One of the easiest and most affordable ways to renew old strawberry plantations and plant new plants is to breed bushes by division. We learn how to pick strawberries for planting, how to plant it, and how to care for it.
What is division?
Division of the bush is one of the methods of propagation of perennials, allowing you to get several young from one mother plant. An adult bush is divided into two, three or more parts with well-developed roots.
It is not recommended to divide the uterine bushes into too small horns - they will be weak and take root for a long time.
The most popular way to propagate strawberries is with a mustache. But there are hybrids and varieties, mostly repair ones, in which few whiskers are formed, or there are none at all. It is these plants that are recommended to be propagated by division.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The main advantage of strawberry propagation by division is the simplicity of the process. Compared to growing seedlings and sockets, this option does not require any special effort.
pros breeding division:
- new plants fully retain varietal traits;
- fast rooting and good survival rate up to 90%;
- new bushes give a full crop as early as next season;
- the method is applicable throughout the season;
- the possibility of improving productivity by selecting the most powerful bushes with large berries.
From the bushes, which are intended for division, do not break the buds, as with the propagation of the mustache. Gardeners have the opportunity to first harvest, and only then plant the plants.
There are practically no disadvantages in reproduction by division. There is rather a condition - the uterine bushes must be healthy, strong, with a strong root system. There should be no damage, traces of diseases or pests on their leaves.
When is it better to divide the bushes?
It is recommended to plant strawberry bushes in the spring. The sooner you plant young plants, the faster they take root, and the better they will tolerate their first winter. After a year, the dividers give the first full crop.
Features of the propagation of strawberries in different periods:
- Spring. If planted in the spring, flower stalks break off at young bushes so that the plants direct all their forces to the development of roots and the growth of green mass.
- Summer. Buttocks are allowed to propagate in the summer, but they only do this in cloudy weather. In hot weather, replanting horns is not recommended.
- Fall. Division propagation is practiced until early October. Strawberries cannot be planted later than this - the horns will not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather, and most of the planted bushes will freeze out even with slight frost.
Spring reproduction gives maximum guarantees of survival and is a good reserve for future crops. Autumn planting has its plus - it allows you to take a full-fledged crop in the summer.
Selection of uterine bushes
The maximum time for stable productivity of strawberry bush is 4 years. Keeping it in the beds longer than this period does not make sense. Adult four-year-old plants are the optimal material for reproduction by division. One bush gives 15-18 suitable for planting horns.
Before dividing the bushes, gardeners observe the berry plantation for a whole year, noting the most powerful and productive specimens. In order not to lose mother liquors in the berry, they are marked, for example, a small stone is placed near them, a peg is placed, ribbons are tied.
Old strawberry bushes can be easily distinguished from young bushes by hard dark brown roots, darker leaves and many rosettes.
Seasoned gardeners plant berries so that each year they have both crops and bushes for propagation. To do this, on each plantation, they make 4 beds, on which bushes of the first, second, third and fourth years of life grow.
How to divide?
To propagate strawberries with bushes, you will need a shovel, secateurs and a container of water. How to share a strawberry bush:
- In turn, stick a shovel around the uterine bush.
- Tear off dried leaves and peduncles, if any.
- Helping with your hands, pull the bush up and shake it a bit so that the earth will fall from them.
- Put the dug bush in a bowl of water.
- Carefully divide the mother plant into several horns. Try not to pull hard so as not to damage the plants. Thanks to water, you can easily disassemble the bush into parts without any effort.
- Trim secateurs to old, darkened and dried roots. Only young ones should stay.
If during the separation the double horns were separated - two bushes on the same root - they are carefully cut in half. It turns out two seedlings.
Landing rules
Depending on the size of the horns, gardeners decide to plant them immediately on prepared beds or to grow a little. When transplanting, not only the size of the root system, but also the type of variety is taken into account.
Planting seedlings for growing
Horns with poorly developed roots are recommended not to be planted immediately in a permanent place. To grow them, use small containers, best of all - peat pots.
Transplanting for growing:
- Prepare a substrate from peat and garden soil (1: 1) and fill it with half capacity tanks.
- Place the horn in the center of the pot.
- Fill the roots with the substrate to the root neck.
- Pour and cover with a film.
After a month and a half, grown horns are planted on the beds. The disadvantage of this method is the risk of diseases when transplanting into the ground. If you use peat pots, the chances of a successful survival are much greater.
Transplanting to beds
When the horns grow to the desired condition, they have large and fleshy foliage. It is important to have time to plant grown strawberries before October.
The procedure for replacing the grown horns is the same as when planting well-developed horns, separated from the uterine bush:
- Dig a week in a week and bring a bucket of organic fertilizer (compost, humus) into it.
- Dig holes of a suitable size so that the roots of the horns fit freely in them.
- Place the seedling in the recess, sprinkle with soil to the root neck, compact it with your hands, and then water it.
How to plant repair varieties?
Repairing varieties bear fruit several times during the summer or do not stop bearing at all. Many of them cannot be propagated in any other way than division.
The division is recommended in the fall - 20 days before the frost. Spring planting is practiced less often and done before the flower stalks appear, or they are cut off if they have managed to grow before work begins.
Care for young seedlings
Planted horns require increased attention from the gardener. They need strength to take root, so it is important to water, loosen and feed them in time. The optimum temperature for the growth and development of strawberries is + 18 ... + 20 ° С.
How to care for landed horns:
- Watering and loosening. The approximate frequency of watering is once every 2-3 days. If necessary, increase it. As they take root, seedlings are watered less often. A day or two after watering, the soil is gently loosened, trying not to approach the seedlings, so as not to damage the roots, which are located close to the surface of the strawberries.
- Mulching. To reduce moisture evaporation and inhibit weed growth, the soil is sprinkled with a layer of mulch. For this purpose, use straw, dry, grass, other natural material.
- Top dressing. It is needed for a spring transplant. A complex mineral fertilizer is applied to the soil. The frequency of top dressing is once a month.
- Protection. To prevent diseases and pests, plantings are sprayed with fungicides and insecticides.
Around the month of October, a new strawberry is abundantly watered. This is a water-charging irrigation, which increases the chances of plants for a successful wintering.
Common mistakes and problems
Despite the simplicity of the method and good chances of survival, problems often arise when propagating strawberry bushes by division. Experienced gardeners advise on how to avoid mistakes:
- Bad take root. Allowable losses among planted horns are approximately 10. If this indicator grows, which means that the plants lack nutrition, feeding is necessary. Strawberries do not like high acidity - add wood ash.
- Develops poorly. If the root neck is below the soil level, the bush does not grow and does not produce berries.
- Is ill. If the bushes are affected by late blight and powdery mildew, crop rotation may be impaired. Strawberries are not planted after potatoes and tomatoes.
Division of the bush is a universal method of reproduction, which is suitable for all varieties of strawberries. It is convenient for its simplicity, stretching in time and the ability not to give up a full crop.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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