Learning how to properly use covering material for strawberries against weeds

Popular types of weed covering material for strawberries

The root system of the berry crop is very sensitive to damage, so regular weeding and loosening to control weeds in strawberry beds is contraindicated. The most convenient and safe solution to the problem will be the use of various covering materials. This method will completely deprive wild plants of sunlight, which will lead to their death. It is important that the soil under the shelter remains at optimal moisture content and retains its looseness.

As a covering material, you can use a variety of mulch, black polyethylene film or agrofibre.

Organic mulch

Mulching is the most affordable option for covering bedding for berry bushes. This method will help suppress the development of weeds, maintain optimal soil characteristics and protect the fruits from rot. The following organic materials are used for mulching:

• Small wood chips or shredded bark retain their properties for up to 5 years and give a well-groomed appearance to the garden bed.
• Wood sawdust or shavings are scattered in a layer of 5 cm; they do not require renewal for up to 3 years. It is important to remember that such mulch absorbs water well, so watering will have to be doubled.
• The straw of grain or perennial grasses is laid out in a layer of 15-20 cm. It is necessary to ensure that there are no seeds in the material, as they will attract mice.
• The tops of garden and garden plants are mainly used to prevent freezing. The material can be used without signs of infection or rotting.
• The needles have bactericidal properties and are placed in a layer 30 cm high. Spruce branches are great for covering beds before winter.
• Leaf litter is used only from healthy trees, as infected leaves will cause an outbreak of the disease on strawberry bushes.
• Poultry manure, horse or cow manure, is used dry and fresh along with bedding. The material is placed between the rows in crushed form. When watering, plants will receive the necessary valuable substances.

When using organic matter as mulch, there are several steps to follow:

1. Before covering the strawberry bed with mulching material, the ground must be weeded and loosened well.
2. It is necessary to remove mustaches and dry leaves from the bushes.
3. It is necessary to carry out treatment against fungus and pests with special compounds such as Bordeaux mixture, Fitoverm and other preparations.
4. Next, you should feed the strawberries with complex fertilizers and water them well.
5. Organic mulch is distributed evenly over the bed, at least 8 cm thick.
6. The mulch should not fit tightly to the stems of the bush: you need to retreat 2 cm to allow air to access the roots.

Features of choice

The mulching version of agrofibre is a non-woven polypropylene material, the density of which cannot be less than 50-60 g per square meter of covering area. When growing garden strawberries, mulching is best done with black agrofibre with a density of 60 g/m2. The standard service life of such material is at least three seasons. When choosing, you need to pay attention to such a parameter as the width of the agrofibre. The most popular material is with a width of 1.6 and 3.2 m.

It is also important to remember that Chinese-made polyethylene has a stated service life of three years, but in practice such mulch only lasts one season. It is desirable that the thickness of the selected mulching polyethylene be at least 40-50 microns. Special films with holes ready for installation are convenient to use, but are short-lived. If polyethylene is used as mulch, then the berry crop is watered using a drip irrigation system.

The popularity of three- or two-layer black and white polyethylene mulch films is due to the high degree of reflection of sunlight and weak heating of the soil during the daytime. It also prevents weed growth and mold formation under the bottom layer. It should be remembered that black and white films are laid with the black side facing the soil, and not vice versa.

Advantages and disadvantages of using weed cover materials

To figure out how to use covering material for strawberries against weeds, you need to weigh all the positive and negative characteristics of each agricultural product.

The use of any covering material will give the area a well-groomed appearance, speed up the ripening of the crop by 2 weeks and make it easier to pick berries.

Alternative to weeding

Strawberries growing on covering material are more pleasant to care for, and the berries do not get dirty from the soil.

Weeding a strawberry plantation is labor-intensive work, and it has to be done several times a season. A convenient solution to this problem has been found: the surface of the earth in the garden bed is lined with special materials that suppress the growth of weeds . At the same time, compact strawberry bushes continue to develop normally.

When watering, the soil got onto the strawberry fruits; if mulching had been used, this would not have happened!

What and how to cover the soil? Black agrofibre is considered the best material . In addition, black plastic film, roofing felt, roofing felt, newspapers and pieces of cardboard, a thick layer of straw or other mulch are used for the same purposes.

You just need to start the weeds a little, and one good rain is enough for the strawberries to get stuck in the weeds

English version (organic mulch)

Organic mulch needs to be renewed once or twice a season.

It is known that the British call strawberries “straw berries” because they put straw under the bushes so that the berries do not get dirty from the ground.

Instead of straw, you can use pine needles, wood chips, pieces of bark and other organic materials. Fresh mulch partially inhibits the development of weeds, but for this its thickness must be at least 8 cm, with annual renewal.

Weed seeds falling on loose mulch still germinate. Cardboard or newspapers have a denser structure, but quickly get wet and lose their properties. All these available means do not guarantee complete protection of the beds from weeds.

Finnish experience (black polyethylene)

Mulching strawberries with film is not the best option due to certain disadvantages.

Before the advent and active spread of agrofibre, they came up with a technology for pre-covering strawberry beds with black plastic film (or roofing felt, roofing felt).

Young rosettes are planted in small cross-shaped cuts. This method has shown good results in a northern country like Finland. In Russia, some gardeners still use it.

Negative aspects of Finnish technology:

• the film must be of high quality and expensive, otherwise it will quickly burst and be destroyed;
• the soil does not breathe;
• strawberry roots overheat and rot (hot, condensation);
• It is advisable to install a drip irrigation system under the film.

Positive aspects:

• no weeds;
• the mustache does not grow in, it is convenient to remove them;
• there is no place for pests (such as weevils) to overwinter;
• the berry is clean (no dirt or rot);
• it is convenient to harvest;
• heat is accumulated and fruiting is accelerated.

Black agrofibre

Agrofibre (non-woven covering material) of black color is very convenient to use for mulching the soil. It has all the positive properties of mulching film without its disadvantages.

It is convenient to work with covering non-woven material and it lasts quite a long time.

Weed mulch fabric has additional valuable qualities:

• The fabric lays down softly, without creases . Easy to cut and sew to any size. Mechanical damage can be sewn up or patches applied.
• The material is synthetic, so it does not rot . It does not deteriorate under the influence of sunlight and lasts for several years.
• The porous structure allows strawberry roots and the soil layer to breathe freely , where beneficial microorganisms and earthworms actively work.
• Water passes down freely during rain and irrigation.
• Evaporation from the surface of the bed is reduced.
• The material is convenient to work with. The beds are a pleasure to look after. Saves time.
• Agrofibre is quite affordable.

A very comfortable environment is created for strawberry plants.

Varieties of black covering material

All covering materials have in common the ability to allow moisture and air to pass through.

Agrofibre from various manufacturers is produced using similar technology. Names may differ between brands:

• Agril,
• Spunbond,
• Agrolux,
• Agrotex,
• Greentex,
• Lutrasil,
• Agrospan.

The thickest and most durable material is No. 60 (this is an indicator of high density).

white-black or yellow-black Agrotex has also become widespread . The lower black side prevents the growth of weeds, and the upper light side protects the roots and above-ground part of the bush from overheating. Two-layer Agrotex is convenient to use on hot southern slopes, in greenhouses and greenhouses, in the southern regions.

The outer white layer of Agrotex protects from overheating, and the inner black layer absorbs sunlight and deters weeds.

How and when to cover plantings?

When using non-woven covering material, you need to consider the following recommendations:

• The strawberry bed should be level and located in a well-lit area.
• Before sheltering, the soil is thoroughly weeded, loosened and fertilized.
• If necessary, a drip irrigation system is then installed.
• A shallow trench is dug along the edges of the bed, which will later serve to secure the mulching material (it can be secured with pins, a weight, or the edges can be sprinkled with soil).

It is recommended to use film or agrofibre in the spring when planting young bushes in a new place or in the fall when transplanting mustaches. In the case when the strawberries are already “sitting” in the garden bed, you need to carefully cover the surface with agricultural material, and then by touch make cross-shaped cuts through which the bush is brought out.

Types of black covering sheets

There are two main types of covering sheets used in gardening. These are agrofibre and PET film.

PET film is a lightweight and inexpensive synthetic material. But using it has a number of significant disadvantages.

Firstly, PET film is moisture- and air-tight, this creates certain difficulties in watering, a greenhouse effect is formed under the film, creating an environment for the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

We recommend visiting: Vertical beds for strawberries: how to make and water vertical beds with your own hands. 110 photo ideas and advice from professionals

Secondly, PET film is short-lived. Under the influence of high and low temperatures, its strength decreases, the film becomes brittle, brittle and wears out within a year.

Agrofibre is a synthetic non-woven material, other names are spandbond, agrospan. There are 4 main types of non-woven garden fabrics:

• easy;
• average;
• dense white;
• dense black.

Dense black covering material is considered the most suitable for growing strawberries.

Rules for using covering material

It is best to use mulching agricultural material to create a new strawberry plantation. The technology of using shelter involves a number of actions:

1. Before covering, the soil is treated to remove weeds using green manure crops, deep digging or herbicides.
2. The soil needs to be enriched with minerals and organic matter (humus, compost, wood ash, superphosphate, humates and other fertilizers).
3. Next, the soil is leveled with a rake. The film or fiber is spread over the prepared area, tightly adjacent to the ground, and a 10 cm leave is made to the cutting line.
4. The ends of the material are firmly fixed with special metal pins in the shape of the letter “P”, boards, stones, or sprinkled with a thick layer of earth.
5. Afterwards, the planting sites are marked and oval or cross-shaped cuts are made at intervals of 40 cm from each other.
6. Strawberry seedlings need to be planted in the prepared holes.
7. The material around the bushes should be pressed down with a weight or sprinkled with earth so that the tendrils do not penetrate under the shelter.
8. Watering and feeding is carried out using a dropper or directly through the holes. The number of irrigations required is half as much, since the material prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture.

Technology of use

The peculiarities of using inorganic mulching material when growing garden strawberries lie in strict adherence to technology:

• digging and adding fertilizers necessary for the full growth and development of berry crops into the soil in order to increase soil fertility;
• covering the ridges with mulching material, the edges of which need to be dug in a little or attached to the ground with special pins;
• cutting cross-shaped holes in the material according to the scheme for growing garden strawberries;
• tucking the edges formed by cutting the mulching material inward.

Features of using black weed cloth

When working with agricultural fabric, several nuances should be taken into account.

• The material is cut after preliminary measurements with allowances for the joint.
• Spreading is done in the longitudinal direction, overlapping each other from 15 to 20 cm.
• The smooth side of the fabric is turned towards the ground, and the rough side with cells is turned outwards. Water and air will pass through these micro holes to the strawberry roots.
• The fabric is secured not only at the edges, but also at the joints with pins or weights.

Rules for using non-woven fabric

Advice for a gardener planning to plant strawberries on agrotextiles for the first time:

1. The material is placed on the ground with the smooth side, and the rough, holey side facing the sun. This way, when watering or during rain, water will not roll off the fabric through the holes, but will become saturated. Solar filters also work precisely with this placement.
2. The two-layer fabric is also laid correctly: the white side down, the black side up.
3. It is better to water the strawberries under the agrofibre at the root, rather than from a hose or watering can. Water that gets on the covering material will be absorbed. But repeated wetting and drying under the sun shortens the life of agrotextiles.
4. Light and thin (less than 60 g/m2) will let in not only the sun and water from above, but also weeds from below. A strawberry plantation is set up for several years - there is no point in saving.
5. Openings that are too large for planting provide a free path for weeds to escape and for the tendrils to reach the ground. Not only the ends and edges are fixed, but also the holes so that the grass does not break through the edge.
6. The slits are made after the material has been thoroughly secured to the bed: otherwise the fabric will move away and the planting pattern will be disrupted.
7. A thin white cloth shades the plantation from the scorching sun and protects the berries from birds.

Taking these nuances into account, the gardener can cope with the simple technology of growing strawberries on agrotextiles.

Planting young strawberries under agrofibre

Strawberry seedlings are planted under agrofibre in the spring or in August-September. It is better to choose a landing time when there is little sunlight (cloudy day or evening). For better rooting, the roots of young bushes are placed in a hydrosolution of Zircon, Kornevin, NV-1 or other stimulants. Afterwards, the bush is vertically immersed in the hole without bending the root shoots and sprinkled with earth. Watering is carried out along the hole.

If the weather is hot and sunny after planting, the plantings are covered with white lutrasil for several days. Next, the dead specimens need to be pulled out and replaced, filled with soil and compacted in places where it settles around the bush.

Weeds not only spoil the appearance of the strawberry plantation, but also cause significant harm to the future harvest. A special covering material will help to effectively solve the problem with weeds, which will not only get rid of wild plants in the garden, but also maintain optimal soil condition, protect the plant from temperature fluctuations and help significantly reduce labor costs for care. You can also grow strawberries this way.

Mulching materials

Essentially, film for strawberries or any geotextile is mulching. They use a simple agricultural technique to make caring for a demanding crop easier. And in regions with rare precipitation, it reduces the consumption of irrigation water.

Organic mulch (at least 8-10 cm) or dense covering material (1 layer) gives the gardener the following advantages in open ground and greenhouses:

• the intensity and frequency of watering is reduced: moisture lasts longer under cover;
• the growth of weeds is inhibited - weeding is not necessary;
• no need to constantly loosen the soil;
• film, fabric or organic mulch protects the fertile layer from being blown away by winds and washed away by rainstorms;
• Not only is it easier to care for, but harvesting takes less time and effort, since the berries lie on mulch, film or fabric;
• The quality of the harvest is higher: without contact with the soil, the fruits are not affected by rot.

In soil covered with mulch, strawberries are warmer in winter, and in spring the earth warms up faster.

Organic

Natural materials for mulching strawberries:

• straw;
• sawdust after a couple of years of overheating, soaked in urea, because it draws nitrogen from the soil;
• pine needles (increases acidity - you have to add deoxidizers);
• cut weeds or green manure, compost: constant renewal of the layer, which, when rotting, provides additional nutrition to the berry bushes.

Since organic matter is a living environment, mulch will not protect against pests, fungi, and bacteria. The nutrient layer of green manure also feeds the weeds that grow fat on the enriched soil.

Inorganic mulch

Chemical industry products - agrotextiles and polyethylene film - used as mulch provide gardeners with additional benefits:

• the mustache is not able to take root, since it does not reach the ground: Victoria will not be able to reproduce uncontrollably;
• on strawberry plantations covered with black material in the spring, the soil warms up 1.5-2 weeks earlier - the harvest ripens ahead of schedule compared to traditional agricultural technology;

• Having packed the bed when planting young bushes, the summer resident does not worry about updating the shelter for a couple of years if using film, and the entire life cycle of strawberries is 4 years if grown under agrofibre;
• For many pests, conditions under the material are unfavorable.

• even inexpensive agrofibre requires material costs;
• the better and more durable the covering fabric, the more expensive it is;
• To water strawberries, you will have to install drip irrigation systems.

If the owners of small plots of land still choose how to plant strawberries - under cover or the old fashioned way, then large farms can no longer do without modern technologies.

When to cover strawberries for the winter in Siberia and Altai

As for the central zone of the Russian Federation, determining the optimal timing for covering strawberries will be similar. That is, you need to wait for dry weather with a steady minus temperature of 3-5 degrees.

But there is one caveat. If in the middle zone the temperature drops quite predictably, then in Siberia and Altai there may be unpleasant surprises when the temperature during the day can vary within 10-15 degrees. And it’s good if your garden plot is within walking distance, and you can quickly respond to this and cover the strawberries.

What if the dacha plot is located outside the city, and you can’t get out to it every day?

Then you shouldn’t delay this process and cover the strawberry beds no later than the end of October. True, recently the climate in Siberia and Altai has become a little softer, but still by this time, as a rule, sub-zero temperatures are established.

When to cover strawberries for the winter - optimal timing

Naturally, in each region the optimal time for covering strawberries will be different, so it is impossible to name any general date. You need to navigate not by numbers, but by weather and temperature.

The optimal weather for covering strawberries will be when the rains stop and the temperature reaches minus 3-5 degrees.

It is not worth covering earlier, if only because the shelter will get wet and freeze, losing its thermal insulation properties and breathability.

In addition, plants must independently and naturally adapt to lower temperatures. That is, to toughen up a little.

It’s also not worth over-delaying shelter, since strong winds are possible in central Russia at this time. In this case, the strawberries can dry out and freeze without shelter and snow cover already at a temperature of -10 degrees.

How to cover strawberries for the winter with covering material and what kind of material

The most popular covering materials include Spunbond, Agrotextile (agrofabric) and Lutrasil. The properties and differences of these materials are described in detail in my article “When and how to cover roses for the winter.” By the way, if the topic of covering roses is also interesting to you, then I highly recommend reading this article. Everything is described there in great detail.

As you can see, I did not indicate plastic film as a material for covering strawberries, since it is not suitable for these purposes due to the fact that it does not breathe, unlike other materials. Therefore, it may do more harm than good.

Of the covering materials listed above, I would recommend spunbond for the reason that it is somewhat cheaper than lutrasil, and agrotextiles are available in black and are more suitable for mulching beds rather than for covering for the winter. Although, in principle, all of the listed covering materials can be used, taking into account their characteristics.

No special tricks are required to cover the beds with such material.

We take material with a density of 60-80 g/m², cut it to the required width, lay it, preferably in calm weather, on the beds with strawberries and secure it along the edges. If you do not do this, your shelter will be torn off by the wind or one of the sides will be pulled up.

The covering material can be secured along the edges with bricks, stones, boards or wire staples.

Since the specified covering material has good air permeability, you don’t have to worry about the strawberries underneath it in the spring. Therefore, you can take your time to remove it. This will only speed up the growing season and the first harvest.

How to cover strawberries for the winter in Siberia so they don’t freeze

A big advantage for preserving strawberries in garden beds in Siberia is the presence of sufficient snow cover. But since frosts can be quite severe, it makes sense to use other covering materials in addition to snow.

You can guarantee the preservation of your plantings in winter using a combined method of covering. To do this, you need to sprinkle the bushes with one of the above materials or cover them with spruce branches. And cover the top with any agrofibre, be it spunbond or lutrasil.

The advantage of spruce branches or pine branches in this case is that an air layer will be created around the bushes, which has a very beneficial effect on the preservation of plants, both at low temperatures and during thaws.

And of course, you need to ensure that the snow cover on the beds in the winter months is at least 30-40 cm.