Hello, dear gardeners and gardeners!
Beautiful, fragrant strawberries finish their fruiting in June. And how nice it would be to have it on your table all year round. And there is such a possibility. Of course, investments of finance, effort and labor will be required, but the result will cover all costs.
In order for strawberries to bear fruit all the time, three things are needed: a well-built greenhouse, suitable strawberry varieties, and, of course, care.
We build greenhouses
To grow strawberries all the time, a film greenhouse is indispensable: such a design will not survive the winter.
- A greenhouse is required on a wooden or metal frame with a polycarbonate coating at least 16 mm thick.
- The greenhouse must have a strong roof to withstand the weight of snow during snowy winters.
- You can build a thermal greenhouse, partially deepening it into the ground. In this case, you can save on heating.
Additionally, you will need equipment:
- Bright fluorescent lamps or phyto-lamps to illuminate the beds for 14-16 hours.
- Heating system to maintain the required temperature.
- Ventilation, to ensure even humidity and ventilation and a thermometer.
- Drip irrigation system.
- Shelving for tiered planting, pots and boxes.
Choosing varieties of strawberries
Only varieties that meet the necessary requirements are suitable for growing in a greenhouse:
- Remontant varieties capable of producing 2-3 crops per season.
- Self-pollinating as there are no bees in winter.
- The so-called "neutral day varieties", which produce ovaries continuously after an average of 1.5 months.
- Having strong, not spreading berries with a good shelf life.
These include such varieties: Pineapple, Arapaho, Ozark Beauty, Red Rich, Liosa, Moscow Delicatessen, Selva, Everest, Queen Elizabeth P and many others.
seedling preparation
- Seedlings can be planted in the greenhouse only after a preliminary long-term preparation to ensure their ability to bear fruit.
- Seedlings are first planted in open ground in order to transplant mustaches at the end of summer and grow their root system.
- The resulting rosettes are transplanted into pots in autumn and stored in a cold cellar, where they ripen for 6–9 months.
- In order not to spend so much time on preparation, you can purchase frigo seedlings already prepared by experienced agricultural technicians in special nurseries, which are completely ready for planting.
Landing methods
Both its yield and the degree of complexity of care depend on how strawberries are planted.
There are several landing methods:
Conventional methods with low yields
- Standard landing in the ground.
- In hanging pots and containers.
- Under the black film - a common method of quickly obtaining a crop.
Growing methods for sale:
- The Dutch method is a labour-intensive method of planting in tiered nutrient bags.
- In plastic pipes - also a tiered, expensive method.
- Soilless planting - the culture is not grown in the ground, but in vermiculite, mineral wool, coconut fiber, watered with special nutrient solutions.
Let's take a look at a few common methods in more detail:
in the ground
- The usual way with very simple maintenance, in which the entire surface is occupied by crop beds.
- The beds are planted in a checkerboard pattern or using a two-line method with an interval of 30 cm between the bushes.
- The surface is covered with agrofibre.
- Between the rows leave passages 1 m wide.
- This method does not require much care, but gives low yields.
under the film
- The most popular way.
- The surface of the bed is covered with a black film, in which holes are cut in a checkerboard pattern with an interval of 30 cm.
- Strawberry bushes are planted in them.
- Due to the film, the soil warms up well, a greenhouse effect is created in it, due to which you can get a clean berry crop in the shortest possible time.
In hanging pots and flowerpots
- Used for very small greenhouses in order to maximize the use of free space.
- Planting in a pot at the rate of 3-4 liters of nutrient soil per 1 plant.
Cultivation and care
Priming
- The soil must be pre-disinfected.
- Soddy soil, humus, peat and superphosphate are added to it.
- For friability, sand and rotted sawdust are added.
Lighting
For culture, the brightness and duration of lighting are important.
- During the period of laying the kidneys, long-term lighting is not required.
- During the flowering period - the duration of daylight hours should be at least 18 hours.
- For lighting use lamps with a power of 400 watts.
Watering and fertilizing
- Watering should be moderate, without waterlogging, in the morning.
Important! Excessive watering leads to watery berries and rotting of the root system.
- It is best to organize drip irrigation.
- Nutrient soils are required, so top dressing is carried out twice a month using superphosphate, potassium salt and ammonium nitrate.
Attention! When making it is necessary to strictly observe the dosage.
Temperature and Humidity
- During the planting period, the temperature is allowed 10 °–12 °, humidity is required at least 80%.
- During the growing season - the temperature is not less than 21 °, humidity - 75%.
- During the flowering period, the temperature rises to 25 °, humidity drops to 70%.
Year-round cultivation of strawberries is a troublesome and time-consuming process. But as a reward, at least fresh, tasty berries will always be on your table, as a maximum - growing such a useful product in large volumes can be a good business.
Tell us if anyone grows strawberries in their greenhouses and how. I look forward to sharing your experience in your comments.
Read also: Effective methods for dealing with whiteflies on strawberries
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