Water is very important in growing strawberries – it has a large impact on the amount and size of crops. That is why we have to water the bushes regularly. This applies to the period when the plants grow and their fruits ripen. If we forget about this key care, the strawberries will be small, not very juicy, and even begin to dry. We present the basic rules for their irrigation.
have a shallow root systemwhich is why they quickly feel the lack of water, even temporary drying can cause their development. Excessive irrigated also harms them – the plant is more likely to get sick and its fruits rot.
That is why watering should be regular, moderate and adapted to weather conditions. It is accepted that during the growing season, i.e. from spring to autumn, strawberries need 25 mm water per week. This means that they should be irrigated once or twice a week.
When it rains, we do it less often, while during prolonged drought we need to increase the frequency of irrigation – we water even every day.
However, it is best to check the soil moisture of these plants. They need water if the soil is dry to a depth of 3-5 cm (we check it with a square). In the case of wet and muddy ground, we must refrain from irrigation, because we will lead to root rot.
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Let’s irrigate strawberries in the morning in spring and early summer. Thanks to this, they will be able to dry from the intense sun. We can also do it in the evening, when they are no longer exposed to burns through the sun’s rays.
In the summer, during hot days, we recommend watering these plants in the evening – After dusk or sunset. Then the ground will cool down.
We can water the strawberries – This is one of the most efficient and economical irrigation methods. Water is supplied directly to the roots, which minimizes losses and eliminates the risk of wetting leaves.
Larger flower beds are best watered with a sipping hose. We can also irrigate the plants by hand with a watering canbut then be careful not to soak the leaves and fruits.
However, the use of garden sprinklers is not recommended. They cannot develop various diseases, including gray mold.
In addition, it is worth mulching the ground of strawberries. Then we will limit water evaporation from the ground and maintain an adequate moisture level on flower beds. We use materials for this, i.e. pine bark, rye or wheat straw, agrotextile or biodegradable mulching foil.
