Mulching strawberries with sawdust: spring, summer, autumn

Strawberry sawdust is one of the best materials for mulching in the spring. It perfectly allows air and moisture to pass through (no need to remove it when watering), and also protects the roots from overheating, cooling and even pests. Wood shavings are poured in late spring, summer and mid-autumn.

Is it possible to mulch strawberries with sawdust?

To understand whether it is possible or not to put sawdust under strawberries, you need to understand how they affect the soil. This material is a by-product of wood processing. The density is low, so the breathability is good. With prolonged contact with soil and moisture, sawdust rots and releases organic matter into the soil.

Thanks to the action of bacteria, they are destroyed into inorganic substances, after which they are absorbed by the root system of plants. The whole process takes up to three years, so this material is not used as fertilizer. But it performs the functions of a mulch layer.

Wood residues heat up in the sun and retain heat well, which is especially important during frosts (spring, autumn). On the other hand, they do not allow moisture to quickly evaporate, so the soil under such a layer of mulch remains moist even in drought. Thanks to these properties, sawdust creates a special microclimate, which is especially important for strawberries, which are demanding on growing conditions.

There is also no need for mulching when using agrofibre, which is laid directly on the surface of the ground in the spring.

What sawdust is best to mulch strawberries?

You can use sawdust from almost all trees to mulch strawberries. However, they have their own characteristics that you need to know about in advance.

Is it possible to mulch strawberries with pine and pine sawdust?

Pine and coniferous shavings protect plantings well in spring and summer. They have a specific odor due to residues of resin and other compounds. Therefore, the material repels insects, slugs and other pests. As for hardwood, it has similar properties to a lesser extent. But at the same time it serves as a fertilizer - an additional source of organic compounds.

In spring, summer and autumn, shavings of any trees can be poured under the strawberries

Is it possible to mulch strawberries with fresh sawdust?

It is better to mulch strawberries with year-old sawdust rather than fresh ones.Old material is darker in color. Within a year it has time to rot, which makes it adhere better to the surface and does not give off a strong odor. If the wood is fresh, it can also be used to mulch strawberries in the spring. To do this, begin to prepare the material according to the following instructions:

1. In spring, lay out plastic film on a flat surface.
2. Pour shavings with urea (a glass of powder per 3 buckets of sawdust for strawberries).
3. Water with water (10 liters per 3 buckets of material).
4. Cover with another layer of film on top.
5. They wait 10–15 days - during this time the shavings will have time to rot. Such sawdust can be placed under strawberries.

When to sprinkle sawdust under strawberries

The covering layer is added throughout the season, and not just in the spring. The specific timing depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the condition of the bushes themselves. For example, in the spring, wood is laid after the first ovaries have formed. As a rule, this is the second half of May, in the south - the beginning of the month, and in the North-West, Urals, Far East and Siberia - the first days of June. There is no strictly defined time interval (unlike fertilizing).

Is it possible to mulch strawberries with sawdust in the fall, for the winter?

In autumn, strawberries need to be covered in most regions, with the exception of the south. However, to create mulch they no longer use sawdust, but other materials:

• cut grass;
• dry leaves;
• straw;
• pine needles, spruce branches.

Work begins in mid-October, after heavy leaf fall.

Is it possible to mulch strawberries with sawdust in the summer?

In summer, the covering layer does not need to be replaced. It is enough to add a little wood at the moment when the plants have faded and the first fruits have begun to form. If you do nothing, the shavings will contaminate the fruit.In addition, they can become moldy due to excess moisture that the mulch has absorbed.

In summer, the layer of shavings is renewed at the moment the first fruits appear.

How to mulch strawberries with sawdust

Laying mulching material is not difficult. But first you need to do some preparatory work:

1. Weed the bed thoroughly.
2. Loosen the ground.
3. Remove dry leaves and excess mustache (in autumn).
4. Water with settled water, feed (urea or ammonium nitrate in the spring, potassium sulfate and superphosphate or wood ash in the fall).

Mulching strawberries with sawdust in spring

In spring, sawdust can be added under strawberries in mid-May. You should proceed like this:

1. Place shavings at least 4–5 cm high around the bushes.
2. Place the wood between the rows (the height is the same).
3. Level, achieve uniformity.

The mulch must be laid thoroughly immediately, since it will not have to be changed during the season. As for watering, water is poured directly onto the wood without removing it. The material is loose and allows moisture and air to pass through well. But if there are too many shavings, then the upper part is removed, otherwise water will not penetrate to the roots in sufficient quantities.

Mulching strawberries with sawdust in summer

In summer, shavings are only partially added. Although there is an exception to this rule. If the season is rainy, another shift will be needed. Moreover, it is better not to add new chips, but simply remove the old layer. Otherwise, it will be too large, which is why the soil will not have time to dry out properly. Then the roots of the plant may rot.

How to cover strawberries with sawdust for the winter

Spruce branches, straw, foliage, and mown grass make it possible to obtain a good layer (7–10 cm) that protects plants from frost. It is not laid on top of the leaves, but around the bushes and in the spaces between the rows. In this case, sawdust can also be used by laying it in a layer on the soil.

There is another way to hide:

1. A frame of branches is made over the plantings.
2. Polyethylene or other material that does not allow moisture to pass through is fixed onto it.
3. Mulch the plantings with a layer of 5–7 cm.

In March-April, the mulching material is removed. The melted snow will cause the shavings to rot. However, they are not thrown away, but placed in a compost pit to obtain fertilizer.

For the winter, strawberries are covered with straw; in the spring, the layer is removed

Advantages and disadvantages of using sawdust

Sawdust is a natural, breathable material with a number of advantages:

• protects the soil from rapid drying out;
• holds heat well in cold weather;
• excellent air permeability;
• inhibits the growth of weeds;
• repel some insect pests;
• serves as a natural barrier to slugs and snails;
• during decomposition, it enriches the soil with minerals;
• used even after rotting (sent to a compost bin);
• Rodents do not hide in sawdust (unlike hay, which is also often used to mulch strawberries and other plants in the spring).

Along with the described advantages, sawdust has certain disadvantages:

• acidify the soil (reduce the pH of the environment);
• lead to a decrease in nitrogen in the soil (only if you bury them in the ground).

Thus, there is no doubt that sawdust will provide benefit or harm to strawberries in the spring. This is a proven, effective material that has virtually no drawbacks. To regulate acidity, it is recommended to add slaked lime to the soil once a year (150–200 g per 1 m²) or well-crushed eggshells (in the same quantity).

Sawdust is one of the best mulching materials, used throughout the warm period

Conclusion

Sawdust for strawberries is poured both in spring and autumn. The material regulates temperature and humidity well, creating the desired microclimate. It is accessible and easy to use, so it is used for mulching various plants.

Reviews about mulching strawberries with sawdust

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