When to cut a mustache off a strawberry and whether it is necessary to do it?

Strawberry is a very juicy, tasty and healthy berry containing a huge amount of trace elements and vitamins. Many gardeners are engaged in the cultivation of this berry culture, it is not difficult to take care of it, but the abundance of the harvest depends on the care shown. Therefore, it is so important to know when to trim the mustaches of strawberries, how to protect it from frost, what fertilizers and in what quantities to pour. Only when observing the agrotechnics of growing plants can you annually enjoy a large number of large and juicy berries.

Virtually all varieties of strawberries have a mustache. They are one of the variants of plant reproduction. Among gardeners there are fierce disputes about when to cut a mustache off strawberries and whether it should be done. On emerging branches, rosettes are formed, they need to be left only in case of necessity to obtain seedlings, and even the first two bushes are considered to be the strongest and suitable ones. If everything is left to its own devices, then the antennae with rosettes will grow into the ground in unsuitable places and, in addition, weaken the mother's bush. On the crop in this case, you can forget, as an option, berries can appear, but very small.

For this reason, if a gardener wants to collect large fruits in large quantities for many years, the annual removal of the mustache from strawberries should become a habit. Leave the sprouts only for seedlings, and then the first two or three rosettes. Those that go closer to the mother bush are considered to be the strongest, they fully correspond to the variety, taking all of its qualities. The whiskers usually appear after the first flowering, and also after the fruiting is completed. They can be cut off gradually (as far as education) or all at once.

Many gardeners are interested in the question of when to trim the mustache in a strawberry. This can be done in the spring (before the flowering of the plant) or late autumn, when the last crop is harvested (if it is a variety that fructifies the whole summer). In no case can you tear off your mustache, because they are thick enough, removing them, you can tear out the entire bush, damaging its root system. Scions best cut with strong scissors or a light pruner. Circumcision of mustaches in strawberries should be done early in the morning or in the evening, the weather should be quiet, windless and dry. Scions can not be removed when very damp or hot.

When you cut off the mustache at the strawberry it's time to do it carefully and carefully, the shoots do not need to be completely removed, they should rise about 10 cm above the ground. This is a very laborious but necessary occupation. If the bushes do not timely be put in order, then in a couple of years the harvest will noticeably go into decline, the fruits will be smaller. In this case, you have to dig out the whole strawberry and replace it with a new variety.

When preparing for wintering, it is recommended not only to remove the mustache, but also damaged, fading leaves. It is allowed to leave completely denuded stems, but you do not need to prune the root. Also it is necessary to carry out decontamination from diseases and pests, loosening bushes and sprinkling them with pine needles.