Key points of strawberry management technology in December

With the arrival of December, cold air activities become more frequent and the temperature drops sharply. During this period, strawberries are in the critical period of flowering and fruiting, the growth rate accelerates, and the demand for environmental and nutritional conditions also increases accordingly. In order to meet the growth needs of strawberries, promote fruit enlargement, sweetening and early market launch, we need to take a series of scientific management measures. Let’s learn together the key points of strawberry management in December.

1. Reasonable control of temperature and humidity

The ideal temperature during the strawberry flowering period is 25-28℃ during the day and 8-12℃ at night. Temperatures that are too high or too low will affect the activity of pollen, leading to pollination difficulties. The air humidity during the flowering period should be controlled at around 55%. If the humidity is too high, ventilation is needed to reduce the humidity and keep it below 60%. At the same time, priority should be given to reducing humidity rather than keeping warm.

During the strawberry fruit expansion period, the daytime temperature should be controlled at 18-25℃ and the nighttime temperature should be controlled at 5-10℃. Too low a temperature will lead to slow growth and even freeze the fruit, delaying its time to market. Appropriately increasing the temperature difference between day and night is beneficial to nutrient accumulation, promoting fruit enlargement and sweetening.

The temperature in the strawberry greenhouse can be regulated by covering it with thatch, ventilating it or artificially increasing the temperature. 20 minutes after pulling the thatch in the morning, you can ventilate the room briefly, then close the vents to increase the temperature. When the temperature reaches 28~30℃, ventilate for the second time, and close the air vents when the temperature drops to 22℃. The size and time of ventilation vents should be flexibly adjusted according to the actual situation of the greenhouse . When the outside temperature drops in the afternoon, the time for covering the greenhouse should be flexibly controlled according to the insulation characteristics of the greenhouse. If the temperature is too high, delay covering the thatch; if the greenhouse has poor insulation, cover the thatch early. When encountering extremely low temperatures, you can use electric heating, lighting a stove, or burning heating blocks to increase the temperature inside the shed.

2. Do a good job in water and fertilizer management

Strawberries grow rapidly in December and have a strong demand for nutrients. When applying fertilizer, we should insist on a reasonable combination of major, medium and trace elements and apply fertilizer in a balanced manner. It is recommended to apply 4-10 kg of water-soluble fertilizer per mu at intervals of 10-15 days, and pay attention to calcium supplementation. Spray boron fertilizer on the leaves 15-20 days before flowering, and spray multiple micro-fertilizers at intervals to promote large, beautiful, sweet strawberries and early market launch.

The time for watering and fertilizing should be determined according to weather changes, and avoid watering and fertilizing on rainy and snowy days. Fertilization and watering should be done as early as possible in the morning, and avoid watering in the afternoon to restore the ground temperature as soon as possible. After watering, ventilate and dehumidify in time, and keep the soil moisture at 60%-80%.

The weather in December changes greatly, and it is prone to low temperatures, low sunlight, frost, rain, snow and other weather conditions. Specific agents can be used to improve the strawberry's resistance and root vitality, prevent cold and frost, promote nutrient absorption, and ensure the quality of flowers and fruits.

3. Strengthen daily management to reduce the occurrence of deformed fruits

During the strawberry planting process, it is necessary to increase the commercial fruit rate of strawberries, prevent or reduce the occurrence of deformed fruits, and improve economic benefits. The main types of strawberry deformities include rigid fruit, cockscomb fruit, albino fruit, double fruit, cracked fruit, hollow fruit, and strawberry white butt. In order to reduce the occurrence of deformed fruits, the following points should be paid attention to in daily management:

1. Select excellent varieties and cultivate high-quality and strong seedlings of appropriate age.

2. Properly control fertilizer and water, reasonably match nutrients, and avoid excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer.

3. Make scientific use of protected facilities to create temperature, light and humidity suitable for the growth of strawberries at different growth stages. Avoid direct sunlight on strawberry fruits in the greenhouse.

4. Water scientifically, water frequently and sparingly. Prevent the soil in the greenhouse from drying out or becoming waterlogged, or alternately dry and waterlogged.

5. Scientific cultivation and management to achieve a coordinated balance between vegetative growth and reproductive growth.

6. Timely and reasonable supplementation of trace elements, especially calcium, magnesium and boron.

7. Check regularly and remove deformed fruits at any time.

4. Thin out flowers, fruits and leaves in time

1. Thinning flowers and fruits

To ensure adequate nutrient supply , it is usually necessary to thin out the strawberries. First, remove the deformed fruits, and then check the number of flowers and fruits. If there are too many, remove the small flowers on the thin branches. If there are still too many, remove the small ones and keep the large ones. Generally, three fruits are kept in one inflorescence, and the specific amount depends on the growth strength of the plant. For strong seedlings, more fruits can be kept.

2. Remove old and diseased leaves

At this stage, strawberries are growing rapidly and require a lot of nutrients. The diseased and old leaves on the plant and the yellow leaves at the bottom should be removed in time to avoid wasting nutrients. If strawberries grow too densely, you should also thin out the leaves appropriately to prevent the fruit from changing color and accumulating sugar due to insufficient light and ventilation.

5. Pest and disease control

The control of strawberry diseases and pests adheres to the principle of "combining prevention and treatment, prevention first". Try to do it before the disease or pest occurs or in the early stage. The main strawberry pests and diseases in December are powdery mildew, gray mold, root rot, thrips, red spider mites, etc. Choose appropriate pesticides for prevention and control based on the type of pests and diseases, the degree of damage, and whether it affects bee pollination.

To sum up, strawberry management needs to be adapted to local conditions, meticulous and comprehensive, and closely linked to each other in order to achieve high yield and quality. The above points are for your reference only.