Content
Manure for strawberries is applied only in rotted form. To do this, the raw materials are filled with water and left to ferment for 1–2 weeks. Then dilute it 10 times and start watering. But chicken manure is used fresh, and it needs to be diluted 15–20 times.
Is it possible to fertilize strawberries with manure?
It is possible and necessary to give the berries manure mixtures. They contain macro- and microelements that provide great benefits to plants. They improve the structure of the soil and saturate it with oxygen. Unlike mineral fertilizers, organic matter saturates strawberries stably. It is not washed out of the soil, which explains the “prolonged” effect. Organic matter stimulates the proliferation of beneficial soil bacteria and leads to an increase in green mass. Thanks to manure, gardeners note good fruit set.
All this leads to improved plant nutrition, increased resistance to adverse weather conditions and pests, and ensures a consistently high yield.
When to fertilize strawberries with manure
Each fertilizer has a specific application period.In the case of organic matter, these deadlines are not so strict, since it contains various nutrients in a balanced form. You can fertilize at any time of the season. The exception is chicken manure, the infusion of which is watered only in the spring (before buds form).
The main timing for applying manure mixtures:
- The first time is used at the end of April or at the beginning of May, i.e. before budding.
- The second time - during the formation of buds or at the early flowering stage.
- To prolong the harvest, organic matter is added during fruiting. This is especially important for remontant varieties and varieties with extended fruiting, which produce berries throughout the season.
- After fruiting, you can feed strawberries with cow, rabbit or horse manure (it must be rotted). This can be done at the end of August or at the beginning of September (the soil temperature should be more than +10 degrees).
Regular fertilizing with manure ensures consistently high yields
What manure is best for strawberries?
Several manure compositions are available to summer residents:
- bovine;
- horse;
- rabbit;
- chicken (dung).
According to reviews from summer residents, it is best to use the first two of them, since they have a rich composition, which is evident from the increase in berry yield.
Rabbit and chicken droppings are less suitable, but they can also be used. As for pork humus, its use is not recommended. It can be mixed with other raw materials, for example, mullein.
How to dilute manure to feed strawberries
It is permissible to fertilize strawberries with horse, rabbit manure, mullein and bird droppings. The raw materials are added undiluted, simply laid out on the surface or covered when digging, and also in the form of an infusion, which must be diluted at least 10 times.
Horse manure for strawberries
Horse manure is used for strawberries in the spring, immediately before planting. The rotted raw materials are diluted with water 1:1, allowed to stand for a week and then laid out in holes. If the planting has already been done, you can apply root fertilizer. Rotted manure is placed in a bucket (one third full), filled with water and left for seven days in the shade (without contact with direct rays). Stir occasionally, then dilute with water 10 times and water. The procedure is carried out in April and May (before flowering begins).
Similarly, you can add horse manure when planting strawberries in August. Another way is to plant fresh raw materials 1–1.5 months before the planned planting. If the soil is infertile, then add 1.5–2 buckets per 1 m2, if normal - 10 liters. During this time, the manure will have time to rot and release nutrients into the soil.
Fresh horse manure is used to feed strawberries in the fall. But it is not embedded in holes, but simply laid out between the beds in an amount of no more than 3 kg per square meter (in mid-October). Thanks to this, the manure rots over the winter, the substances pass into the soil, they are processed by bacteria, after which they enter the roots. If you pour the infusion of fresh manure, it will simply burn the root hairs and can even lead to the death of the plantings.
An infusion of horse manure is given to each bush (0.5–1 l)
Fertilizing strawberries with cow manure
Mullein is considered the most valuable fertilizer for strawberries, since it contains all vital elements, including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and others. To prepare, you need to fill the bucket a third with waste and add water to the full volume.
The container is left in a warm place so that the raw materials ferment for 10–15 days. Then it is diluted 10 times and slurry is obtained. This composition is used to water the bushes at the roots in May and June - during flowering and the formation of ovaries.
Mullein can also be used for application in late autumn (October, November) between rows of plantings. Take fresh, not rotted material and lay it out in an amount of 2–3 kg per 1 m2. In this form, it will remain over the winter and gradually release nitrogen and other substances into the soil. As a result, the plants will receive the necessary elements already next spring. Mullein can be laid out either separately or mixed with hay and straw (bedding material).
Mullein is considered one of the best types of manure for culture
Rabbit manure for strawberries
To feed strawberries, you can use an infusion of rabbit manure. It contains a number of valuable elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc and others. Rabbit humus is used less frequently because it is not as accessible as mullein or bird droppings.
There are several options for using fertilizing:
- Prepare an infusion of fresh organic matter: fill a bucket with one-third of the raw materials and add water to the final volume, let stand for 7–10 days.Then take 1 liter and dilute 10 times. This infusion is used to water plants during the formation of buds, flowering, and also during the fruiting stage.
- Mix with wood ash in equal quantities and dilute with water 10 times. Let it stand for several days and then water 0.5–1 liter per bush.
- Use dry powder (it is made from crushed raw materials), adding a tablespoon (15 g) per bush.
- When digging in autumn (to prepare the site for planting in spring or summer), scatter the raw materials over a bucket of 1 m2 and let him get over it.
Is it possible to put chicken manure under strawberries?
Chicken manure (droppings) is used as fertilizer for strawberries. Under no circumstances should it be placed in a planting hole or under plant bushes. Fresh raw materials are semi-liquid; they will quickly rot and burn the root system. But you shouldn’t insist on it for several days or even weeks, as, for example, in the case of mullein. In this case, the organic matter will lose nitrogen compounds, which will cause the plantings to grow poorly.
This is an exceptional case when fresh litter is used. It contains the components in concentrated form. Therefore, for spring processing it is necessary:
- Place 500–700 g of litter at the bottom of the bucket.
- Dilute it with water 15–20 times.
- Then mix and immediately start watering.
- In this case, the composition is applied not under the roots, but 10–15 cm from them.
You should not use bird manure during strawberry fruiting; it is better to fertilize with mullein or a complex mineral composition.
Chicken manure is not infused, but used immediately after preparation.
Common mistakes
Feeding strawberries with manure is beneficial, although in some cases it can be dangerous.It all depends on the form in which the raw materials are used, as well as on the proportions in which the slurry is diluted. Beginning gardeners often make mistakes because they do not know all the nuances. To prevent this, it is recommended to consider a few tips:
- Fresh manure for strawberries is used only when preparing the site (fertilizer is applied during digging at least a month in advance), as well as when laying it between rows in late autumn. It is strictly forbidden to place it directly into the planting hole or use it to prepare a fresh solution.
- You should not cover strawberries with fresh manure in the fall. For mulching, only rotted material is used, and manure bedding alone will not be enough. Sawdust, pine needles, and straw are also placed on the soil, and a frame is installed on top, onto which agrofibre is stretched.
- Chicken manure, unlike other types of organic matter, does not need to be infused even for several days. It is diluted with water and immediately applied to the soil. In this case, the plants are watered intensively, and the composition itself is pre-diluted 15–20 times.
- You need to prepare the manure infusion in the quantity that will be consumed at a time, since it is not worth storing the mixture for a long time. But if there is excess left, you can pour it into the planting rows.
Conclusion
Manure must be applied to strawberries to get a good harvest. The best option is to alternate organic fertilizers with mineral ones. It should be remembered that fresh manure is applied only for digging or laid out between rows. Plants can only be watered with a solution of fermented raw materials. It is also allowed to put humus in the planting hole or use it as mulch.
