4 answers to the 4 most important questions about propagating strawberries with a mustache

Strawberry propagation: how to choose a bush?

As you know, to get a good harvest of strawberries, its bushes need to be "rejuvenated" every three years, carrying out the propagation of strawberries. At the same time, young plants need to be transplanted to a new place, since this berry culture, like no other, selects nutrients from the soil as much as possible. Therefore, if in the place where strawberries previously grew, you plan to grow other plants, the soil must first be dug up with the introduction of organic fertilizers, and, if possible, sown with siderates.

Propagating strawberries with a mustache is the easiest way to rejuvenate a berry. In addition, being already familiar with this or that variety, you have the opportunity to plant the one you like most on a new strawberry garden. In this case, you are guaranteed to get a young bush that has retained all the varietal characteristics of the mother bush. But, when multiplying strawberries by seeds, we are not immune from unpleasant surprises, since far from all seeds they completely repeat the set of genes of the mother plant.

So, in order to choose planting material, it is necessary to mark bushes with a large number of peduncles and large berries. For these purposes, pegs, plastic markers, disposable spoons, etc. are placed next to the bush.

As a rule, the mustache begins to grow on the bushes simultaneously with the beginning of their flowering and fruiting. Usually, the decision is made in favor of the berries and the mustache is removed for this period, allowing the fruits to grow and ripen. Some gardeners, who are ready to donate the harvest of berries, cut off the flower stalks so that the plant will direct all its forces to the growth and formation of the whiskers.

However, it should be noted that the whiskers that the plant gives after fruiting also take root well, you need to make only a little more effort so that the rosettes take root and are ready for winter.

If you need a small amount of planting material, then during the flowering and fruiting periods, you can leave one mustache on each pre-selected bush. According to gardeners, the bush will cope with such a load.

What mustache to choose?

As a rule, one strawberry whisker forms at least 2-3 rosettes. Among gardeners, there is an opinion that the first or, in extreme cases, the second outlet is suitable for reproduction. However, we repeat that no matter how many rosettes are formed, each of them is an exact copy of the uterine bush, suitable for reproduction. The only difference is that the first outlet receives more power and the bush grown from it will develop and bear fruit faster. Others will require a little more time and, possibly, additional feeding. But, in the end, you will also get a fruiting plant.

How to root strawberry rosettes?

After we have decided on the number of outlets, we remove unnecessary ones from them, and we are in no hurry to separate the selected ones from the bush. We pin the mustache with rosettes to the ground, spud a little and water it regularly.

Some gardeners practice rooting outlets directly into disposable plastic pots or cups. The mustache, in this case, also does not need to be separated. We press the plants a little into the soil, poured into a pot or glass, and fix it in it.The container with seedlings can be dug into the ground, or left on the surface, for example, if the bed is covered with non-woven material. However, in this case, you need to monitor the moisture content of the earthen coma in the pot, preventing it from drying out.

The indisputable advantage of this method is that the root system of the plant, when it is subsequently transplanted from the container to a permanent place, will not suffer in any way. The bush will not hurt and will have time to get stronger by the beginning of the autumn-winter period.

Strawberry propagation: how to properly plant plants in open ground?

It is better to start preparing the beds for planting young plants in advance. The soil, with applied organic fertilizers, is well dug up. Then, it is recommended to cover the ground with sawdust or non-woven material to ensure moderate soil moisture, creating favorable conditions for the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Also, when choosing a planting site, you need to take into account the predecessors that previously grew in the garden. The best of them are legumes that saturate the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter. You should not plant strawberries where tomatoes and cucumbers, potatoes and cabbage were grown.

After the strawberry rosettes have taken root, we separate them from the mother bush. Carefully, trying not to damage the root system, we dig it out of the ground, or cut the plastic containers with rooted plants and plant it in a prepared bed.

In the hole, the plant must be placed so that the center of the rosette is at soil level. This is a very important condition, because if the outlet is deeply deepened, the plant will rot and die, if left above the surface, the bush will dry out or freeze. The planted strawberries need to be watered abundantly.

In order for the plants to take root faster in the garden, we monitor the soil moisture, ensure its loosening, preventing the formation of a soil crust, and also apply nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer.

In addition, you need to remember that the deadline for planting rooted plants in the ground is mid-September. Later plantings simply do not have time to get stronger and will suffer from the cold weather. As they say: - "I missed the day - I lost the harvest."