Strawberry nutritional requirements
Strawberry nutrient requirements vary depending on the crop growth stage. Find out which nutrients are most important at different growth stages.
Roles of nutrients at key growth stages
Post harvest to New growth or Establishment
Nitrogen - to build reserves in the crown for recycling and subsequent growth of new leaves in the spring
Phosphorus, calcium, boron, and zinc – to maximise strong root development and support new growth
Potassium – for good plant development
Vegetative growth
Nitrogen - main doses are required at this stage for leaf and plant expansion
Phosphorus - to meet uptake needs through to flowering
Potassium – to promote nstrong leaf growth and build a strong plant development
Calcium – to build levels in the plant and maintain a steady supply to developing tissues
Sulphur and magnesium - to maintain vigorous, healthy leaf growth and to improve plant supplies
Micronutrients - to ensure photosynthetic growth is not limiting
Flowering to fruit set
Potassium – peak demand for berry development and to build berry quality
Nitrogen - in reduced amounts so as not to compromise fruit stability
Phosphorus - to meet uptake needs through to flowering
Calcium and magnesium - to support new tissue development and boost fruit integrity, reduce disease and maximise shelf life
Boron - for good pollen production, seed formation and fruit set
Other micronutrients - as needed to maintain growth
Fruiting to maturity
Potassium – to maximise fruit quality, particularly TSS, acidity and taste.
Phosphorus - to to up levels being redistributed to the fruit
Nitrogen - limited quantities to balance other nutrients - excessive N at this stage can spoil fruit, but too little N reduces fruit size
Boron and Calcium - for fruit strength
Related articles
Strawberry nutritional summary
A correct balance between macronutrients and micronutrients is essential to achieve the best possible yield and quality from strawberries.
Strawberry agronomic principals
The aim of every strawberry grower is a high yield of top quality fruit and there are a number of agronomic principals which can influence this.
Strawberry soil and water management
Strawberries have no specific requirements in terms of soil type however they are very sensitive to salinity so irrigation and fertigation needs to be carefully managed.
Strawberry crop nutrition programmes
Yara's foliar fertiliser and fertigation programmes for strawberries can help you to achieve excellent growth and maximise the yield and quality of strawberries using either soluble fertigation fertilisers or foliar micronutrients.
