Strawberry mulching

23-08-2018

Tips and ideas

Strawberry mulching is the covering of the soil between rows of different materials. Gardeners use all kinds of development to increase the yield and minimize effort. At growth of strawberry under a film there is its protection against rotting and weeds.

Mulch targets

Strawberry mulching is a mandatory process. The main goals that are pursued are to create positive conditions for the subsequent growth of strawberries.

A layer of mulch retains moisture in the soil, thereby retaining it in the proper amount. Thanks to this layer, weeds cannot penetrate the light, the soil becomes nutritious, friable, because the appearance of a large number of earthworms improves its structure. When planting strawberries under the film, you need to consider some rules.

For mulching there are a number of materials, the choice of which affects:

soil composition;
the purpose of the procedure;
growing conditions.

The use of different types of film

Nowadays, the technology of growing strawberries on film has become widespread. It covers the ground in such a way that it favorably affects the growth of the plant and protects ripe berries from contact with the soil. In other words, such strawberry covering material as a mulch film is used to make it more convenient to care for and harvest.

The holes cut in it serve for planting seeds and seedlings. From all sides of the beds, the film will need to be dug into the ground. This covering material contributes to higher yields.

The use of black film for mulching strawberries leads to the fact that visible solar radiation does not penetrate the soil, which means that there will be no weeds next to the plant.

In this case, the ripening of the fruit under the film occurs earlier, the temperature of the earth is higher, and this has a positive effect on the development of the root system. Due to the fact that moisture accumulates under it, the upper layer does not harden and the metabolism in the plant improves.

If a transparent film is used for growing strawberries, this may contribute to the appearance of weeds. Its use leads to an increase in soil temperature, due to condensate, water is saved, which protects the plant from heat or unexpected cooling.

The optimum fit of strawberries under the film is considered to be placed under the material with the following combination - white on top and black on the bottom. This method has the following advantages:

do not penetrate the visible rays of the sun, contributing to the growth of weeds;
water is saved for irrigation and herbicides for the destruction of weeds;
soil crust is eliminated;
plants are protected from cold and drought;
bottom black film warms the soil.

When planting strawberries on film, the quality of the berries for the better increases. This covering combination material helps the gardener to get the best harvest with the lowest cost:

forces;
of money;
of time.

Strawberry mulching (video)

The subtleties of planting strawberries on film

When planting strawberries under the film, you need to take into account some rules and prepare the proper materials:

Polyethylene proper footage. It must correspond to the number of beds and length.

Hose. He will need to build a drip irrigation system. It should be enough for watering the entire plantation.

Working seals and scissors.

The process of planting strawberries on the film has some subtleties. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a bed, the width of which should be approximately 80-90 cm. Then the earth is dug up and fertilizers are applied, preferably organic, such as:

humus;
compost;
horse dung.

A passage of 60-70 cm, which must be left between the beds, will help in the care of plants. From all sides it is necessary to lift the soil and lay, pulling and crushing the black film. Bushes are planted in the cuts made in the material after the bed has settled for 7-14 days. Planting strawberries under the film is carried out after watering.

Other covering materials

Mulching strawberries can be performed using:

straw;
dry grass;
sawdust;
cardboard;
Spanboda;
ruberoid.

Wheat or rye straw must first be shaken up, wet and dried in the sun. Laying mulch is done in a thick even layer of about 7 cm.

Dry grass unfolds between the rows of 5-cm layer. Thanks to the mowed grass, the berries do not lie on the ground, which does not dry out.

The soil structure is favorably influenced by the introduction of sawdust. However, this method is not suitable for acidic soils, because the material increases acidity, which makes the berries smaller.

In the case of exposure of the site to pest invasions, they will become more, as the conditions under the sawdust for the insects become favorable.

Roofing material is a dense covering which is absolutely not dangerous to a plant, does not emit harmful impurity. This material covers the ground, which is pre-enriched with humus. Service life is 3 years.

Another mulch material is Spunbond covering fabric. It well passes moisture and saves water from fast evaporation. "Spandbond" will last for 2 years.

Cardboard and old newspapers are also suitable for mulching. To do this, it is necessary to prepare a bed for planting strawberries and cover with this material. It is necessary to lay in such a way that sheets of 20 cm came over each other. The land should be covered entirely, as in this case the weeds will not be able to germinate. Using large sheets of cardboard for mulching strawberries is an ideal solution because there will be fewer joints.