How to manage strawberries after planting? Key technical points for watering, intertillage weeding, fertilizing and leaf removal

    1. Watering. On the day of planting, water immediately to help the seedlings recover; this watering is the key to seedling survival. Because strawberry roots are shallow and not drought-tolerant, watering must be done early. Water heavily, along the furrows, soaking thoroughly and breaking up the soil balls to promote root growth. Water in the early morning or evening, avoiding the high-temperature midday period, which affects root growth. If seedlings tip over or float up after watering, straighten them promptly. Before the seedlings recover, keep the soil moist, watering once every 1-2 days if necessary; after about 7 days, when the strawberry heart leaves begin to grow, this indicates the seedlings have recovered, so stop watering and do not water unless dry, keeping the soil alternately dry and moist.

Strawberry seedling planting

    2. Intertillage and weeding. After planting and seedling recovery, carry out the first intertillage and loosening of the soil to improve soil aeration and promote new root growth. Because the strawberry roots are not yet firmly established during the seedling recovery period, loosen the soil shallowly and do not loosen the soil around the roots, so as not to damage the strawberry plants and roots. After each subsequent watering, when the surface soil is almost but not quite dry, loosen the soil promptly to prevent rapid evaporation of soil moisture, which causes the soil to harden and become impermeable. Since the soil is moist, weeds grow very quickly, so remove field weeds during intertillage.

    3. Fertilizing. After seedling recovery, if the seedlings are weak, apply 7 kg of urea per mu, or apply ABT rooting powder, NEB, etc. to the leaves to promote deeper root growth. If the strawberry seedlings are growing well, do not apply fertilizer. This is because excessive vegetative growth of strawberry plants delays flower bud differentiation. By late September, the terminal inflorescence begins to differentiate; to promote flower bud development, apply a topdressing of nitrogen fertilizer once, about 10 kg per mu, combined with watering.

    4. Removing leaves and buds. Old leaves and dead leaves affect stem enlargement and easily induce disease, so after seedling recovery, promptly remove dead leaves, old leaves and newly grown stolons. When strawberry plants begin to develop, vigorous axillary buds and stolons will grow; to reduce nutrient consumption by the strawberry plants, newly emerged axillary buds and stolons should be removed early, but leaf removal must not be excessive, otherwise flowering and strawberry enlargement become slow and the harvest period is delayed.