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With proper organization of the growing process, homemade strawberries can produce crops all year round. Plants require certain lighting, temperature, humidity, moisture and nutrients.
Growing methods
To grow strawberries, you can choose the traditional method, when the plants are planted in containers. Modern technologies make it possible to grow in special bags or use nutrient mixtures.
Planting in pots
The simplest option is how to grow strawberries, is its planting in a container. To plant plants, you will need pots with a volume of 3 liters or more. If you use a long container, you can plant several seedlings in a row at a distance of 20 cm. The containers must have holes for water drainage.
Containers with strawberries are placed horizontally or vertically. If you hang containers vertically, you can significantly save space.
Growing in bags
To grow strawberries, you can purchase ready-made bags or make them yourself. For this you will need bags of sugar or flour. Containers are chosen with high and small diameters.The use of bags ensures year-round cultivation of strawberries.
After filling the bags with soil, slits are made in them for planting strawberries. A distance of 20 cm is left between plants. Bags of seedlings are placed on racks or hung vertically.
The option for using a bag is shown in the photo:
Using hydroponics
Growing strawberries hydroponically does not involve the use of soil. Plants receive nutrients from special solutions that are prepared for watering. The method does not require large expenditures and is highly effective.
Hydroponic cultivation has the following varieties:
- Planting strawberries in a substrate made of mineral wool, peat or coconut. The substrate is placed in film and placed on a tray on which excess nutrient mixture is collected.
- Using a nutrient layer. Plants are planted in glasses with holes. The nutrient mixture is supplied under the containers. When the strawberry roots grow to the nutrient layer, the plant will receive the necessary substances.
- Application of aquatic environment. The strawberry bush is placed on foam plastic located above the container with the nutrient mixture. Due to excess humidity, this method of hydroponics at home is considered not the most successful.
- Aeroponics. Strawberry roots are placed in a mist that is generated by a special device. As a result, plants absorb nutrients better.
Selection of varieties
For home cultivation, choose remontant or ampel varieties of strawberries, unpretentious in care. Remontant varieties with quality care are able to bear fruit all year round with a break of several weeks.
Since the plant experiences heavy loads, it may die after harvesting. Therefore, it is better to plant several varieties so that the berries ripen all year round.
Ampelous strawberries produce one harvest per season. The plant produces many hanging shoots that can bloom and bear fruit without rooting.
The most suitable varieties are:
- Everest is a French variety that produces large and medium-sized berries with sour-sweet pulp.
- Cardinal is a disease-resistant dessert strawberry. The variety is characterized by spindle-shaped fruits and a dessert taste.
- Elizabeth II is one of the most popular varieties, producing large berries with a sweet taste.
- Albion is an oblong-shaped strawberry with good taste. From one bush you can get up to 2 kg of harvest.
- Temptation is an early ripening variety that is distinguished by large fruits. The plant produces a good harvest and has a dessert taste.
- Merlan is an ampelous variety that produces pink inflorescences. The berries are small, but in large quantities. The taste of the fruit is sweet and rich.
Seedlings can be purchased in specialized stores. Plants are purchased only from trusted manufacturers. Poor-quality seedlings spread plant diseases and pests.
Seedlings can be taken from a summer cottage. Propagation of strawberries is done with a mustache or by dividing the bush. For remontant plants, the rhizome division method is used.
Preparing for landing
For planting, you can use store-bought soil to grow vegetables or flowers.If the soil is prepared independently, then an equal amount of earth, sand and humus will be required. Strawberries prefer light soils, chernozem, loamy or sandy loam.
If the soil contains a high amount of sand, you can add a little peat when planting. Using coarse sand will help improve the properties of clay soil. All operations regarding soil preparation for indoor strawberries are carried out a week before planting.
The container is filled one third with a drainage layer (pebbles, expanded clay, crushed brick), then covered with earth. After planting, the plants are watered.
Rules of care
To grow strawberries at home, you need to follow the rules of caring for them. This includes lighting equipment, timely watering and fertilization. Additionally, you need to control the humidity level and temperature in the room, especially in winter.
Lighting organization
To grow strawberries indoors, you need to provide the plants with the necessary lighting. The taste of the berries and their ripening time depend on this. To organize lighting, you will need fluorescent lamps that provide a level of illumination close to natural.
At home, LED lamps with a power of up to 50 W are used. Strawberry plantings should be illuminated for 14-16 hours. The lamps are placed in lamps and covered with foil. This ensures uniform distribution of light for plants.
It is allowed to use other types of lamps:
- fluorescent (for 2 warm light lamps you need one cold light lamp);
- sodium;
- metal halide.
To increase the level of illumination, in the room where the plants are located, the walls are whitewashed, mirrors or aluminum foil are hung.
If the strawberry plantings are on the balcony, then the plants require additional lighting. At the end of daylight, the lamps are turned on for a certain time, so that the total duration of illumination is 14 hours.
If the daylight hours for strawberries are 16 hours, then flowering will take a week and a half. The first harvest from the plants is obtained in a month.
Humidity and temperature
The room must maintain a certain level of humidity - about 75%. If strawberries are grown indoors, the humidity level can be increased by installing containers of water or periodic spraying. This figure can be reduced by ventilating the room with plants.
Strawberries begin to develop only after a stable temperature has been established in the range of 18-24 degrees. If the room does not warm up well, especially in winter, then you need to install additional heating.
Watering procedure
Strawberries prefer moderate watering. With a lack of moisture, plants dry out, develop slowly, and form small fruits. Excess moisture negatively affects the taste of berries, which become more watery.
The organization of watering depends on the planting method. If strawberries are grown at home vertical way, then drip irrigation is required. Water containers are placed above the level pot of strawberries, after which thin tubes are installed from them. Holes are made along the length of the tubes, due to which watering is carried out.
The advantage of drip irrigation is the uniform distribution of moisture. This method is economical and allows you to control water consumption.
Small plantings can be watered by hand. Be sure to use warm water, which is watered at the roots of the plants. The procedure is carried out in the morning or evening.
Fertilization and pollination
Strawberries at home receive less nutrients than when grown outdoors. Therefore, fertilizing is a mandatory step in planting care.
Fertilizing strawberries is done once every two weeks. The need of plants for nutrients is especially high during flowering and the end of fruiting. For feeding, organic fertilizers (bird droppings, mullein, humates) or special mineral complexes are selected.
Growing strawberries at home all year round involves pollination of plants. If the variety is not self-pollinating, then the procedure is carried out manually. To do this, use a regular brush or direct air flow from a fan to the plantings.
Conclusion
There are various ways to grow strawberries at home. Be sure to select unpretentious varieties that can produce crops in any conditions. To obtain a harvest, plants are provided with watering, lighting and fertilization.
How to grow strawberries at home is described in the video:
