Fresh strawberries are a tasty and sought-after treat. Selecting the best berries for my strawberry garden is the first step toward a successful backyard harvest. Strawberries are a beautiful addition to my yard and a delicious treat during the fruit-bearing season.
Watering strawberry plants requires careful timing to avoid the soil becoming too dry or wet. Watering times will vary which depends on whether I am hydrating new or established plants, the type of soil, and whether I grow them in the earth or pots. Stay put as I guide you through the watering needs of Strawberries.
How Do I Water My Strawberries?
Strawberry plants dislike erratic watering. Getting on a schedule is critical to their success. Watering from above is an option for newer and fresher plants. I recommend you water your plants with a drip irrigation system or a soaker-type hose to keep them moist. It is necessary to prevent the berries from being rot-ridden due to excessive moisture. Allow two inches between the drip irrigation system or hose and the growing fruits when placing the tube.
You should be able to water twice weekly during the non-peak growing season to keep the soil moist. Watering reasonably early rather than later in the day deters the plants from sitting in water for too long. Using a drip irrigation system instead of overhead watering allows you to use half the water.
How Often To Water Strawberries
Strawberries will require one to two inches of water each week when fully grown. It encompasses rainwater and water from other sources. During the first days after your berries begin to grow and bear fruit, they will require one to two inches of water every seven days. Younger plants can be hydrated with an inch of water four times a month to jump-start their growth.
The soil determines the frequency with which you must water your strawberry plants. The amount of sun they receive and whether or not they are housed in a greenhouse is a factor. If you grow your strawberry plant outside in direct sunlight, it will require less watering than if you keep it indoors under artificial light with no access to direct natural sunlight.
It will help if you give your freshly transplanted strawberries some shade until their roots have fully established themselves in the ground around them.
How Much Water To Give Strawberries
Strawberry plants require consistent watering to thrive, particularly during fruiting season, when they require an average of 1-2 inches per day. Water strawberries with a drip or soaker hose, which you’ve situated at least two inches away from the plant. Due to the shallow roots of strawberries, you must keep the soil moist but not wet. If the soil contains a lot of clay, be careful not to overwater. Use sprinkler irrigation with caution.
Fruit is susceptible to rot during the fruiting season if plants are not allowed to dry out between waterings. As a result, avoid watering in the early evening. Always check the openings of strawberry pots regularly to ensure the soil stays dry.
Strawberries are heavy, water-loving plants that require a lot of water. However, overwatering can cause them to become soggy or the fruit to rip open. Furthermore, if the soil continues to remain moist for days at a time, mold will grow in the crowns of strawberries.
Signs of Overwatering
If you observe the following signs, you’re likely to be overwatering your strawberries:
- Wilting
When a plant appears to be wilting, it may be a sign that you have overwatered it. Plants require both oxygen and water to survive. There is, however, a space between the soil particles in the ground, where oxygen enters and senses the area. Since there aren’t enough air pockets, the plants can suffocate. A lack of water can cause wilting, but an excess can also cause it.
- Brown Or Yellow Leaves
The leaves can turn brown or yellow when there is excessive water. If the tips of the leaves have a brown tinge, they may be over-saturated. When they are yellow, it indicates that the plants are overly saturated.
- Stunted Growth
If they are growing slower than usual, this is another indication that they are drowning.
- Leaves Falling Off
Leaves can fall off when there is too much or too little water. If your strawberry plants’ leaves begin to fall off before them being ready, as well as strawberries that do not open, you have overwatered them.
How To Fix Overwatering Problems
You can fix overwatering problems by doing the following:
- Reducing Your Watering Frequency
To save it, you must reduce the amount of water you give to your strawberry, especially during the winter. Only water your strawberries more when the soil’s surface is dry. During the winter, this may only occur every four weeks.
- Move Your Potted Plants To A Sunny Spot
Move your strawberry plants into a sunny spot to help them dry out. Place the plant in full sun and ensure it has mulch on the exterior.
- Use Some Slow Release Organic Fertiliser
Two weeks after applying a dilute liquid fertilizer, apply a slow-release organic fertilizer to your strawberries. It will help nourish the plant over the next few months and provide a gentle spoonful of nitrogen to allow the leaves to heal and remain green.
- Re-pot Your Damaged Plants
It would help if you re-potted severely damaged strawberries in new potting soil. Use high-quality potting soil to replenish nutrients and keep the soil aerated.
Signs of Underwatering
The following signs indicate you’ve been underwatering your plants:
- Wilted Plants
Strawberry plants that are underwatered wilt due to a lack of water in their cells. A continuous water supply is required for any plant to remain upright and maintain the rigidity of its plant tissue. When the roots seem unable to soak up any moisture from the soil, the remainder of the plant stops receiving water and nutrients. Also, its cells dehydrate, becoming less for and resulting in the plant’s limp appearance.
- Reduced Flowering And Fruiting
When a strawberry plant is not adequately watered, the flowers produced, the fruits produced, and the size of the strawberries can all decrease dramatically. If your strawberry plants are severely dehydrated, the fruit produced can drop by 80%.
- Brown Leaves
Strawberry plants that are underwatered also could turn brown due to dehydration. If a leaf cannot replace the lost water, the plant tissue dies, and the leaf turns brown, eventually becoming dry and crisp.
How To Fix Underwatering Issues
If you want to resurrect underwatered strawberry plants, first confirm that the issue is underwatering by inserting your index finger one to two inches into the soil. If the soil feels dry, the plants require water. Remove the wilted plants from the sun and put them in a sink or tray of water, allowing the soil to soak up the water through all the drainage holes in the pots.
Suppose the plants are potted; water the soil until it feels moist and flows out of the drainage holes. If the soil still feels dry, wait 30 minutes to an hour before watering the plant again. Repeat the procedure until the soil is adequately moist.