How often should you fertilize strawberries?

Strawberry is a fruit that many people like to eat. Appropriate topdressing should be applied when growing strawberries to increase the yield and quality of the strawberries. So how often should strawberries be fertilized? Let’s learn more about it below.

How often should you fertilize strawberries?

Generally speaking, applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers every 7 to 10 days can effectively increase the yield and quality of strawberries. The type and frequency of fertilizer application are different in different growth stages of strawberries.

Topdressing methods for strawberries at different stages

1. Transplant survival period

After the strawberries are transplanted and survive, they enter a period of vigorous growth in early and mid-September. Applying potassium fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer per acre along with water is beneficial to the growth and development of the plants, promotes the differentiation of flower buds, and enhances their ability to overwinter. However, excessive nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided as it may cause the plants to grow too tall.

2. New leaf germination period

When new leaves sprout in the spring and the strawberry buds appear, around the end of March or the beginning of April, you can combine watering and fertilizing to effectively promote plant growth, form sufficient leaf area, increase the number of effective inflorescences, and promote flowering and fruiting.

3. Early flowering period

Top dressing should be done during the initial flowering period. Strawberries enter the initial flowering period around late April. Timely top dressing can significantly ensure plant growth, improve fruit setting rate and quality, and increase yield. Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to the roots of strawberries once, 7.5 to 10 kg per mu, or apply homemade EM fermented fertilizer , dilute it with clean water, and then apply it to the soil near the roots of the strawberry plants.

4. Fruit expansion period

From the time strawberries set fruit to the time they change color, promote fruit swelling, improve quality, increase hardness, and prevent premature aging. You can apply fruit-swelling fertilizer once every 6-7 days and apply topdressing 1-2 times.

5. Fruit picking period

For strawberries that have entered the fruit-picking period, topdressing is generally done once every 20 days or so, and topdressing can be combined with irrigation. During this period, the first batch of strawberry fruits have been harvested, and the second batch of fruit inflorescences are about to appear. Appropriate topdressing should be applied with compound fertilizers mainly composed of quick-acting nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, and 15 kilograms can be applied per mu.

6. Late stage of fruit picking

After the strawberry fruits are harvested, in order to make up for the nutrient consumption caused by the fruits, enhance the growth, restore the plant growth as soon as possible, and form more new leaves and new roots, potassium fertilizer should be appropriately increased in this topdressing. 10 to 15 kg of urea, 15 to 20 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 7.5 to 10 kg of potassium fertilizer can be applied per mu.

That’s it