To avoid making a "sour face" after tasting berries from the bush and instead enjoy the fruits of your labor, it is important to take care of timely fertilization of berry crops. It is desirable to apply them at each phase of vegetation – only then will the harvest be sweet!
Watching the berries ripen on the shrubs, we eagerly wait for the moment we can pick the first ripe "beads" and savor their vibrant taste... But sometimes expectations and reality do not match so much that it is even upsetting – instead of sweet raspberries, juicy currants, and gooseberries, we get a handful of watery, sour, or dried fruits.
General rules for feeding berry bushes
Any soil contains the nutrients necessary for the growth and development of berry bushes. However, even the most fertile soils are unable to provide such crops as currants, gooseberries, and raspberries with the optimal amount of beneficial elements. Timely fertilization is extremely important for maintaining plant health and obtaining a quality harvest.
When applying fertilizers for berry crops, it is necessary to take into account several important points.
First, you need to consider the type of soil and the fertilizers that have already been applied. For example, on sandy and sandy loam soils, you need to feed plants more often than on loamy soils.
Secondly, it is advisable to use not only mineral but also organic fertilizers (compost, vermicompost, humus) to increase fertility and reduce the risk of soil salinity. The optimal solution would be alternating these feedings at intervals of 1.5-2 weeks. This approach will allow plants to absorb nutrients as efficiently as possible and ensure their full development at all stages of vegetation.
And, of course, it is important to consider the vegetation period of the plants so as not to harm the plantings.
How to feed raspberries in summer
Raspberries are especially demanding for nutrition during flowering and fruit ripening phases. Properly selected fertilizers not only strengthen the plant's immunity but also significantly improve the quality of the harvest. Thanks to timely feeding, the berries become sweeter and richer in taste.
At the beginning of the summer season, mineral fertilizers are most often recommended for feeding raspberries. You can dissolve 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of potassium salt, and 60 g of superphosphate in 10 L of water and carry out root feeding. A complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen in the composition is also suitable.
Gardeners who prefer organic matter feed the raspberry patch during this period with an infusion of mullein (diluted 1:10 with water) or chicken manure (1:20). It is useful to add an EM preparation to the finished infusion to activate the work of beneficial soil microorganisms.
After the fruiting phase begins, the bushes are fed with formulations high in phosphorus and potassium. These can be mineral fertilizers with a predominance of these elements or wood ash. The first two substances can be applied in dry form by embedding them into the soil at a distance of 30-50 cm from the base of the bush. Monopotassium phosphate are best used only in solution form.
In mid-summer, root feeding with an infusion of weeds (clover, nettle, goosefoot, dandelion, etc.) will also be an effective way to support the plants.
Remontant raspberry varieties require a special approach to feeding: it is important to monitor the condition of the bushes and promptly identify symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. When characteristic signs of nutrient deficiency appear, the appropriate fertilizers should be applied in a timely manner.
If the leaves become smaller and acquire a dark brown edge, this signals a lack of potassium. In this case, potassium magnesium or potassium sulfate is used at a rate of 20-40 g per 1 sq.m of plantings.
Weakened, thin shoots with a purple hue indicate a phosphorus deficiency. In this case, it is recommended to apply monopotassium phosphate (10 g per 10 L of water), Plantafid 10.54.10, or ammoniated superphosphate (50-60 g per 1 sq.m).
Summer feeding of currants
Although currants are generally unpretentious and easy to care for, they also need nutrients in sufficient quantities for full growth and fruiting, especially in the spring and early summer. It is during this period that intensive growth of young shoots occurs, and the foundation of the future harvest is laid.
The minimum requirement includes two feedings per season, and the most effective method is to apply fertilizer with each heavy watering – a total of 3-4 times during the summer. It is important to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers to achieve maximum effect.
The first fertilizer application falls in May or early June. During this period, it is recommended to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers, such as:
- ammonium nitrate (25-30 g per 1 sq.m);
- urea (10-15 g under each bush).
Many gardeners recommend supplementing nitrogen fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus components (15 g each of potassium sulfate and superphosphate per 1 sq.m). This approach is especially effective given the early flowering and fruit set of currants. Phosphorus contributes to fruit size, while potassium is responsible for berry sweetness.
As an alternative, it is acceptable to use complex mineral fertilizers with equal proportions of macronutrients (Agricola for berry crops) or organic infusions based on bird droppings, manure, or weeds.
During fruiting, it is recommended to conduct a second feeding with a mineral or organomineral complex fertilizer with a predominance of potassium and phosphorus. After harvesting, it is useful to feed the currants once more – this time the fertilizer should contain increased doses of potassium and phosphorus, and no nitrogen at all. You can water the bushes with a solution of superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tbsp per 10 L of water) or use organics – wood ash. This natural component not only provides essential nutrients but also improves soil and acts as a natural fungicide.
Ash is used in dry form by embedding it into the soil in the trunk circle (500 g per bush) or prepared as an infusion (1 cup per 10 L of water).
How to feed gooseberries in summer
Gooseberries, like currants, are not overly demanding in terms of nutrition. For full development and fruiting, it is enough to carry out 2-3 feedings per season. Proper alternation of fertilizers will allow you to get a rich harvest and prepare the plants for the next season.
After the first spring feeding with organic or mineral nitrogen-containing fertilizers, the bushes actively grow new shoots and leaf mass, after which they enter the flowering phase. After flowering, the time comes for the second feeding.
At this stage, gooseberries need a full range of nutrients. The optimal option is complex fertilizers: nitroammophoska or special compositions for berry crops labeled "Summer." It is important to carry out the feeding in early to mid-June, combining it with watering.
Caring for gooseberries in summer is especially important since, along with the ripening of the crop, the flower buds of the following year are being laid. Therefore, in July, it is necessary to continue regular watering of the bushes, remove weeds, loosen, and mulch the soil.
At the same time, after harvesting, gooseberries need another feeding – this time focus should be placed on potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. You can dissolve 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate in 10 L of water and water the bushes with the resulting solution, or apply the same fertilizers in dry form by embedding them into the soil.
Also during this period, it is acceptable to use any complex fertilizers labeled "Autumn" – for successful overwintering of the shrub, it is important that the feeding does not contain nitrogen.
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