Have you seen how your neighbors pick buckets of strawberries, while your bushes barely produce a handful of berries?
That's because they hide an old rusty basin and a pack of baking soda in the shed. Yes, regular baking soda is the main secret of giant berries.
While you spend money on fertilizers, smart gardeners dilute 2 tablespoons of soda in 5 liters of water and water the beds during flowering.
Soda neutralizes soil acidity, kills fungi and repels weevils.
But that's not all. A rusty basin is placed between the bushes: it accumulates heat during the day and warms the roots at night, accelerating ripening.
The main thing is not to overdo it. Water with soda only twice per season, otherwise the berries will become tasteless. And the basin should be iron: plastic does not work.
A week after such treatment, the bushes will be covered with flowers, and in a month you will be picking berries the size of a walnut.
Just don't tell your neighbors that you've found out their secret - they'll think you've peeped through the keyhole.
To enhance the effect, add a spoonful of ash to the soda solution - potassium will speed up the formation of ovaries.
If you notice gray mold, spray the leaves with soda and water (1:1) - the mold will disappear overnight.
And a rusty basin can be replaced with old nails: place them around the bushes, and the iron from the soil will make the berries sweeter.
But do not use galvanized containers - they are toxic.
After harvesting, water the beds with clean water to prevent soda from accumulating in the soil.
And remember: the method only works in sunny areas. In the shade, even magic soda won't save you.
Author: Elena Shimanovskaya