Fertilization Guide to Growing Healthier Strawberries

Strawberries are one of the most rewarding fruit crops for both backyard growers and commercial producers, but they are also among the most nutrient-hungry. Producing dozens of blooms per plant, strawberries require a well-balanced fertility plan to maximize fruit quality, prevent winter damage, and ensure plants bounce back stronger in the spring. At Keystone Bio-Ag, we specialize in regenerative approaches that nourish the soil and support the long-term health of your strawberry crop. Here’s how to feed your strawberries for resilient crowns and abundant harvests.

Proper Strawberry Nutrition

Each strawberry plant can produce 75 to 125 blooms, with the potential to deliver high yields when properly fed. This can be extremely profitable for commercial growers, so we want to make sure our growers are getting closer to that 125 number as opposed to under 75. However, if nutrient deficiencies creep in, especially of nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), and potassium (K) then the plant’s crown, the central growing point, becomes vulnerable.

It’s our job to keep that crown healthy and functioning through winter! 

Without sufficient nutrition, the crown can get clogged or damaged over winter, reducing the plant’s ability to take up nutrients in the spring. This delayed uptake stunts growth and limits fruit production.

Nutrition Timing

Strawberries have different nutrient needs depending on the growth stage they are in. 

Spring to mid-summer: Plants are pushing vegetative growth and blooms, and this is when they crave nitrogen and calcium.

Late summer to fall: Focus shifts to building strong crowns for the winter. Potassium becomes the priority to prepare for dormancy and ensure the crown stays healthy and active for spring uptake.

During the winter: It is crucial to protect against frost with row covers or nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and silica. 

Let’s take a closer look at how to meet these needs:

Biologicals for Strawberries

A healthy crop starts with healthy soil. In order to have healthy soil, you need to have living soil. Let’s take a look at some microbial inoculants that help spark life in the soil and will naturally provide nutrition to your strawberries throughout the year. 

Foundational Microbes

There are 20 commonly discussed minerals in our soil, and another 70 we don’t often reference. It is important for our soil to have all of these minerals in order to provide the crucial nutrients to our crops. Providing your soil with natural, organic microbes will ensure your soil develops its own ecosystem and will drastically reduce the amount of fertilizers you will need to apply. 

BioQuest Foundation is a chemical-free microbial inoculant designed to provide your soil with a diverse mix of microbes that will generate the nutrients needed for better strawberry growth. By infusing your soil with the right biology, you will not only reduce your fertilizer use, but also mitigate soil borne diseases. 

Algae

An acre of healthy soil should have 90 pounds of algae in it. Why? Because algae is incredibly beneficial to the long-term health of your soil, and the short-term health of your strawberries! 

Algae provides several benefits to your soil outside of simply being another living organism helping your soil’s ecosystem: 

• Through photosynthesis, algae produces sugars and carbohydrates for the rest of the soil ecosystem.
• Algae aids in soil aggregation, enhancing water infiltration, and reducing erosion and runoff problems.
• Algae can also break down minerals that are already in the soil making those nutrients, including large amounts of phosphorus more available to the plants.

Ensoil Algae is a specific strain of algae designed to capitalize on all the benefits listed above and has been proven to grow healthier crops when planted in soil treated with it. 

Fertilizers for Strawberries 

We are going to walk you through all-natural fertilizers we have seen great success with on strawberries. We do not believe in harming the soil with synthetic and chemically-infused fertilizers for your crops. Every acre of soil is going to be different, so it is important to conduct a soil test before implementing fertilizers. 

Calcium Fertilizer

A calcium fertilizer such as ProCal is perfect for early-stage growth of your strawberries. With ample calcium, it’s essential for strong cell walls, disease resistance, and reducing issues like fruit cracking and blossom end rot.

Apply during early vegetative growth through mid-bloom to strengthen tissue and support vigorous root systems. Continued applications through fruit set can help reduce fruit defects and maintain plant vigor.

Nitrogen-Rich Fertilizer

Strawberries are heavy feeders in the spring, and a nitrogen-rich fertilizer like Conductor 16 (16-0-0) has been shown to give our strawberries a boost in the early growth stages. Conductor 16 is a soy-protein hydrolysate that provides amino acid nitrogen and stimulates plant growth. Conductor 16 is also very effective at enhancing nutrient uptake of all other minerals it is applied with, making it very valuable for strawberries to ensure they have enough potassium before winter. 

Potassium Fertilizers

Most importantly, your strawberries will need sufficient potassium levels heading into the winter months. We recommend applying potassium sulfate if you are still low in potassium with microbial inoculants applied. This will take quickly and dramatically improve your potassium level in the soil or in the plant. 

If you need a potassium liquid fertilizer low in salt, you could try Pro K, which is not derived from potassium sulfate and will have a lower salt index. 

Talk to the Strawberry Experts 

Keystone Bio-Ag is comprised of a team of regenerative agriculture consultants who specialize in helping strawberry growers produce larger, healthier yields. If you are looking to improve your current strawberry production or need help with an already diseased crop, contact us today to see how we can help.