillage.

Before harvesting, perform 2-3 loosening and shelving as needed. On irrigated plantations, 1-3 irrigations are carried out on the green ovary and the same amount during the period of fruit ripening.

To care for garden strawberries as effectively as possible, a continuous litter of straw, tree leaves and other materials should be laid out in non-mulched areas to protect the berries from contamination soon after flowering.

Care in the second half of the growing season - after harvesting - is associated with preparation for wintering and next year's harvest. It should create conditions for the best nutrition of plants, ensuring the regrowth of leaves, the formation of fruit buds and good hardening for the winter.

In the post-harvest period, 3-4 loosening and weed control should be carried out. For better development of the root system, it is necessary to slightly hill up the plants when loosening. This achieves increased plant nutrition and better formation of flower buds for next year's harvest. The mustaches that appear in large numbers at this time are removed if they are not needed, as they greatly deplete the bushes and reduce the next year’s harvest.

How to prepare strawberries for planting

Remontant strawberries love fertile soil, they just need good drainage. If possible, strawberries are planted on loamy soil. Sand is added to heavy soil before planting.

Planting remontant strawberries is effective after parsley, radishes or beans. The land after these crops is disinfected and enriched with nutrients. The site must be prepared in the fall to make it more convenient to plant bushes in the spring. The soil is dug up and all weeds are removed. Humus and fertilizers with phosphorus are added to the soil. The prepared soil is left to overwinter. In the spring, about three weeks before planting, rotted manure is added to the soil. And at the end of spring you can start planting strawberry crops.

Some gardeners believe that planting remontant strawberries in the fall is also possible, but in this case the work should be done in early September, while there is no frost on the soil.

Do I need to water strawberries in the fall?

Remontant strawberries are more demanding when it comes to watering, because they need to produce crops throughout the summer, and August-September is the time to lay buds, from which shoots will grow the following summer.

If it is a dry, warm autumn, then the reusable variety should be watered as the soil dries out or once a week, 1 bucket per 1 square meter. meter of bed. If it rains, then naturally there is no need to water. Strawberries also do not need to be watered in the fall just before frost.

The rest of the time, care in the fall consists of abundant watering, because this crop continues its growing season until the coldest weather. Therefore, it needs moisture not only during the active growing season in summer, but also in autumn.

In addition to watering, in order for the bushes to survive the frosty winter well, they must be regularly irrigated with warm water from the beginning of September. Irrigation is carried out in the evening or early in the morning.

How to plant berries

You can plant remontant strawberries using one of the following methods:

1. Nest method. This is the most convenient and popular way of planting remontant varieties of strawberries, if a variety that reproduces by tendrils is selected.
2. Carpet. Strawberry bushes are planted in the soil 20 cm apart. The result is a kind of planting squares, which will be filled over the years, since the strawberries grow quickly and strongly.
3. Ordinary method. The bushes are planted in rows, 20 cm are left between the bushes, but 70 cm between the rows. For planting, holes are made about 14 cm deep.

The root collar should remain level with the ground or slightly higher. Near the roots you can sprinkle fertilizer to promote rapid rooting, then sprinkle with soil.

Technology for growing garden strawberries: methods of planting in open ground

The timing of planting garden strawberries in the middle zone is early spring and late summer - early autumn (within the second half of August - the first half of September).

But due to weather conditions and the greater possibility of using rooted tendrils for planting, autumn dates are preferable.

Strawberries can be planted using one-, two- and three-row methods.

On large plantations, one- or two-line planting should be used, as it provides more mechanized soil care. Distances during planting should be given: for single-row planting, 15-20 cm between plants in rows and 80 cm between rows; with a two-line pattern - 20 cm in rows, 40 cm between rows in stripes (ribbons) and 80 cm between stripes.

On irrigated plantations, planting should be done in furrows or deepened ridges 60-100 cm wide (depending on the planting method), which are cut in advance with special tillers.

To maintain the straightness of the rows, which makes it possible to mechanize the care of garden strawberries, planting must be done under a cord.

In recent years, the square-cluster planting method has begun to be introduced on industrial strawberry plantations.

With this method, garden strawberries are planted in nests of 4 plants in the corners of a square with a side of 12 cm, at a distance of 75-80 cm from the centers of the square in all directions. To correctly place the squares, cords are used: two control cords, stretched along the edges of the area at equal distances along their entire length, multiples of the distances between the centers of the squares, and one landing cord with marks every 75-80 cm, stretched between the control cords in a direction perpendicular to them. Its marks must match the control cords.

When planting seedlings, holes are made with your hand or a scoop.

To ensure better seedling survival, good development and productivity, the technology for growing garden strawberries in open ground defines the following rules that must be followed when planting.

• Plant the plants shallowly so as not to cover the “heart”, since with such planting the strawberries do not develop and often rot and die. Plants should not be planted too shallowly, so that the roots are not exposed when the ground settles. During normal planting, the root collar should be level with the ground surface.
• The soil should be pressed tightly against the roots.
• Trim the outer leaves, leaving 2 - 3 middle ones, this reduces the evaporation of moisture by the plant.
• To avoid wilting, you need to keep the seedlings moist (spray with water and shade): planting should be timed to coincide with rainfall or cloudy weather.
• After planting, water - approximately one bucket per 6-10 plants, depending on the state of soil moisture, line the holes with manure, humus or backfill with dry soil. Repeat watering as needed.

Caring for remontant strawberries

Mandatory strawberry care includes:

• Fertilizing the crop.
• Proper watering.
• Loosening the soil followed by mulching.
• Pest control measures.
• Mustache trimming.

How to water strawberries

Strawberries of this variety need moisture more than ordinary berry crops. You can’t ignore watering if it’s +30°C outside. At the time when the fruits ripen, the soil should be moistened by three centimeters, no less. Mulching can be done to retain moisture.

Loosening the soil

After any moistening of the soil, loosening is necessary. This will improve the condition of the root system and open access to oxygen. You just need to do this carefully so as not to damage the fragile antennae.

You can make your life easier and immediately mulch with peat or dry grass. Then it will be possible not to loosen the beds with strawberries, but the effect will be the same: a crust will not form on the ground, moisture will remain in the ground longer.

How to fertilize strawberries

Feeding and fertilizing can be done simultaneously with watering. And it is not necessary to use complex chemical compounds. Many gardeners use a natural infusion of nettle or wormwood. The grass is crushed, filled with water and left for a week in the sun.

Watering with herbal infusion is beneficial for strawberries, as it contains a large amount of microelements necessary for its development. You can additionally feed the strawberry bushes with bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:15. Cow dung can also be used, but it needs to be diluted 1:10.

How to protect a plant

If you do not properly care for remontant strawberries in the fall, the crop may become diseased. The most common cause is a fungal infection. Powdery mildew and brown spot affect strawberry leaves. During the cool season, gray rot develops. The affected areas must be removed, then sprayed with fungicides.

The most common pest that appears on remontant strawberries is the strawberry mite. After harvesting the entire crop, it is necessary to spray the bushes with a solution of karbofos.

Removing a mustache

Strawberry tendrils must be removed regularly, otherwise the number of berries will sharply decrease and the planting will become overgrown with a large number of shoots. You can leave only a few antennae for reproduction, and the rest must be cut off for the winter.

Mulching strawberries in autumn

Autumn care for reusable strawberries includes mandatory mulching of the beds. For this purpose, you can use straw, hay, sawdust, dry leaf litter, covering the beds with a layer of up to 15 centimeters.

Over time, the mulch will settle, covering the ground more tightly. For the winter, the ground can be covered with green manure, which has time to grow before frost.

Before autumn mulching, the beds must be loosened and watered. The mulch does not need to be placed on the bushes themselves; it is laid out around them.

Straw is the most useful mulch. When it rots, hay bacillus will begin to develop in the soil. This soil bacterium loosens the soil so well that the roots begin to receive more oxygen, which means they grow better. In addition, the hay bacillus protects plantings from dangerous fungi.

Mulching provides the following benefits:

• Ripe berries do not touch the ground.
• Retains moisture in the soil, which leads to a reduction in watering.
• There is no need to loosen the soil; oxygen reaches the roots.
• Prevents weeds from growing

Preparatory work in the fall

For remontant strawberries, several winter months are a real test, especially if the winter has little snow. In the fall, it is necessary to properly carry out all the work to prepare the berry crop for winter so that the strawberry rosettes do not freeze. Strawberries should meet the winter with sufficiently increased green mass. It will protect the plant buds from frost.

Gardeners need to check every bush. The root collar should not stick out of the ground; you need to sprinkle it with earth. At the end of summer, the ground around the bushes is loosened and then mulched.

If the winter is snowy, it will reliably cover all the bushes. But what to do if there is no snow at all? In this case, leaves or hay will become shelter. Such materials will protect the crop from frost, but they are not very convenient, they get wet from moisture, and in the spring it is very difficult to clean strawberry rosettes from them.

With frequent thaws and high humidity, the bushes may dry out. Another drawback is that mice like to spend the winter under straw; they can damage the roots.

Features of preparing different types of strawberries for winter

Regular and remontant strawberries have their own characteristics that need to be taken into account when holding autumn events. Regular varieties stop bearing fruit quite early, while remontant varieties continue to bloom until frost. Preparation for winter must be carried out taking into account the life cycle of plants.

Regular

After pruning, fertilizing and pest control have been carried out, it is time to prepare for winter. The bushes winter well under the snow, but the gardener cannot know in advance how snowy the winter will be. To be on the safe side, it is better to mulch the strawberries with plant materials.

The ideal option is the use of pine needles. The needles do not stick together, do not absorb excessive amounts of moisture, and repel mice. If it is difficult for you to get spruce branches or pine litter, use compost, humus, and straw for covering. Some people install arcs over the bed, which are then covered with spunbond.

Planting strawberries in autumn

Remontantnaya

Remontant varieties of strawberries require more attention and care. If they are not properly prepared for winter, the harvest next season will be very poor. Such strawberries should go into the winter saturated with moisture, so they need moisture-recharging watering. Water the bushes regularly, with warm water, in the morning or evening.

You need to be prepared for the fact that some of the actively fruiting plants will die off due to heavy load and you may need to replant young bushes. The best time for this is August. Until the frosts, it is necessary to monitor the plants and pick off all flower stalks until the berries are under the snow. Without a mulch layer, it is difficult for a crop of remontant varieties to survive the winter. Use the same mulch for it as for conventional varieties: spruce spruce branches, pine needles, straw.

Preparing strawberries for winter: video

Harvesting berries and how to preserve garden strawberries in winter

Strawberries are harvested in dry weather, preferably in the morning, when the dew has disappeared, and also in the evening, because the berries collected in the heat soften and spoil. If the harvest is carried out throughout the day, then the collected berries should be placed in a glacier or other cooler place before being sent to the place of consumption.

When picking, strawberries must be picked carefully, with stalks about 0.5-1 cm long, and placed in low clapboard or willow baskets with a capacity of 2-3 kg, in sieves with a capacity of no more than 4 kg. To avoid spoilage of the berries, they should not be poured from dish to dish. When harvesting, the berries are sorted into large and small.

For transportation, strawberries are harvested at the stage of “pink” ripeness. The baskets are bundled in packs of 4 pieces. The berries are collected after 1-3 days.

When preparing strawberries for winter, you need to protect the plantings from freezing. In the conditions of the middle zone, especially in the regions of the steppe Trans-Volga region, at the beginning of winter there are often long snowless frosts with severe freezing of the soil. During this period, strawberries are often exposed to freezing. To protect strawberries from freezing, in addition to the marked curtains of berry bushes, they must be covered for the winter with straw, tree leaves or other materials with a layer of 4 - 6 cm. This is done after some freezing of the soil.

How else to preserve strawberries in winter and prevent the bushes from dying? Good insulation of the soil and protection from freezing of the strawberry root system is provided by deep autumn plowing or digging between rows and then covering them with manure or humus.

Along with this, it is necessary to apply snow retention.

• Author: Tatyana
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Growing problems and their solutions

The main problem that may arise when growing remontant strawberries is the lack of fruiting. There may be several reasons - disease, aging of the bush, improper care.

Table: solving problems when growing strawberries

What is a remontant strawberry and how is it different from a traditional garden berry?

First, let's understand the meaning of the word “repairable”. This term refers to garden plants that have the ability to bear fruit multiple times during one growing season.

So, in this case we are talking about strawberries, however, some varieties are also characterized by such high yields:

• strawberries;
• raspberries;
• domestic flowers (multiple flowering);
• other garden plants.

This type of berry can bear fruit up to two or more times in one growing season.

Strawberry is a large-fruited berry, which we are all accustomed to designating this way, however, if we talk about its scientific name, then in this material we will talk about large-fruited garden strawberries. However, for ease of understanding, we will focus on the designation “strawberry”.

Weeding, loosening and hilling

First of all, you need to get rid of excess plants clogging the berry plantation. The beds are cleaned carefully so as not to damage the strawberry bushes. The weeded grass is sent to the compost heap. If the berry garden is infected with fungal infections and pests, the plant residues are burned.

The next stage in preparing strawberries for winter is loosening the soil. The procedure should begin in early autumn. The working equipment you will need is a hoe and a wide rake. It is necessary to walk along the rows, burying the tool 10 cm into the ground. It is better to avoid places at the base of the garden strawberry bush, so as not to injure the root system - it is located close to the surface of the earth. It is recommended to remove specimens with heavily exposed rhizomes.

It is not advisable to loosen the bed immediately before the onset of frost. The roots of the plant will not have time to regain their strength. In winter, this will have a bad effect on their cold resistance.

Hilling up is considered a mandatory procedure when caring for strawberries in the fall. Professionals advise carrying it out before frost sets in. This is due to the fact that additional shoots appear on the shoots, forming the upper tier of the root system. In order for them to receive nutrition and not dry out, you need to cover them with a fertile substrate (soil or compost mixed with peat). At the same time, the growth point must remain open. Otherwise, the development of bushes is inhibited.

To cover and not to cover?

Today there are many varieties that are characterized by excellent winter hardiness. If there is at least 30 cm of snowfall and in regions with a temperate climate, berry bushes do not need to be covered. But if precipitation does not always occur, then to prevent freezing the plants must be protected.

The specific method of insulation is selected in accordance with the weather conditions of the area. Lowering the air to -8°C already carries the risk of damaging flower buds in heat-loving varieties. The appropriate method of covering the plantation is determined based on:

• presence or absence of snow cover;
• temperature conditions;
• location of the beds (depth of groundwater, protection from prevailing winds, lighting).

Note! Under no circumstances should strawberries be covered in advance - this can cause increased evaporation of heat and moisture. Such bushes run the risk of blooming or being banned: vegetating plants quickly die from the cold.

It is advisable to insulate the berry plantation after the first light frosts have passed. A plant hardened by negative temperatures will become more resilient and better survive the cold.

Do I need to trim strawberry leaves in the fall?

Many gardeners question the need to prune strawberries in the fall. Adherents of pruning are sure that insect pests, pathogens of fungal and viral infections multiply on old peduncles and leaves.

Therefore, timely removal of most of the foliage contributes to the health of plants. Opponents of pruning believe that a pruned bush will devote all its efforts to restoring green mass, as a result of which it will go into winter weakened.

To avoid this, pruning can be done immediately after fruiting has ended. Then the plant will have time to form new greenery before the onset of cold weather.

If you plan to form bushes in the fall, then you only need to remove damaged, diseased and dry leaves. Lush foliage protects the bush from winds and frost, so you should not leave it bare in winter.

Remontant varieties are not pruned in the fall, only diseased and damaged leaves are removed.

Protecting strawberries from diseases and pests

Measures to prevent diseases and pest attacks are a necessary part of crop care in the fall. Bordeaux mixture is the most popular disinfectant. Typically a 1% solution is used. Brilliant green is also widespread. To treat plants, 10-15 drops per 10 liters of water are enough. You can also use an ammonia solution at the rate of 3-4 tbsp. l. substances per 10 liters of water.

Autumn processing is distinguished by the ability to use chemicals. Since all the berries have already been picked, they will not absorb substances harmful to human health.

Biological products include Zircon and Fitosporin.

Irrigation and fertilizing

After the last harvest has been harvested, the plantation needs to be provided with abundant watering and fertilizers must be applied regularly. A peculiarity of the species is the exposure of the root collars, so they carefully loosen the soil, remove harmful grasses and mulch the soil with a layer of sawdust and straw. If the weeds have grown before the cold weather, it is better not to touch them and leave them until spring.

In order for the bushes to survive frosts, regular irrigation must be provided from the beginning of September. The procedure is carried out in the early morning or evening using warm liquid. The better the plant is prepared in winter, the greater the chance of surviving unfavorable conditions. Mixtures of organic and mineral fertilizers are prepared as fertilizers:

The substances are thoroughly mixed in a container, after which at least 300 ml of liquid is poured under each bush. If there is no humus, then it can be easily replaced with potassium sulfate (30 g) and nitroammophos (2 tablespoons). Professionals advise fans of organic farming to feed the beds with vermicompost infusion and be sure to mulch. Application is carried out before late autumn, otherwise the bush will enter the winter exhausted.

Growing seedlings

You can plant seedlings purchased at a nursery or specialty store on the plot. But it is possible to obtain planting material yourself by driving out seedlings.

Sowing

Seeds are sown in late winter or early March. A substrate is first prepared from light humus soil, into which 700-800 ml of water is poured. Mix the soil thoroughly so that no lumps remain.

Sowing work consists of the following steps:

Further care of seedlings

Until the sprouts appear, the glass is removed to ventilate and maintain the moisture of the substrate. If the temperature in the room is within 18-20 ºC, shoots may appear within 10-15 days. After the sprouts appear, the glass is removed, and the containers are transferred to a well-lit window sill or additional illumination is provided with phytolamps. When the seedlings have formed a pair of true leaves, they are planted in individual containers with a large diameter.

The seedlings are planted at the same depth at which it grew previously. And 10-15 days before planting in open beds, the plants are hardened off, taken out into fresh air for a while every day, gradually increasing the duration of stay in such conditions.

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