Strawberry bed renovation brings benefits next year June 14, 2022 in Outdoors By Chris Himmelwright Pratt County Extension Master Gardener Caring for your strawberry bed Next year’s strawberry crop will be affected by what you do to this year’s strawberry bed. The sooner after harvest the patch is cleaned up, fertilized and irrigated, if needed, the better the chance of getting a good crop next year. One of the main goals in renovation is to provide a high level of sunlight to plant leaves so they can manufacture the food the plant needs. If leaves have disease spots, remove all the leaves in the bed. Removing, these diseased leaves and weeds will cause new, non-diseased leaves to develop and remove competition from weedy plants. Hedge shears or even a mower can be used. Be sure the mower blade is high enough to avoid the strawberry crowns. It is also important to reduce the number of strawberry plants so they do not compete for light, moisture and nutrients. If you have a small bed, you can hoe out or pull some plants so they are spaced about 4 to 6 inches apart. On large beds, adjust a rototiller so you can till between the rows, and cut each row back to about 10 inches wide. The next step is to fertilize the plants with about 3/4 to 1 pound (3 to 4 cups) of a complete fertilizer such as 13-13-13 (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) or an equivalent on each 25 feet of row. If a soil test shows adequate levels of phosphorus and potassium, use 3/4 pound (1.5 cups) of a 16-0-0 (nitrate of soda) fertilizer per 25 feet of row instead. If nitrate of soda is unavailable, use the lawn fertilizer that contains about 30% nitrogen such as a 30-0-3, 28-0-3 or something similar. Make sure the lawn fertilizer does not contain a weed killer or preventer. These fertilizers should be used at the rate of 3/4 cup per 25 feet of row. The next step is to irrigate to wash the fertilizer into the soil and provide moisture for the rapid growth of the strawberry plants. When the soil is dry, apply about 1 inch of water. A garden sprinkler can do a good job applying the water. Controlling weeds and watering throughout the summer are important so plants are vigorous when fruit buds begin to develop in September and October. Damage to fruit A winter cold snap, late frosts and hail have damaged some of our fruit crops this year. However, some of the following tips apply to trees or vines even if they won’t have fruit. * Remove some fruit from heavily loaded apples and peaches (if the flower buds weren’t killed by frost or winter cold) to improve fruit size and prevent limbs from breaking. Apples should be spaced every 4 inches and peaches every 6 to 8. Note that is an average spacing. Two fruit can be closer together if the average is correct. * Remove sucker growth from the base of fruit trees and grape vines. * Remove water sprout growth from fruit trees. Water sprouts grow straight up from existing branches. * “Comb” new growth on grape vines so these new shoots hang down for greater exposure to sunlight. * Continue disease and insect control to prevent fruit damage. Mulching garden crops Now is a good time to mulch garden vegetables if you haven’t done so already. Mulches provide several benefits including weed prevention, reduced watering due to less evaporation and cooler soils that enhance root growth. Straw and hay are popular mulches in Kansas due to their availability. However, both may contain weed seeds that will germinate if the thatch layer is not thick enough. Grass clippings can also be used if the lawn has not been treated with weed killers. Add only a thin layer of clippings at a time and allow to dry for 2 to 3 days before adding more. A thick layer will form a mold that is almost impervious to water. A mulch layer one-half to three-quarters inch thick is about right for grass clippings but hay or straw should be at a depth of 2 to 4 inches. It’s okay to pinch the flowers Though some garden mums do not require pinching back, most varieties will benefit. Pinching is done by removing the top inch of growth by pinching it between your thumbnail and forefinger. Pinch to just above where a leaf is attached. Pinching encourages lateral buds to break and grow resulting in a shorter, sturdier and fuller plant. The first pinching is usually done when the mums reach six inches in height. A second pinching should be done when the new growth from the previous pinch reaches six to eight inches. Usually that is all we have time for because the last pinch should take place before July 15. Pinching later than that can delay flowering resulting in a shorter time of flowering before frost kills the blooms. 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Caring for your strawberry bed

Next year’s strawberry crop will be affected by what you do to this year’s strawberry bed. The sooner after harvest the patch is cleaned up, fertilized and irrigated, if needed, the better the chance of getting a good crop next year.

One of the main goals in renovation is to provide a high level of sunlight to plant leaves so they can manufacture the food the plant needs. If leaves have disease spots, remove all the leaves in the bed. Removing, these diseased leaves and weeds will cause new, non-diseased leaves to develop and remove competition from weedy plants. Hedge shears or even a mower can be used. Be sure the mower blade is high enough to avoid the strawberry crowns.

It is also important to reduce the number of strawberry plants so they do not compete for light, moisture and nutrients. If you have a small bed, you can hoe out or pull some plants so they are spaced about 4 to 6 inches apart. On large beds, adjust a rototiller so you can till between the rows, and cut each row back to about 10 inches wide.

The next step is to fertilize the plants with about 3/4 to 1 pound (3 to 4 cups) of a complete fertilizer such as 13-13-13 (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) or an equivalent on each 25 feet of row. If a soil test shows adequate levels of phosphorus and potassium, use 3/4 pound (1.5 cups) of a 16-0-0 (nitrate of soda) fertilizer per 25 feet of row instead. If nitrate of soda is unavailable, use the lawn fertilizer that contains about 30% nitrogen such as a 30-0-3, 28-0-3 or something similar. Make sure the lawn fertilizer does not contain a weed killer or preventer. These fertilizers should be used at the rate of 3/4 cup per 25 feet of row. The next step is to irrigate to wash the fertilizer into the soil and provide moisture for the rapid growth of the strawberry plants. When the soil is dry, apply about 1 inch of water. A garden sprinkler can do a good job applying the water. Controlling weeds and watering throughout the summer are important so plants are vigorous when fruit buds begin to develop in September and October.

A winter cold snap, late frosts and hail have damaged some of our fruit crops this year. However, some of the following tips apply to trees or vines even if they won’t have fruit.

* Remove some fruit from heavily loaded apples and peaches (if the flower buds weren’t killed by frost or winter cold) to improve fruit size and prevent limbs from breaking. Apples should be spaced every 4 inches and peaches every 6 to 8. Note that is an average spacing. Two fruit can be closer together if the average is correct.

* Remove sucker growth from the base of fruit trees and grape vines.

* Remove water sprout growth from fruit trees. Water sprouts grow straight up from existing branches.

* “Comb” new growth on grape vines so these new shoots hang down for greater exposure to sunlight.

* Continue disease and insect control to prevent fruit damage.

Now is a good time to mulch garden vegetables if you haven’t done so already. Mulches provide several benefits including weed prevention, reduced watering due to less evaporation and cooler soils that enhance root growth. Straw and hay are popular mulches in Kansas due to their availability. However, both may contain weed seeds that will germinate if the thatch layer is not thick enough. Grass clippings can also be used if the lawn has not been treated with weed killers. Add only a thin layer of clippings at a time and allow to dry for 2 to 3 days before adding more. A thick layer will form a mold that is almost impervious to water. A mulch layer one-half to three-quarters inch thick is about right for grass clippings but hay or straw should be at a depth of 2 to 4 inches.

It’s okay to pinch the flowers

Though some garden mums do not require pinching back, most varieties will benefit. Pinching is done by removing the top inch of growth by pinching it between your thumbnail and forefinger. Pinch to just above where a leaf is attached. Pinching encourages lateral buds to break and grow resulting in a shorter, sturdier and fuller plant. The first pinching is usually done when the mums reach six inches in height. A second pinching should be done when the new growth from the previous pinch reaches six to eight inches. Usually that is all we have time for because the last pinch should take place before July 15. Pinching later than that can delay flowering resulting in a shorter time of flowering before frost kills the blooms.

Adapted from the Kansas State Horticulture Newsletter