How to water strawberries

Water is an essential element of all living things. It is the basis of the liquid medium inside organisms, including plants. Needs her and strawberries - the queen of the berry. Throughout the growing season, it is important to properly organize watering so that the plant can grow green mass, form inflorescences and fruits, and also go away in the winter with a good supply of nutrients.

General principles of watering

When, how and what water is better to water strawberries? Such a question is asked by beginning gardeners literally immediately after the seedlings were planted. When determining the frequency and timing of watering garden strawberries, it is first necessary to at least outline its root system. This will help to understand why to start from the process of irrigation planting this juicy and fragrant berry.

The root system of garden strawberries is located in the uppermost layer of soil. This directly affects the choice of irrigation schedule, since the surface of the beds, especially in hot sunny weather, dries out very quickly. During this period, many gardeners prefer to build drip irrigation for continuous delivery of moisture to the roots of strawberries. A small exception is the beds on which agrofibre is laid - their surface dries much longer.

It is recommended to water strawberry plantations abundantly and regularly:

• in hot weather - daily, 7-10 liters of water per square meter;
• in warm weather with little cloudiness - daily, 6-7 liters of water per square meter;
• in spring and autumn at low temperatures and dry weather - 3-4 times a week, 5-7 liters of water per square meter.

During periods of warm and rainy weather, watering stops completely, so as not to create conditions on the plantation suitable for the development of fungal diseases. To improve aeration of the soil and increase the concentration of air in it, in rainy weather, regular loosening is carried out.

The structure of the soil can also affect the frequency and quality of irrigation. On loams, this is done less frequently and to a lesser extent, but loamy sand soils, on the contrary, are recommended to be watered with a large volume of water and more often - up to 2 times a day.

Important! Cold water can destroy the roots of plants, which is why the irrigation fluid should always be at the same temperature with air.

When and how to water strawberries

When strawberries are especially in need of moisture

Strawberries have several periods when they are especially in need of moisture. If the gardener has a question whether it is necessary to water strawberries, it is worth paying attention to the stage of plant development.

The most important periods during which you can not skip irrigation:

As can be seen from the table, garden strawberries require watering throughout the growing season and at any age.

Morning or evening watering: how to

Along with how much water needs to be poured onto a strawberry plantation and during what growing season, an important indicator is the time of day at which watering is carried out.

Some gardeners are convinced that it is necessary to water the beds in the morning, while others assure that the ideal time for this procedure is evening.

Properly selected care in terms of providing strawberries with moisture is, first of all, rationality. It is from this that you must proceed when choosing a time for watering. So, in very hot weather, it is recommended to moisten the soil on the plantation in the evening. This will allow the roots to absorb as much water as possible. But here there are some exceptions: even if there is heat, and at the same time, the strawberries began to bloom, it is better to water the plantings in the morning.

The fact is that slugs very often appear on flowering, and even more fruitful garden strawberries. They are known to be activated at night. High humidity at the same time is beneficial to them. To avoid spoiling the plants by this pest, it is important to keep the beds in a relatively dry state, that is, let them dry before dark.

The combination of watering and feeding: what can be added to water

Experienced, however, like novice gardeners know that watering strawberries in the garden can and should be alternated with a variety of dressings. In some cases, substances added to water can prevent the development of common "strawberry" diseases. So, venerable gardeners water their plantings with potassium permanganate, boric acid, iodine and other pharmaceutical preparations, and at the same time do not face the problem of the incidence of strawberries and the settlement of its pests.

In general, you can add the following components to water for irrigation with reference to a certain period:

It is important to remember that when adding to water for irrigation, the following rules should be followed:

1. When processing beds with solutions that need to be cast under the root, it is recommended to first spill the plants with clean water. An exception is the first watering with hot solutions.
2. When irrigating by sprinkling, preliminary watering under the root can be omitted.
3. Spraying or sprinkling is best done in cloudy weather.
4. It is possible to water strawberries with the listed root remedies in the table in any weather, but with observance of the irrigation norms "morning / evening".

How to make drip irrigation for strawberries