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Strawberry plants (summer-bearing varieties) sets flower buds during the shortening day – usually at the end of August and beginning of September (in the northern hemisphere). This is important when choosing a method of cultivation, which allows you to precisely plan the date of fruit harvest. The date of the first fruit harvest depends on the variety, type of seedlings and their quality, as well as the date of planting.
In the case of varieties that bear fruit in the summer, the setting-up of plantations in the summer months (from mid-July to mid-August in the northern hemisphere) enables full fruiting of plants as early as the next growing season. In the summer time it is recommended to plant plantations of green potted plants, which adopt to the field conditions very well and give high yield the following year.
Potted plantlets for summer plantings (so-called fresh plugs) are offered in multiplates, in which a single “cell” has dimensions 4 x 4 cm or 5 x 5 cm (potted plantlets with larger tray sizes and mini tray are intended mainly for controlled production strawberry fruit, under covers).
Potted plantlets for summer plantings are produced from leaf rosettes settled on the mother plant runners. In order to rooting, the rosettes are cut off from mother plants with 1–2 cm of a fragment of a runner at a very early stage of development (2–3 leaves and initiated hooked roots) and placed in multiplates filled with substrate. For the first 7–10 days of rooting it is recommended to maintain very high humidity (almost 100%, which is later reduced to 50–60%). The temperature of the substrate in which the plants are rooted should be 17–19°C. Plants should be regularly sprayed with water, protected against diseases and pests, as well as feed by foliar fertilizer treatments (PLONVIT® OPTY or PLONVIT® GEL 20/20/20+micro).
The foliar application of the TYTANIT® biostimulant intensifies the development of leaves and roots. It is also beneficial to use the OPTYSIL biostimulant, which increases the tolerance of young plants to biotic and abiotic stresses
The production of potted cuttings for summer plantings takes 3–4 weeks. Plants that are ready to be planted have a few leaves and an well-developed root system, so they easily adopt to the field conditions.
An intensive cultivation of strawberries requires irrigation of plants. Drop irrigation is especially effective – water from the emitters flows directly to the soil without spraying the plants (limited risk of infection of the fruit by gray mold). Additionally, drip irrigation gives the possibility of using fertigation – supplying plants with nutrients together with water. Fertigation is an effective and precise method of providing nutrients necessary for plants in different growth development phases. Fertilizers recommended for fertigation must be of very high quality, especially excellent solubility in water, practically no insoluble parts and high concentration of nutrients – DROPFERT® 18/18/18, DROPFERT® 4/40/13, DROPFERT® 9/10/36, MIKRO PLUS™ , MIKRO PLUS™ ULTRA. For the fertigation of crops in the field conditions, you can also use universal fertilizers of PLONVIT series: PLONVIT® OPTY, PLONVIT® NITRO, PLONVIT® PHOSPHO, PLONVIT® KALI.
Fertigation, although it is a very effective method of fertilization, does not eliminate the need to foliar nutrition of strawberry plants, especially in the case of nutrients such as calcium (OPTYCAL®, PLONVIT® CALCIUM TUTBO) and boron (MIKROVIT® BORON TURBO, MIKROVIT® BORON).
High yielding of strawberry plants and a long growing season require supporting of plant growth which could ensure yield quantity and good quality. Therefore, foliar applications of TYTANIT® may stimulate plants for better growth and yield.
The good condition of plants throughout the growing season determines the yield of strawberry.
Even short-term nutrient deficiency may have a negative impact on plant growth and yield. Therefore, it is necessary comprehensive assessment of the requirements of the plants at any stage of their development. This will allow them to be fed properly and bio-stimulate them.
INTERMAG’s wide range of products, allows you to develop your own individual foliar fertilization and biostimulation program, considering local soil conditions, crop intensity, stage of plant development and availability of various products.
All of these discussed actions significantly affect the yield increase and its quality parameters.