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Growing strawberries in bags is a Dutch technology that allows you to collect the maximum harvest of berries. The method is widely used for planting plants in open ground, at home, in greenhouses, garages and other utility rooms.
Advantages of the method
Growing strawberries in bags has the following advantages:
- You can harvest up to 5 times throughout the year;
- plants are less susceptible to diseases and pests;
- absence weed;
- the resulting beds take up little space in greenhouse or in open space;
- allows you to grow berries for sale.
Selection of varieties
For growing in bags, strawberries are chosen, which do not require careful care, are able to bear fruit for a long time, grow quickly and have high yields.
It is important to choose self-pollinating varieties if growing strawberries in plastic bags indoors.
The following varieties have these qualities:
- Marshal – a sweet strawberry that produces large, sweet berries with a slight sourness. The variety is resistant to diseases and is not sensitive to temperature changes. Marshall's yield is up to 1 kg.
- Albion – a remontant variety, which is distinguished by large, oblong-shaped fruits. One bush produces up to 2 kg of berries. Strawberries taste sweet and have dense pulp. The plant requires constant feeding and watering.
- Geneva – a popular remontant variety that bears large, elongated fruits. Geneva strawberries have a pleasant taste and can be stored and transported. Up to 2.5 weeks pass between harvest periods.
- Gigantella – large-fruited strawberries with good taste. The weight of the first berries is up to 120 g, then the plant produces fruits of less weight. Each bush brings up to 1 kg of harvest.
For breeding, you can purchase new varieties or use your own seedlings if the strawberries have the necessary characteristics.
Preparatory stage
To get a good harvest, you need to provide for various nuances. This includes bag selection and soil preparation.
Selection of bags
Strawberries are planted in white plastic bags with a thickness of 0.25 to 0.35 mm. This choice will provide the plants with the necessary light regime. One option is to use regular bags in which sugar or flour is sold.
In specialized stores you can purchase bags that are suitable for growing strawberries. The diameter of the container should be from 13 to 16 mm, and the length should be up to 2 m. The bags are filled with earth and sealed.
Soil preparation
The technology for growing strawberries in bags involves preparing the soil. Strawberries prefer neutral, light soils with low acidity. You can get such soil from a mixture of turf soil, fine sawdust and sand. These components are taken in equal proportions.
The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed. A little expanded clay is added to the bottom of the container to create a drainage system. This will eliminate moisture stagnation, which causes rot on the root system and above-ground parts of plants. Substrate and fertilizer are applied to the drainage layer, after which the bag is closed.
Placement methods
Bags of soil are placed vertically or horizontally in a greenhouse or other room. The choice of placement method depends on the free space that is planned to be occupied for planting. To equip the beds, additional devices will be required: hooks for fastening or racks.
Vertical landing
For the vertical planting method, step-by-step instructions include the following steps:
- A container is prepared, which is filled with soil and fertilizers.
- The bag is pulled with a rope, placed in a vertical position, and then suspended. The best option is to install bags in two tiers of several pieces.
- Holes up to 9 cm wide are made in the bags, where strawberries are planted. Leave at least 20 cm between bushes.
- An irrigation system is being installed and lamps are being installed.
Vertical placement is suitable for rooms with limited space, as it allows you to place a large number of bags.
The use of this technology in a greenhouse is shown in the video:
Horizontal landing
In large greenhouses or open ground, the bags are usually placed horizontally. The procedure remains the same as for vertical installation.
Strawberries in bags are placed directly on land or on prepared racks.The most rational option is to equip several rows with plantings.
Strawberry care
To grow strawberries in bags all year round, you need to provide the plants with the necessary care. This includes a set of measures to create a suitable microclimate: temperature, humidity and light levels.
Humidity and temperature
For constant ripening of berries, it is necessary to ensure a temperature range from 20 to 26 ° C. In this case, the temperature should not drop or fluctuate by more than 5°C. The room for growing strawberries must be protected from drafts.
You can regulate the temperature yourself using a thermometer. Heaters are installed in the room, which turn on when it gets cold. If you need to lower the temperature, it is enough to ventilate the greenhouse.
To grow strawberries, humidity should be kept at 70-75%. To maintain humidity, the bottom of the bags and the air are sprayed.
Fruiting in a greenhouse can be increased due to the high carbon dioxide content (from 0.15 to 0.22%). Such indicators are obtained after the combustion of a regular candle.
Light level
Strawberries require plenty of light. To ensure full ripening of berries, natural light and long daylight hours are necessary.
Therefore, when growing strawberries in bags, an important issue will be the arrangement of a lighting system. This will require powerful red spectrum lamps. This includes metal halide lamps or HPS lamps.
Additional lighting should operate for 12 hours to simulate changing times of day. For growing strawberries in bags at home fluorescent lamps will be required. They must be turned on strictly at a certain time.
If bags of strawberries are located in a greenhouse, then the lighting is turned on if necessary. When strawberries don't have enough light, their shoots begin to stretch upward.
Watering rules
Another condition for strawberry growth is compliance with watering rules. To grow strawberries you will need a drip irrigation system. The water is supplied from a common pipe, from which tubes are connected to the bags. Droppers are installed at the ends of the tubes.
This system will make it easier to care for strawberries and provide the plantings with the necessary level of humidity. It is organized using pipes and metal or plastic with a diameter of 160-200 mm. The pipeline is installed above the bags. The number of pipes depends on the height of the bags and is usually 2-4. 0.5 m is left between the pipes supplying water.
At home, watering can be organized by hanging plastic bottles to which tubes are attached.
Feeding and pruning
Regular fertilizing strawberries. Fertilizers are especially important during the flowering period of plants.
For feeding, potassium substances are selected, which are used as a solution after watering strawberries. An effective fertilizer is a solution of chicken manure.
Dry leaves and stems are trimmed.To harvest strawberries throughout the year, you need to plant the plants in bags every two months. To do this, you need to preserve the seedlings and provide them with the necessary conditions.
Young bushes are placed in a basement or refrigerator, where the temperature is maintained from 0 to +2 ° C and humidity is about 90%. It is best to place the seedlings in plastic bags.
Conclusion
Growing strawberries in bags makes it possible to get a high yield. The method involves creating optimal conditions for the ripening of berries. To do this, you need to equip irrigation and lighting, maintain humidity and temperature at the proper level. Bags are placed vertically or horizontally, which largely depends on the availability of free space.
