Strawberries. Cut or not to cut in autumn?

You can find beautiful and juicy strawberries in almost every garden. Strawberries are a must tradition, as many adults and children enjoy the delicious tastes. But to enjoy, you need to have a good harvest and that depends on how well you take care of strawberry bushes not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn.

The typical strawberries cultivated in our gardens are the “large” strawberries (Fragaria annanassa). This type of strawberries need loose soil in the autumn and a good protection against freezing temperatures in the winter. Let us go through each step.

Is trimming and cutting in autumn beneficial?

In the autumn, when you pick the last red strawberries, you should cut off old leaves, but this method has its opponents and supporters too. The opponents argue that this approach reduces photosynthesis, thus depriving bushes of the nutrition they get from sunlight. The supporters of cutting claim that this method reduces reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. However, if you trim strawberries at the end of September or on the first days of October, the bushes should have enough time to grow and when the first frost hits it will not harm them.

Photo: Pixabay

So, there are two different approaches but you definitely need to take into account the variety you have. Maybe you can do a small experiment – trim only half of your strawberry bushes and leave the other half uncut and compare the next year yield.

Soil loosening and fertilization

Autumn care for strawberries should also include digging and soil loosening. You should do it immediately after the end of the fertile period, so that the roots have time to regenerate before the winter. Cover the root system with compost to protect bushes from damage . Do not forget the last fertilization in the season to give your plants enough nutrients before the winter.

Preview photo: Vlastníarchiv Radka Štěpánka

Source: https://www.prozeny.cz/clanek/pecujte-o-jahodnik-na-podzim-zjara-se-vam-odmeni-3179, https://living.iprima.cz/zahrada/prave-ted-se-rozhoduje-o-pristi-urode-jahod-co-je-treba-udelat