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Traditional technology involves growing strawberries (garden strawberries) in the beds, however, this method has a number of disadvantages, so gardeners regularly look for new methods of cultivating this berry. So, some farmers practice growing strawberries in pots. The technology is relatively new, but already quite popular. It has a number of advantages and features that farmers who first decide to grow strawberries in this manner.
Advantages of technology
By growing strawberries in pots, you can get a good harvest of berries and a unique decorative element of landscape design. Compared to other cultivation methods, this technology has some advantages:
- the mobility of the structure allows you to move plants from one area of the site to another, or move pots to a shelter for the winter to prevent freezing;
- the convenience of picking berries that hang from the pot and just beg to be picked up;
- the absence of contact of berries with the soil prevents their rotting and leaves the harvest clean, without sandy deposits;
- Growing remontant varieties of continuous fruiting strawberries in pots allows you to obtain a harvest year-round, provided that the pots are moved indoors;
- the opportunity to save free space on small plots of land.
Of course, with all the described advantages, the technology for growing strawberries in pots cannot be called ideal, since its implementation requires some financial costs. Caring for such plantings also has certain difficulties.
The best varieties for pots
For growing in a pot, it is better to use remontant varieties that will bloom and produce fruits several times during the season. This will increase the crop yield and ensure high decorative qualities of the planting.
When choosing strawberry varieties for growing in a pot, you should pay attention to the ability to form mustaches. There are special varieties that are genetically deprived of this ability, which means that the plants will devote all their energy to ripening the berries. That is why such varieties should be preferred.
If you decide to grow strawberries in a pot, you should give preference to the remontant varieties “Bolero” and “Home Dessert”. The well-known continuous-bearing variety “Queen Elizabeth II” is also suitable for growing in a limited amount of soil. The Finlandia variety is highly decorative. It belongs to the ampelous climbing varieties. Its peculiarity is that berries are formed throughout the entire growing season both on the bush itself and on its tendrils. Moreover, the formation and ripening of berries occurs simultaneously. A photo of such strawberries in a pot can be seen in the photo below.
You can learn more about ampel strawberries from the video:
How to choose a suitable pot
When deciding to choose a pot for growing strawberries, you should not rely only on its aesthetic appearance. Beauty and design in this case do not matter at all, since most of the pot will be covered with foliage and berries of the plants. You can choose ordinary flower pots, flowerpots, or oblong plastic containers. You can make a pot yourself, using mayonnaise buckets and cut-off 5-liter water containers as a base. You can decorate homemade pots by painting, gluing beads, pebbles, and shells.
The volume of the pot can be different, depending on how many strawberry bushes are supposed to be planted in it. At the bottom of the selected container, it is necessary to make drainage holes that will not allow excess moisture to accumulate in the soil. The drainage layer of expanded clay or broken brick at the bottom of the planting container also plays an important role in the drainage system.
Filling the container with soil
Strawberries are nutritionally demanding soil, and growing crops in pots involves a limited volume of soil, which is quickly depleted by plant roots. That is why, even at the stage of creating a strawberry pot, it is necessary to take care of the nutritional value of the filler.Thus, the optimal soil composition should include a mixture of turf soil and humus in a 1:1 ratio. A couple of spoons of nitroammophoska per 5 liters of soil will also allow you to add some necessary minerals to the soil.
Nutrient soil is poured into the pot on top of the drainage layer. During the process of growing strawberries, the nutritional value of the soil is periodically increased by applying mineral fertilizers.
Plant care
Already grown strawberry seedlings or seeds can be planted in pots with nutritious soil. The second cultivation method requires a lot of time and care. You can sow seeds in the soil indoors in January - February.
To do this, the mustache must be cut off and folded tightly into a cloth bag, and then stored in a cool place.
Almost all varieties of strawberries have a high level of resistance to cold, however, it is worth considering that pots can be taken outside at night temperatures not lower than 00C. With even slight frosts, the soil in the container can freeze, which will stop the growth of plants or harm them.
Caring for strawberries in pots is significantly different from caring for plants in the garden. The bushes do not need to be weeded or loosened, which makes caring for the plantings much easier. In this case, watering requires special attention. It must be carried out regularly as the soil dries out. The amount of water when watering should be moderate, since the confined space of the pot can contribute to rotting of the roots.
Fertilizers play an important role in the process of growing strawberries. So, the soil in pots must be periodically saturated with minerals. An infusion of manure or wood ash can be used as fertilizer. Also for fertilizing strawberries You can use complex fertilizer “Kemira Lux”. Remontant varieties of strawberries should be fed in early spring, during flowering and at the end of each stage of fruiting. To do this, fertilizers are added to the water during irrigation.
It is interesting to know that many industrial enterprises grow strawberries in containers. This technology is similar to cultivating plants in pots. However, its peculiarity is that there is no fertile soil in the containers, and expanded clay or special granules are used as filler. Plants obtain all nutrients from moisture, which is a mixture of water and mineral fertilizers. Moisture is supplied to the strawberry roots regularly in small quantities using drip irrigation. This allows you to grow berries in a short time in large quantities. The absence of soil prevents even the slightest contamination of the berries, which is why you can see beautiful, large, clean fruits on store shelves.
Vertical beds using pots
The technology of creating vertical beds using pots allows you to grow a significant amount of berries on small plots of land. To do this, you need to create a stand up to 1.5 m high. You can use a board as a material. It is convenient to use self-tapping screws to secure strawberries in flower pots or oblong plastic containers.Also, to grow berries on stands, you can vertically attach pipes with holes.
Examples of other methods of vertically growing strawberries are shown in the video:
The stand can be replaced by metal or wooden supports, or the wall of the building on the south side.
Ideas for creating decorative beds
“Strawberry” pots can decorate absolutely any area. Such a flowerbed will be a unique design “highlight” of the existing garden landscape. Compositions using several pots of different diameters look most interesting. They can be placed on top of each other to create a beautiful high bed.
On sale you can find flower pots of various irregular shapes, which can also be a “springboard” for growing strawberries and a unique design element. An example of such a composition can be seen in the photo:
Planting strawberries in a pot allows you to enjoy the berries and decorate your garden plot or, for example, a veranda. Looks great in a hanging planter ampel strawberries, the berries of which are abundantly formed on hanging shoots. Remontant varieties of strawberries can be hung in pots in the greenhouse. Hanging structures will not interfere with other crops and will delight you with a good harvest of delicious berries.
It is convenient to attach pots with strawberries to the windowsill of a building from the outside. This will allow you to make your outdoor decor unique, and at the same time enjoy the berries without leaving your home.
Thus, the method of placing and combining pots of strawberries is limited only by the gardener’s imagination. Mobile structures can be moved from one place on the site to another, following the sun.This will allow the plants to receive the maximum amount of sunlight and heat, which means the berries will set in large quantities and ripen quickly.
Wintering pots
Growing strawberries outside in pots allows you to preserve the plants even with the arrival of severe winter frosts. This can be done by hiding the containers in a cool room with a temperature of -1 to -30C. This temperature causes plants to go into hibernation and happily wake up in the spring with the arrival of warmth.
However, as mentioned above, remontant varieties of continuous fruiting can delight you with berries all year round. To do this, in late spring, containers with plantings should be placed indoors. The growth and fruiting of strawberries in winter is limited only by the lack of light, so to get a harvest in winter you need to illuminate the plants so that the daylight hours are at least 12 hours. Watering and fertilizing strawberries in winter should be done regularly.
A unique video about growing strawberries in pots all year round can be seen here:
Conclusion
It is generally accepted that pots are intended for growing indoor flowers and ornamental crops, however, their scope of application is much wider. In a container with a limited amount of soil, you can successfully grow tomatoes, cucumbers and, of course, strawberries. The technology for growing strawberries in pots is unique and promising, because it allows you not only to grow a rich harvest of berries, but also to decorate the yard, protect the plants from winter frosts and provide them with favorable conditions in the summer by moving the structure. Growing strawberries this way is not at all difficult if you take care and remember about regular feeding and watering.
Good afternoon For the first time in May I planted strawberries Temptation with 10 seeds and 4 sprouted. In June I transplanted them into pots. It has grown, produces many tendrils, but not a single flower. Please tell me what to do to make the berries appear. Should I trim my mustache or not? Maybe there’s no harvest at all now (since it was grown from seeds?