Is it possible to mulch strawberries with wood chips. Video - Planting strawberries in non-woven covering material

On a hot summer day, the soil surface can heat up to +70 degrees Celsius. The earth loses moisture and cracks, exposing strawberry roots, which can die from lack of nutrients, diseases or pests. To protect root system and soil need to use mulching.

Mulch protects against negative weather conditions, weeds, pests and dust, retains moisture and promotes aeration. The organic matter used for mulching helps regulate acidity and improve soil structure.

For strawberries, mulch is used not only to protect against temperature changes, but also to protect the berries from contact with the ground. This almost completely excludes fungal diseases fruits. Before mulching the soil, it is weeded, watered and loosened upper layer. Mulch can be either organic or inorganic.

Types of organic mulch, advantages and disadvantages of application

• Grass, hay, leaf humus, mowed plants - green manure;
• Wood chips, bark, shavings;
• Peat, compost or manure;
• Paper, cardboard, newspapers.

Benefits of using organic mulch

• Availability and long-term impact;
• Possibility of independent preparation;
• Fertilization of the soil and improvement of its qualitative composition.

Cons of using organic

• If you use unnecessary newspapers, they contain paint poisonous to plants;
• Herbal mixtures, both commercial and homemade, may contain weed seeds that germinate;
• Organic secretions have bad smell and not aesthetic appearance;
• Sawdust draws nitrogen from the soil and is not used for mulching strawberries.

Inorganic mulch and special shelter

Covering materials are more often used for mulching strawberries than organics, as they help to cope with weeds better, they can be quickly laid out and removed when they are no longer needed.

• Gravel, stones, crushed stone;
• Thin rubber or rubberized fabrics;
• Agrofibre;
• Special film;
• Burlap, natural fabric, non-woven fiber.

Benefits of Inorganic Mulch

• 100% weed protection;
• Constantly moist soil and optimum temperature under cover;
• Strawberries do not come into contact with the ground, do not rot, remain clean and beautiful;
• Environmentally friendly material.

Disadvantages of using a covering material

• When pollinated by bees, it can interfere with insects (then the mulch is removed);
• Film without protection against ultraviolet rays crumbles in 1 season, and burlap quickly rots at high humidity.

Decorative organic mulch

Today, decorative organic mulch is considered the best, which you can buy at any building hypermarket.

Her virtues:

• Non-washable and non-fading natural natural color, which gives the site a well-groomed appearance. In the presence of a beautiful landscape design- this is one of the mandatory requirements;
• Retains up to 85% moisture and protects against soil erosion. In summer it reduces the temperature by 8 degrees, and in winter it keeps it at 5-6 degrees, preventing the roots from freezing;
• Low price.

Are you familiar with the situation when a lot of trouble awaits you on suburban area, and time is sorely lacking? One of effective ways make life easier for a novice summer resident, as well as experienced gardener and solve many problems in the spring with the soil, with the growth and development of plants, with weeds and pests, and in the autumn with the harvest is soil mulching. This agricultural technique has stood the test of time in a variety of climatic zones, with the most different soils and proved its worth both from a practical point of view and from a decorative one. It is especially useful when growing strawberries.

Why Mulch Strawberries

If you want to grow a rich strawberry crop ( garden strawberries), and not constantly water, weed from weeds, treat diseases and fight pests, then strawberry beds should be mulched.

The main advantages of mulching garden strawberries:

• Mulch protects the soil under the strawberries from drying out and moisture loss, respectively, it needs to be watered less.
• The mulch layer is a kind of "cushion", thanks to which the earth around the strawberry bushes does not heat up.
• This excellent protection from weeds and pests (slugs and snails).
• Berries always remain clean. For example, after rain, if you do not have a mulch layer, then the berries will always be dirty.
• Mulching improves the structure of the soil, the earth becomes looser and more fertile.
• Productivity increases.

When to Mulch: Timing

You can and should mulch strawberries 2 times a year: in spring and autumn.

In the spring, mulch is laid in strawberry beds around May, when the first berry ovaries appear, so that the flower stalks do not come into contact with the soil, in other words, do not come into contact with the ground. And when the crop is fully harvested, you can remove the mulch, but not for long.

In autumn, around October, strawberry beds are mulched again, but this time for the purpose of sheltering them for the winter. And the next spring (March-April), the mulch is removed again until the first ovaries appear.

By the way! In autumn, coniferous twigs are suitable as a mulching (covering) material.

Methods and materials for mulching strawberries

Various materials can be used as mulching material for strawberries.

Organic:

• straw, hay;
• cut grass;
• needles and pine cones;
• sawdust;
• manure and compost.

Inorganic:

• black film;
• agrofibre (spunbond);
• cardboard.

Next, we will talk in more detail about each of the materials and, accordingly, the method of mulching garden strawberries: what are their advantages and disadvantages, when should they be used (in spring and / or autumn), can they be combined.

Organic Strawberry Mulching Materials

The main advantage of organic mulch is that it enriches the soil with useful organic matter, increasing its fertility. However, such mulching material must be constantly added, because over time it erodes and goes into the ground.

Mulching with hay and straw

Straw is the most popular stuff for mulching strawberries.

By the way! Under straw can be very successfully grown and

It is very important to knock out all the weed seeds from the straw before mulching, which is done by actively whipping, a kind of “shaking out”. Then the hay must be soaked and dried well in the sun, because mulching can only be fully dry straw.

When you mulch strawberry beds with straw, remember that the layer of dry hay should be somewhat larger than the other mulch. This is due to the fact that such an “airy” mulch settles over time, so it is advisable to immediately put 10-15 centimeters. As a result, it will gradually settle, and the layer will become about 5-8 centimeters.

Note! When the straw rots in the garden, it will become very good organic fertilizer. Moreover, due to the decay of hay in the soil, it will begin to multiply hay stick, and this is a very useful microorganism that perfectly protects against fungal diseases.

Dry straw and hay are suitable for both spring mulching and shelter for the winter.

Video: mulching strawberries with hay (straw)

Grass mulching

Instead of straw and hay, you can also use ordinary grass, for example, the same dangling weeds (but it is imperative that they do not have seeds and, of course, they should not have roots). But, as a rule, beveled is more often used lawn grass from under the lawn mower. Its main advantage is that it is small and fits well.

Important! You can not immediately use the cut grass for mulching strawberries, you only need to lay sluggish Otherwise, it will instantly begin to rot and decompose. Therefore, freshly cut grass needs to be kept in the sun for a couple of days so that it dries.

It often happens that beds with grass mulch are attacked by snails and slugs. If this phenomenon is not uncommon in your area, then it is advisable to sprinkle the ground with ash and mustard before laying out the mulch layer.

Video: mulching strawberries with grass

Mulch from needles and pine cones

Coniferous litter is often used in agriculture as a mulching material, respectively, it will also go as a mulch for garden strawberries.

The advantages of such coniferous mulch (from needles and cones) are quite standard: it slowly rots, reflects sunlight, prevents weeds from breaking through, retains moisture in the soil, slugs and snails do not really like it, and phytoncides in its composition protect plantings from fungal diseases, as well as all sorts of pests.

Not taken into account, but no less important advantage! You can collect coniferous litter in the forest for free.

As for the time of use, it is possible to mulch with needles to shelter the beds from frost both in spring and autumn.

Important! It should be understood that the needles and especially the bark coniferous trees over time, they will acidify the soil, and this is not very good for strawberries, so you should not overuse its use on an already unnecessarily acidic soils. But if your soil is not acidic, then you do not need to be afraid.. It will take many years (5-10 years) to increase the acidity of neutral soil with such mulching.

Video: mulching strawberries with needles and cones

Mulching with sawdust

Mulch material such as sawdust is great for keeping weeds out and retaining moisture in the ground.

Pour sawdust should be a layer of 4-6 centimeters.

Advice! It is advisable to use exactly rotted sawdust. The fact is that fresh ones draw nitrogen from the soil, so you will have to additionally feed the plantings. nitrogen fertilizers. To make the sawdust rot faster, you can shed it with urea (carbamide) and leave it for several weeks (3-4 weeks).

In sawdust, it is better to leave strawberries for the winter. However, many use them in spring and summer.

Note! If you use sawdust of coniferous trees, then remember that they acidify the soil, which means that it will not be superfluous to add deoxidizers such as wood ash or dolomite flour.

Video: mulching strawberries sawdust

Mulching with manure and compost

Humus and compost - not only do they perfectly protect the soil from drying out and weeds, they also best nourish and saturate the soil with useful elements.

Usually, this species mulch is used only in spring and summer.

Important! Humus and compost are quickly absorbed by the earth, so new nutritious mulch should be thrown in during the season.

Inorganic Strawberry Mulching Materials

The main advantage of inorganic mulching materials is their durability. However, they will not be able to improve the fertility of the soil.

black film

Note! Both black film and agrofibre are only suitable for mulching spring during the planting of seedlings of strawberries.

Mulching with a black film and agrofibre is carried out during the period. The black material is laid out on a bed, the edges are placed in a furrow and covered with earth. Then cruciform slots or rounded holes are cut and through them holes are made in the ground and planted there. .

The main disadvantage of using black polyethylene film is the fact that it does not allow air to pass through and can cause the roots of garden strawberries to rot, as well as during return frosts condensation may form underneath. Again, do not forget that the film does not allow moisture to pass through, which means that you will either have to install internal drip irrigation, or come up with something else.

In the south, it is advisable to use a special film, in which the top layer is white (gray) and the bottom is black. Such a two-color film significantly reduces the chance of overheating of the earth during the scorching summer heat.

Advice! To prevent the soil under the film from overheating, pour straw, hay or mowed grass on top.

Certainly, polyethylene film more cost effective, but experienced gardeners, as a rule, they still prefer spunbond (agrofibre), which has much more advantages in use. In addition, it is more durable, and it is easier to fix it on the bed.

Video: mulching strawberries with black film

Agrofibre (spunbond)

The use of agrofibre (spunbond) as a mulch for strawberries has the following advantages:

• Berries will always be perfectly clean and immediately usable.
• It is very convenient to adjust the mustache.
• Spunbond perfectly passes and holds moisture.
• bushes at heavy rains and winds are not washed out, and moisture is not blown out.
• Does not transmit UV rays.
• Naturally, agrofibre prevents the growth of weeds.

Mulching with cardboard

Cardboard from old boxes is great for mulching strawberries. Moreover, it is desirable to use the most colorless, because. colored paint often contains lead, which is definitely not good for plants.

Note! Cardboard is used when mulching strawberries only in spring, for autumn shelter this material is not suitable for winter.

When mulching strawberry beds you will need more than just cardboard. As a rule, only the first layer is made from it, while the mulch is laid in 3 layers:

Thus, such a mulch will last a full year - from spring to autumn.

Video: mulching garden strawberries with cardboard

If you have already decided to grow an enviable crop of strawberries in the country, it will come in handy to use such an agricultural technique as mulching. Everything will work out quite effectively if you responsibly and correctly decide on the timing, materials and methods of mulching garden strawberries.

Video: 3 ways autumn planting and mulching strawberries

In contact with

Mulching strawberries - essential procedure to get a harvest. Mulch retains moisture in the soil. Thanks to her, the berries will "gain juice" faster. In addition, the mulched beds can be watered less often, so the roots of the plants do not rot.

Due to excess moisture during heavy rainfall in summer period berries may rot. Mulch prevents rotting of garden strawberries and the development of fungal diseases. Any material can be used as a mulching layer. The most common mulching materials:

• black agrofibre;
• sawdust with;
• hay.

Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider each mulch in more detail.

Advantages and disadvantages of agrofibre

Mulching with agrofibre or black spunbond is the most common method of mulching strawberries. The advantage of such a mulching material can be considered its dense structure.

Under such a mulch, moisture condenses, which favorably affects the seedlings during the period active growth. In rainy weather, this mulching material does not let through excess moisture to the roots.

Mulching beds with humus

Humus or decayed cow dung, mixed with sawdust, is a good mulch and plant food. During watering nutrients will be absorbed into the soil.

This material is well suited for summer mulching, but in rainy weather, the mulch is saturated with moisture. Therefore, the roots of garden strawberries rot. In rainy weather, in beds with such a mulch, the risk of fungal diseases increases.

Mulching with hay and grass

The use of hay as a mulch is the "golden mean" between agrofibre and organic natural fertilizers. Hay does not pass excess moisture to the roots of plants, and rotting, gives plants nutrients.

However, this material also has its drawbacks. The fruits of garden strawberries, with such mulching, can be affected by fungal diseases.

In addition, with such mulching, weeds will appear in the garden. Therefore, every two weeks it is necessary to weed the beds.

Produced according to proven technology, which, however, has variations. main reason- Volumes to be processed. In farms, everything is mechanized, carried out phased work over the plantation. home garden rather requires manual labor. But here you can deviate a little from the standards and still do a comfortable bed using improvised covering material.

Strawberry Mulching: The Basics

1. The ridge is leveled, large clods of earth are broken, a row is formed. Irrigation system installed. Fertilizers are applied if necessary.
2. Non-woven covering material or mulching film spread over the surface, stretched and fixed with earth or cargo on the sides of the beds.
3. Cross-shaped incisions are made in the material, where plants with a closed root system (grown in pots) are planted.
4. Held extra cover with hay or straw.
5. These are the main steps in mulching strawberries. But the result can be obtained by moving away from some rules and doing something in your own way. For example, yes.

Strawberries and non-woven covering material

Strawberry roots feel good, being under the film. But this material is still able to heat up and form a greenhouse effect if it does not fit snugly against the top layer of soil. Therefore, when using a film, it is worth creating an additional layer of organic mulch, straw, for example.

One more important detail- lack of normal access of water to the root system of plants. This is one of the activities of the mulch - not to create normal conditions for weeds. But for cultivated crops it will be necessary to without fail formalize the system drip irrigation or indicate a different path for water to the roots. Designed to get rid of unnecessary trouble non-woven covering material. On its entire surface there are membranes that allow moisture to pass through. Accordingly, on such a bed will be available rainwater or regular "shower" watering. Other functions nonwoven fabric(spunbond, spunbel, lutrasil) performs in the same way as mulching film.

Mulching strawberries after the fact

The chronology of events in mulching can be slightly broken. For example, if a bed of strawberries has already been carefully planted in the summer, and next spring the owners suddenly wanted to simplify relations with this culture. It is possible to spread a spunbond on an already formed garden bed, but it will take more effort than a standard procedure. Why? Because, most likely, the rows were designed a little crookedly, the distance between the plants was taken to be minimal, and in general the planting was compacted. If all these conditions have been met, from mulching and nonwoven fabric, and it is better to refuse the film. Otherwise it will individual project with a limited service life, which in the event of a liquidation of the landing will also have to be removed.

So, if the strawberry bed is quite crooked or thickened, it is better to use the options organic or inorganic mulch with the appropriate technology.

If the landing is even, a decent distance is maintained between the bushes, a non-woven covering material will come in handy. In this case, the following scheme applies:

• First, you will have to spend energy on leveling the surface of the row-spacing, without nailing or trampling down the soil; this can be done with a small rake.
• The material spreads on the bed, the attachment points are determined, a trench is dug along the bed, while the roots of the plants should not be injured.
• Next, you need to fix the covering material on one side and, pressing it to the surface of the soil, bring it to a row of strawberries and make holes for the bushes above the plantings as accurately as possible. Then carefully thread the plants through the material, leveling the mulch.
• Do the same manipulations if the bed consists of more than one row.
• Align and fix the covering material on all sides. The bed is ready.

Mulching strawberries this way requires small cuts in the spunbond. Do not be afraid to thread the stems into small holes: the leaves will start their work anyway, and the plants will not suffer. But an increase in holes will lead to the appearance of leaves on the surface and from competitors - weeds.

You should not walk on the mulch made: the layer will thicken, water will accumulate in the formed pits, which will not be very good for the berries lying nearby and, most likely, will cause them to rot. For the same reason, when mulching, strawberries maintain a decent distance between plants and additionally mulch with straw. This raises the bush above the surface and protects it from excess moisture.

Mulching strawberries: the result

Subject to the technology of growing strawberries under mulch, the plants will feel good without extra hassle from the owners of the site. The result will be good harvest without rotten berries matured in direct sunlight. But, unfortunately, there is one minus in the idyll: an extraordinary interest in such delicious berries from the side of the birds. But that's a topic for another conversation.

Mulching strawberries when better in autumn or in the spring - that is the question, when it is necessary and at what time is right. It confuses beginners and experienced farmers. So, mulching strawberries with straw in spring or autumn - when is it better than different?

Ordinary straw can delay the first berry for 2 weeks. Because of it, your bushes may freeze or remain healthy after a snowless winter. It will cause the dominance of pests and rodents, increase productivity or, on the contrary, reduce it to laughter through tears. It's all about her, about the mulch.

We mulch strawberries with straw and organic matter on time

We are talking about organic and vegetable mulch. And organic - mullein, bird droppings, humus. Under the plant - straw, sunflower husks, rice, etc. The latter protects the soil from drying out, cracking, freezing in winter. The first one, among other things, contributes necessary elements nutrition, both nitrogen and elements mineral complex. It is worth remembering sawdust, needles - a separate conversation about them.

Wintering under a layer of straw, husks 10-12 cm thick, bushes have a healthier, stronger appearance, develop faster - according to some gardeners. But just like that, there are also negative reviews: poorly overwintered plants, the presence of attacks due to the decay of the root system, icing and other problems.

Let's weigh everything against

From negative points mulching strawberries in autumn:

• Paradoxically, when mulching strawberries with straw in early spring delays the development of ultra-early varieties: in cold soil, all phases of development occur with a delay of up to 2-3 weeks.
• In early spring, a thick layer delays soil heating both in ridges and in non-elevated, level plantations. Straw, husks, etc., laid out for the winter from autumn, must be raked between rows so that the earth warms up properly.
• This is especially true of sawdust mulch: they are very moisture-intensive, snow and the resulting ice crust melt extremely slowly on them. In addition, at natural process when they rot, a lot of nitrogen leaves the soil, which serves as food for putrefactive bacteria. The introduction of additional doses of nitrogen, watering with nitrammafoska, the introduction of urea do not really improve the situation: all these top dressings give completely nitrogen after a while, from 1 to 3 months.
• Preserving soil moisture, with excess moisture, especially after a short-term warming, a thick layer of packed straw can cause the roots to rot or become iced. All this must be taken into account and weighed, understanding all the risks.
• Organics is nutrition for the plant and support for the bio-balance of the soil. But the situation can be reversed: by warming, we give a chance to survive the pest wintering in the soil: from the beetle, slugs to the bear. Under a layer of straw, they will be quite comfortable, they are securely hidden from frost, and in the spring they will be ready to take on our strawberries!
• A thick layer of manure from autumn can cause many pests to settle. When applying in the autumn, it is rational to introduce humus - sypets. There is less chance of introducing pest larvae and pathogens. In addition, the density of the bulk is lower, its thin layer at 4-6 cm should not greatly delay the heating of the soil.

In the photo, we mulch strawberries in the fall for the winter with straw - or corn

Safety regulations

If you are buying plant remains, straw in farms, think about treatments. So, how many times is treated with fungicides, insecticides winter and how many times spring wheat. Rye is processed more often less, sunflower is even less processed. What about processing? - you ask. Yes, because the waiting time for each drug is different, and you do not know the history of your litter, alas.

But there are many more reasons to consider:

• Rodents - that's who else will like the shelter of straw. And if you cover it with a film or agrofiber on top, it will overwinter quite freely. If there are fields with crops near the plantation, field rodents will certainly find shelter in your strawberry beds.
• Spruce branches are a moot point: they increase the acidity of the soil, help reduce nitrogen levels, and are labor-intensive - it is difficult to decompose and even more difficult to remove from the field. It is advisable to find an alternative.
• Do not use leaf litter from places located near highways, near the roadway, from busy city parks. All cargo heavy metals, lead and other delights contained in exhaust gases will fall sweet berry, then - on our table and in our body.

Straw strawberry mulch: total

So what to do: mulch strawberries in the fall with straw, husks or not? As expected, we are looking for a golden mean

If you are undecided when to mulch strawberries - in autumn or spring, remember: it all depends on the climate. In the southern regions of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, with early spring and active spring sun, the slow warming of the earth is not terrible. Much worse is the lack of snow in winter and, as a result, the death of roots in frozen ground. In the south, it is possible and necessary to cover strawberries with straw.

In the northeast and central regions it is advisable to mulch strawberries with straw in the spring, until the time until they are introduced spring fertilizer and flower stalks will not come out. Optimal time- mid-May or earlier, the appearance of the ovary: by this time constant moisture is needed, no overheating. And the ripening berries will not get dirty, rot.

In dry regions or in years with low rainfall after winter irrigation, mulch the root zone of strawberries: in the absence of snow or a small amount of it, attacks are possible.

• If in regions with a cold climate you decide to protect yourself from deep freezing soil, in the spring, be sure to rake straw, husks between rows: let the soil warm up properly. So you will avoid developmental delay, the ripening time will not be shifted.
• Remember: in early spring, during flowering, the ovary layer will interfere with the penetration of fertilizers that are applied during this period, preventing the penetration of nutrients to the roots of plants.
• Use, if possible, straw not wheat, but rye: it is less caked, does not compact from germinating seeds. Rye straw is not strongly compacted, and loosens the ground.
• Do not use hay: it quickly rots, rots, cakes.
• It is better not to lay out fresh, not rotted straw before the appearance of the ovary - the beginning of ripening, or to rake it between the rows. Overripe, if not strongly compacted and does not interfere with heating, it is not advisable to touch.
• Overwintered sawdust should be raked away, if strongly rotted, lay out a new layer in early May.
• It all depends on the thermal conductivity of the layer: for example, sunflower husks are denser; has a theoretically high thermal conductivity. It must be removed in the spring so as not to delay warming up.
• If you are worried about nitrogen carryover, early spring add humus, manure, chicken or pour ammonium nitrate.

The dangers that lie in wait

1. Rodents: beware of wintering field mice: they can make holes in warmth, under cover.
2. Slugs - most often settle under a layer of mulch, after which they eat up with pleasure ripe berries. Look more often under the layer,
3. Buckwheat, sunflower, rice husks are quickly caked and compacted. Only laid out, still fresh and dry - it is easily carried by the wind, rises up until it settles down.
4. Spent blocks of oyster mushrooms - spores can germinate, you can even take a small crop of mushrooms! In addition, evil tongues talk about the use of herbicides in production to disinfect the old mycelium - it is not known how true this is, but ...
5. By the way, overripe mushrooms become carriers of pathogenic microorganisms - in general, be careful with this raw material. However, this is a completely different story.

Let's hope that the question of when to mulch strawberries, when is it better - in spring or autumn, is fully disclosed. Or almost completely - the main points that are important to pay attention to are ajar - the choice of material, the advantages and disadvantages of straw, sawdust, pitfalls, organic (active). The best adviser own experience. He is priceless. Differences in soil and climatic conditions sometimes play a cruel joke on gardeners and farmers: using someone else's experience in completely different conditions, you can make gross mistakes in the cultivation of any crop. Let your experience be only good - good harvest!