How to manage strawberries during the flowering and fruiting period? Five measures to master well
During the flowering and fruiting period of strawberries, growers need to create a growing environment for strawberries with a field water-holding capacity of 80%, a temperature of 18°C to 26°C, and 12 to 15 hours of daily sunlight. The key points for managing strawberries during the flowering and fruiting period are as follows:
Strawberry
1. Topdressing.In early to mid-April, apply 10 to 15 kg of compound fertilizer or urea per mu of strawberry field to accelerate the growth of strawberry plants and the unfolding of new leaves, and to promote the flowering and fruiting of strawberries. In addition, spray a 0.3% to 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution on the strawberry leaves 2 to 3 times.
2. Removing runners.Removing the runners of strawberries can increase strawberry yield by 40% to 50%, but for propagation needs, an appropriate amount of strawberry runners should be left. Because excessive runners will consume a large amount of nutrients from the strawberry plants and affect future flower bud differentiation of strawberries, they are generally removed as soon as the strawberry runners just grow out, and this should be done 3 to 4 times each year.
3. Thinning flower buds.The later-opening flowers on the strawberry inflorescence often cannot form strawberry fruit, so they have no economic value and also consume the plant's nutrients, and they should be thinned promptly when the flower buds separate from one another. It is appropriate to remove about 20% of the inflorescences on the plant, and weak inflorescences need not be retained.
4. Mulching the fruit.Strawberry plants are short, and the fruit is very likely to droop and touch the ground, becoming contaminated by soil and harmed by diseases and pests, and it can also cause uneven coloring of the strawberries. Wheat straw or chopped rice straw can be spread around the strawberry plants.
5. Timely harvesting.Ripe strawberries are soft and juicy, and must be harvested promptly to avoid rotting.