How to grow garden strawberries at home. Growing strawberries using the hydroponic method

Agricultural technology for strawberries from seeds suggests that the best time for sowing is February and March, and the best place- greenhouse.

Sowing can be done indoors, but then the seedlings will be weaker than those grown in the greenhouse.

Sowing strawberries is also not successful. For sowing in wooden box with a solid bottom (not higher than 1 or 1.5 inch (1 inch - 4.445 cm) put a layer of completely softened cotton wool, on top of it - a layer of sifted earth 1.5 fingers thick.

The technology for growing strawberries from seeds does not recommend planting them in the ground: they are scattered on the ground and pressed slightly into it. If the soil is dry, it should be thoroughly moistened with water before sowing. The top of the box is covered with glass.

In a box with a smooth bottom and under glass, wet cotton wool maintains soil moisture for a very long time - up to 4 weeks, which is very important, since watering small seeds would be inconvenient: it not only erodes and compacts the soil, but also changes the position of the seeds. The constant moisture of the cotton wool, in addition, eliminates the possibility of drying out the soil due to oversight or negligence; seeds that have lain dry in dry soil for several hours become unviable. Strawberry and wild strawberry seeds germinate 10-12 days after sowing at a temperature of 11-15 degrees during the day.

According to the technology of growing strawberries from seeds, on the 20th day after germination, the seedlings already have 2 true leaves and up to 5 lateral lobes. During all this time, the seed box should be covered with glass and stand in a bright place. With the appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings are planted in another box, without cotton wool, in a layer of earth up to 1 inch thick. The seedlings plant deeper than they sat, namely along the cotyledons. The distance between seedlings should be about 3/8 of an inch. 2 weeks after the first planting, the seedlings should be planted a second time, already 1 inch apart from each other.

The technology for growing strawberries recommends making a third planting after another two weeks: In this arrangement, the distance between the bushes should be up to 1.5 inches. Then, when the bushes grow even larger, they should be planted directly in the greenhouse at a distance of 3-4 inches from each other.

Finally, in July, they are already planted in the ground, then the bushes have time to completely take root before the fall and can successfully overwinter, for which the future strawberries must be covered for the winter thin layer fine horse manure and a layer of dry leaves on top of it; the mustachioed strawberry is not so sensitive to frost and is content with one layer of dry leaves.

Watch how to grow strawberries in open ground in the video, which shows the process of preparing seedlings from seeds:

How to grow a good harvest of strawberries at your dacha in open ground (with video)

Before you grow strawberries in your dacha, you need to plant them in sufficient quantities using seedlings. The best time planting strawberries in middle and northern regions It is the end of summer, but not spring or autumn. Plants planted in the spring lose a lot of time to take root and in the first year give an insignificant harvest; in a dry spring, in addition, newly planted strawberry plantations require the most diligent watering, or most of plants disappear.

During autumn planting, in the event of frost, when the ground is not yet covered with snow, the plants are in danger of freezing, since they have not yet had time to take root well. About how to grow good strawberries at the dacha, a lot has been written teaching aids. However, practice is the deciding factor. Before you grow good strawberries, you need to “calculate” the appropriate planting time for your climate zone.

At the end of summer, i.e. in the first half of August, according to agricultural technology garden strawberries It is most profitable to plant: By this time, the bushes have already become sufficiently strong and do not wither so easily; they have a lot of time left until the fall to fully take root; it is also important that at this time it is easier to find workers than in the spring. Before you grow a good harvest of strawberries, you need to know that the bushes planted at this time will give a good harvest of the largest berries the next year; subsequent harvests will, of course, be larger, but you will not get such large berries as in the first year.

Secrets of super harvest: how to properly grow strawberries in open ground

The secrets of the super-harvest of strawberries lie in the fact that on sandy soils the berries reach larger sizes, have a different taste and ripen earlier than on heavy soils; but all this is subject to strong fertilization and protection of plants from drought. Before growing strawberries in open ground sandy soil bushes are planted in the spring, and not in August-September, as is preferably done on other soils. Although the soil should already be well fertilized with manure or mineral fertilizers during its preparation, nevertheless, after the strawberry bushes, each plant is watered with diluted slurry or other liquid fertilizer, and then similar watering is repeated after the main flowering and after picking the berries.

Agricultural technology for garden strawberries recommends covering all the spaces between individual bushes, as well as the grooves between the beds, with a thick layer (2-3 inches (1 inch - 4.445 cm) of straw, straw manure, sawdust, peat, tree leaves, etc. This tire during the summer it protects strawberries from drought, conserving soil moisture; in the winter it is renewed and becomes even thicker, due to the fact that the soil freezes deeply.

Before properly growing strawberries in open ground on heavy loamy soils, special preparation is required. To improve clay soil, which is so heavy that it makes digging difficult by sticking to the shovel, it is recommended to add crushed brick. Finely crushed brick is sifted through a large sieve, scattered on the ground in a layer of 2-3 inches and then, together with fertilizer, embedded in the soil. By repeating this operation for several years in a row, you can improve the soil beyond recognition, and the results are better the deeper you dig. Crushed or powdered bricks can, of course, be easily obtained if there are brick factories nearby.

In the absence of a brick, you can replace it by burning various weeds and earthy substances: To do this, they make a fire out of brushwood, light it, and then throw on it weeds with roots and earth adhering to them, all kinds of plant waste: spoiled straw, turf, etc., and all the time they maintain the fire so that it smolders inside the fire. When it turns out this way, sufficient quantity ash substances with burnt earth, it is used instead of crushed brick. You can get even better results if you have peat on hand for burning. It is used in the same way as crushed brick.

Secrets of growing strawberries in open ground

The secrets of strawberries are quite simple: Since crops require soil moisture, the beds should be arranged in such a way that this need is satisfied as fully as possible. At a certain place, a ditch is dug 80 - 90 cm wide and up to 5 inches deep. The secrets of growing strawberries are that the ditch is filled to the brim with horse manure, which is trampled down and watered heavily. Along the edges of the ditch, edges are placed to form the edge of the ridge.

Then a layer of soil, the best one available, with a thickness of 2.5 to 3 vershoks is placed on the manure; The width of the ridge, the most convenient in all respects, is 80 cm: a narrower ridge is inconvenient for the growth of strawberries, and a wider one is for caring for strawberries and picking berries. The manure under the soil layer rather serves to retain strong moisture under the bushes, as a result of which the bushes quickly take root. Later, a year later, the same manure will provide good nutrition to adult bushes for 1 or even 2 summers. In the southern provinces, ditches should be dug deeper so that the layer of manure is thicker.

Watering with liquid mullein is very useful: the main secret of growing strawberries in open ground is to provide maximum nutrition to the flower bud even before flowering. The first watering is done after flowering, when the berries are set, the last - when the first berries ripen. In between these two waterings, water 1-2 more times. The result is a significantly larger harvest, with individual berries reaching enormous sizes. Instead of mullein, you can take a mixture of two parts (by weight) 30% potassium salt and 2 parts Chilean nitrate; on a ridge of 10 fathoms (1 fathom -2.143m) the length is taken to be 1.5-2ft. (1 lb-410 g) of this mixture dissolved in 15 buckets of water.

Fertilizing the soil with mineral fertilizers has a beneficial effect on strawberries; they are introduced in the following quantities:

1. Chilean saltpeter - 5 f. on a ridge 10 fathoms long;
2. potassium chloride- 3 f. (can be replaced with 30 percent potassium salt in double quantity) and
3. Thomasslag- 3 f. In addition to a significant increase in yield, mineral fertilizers also affect the shape of the berries: until the end of fruiting, large berries are obtained, but there are almost no underdeveloped monsters. The color of the berries becomes sharp and intense; Apparently, these fertilizers soften the acidity of the berries.

Secrets of growing garden strawberries (with video)

To get good results by next summer, there are strawberry secrets: care for the plantation must begin in July of the previous year. To do this, first of all, the turf with which the bushes are overgrown must be cut out quite cleanly, and the earth around it is loosened with a knife. Then the entire weeded area is watered very generously with liquid fertilizer, if possible - 2 or 3 times over the course of a month. The secrets of growing strawberries in large quantities are that at the end of August, the grass that has grown during this time is weeded out, and all the spaces between the bushes are filled with a thick layer of horse manure. In late autumn, a layer of manure is added. 2-3 months after the first shelf, even before autumn, the bushes have time to significantly recover and produce new leaves, thicker and larger.

The secrets of growing garden strawberries are that the next spring the bushes already reach almost the height that is inherent in them, and the berries themselves turn out to be quite large; and in the second summer, subject to the above technique and proper care, the strawberries become quite prolific and large-fruited.

As for the care itself, for the fertility of strawberries it is necessary, first of all, to ensure that in the spring, all the time until the bush prepares foliage and flower buds, the soil is clean of weeds, loose and shaded, and at the same time it is useful to water the bushes with liquid fertilizer to enhance growth. Then, after fruiting, the strawberries should immediately be weeded again, loosened and fertilized with horse manure; do not leave such cleaning until the fall, as is often practiced, because summer cleaning provides the best conditions for older bushes to gain strength for fruiting next summer, that is, to expel new leaves and grow densely.

Watch the secrets of growing strawberries in the video, which shows all the principles described above:

The Big Secrets to High Strawberry Yields

We continue to analyze the secrets of obtaining big harvest strawberries in the garden with minimal effort. Covering the gaps between the rows of strawberries with a layer of rotted manure and lightly rubbing it over the plants themselves will not harm the plants at all. On the contrary, if this is done in the fall, then the plants, even in very unfavorable conditions of site position, etc., overwinter well, moreover, the strawberry beds covered with manure do not thaw so quickly, and this saves the plants from being beaten by spring mornings, and if the autumn is cold and snow falls late, then covering the ridges with manure saves strawberry plants from autumn frosts.

These strawberry harvest secrets allow experienced gardeners to achieve consistent results year after year. In addition, strawberries require a lot of nutrients, and, consequently, a lot of fertilizer, given mainly in the form of manure; therefore, manure taken to cover the beds for the winter will supply the plants with the nutrients they need.

Remember the following secrets of high strawberry yields: in old strawberry plants, the rhizomes rise somewhat above the ground and are especially susceptible to freezing, in order to prevent this, these plants should be covered with earth (a good addition of highly decomposed manure or compost) and only then the ridges should be covered with manure, a layer 1-1.5 inches thick, taking care that the top of the plant, and especially its core, is not crushed by a heavy piece of manure, which would retard the development of the plant. After laying manure, it is useful to place dry brushwood or plant stems on the beds with strawberries to help better retain snow.

5 (five) secrets of growing a good strawberry harvest (with video)

You should begin to master the secrets of a good strawberry harvest with the postulate that the crop loves deeply cultivated loamy soil. On the southern slopes, the fruits ripen earlier, but the plants suffer more in the spring; they overwinter better in partial shade, but bear fruit later. Demanding on moisture, on high ridges suffers from drought in summer and frost in spring. In hot summers, water abundantly, after loosening the soil.

Requires a lot of fertilizer, which is buried when making beds 4-6 inches deep. In autumn and spring, apply surface fertilizer in a layer of at least half an inch. Frosts are dangerous in the spring after the snow thaws and in the fall before the snow.

It is useful to sheathe all ridges on all sides with boards so that the upper edge of the boards exceeds the ridge by 1 top; in the fall, cover the top with boards for the winter, also from rainy autumn weather; if covered with a spruce forest, then only after the onset of frost. When the strawberries bloom (at the end of May), lay the bed on top of the fertilizer with a half-inch layer of moss.

For manure and moss cover, water only in very hot summers. To obtain large (exhibition) fruits, leave only 1-2 fruits on each peduncle and water frequently with liquid fertilizer from the beginning of fruit set. Watering with a solution of pigeon droppings from the time of fruit set to the beginning of their coloring works especially well to form large strawberry fruits.

One of the 5 secrets of growing strawberries concerns the issue of removing whiskers on a plantation intended for harvesting.

Cutting off the vines is necessary to increase the yield and profitability of the plantations; the earlier you cut off, the better, regardless of the time of year, the quality of the soil, or any climatic conditions. After spring planting cut out the first flower stems.

The five secrets of growing strawberries also include information on how to get large and clean berries even in wet, rainy weather. Read on to find out what tricks will help you achieve a similar result.

To protect strawberries from soil contamination, the surface of the ridges is usually covered with various materials, of which the most common are chopped straw, moss and humus. Having tested all these materials for many years personal experience. Straw as a material for covering beds with strawberries is inconvenient in the sense that, firstly, it is easily blown away from the beds by the wind, in addition, it does not decompose for a long time, and mixing it with top layer soil when hoeing is almost impossible, especially if the straw is chopped long.

In view of this, it is advised to remove the straw from the ridges in the fall so as not to impede hoeing, so it is required double work, which is hardly beneficial when large sizes plantations. If, instead of straw, chaff is used to cover the beds, as some advise, the disadvantages will increase even more. In fact, the chaff will be blown off the ridges even more easily than straw, the berries will not only not be protected from contamination, but, on the contrary, will be half completely spoiled: the chaff sticks to the berries extremely easily and separating it is a big task.

A berry garden in which chopped straw or chaff is used to cover the beds always has an untidy appearance: both straw and chaff are spread to large space to the sides and litter the area.

Moss is even less suitable for this purpose: it is also easily spread by the wind, but, most importantly, it must be removed from the beds in the fall in the same way as straw. The fact is that moss, even mixed with soil, for a long time does not decompose, and, in the end, the top layer of the ridges would be too loosened, to avoid this, it is necessary to remove the moss placed on the ridges in the fall.

Humus is the best material for covering beds; it should be placed in early spring, as soon as the first cleaning of the ridges has been carried out and the soil surface has been loosened. A layer of humus is quite sufficient, 1-1.5 inches thick, and the entire surface of the ridge is laid out; humus is placed near the strawberry bushes so as not to touch the very center of the bush, otherwise the plant may prop up.

The wind will not blow such a tire away. Spring rains or, in the absence of them, watering, will wash all the nutritious juices from the humus into the soil, and by the time the berries ripen, only completely clean, half-decayed straw will remain on the surface of the ridges, which in no case can stain the berries.

By using humus to cover strawberry beds, we achieve the following results:

1. the soil is shaded, and moisture that falls in the form of rain or delivered in the form of watering is retained much longer, which is of great importance for obtaining large berries;
2. nutrients contained in humus enter the soil and are quickly used by plants;
3. By the time the berries ripen, the soil is covered with clean straw, and the berries turn out completely clean.
4. Half-decayed straw in the fall easily mixes with the top layer of soil, and, quickly decomposing, serves to feed plants.

Watch 5 secrets of growing strawberries in the video: this information will help you harvest the richest harvest possible at your summer cottage:

Should strawberry beds be dug up?

Each gardener decides for himself whether he should dig up his strawberry beds, but the information offered below will make this process more reasonable. When digging both in the fall and in the spring, we actually loosen the soil, make it receptive to light and air, but at the same time we destroy the fibrous roots. This happens despite all precautions, because these roots are thin, like a spider's web, and spread far across the soil in the form of a network, which we tear apart every time we stick a shovel.

After digging, the plants begin to slowly form new lobes, slowly in the fall, more quickly in the spring, but those who have observed correctly have long known that strawberry plants have already prepared the next year’s harvest in September. If we dig up at this time or a little later, in the fall, we will make the plants, due to the destruction of the roots, more resistant to frost.

If we dig in the spring, then although the planting will not suffer from frost, often very strong spring winds can have a very harmful effect on it. Therefore, you should do this: as soon as new growth begins and the condition of the soil allows it, hoe shallowly, but as often as possible and when there are no weeds, therefore much more often than other plants. In this way, a permanent, although very shallow, but loose layer will be achieved, allowing air and light to the roots and reducing the evaporation of much-needed moisture.

How to avoid problems when growing strawberries

Interesting question - what's the difference? experienced gardener from a newbie? Is it just years of “horticultural” experience, and how much of it is needed? You can determine who you are - a student or a master - at the moment when you encounter a certain problem when growing plants.

To learn how to avoid common problems when growing strawberries in open ground, read on and see the attached table.

All novice gardeners actively ask reputable experts about ways to solve the problem, looking for answers to questions in all the numerous sources of information now available. Truly experienced people, when a problem arises, turn first of all... to the plants themselves. And who better than themselves can know and tell about what they need?

Experience comes when you begin to understand the language of plants; they themselves point out to us our mistakes and shortcomings in care:

Watch the technology for growing strawberries in detail in the video, which shows all the intricacies of this process:

Strawberry- the berry that has both great taste and benefits! Few people will deny themselves the joy of tasting fresh aromatic strawberries, of course, if we are not talking about allergies. There's a lot to love about strawberries. After all, it is very tasty and sweet, and this berry also improves appetite, quenches thirst and helps normalize intestinal function.
Those who decide to grow strawberries on their plot should know some subtleties, since they are a very capricious berry. For a successful harvest, you need to choose varieties that are resistant to diseases and all kinds of pests. Usually varieties with large fruits and wonderful taste. Strawberries should be sweet. By the way, in order to quickly and conveniently do housework at the dacha, we recommend choosing a device such as a walk-behind tractor. You can buy a walk-behind tractor on the website shponka.com.ua.

How to choose a variety for planting?

As a rule, gardeners give preference to three varieties of strawberries, namely early, mid-early, and mid-late. The most favorite are early varieties entitled: “Roxana”, “Early Maheraukha”, “Pomegranate”, “Beauty of Zagorye”, “Pavlovchanka” and “Desnyanka”.
If we talk about mid-early ones, then here it is worth choosing “Pendant”, “Zenith”, “Festival”, “Nadezhda”, “Marieva Maheraukha”, “Redcoat” and “Nadezhda”.
From average late varieties It’s better to stick to the following varieties: “Cinderella”, “Dobrynya”, “Lord”, “Gigantella” (Dutch), “Amulet”, “Troubadour” (Scottish).

What soil is needed for planting strawberries?

To grow strawberries, the soil must be slightly acidic, loamy or sandy loam, it must be saturated with humus and nutrients. Not suitable for strawberries clay soil. If the soil is sandy, then do not expect a large harvest, since the berries will be small due to lack of moisture in the soil. If there is groundwater nearby, then the beds need to be made high.

Choosing a landing site

The main thing is that the site is level, although strawberries will also grow well on non-steep slopes that face southwest. Lowlands are not suitable for growing this berry, since it does not tolerate high humidity, low temperatures and cold winds. In such conditions, even if there is a harvest, it will be sick and the berries will be small, because strawberries love warmth and moisture, it root system freezes even at temperatures below 12°C, so the berry bushes overwinter under a dense layer of snow (layer thickness should be at least 25 cm).
It is advisable to use the same plot for cultivation for no more than four seasons. It is best to transplant the bushes to a new location after two seasons, which will help protect the strawberries from fungal diseases and other diseases.

How to grow strawberry seedlings?

Strawberries are propagated by rosettes, which you can grow yourself or buy in specialized stores. Rosettes grow on mother bushes, and it is better to choose those that are located next to the mother bush. Three rosettes per shoot is enough for normal growth. If there are more rosettes, then each of them will produce fruits, but only three will develop well. Usually one bush produces about 10-15 excellent rosettes, so you will definitely be saved from buying seedlings.
At the moment when the rosette is just beginning to form, you need to strengthen its roots in the soil. Then it begins to feed thanks to its own root system. If you wish, you can always plant out the rosettes that have formed again. Do not combine berry picking and strawberry propagation. It is because of this that the peduncles on the mother bush must be removed.

How and when should you plant strawberries?

It is better to plant around mid-July and it is advisable that you do it in the evening, since then the seedlings will be able to undergo overnight acclimatization. For planting, it is better to choose seedlings with several leaves already formed, a developed heart, and a root system. Carefully separate the rosette from the mother bush and plant it in open ground, but first straighten the roots well.
Make a small hole in the soil and a small mound inside it. Plant a rosette on the mound and cover the roots with soil. For watering, it is better to use a watering can and water using the sprinkler method so as not to flood the outlet with water. If everything is done correctly, then by winter the seedlings will be strong, acclimatized and well adapted to the soil, and in the summer you will reap a magnificent harvest of delicious berries.

It is better to plant mid-early and early varieties so that the rows are located quite close to each other, the distance between them should be about 60 centimeters, and the distance between the bushes should be about 15 centimeters. Thanks to this method of planting, you will reap a good harvest in the first year, but then everything will depend only on how the bush takes root and develops. When the first harvest is harvested, you need to remove the bushes one by one so that the distance between them becomes almost 30 centimeters. The best harvest is usually harvested in the second year.
As for late varieties, they need to be planted differently. In the first year, the distance between the rows should also be 60 centimeters, but between the bushes it should be almost 20 centimeters. After every second bush is removed after harvesting the first harvest, the distance between them should be about 40 centimeters.

How is strawberry pollinated?

Strawberries are self-pollinating, so you don't need to do anything here. If desired, you can pollinate yourself by using a rolled-up cotton swab or paint brush. This pollination is best done at lunchtime and on a warm day. If there is a bee apiary nearby, then additional pollination is not required at all, since the bees will help make your harvest good, and the berries will be the same size.
Spray the bushes with a solution of honey during the flowering period. This will help attract bees. To obtain such a solution, you need to mix one teaspoon of honey (necessarily natural) with a liter of water. The resulting solution must be poured into a spray bottle, shaken and sprayed on each bush.

How should you care for strawberry bushes?

The frequency and timing of watering mainly depends on the weather, so you should water your strawberries as needed. During rains, it is better to cover each bush with film. Usually watering is done early in the morning so that the bushes can dry out by evening. Before the flowering period, the bushes need to be watered by sprinkling, and during the fruiting period their roots should be watered.
If the weather is dry and warm, then you need to water it once a day for 12 days, and the water should not be cold, its temperature should be approximately 20°C.
When setting the first fruits, it is necessary to add mulch and topping. Straw or sawdust or you can use film or tapes. Thanks to this, the ripening berries will be protected from dirt, since a barrier will be created between them and the ground. The second time, adding peat or sawdust should be done in October. The thickness of the bedding layer should be about 5 centimeters.
Experienced gardeners will say that it is best to make three beds with strawberries on the plot, the first of which will give you the first harvest, the second - for the second year of harvest, and the third bed - will give you a harvest for the third year. In order for everything to work out exactly like this, plant one bed every year. When the harvest of the third year is harvested, you need to dig up all the plantings from this area and burn them, and the young seedlings need to be planted in a new place and it is advisable that before that green crops were grown in this place. Good luck!

Any advice on how to grow strawberries? Previously, we always had this berry growing, but no one really bothered with it. It grows for itself - well, let it grow, as many berries as it gives, so be it. Of course, such a “departure” did not pass without a trace. From a large, one might say, plantation, a couple of dozen bushes remained, and even those bear fruit as they please. I decided it was time to restore order and restore the strawberries. Grandchildren have appeared, there will be someone to eat.

Let's look at the most popular of them, namely:

• carpet;
• lowercase;
• nesting;
• vertical.

Carpet method

One of the easiest options for growing summer berries. All you need to do is prepare the area and plant it with seedlings. Humus is added during digging. In the fall, strawberries are planted in mother rows. You should leave about 20 cm between the bushes, and about 70 cm between the rows. In the next couple of years, the queen rows rapidly grow tendrils and self-reproduce. It turns out to be such a green carpet, the boundaries of the rows are lost.

The advantage of the carpet method is the minimum maintenance. There is no need to remove the whiskers, water and weed frequently. Strawberry carpet retains moisture well and displaces most weeds.

Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting that harvesting after a couple of years becomes difficult due to the thickness of the cover. In addition, the berries become smaller.

Advantages of the row method of growing strawberries

The row method provides that the seedlings will grow in rows, with clear control of their boundaries. To prevent “unauthorized departure,” the mustache is regularly removed.

You can plant in one or two lines, observing the recommended indentations:

• single-line planting - at least 20 cm between seedlings and from 60 to 90 cm between rows;
• two-line planting - 20 cm between bushes, 30-50 cm between lines, 70-90 cm between rows.

The advantage of the method is high yield. There is enough space for strawberries, the whiskers do not take away nutrition and the berries grow large.

Row planting of strawberries requires more attention than carpet. It needs more frequent watering, weeding and removal of whiskers.

How to grow strawberries using the nesting method?

On small areas The nesting method is often used. Thanks to it, you can plant several times more seedlings in one area. Accordingly, the harvest will be higher. This is done simply: nests are made in the row every 25 cm. They consist of 6 bushes growing in a circle at a distance of up to 7 cm. The seventh bush is planted in the center of the circle.

For the nesting method you need to have a large number of seedlings.

Vertical strawberry beds

Another method that does not require availability large area. In addition, it is suitable if the land on the site is unsuitable. Strawberries are planted in any vertical structure. These can be plastic pipes, hanging pots and even bags. They are filled with nutritious soil mixture and seedlings are planted.

The advantages are clear: they save space and are more convenient to care for. And the berries do not lie in the ground, but hang down, which means they will not rot.

Among the disadvantages of this method, it is worth noting that caring for them is more labor-intensive. The soil, due to its small amount, must be regularly fed with mineral complexes. In addition, it dries quickly and also freezes. Frequent watering and mandatory shelter for the winter are other additional measures.

Strawberry– perhaps the most favorite berry. In addition to excellent taste qualities, it is valued for its high content of folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iodine and many others. You can make many dishes from strawberries, not only desserts, but also sauces.

The quality and quantity of strawberries depends on the growing technology. They also differ from each other in taste, berry size and many other things, so you need to decide on the variety to grow.

How to grow strawberries, how difficult it is to propagate them and fertilize them, and other subtleties - find out in our article.

Strawberries can be grown both by seedlings and without seedlings.

Seedling method of growing strawberries

So, when choosing strawberry seedlings, it is important to pay attention, firstly, to the weather conditions under which a particular variety is grown. Next, you should carefully examine the proposed seedlings themselves - sheet plates and the plant as a whole should not have any mechanical damage, spots, spots, burns, etc. The color should be bright or dark green with no pale or whitish areas. The leaves should be smooth and in no case wrinkled. The root length of good strawberry seedlings is at least 7 cm. Otherwise, they want to sell you low-quality, diseased, infected seedlings, buying which will only cause you problems.

In the case when you plant strawberries yourself from the varieties available on the site, you need to properly prepare the plants for the propagation process. First, the flower stalks are removed. Don't touch the mustache. At the end of July, rosettes form on these same tendrils - in many varieties there are about 30 of them.

Rosettes with 4 or more leaves are suitable for planting. To do this, they are separated from the main mother bush and together with a lump of earth they are planted in another place. After planting, such a new plant must be watered.

A non-seedling method for growing strawberries

This method of growing strawberries is applicable to those varieties that do not form mustaches. The process of seed growing is an order of magnitude more complicated than usual. Seeds are easier to get in specialized stores.

The seeds are simply sown on the soil and are not sprinkled on top. Sowing is carried out in a box, after which it is covered with glass or polyethylene. The cover is removed immediately upon emergence. And the box with seedlings is transferred to a warmer and brighter place. It is important to monitor the level of soil or substrate moisture while the plants are in such boxes.

When one or two leaves appear, the young bushes are transplanted into pots. Water, feed and when stable heat sets in, plant in the ground.

Growing strawberries - time and methods of planting

Everyone chooses the time and methods of planting for themselves. Typically, strawberries are planted either in summer or spring. In summer, the planting period lasts from late August to mid-September, and in spring - from late April to mid-May. Plus summer planting is that the first harvest can be harvested already at next year. In addition, the area not yet occupied by strawberries can be used to grow other crops.

Planting is carried out in three ways - single-line, double-line and vertical.

Two-line method Strawberries are usually planted in open ground. Row spacing is left at 40 cm, and between bushes in rows there should be at least 20-30 cm. The width of the beds should be at least 80 cm. The two-line planting method makes it possible to plant a larger number of plants and, accordingly, obtain a larger harvest.

One-line method Strawberries are often grown on their own plots. It is planted between rows of trees, at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. The row spacing in this case is 60-70 cm.

Vertical method growing strawberries. This planting is used in cases of growing ampelous (climbing) varieties, saving space and simply for beauty.

For this purpose, vertical wooden trellis supports are used. Plants are planted near such structures, and the resulting tendrils themselves cling to them.

Strawberry planting depth

Soil for growing strawberries

Strawberries are a berry, when growing which you should follow simple but mandatory rules. It cannot be planted in the direction of the northeast and in the shade of trees. Planting this berry near trees with a strong root system is also not recommended. There is no need to grow vegetables from the Solanaceae family near it.

Predictably, the soil for strawberries is prepared in advance. Plowing or digging up the soil is carried out simultaneously (or immediately after) with the application of fertilizers.

Well known fact - best fertilizers for strawberries it is organic. For the main application, take humus and compost. Fresh manure should not be used.

Be sure to check the soil for pests. Basically, these are the cockchafer and wireworm. If you find the larvae of these insects, sow alkaloid lupine on the site. This grass will enrich the soil not only with nitrogen, but also with other elements. In addition, pests will not stay in such a place for long.

Strawberries are not particularly demanding on a particular type of soil, but grow best on black soil and dark gray forest soil. It is better to return to its original place once every three years. The most good predecessors strawberries - steam, green manure and cereals.

In addition to using regular soil, strawberries are often grown on substrates. The best option- a mixture of turf, peat, humus, sawdust and sand. It is better to take turf soil with a medium loamy granulometric composition. For 7 parts of such soil take 2 parts of sawdust.

You can add ash and dolomite beech to the peat. For 1 bucket of peat, take, respectively, a glass of ash and 3 tablespoons of flour.

River sand is added. Its amount should not exceed 0.1 of the entire mixture.

Fertilizer system for growing strawberries

Without fertilizers, you can’t expect high yields of this berry. Strawberries respond best to the addition of organic matter.

It is best to take humus and manure.

Manure is a mixture of domestic animal bedding and droppings. Manure is used exclusively in rotted form. Otherwise, weed seeds, pathogens and pest larvae will get into the soil from fresh manure.

Humus is essentially manure, but completely rotted and fermented. In humus, all micro- and macroelements are in the most convenient form for absorption by plants.

You can also use chicken manure - the best source of organic nitrogen. Specifically for strawberries, you need to take chicken manure in a ratio of 1:20 to water.

Fertilizing is carried out and mineral fertilizers. The concentration of nitrogen should be within 14%, phosphorus 7%, potassium 27% and magnesium 0.5%.

To save time and Money, it is recommended to purchase complex fertilizers.

Nitrogen is needed to produce berries with high taste properties. To add nitrogen, you can use ammonium nitrate or urea. Take 1 tablespoon of urea per ten-liter bucket. The first time is fed in early spring, after removing old leaves. A solution of about half a liter per bush is poured at the base of the plants.

Potassium promotes more long-term storage berries In addition, thanks to potassium, the amount of sugar in fruits increases.

The deficiency of this element is visually determined by the browning of the ends of the leaf plates. The most commonly used are potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate and potassium chloride. Apply in spring separately to each bush.

Fertilizers are applied in two stages - autumn and spring. In the fall, the beds are dug up simultaneously with the application of fertilizers. After harvesting, the second main part is added.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied to different time, depending on the type of soil: in spring in light soil, in autumn in clayey soil. Strawberries cannot be fertilized during flowering and fruiting.

In mid-September, strawberries are fed last time– for 10 liters of water take a glass of wood ash, 2 tablespoons of nitroammophosphate and 20-30 g of potassium fertilizer.

When transplanting bushes to a new location, 8 kg of organic matter and 30 kg of mineral nutrition are added to the soil in advance.

Caring for strawberries during the growing season

The most basic care for strawberries is timely watering. In dry weather, carry out once a week early in the morning. Water is used either from spring water or well-settled water. In any case, the water should be warm.

Feeding is carried out once every two weeks. After the fruits are fully formed, sawdust is poured under the bushes. This prevents the fruit from rotting. Also, to avoid rotting, the stalks are supported with pegs.

In spring and early summer, bushes can be sprayed with phytohormones. This will improve the formation of ovaries and increase the yield.

Berries need to be picked as they ripen; a long stay of ripe berries on the bush will have a negative impact. They are collected together with the stalks. Unneeded tendrils are removed, otherwise they will use up some of the nutrients needed by the main plant.

Diseased plants are removed along with a three-centimeter layer of soil. If the weather conditions are heavy with rain, the plantings should be covered with polyethylene. Without doing this, you risk getting tasteless and watery berries.

Growing strawberries - preparing for winter

From late August to mid-September, plantings are thinned out. All diseased, dried, stained leaves and plants are removed. Remove the mustache and stalks. From each bush, only about 30% of the original appearance remains in the end.

If there are roots that have come out of the ground, they should be covered with soil. Be sure to cover plants in regions with low temperatures. You can cover it with either film or sawdust with peat.

Protecting strawberries from pests

The best defense is attack, and in case Agriculture- warning. can significantly reduce yield. To protect strawberries from pests, they are treated with the following insecticides:

• Karbofos, k.e. (a.v. malathion, 50%). Effective against weevils, strawberry beetles, and transparent mites. Spraying is carried out in dry, windless weather. The air temperature should not exceed +15º C. The solution requires 8 liters of water, consumption – 10 liters per 10 bushes. Treatment is carried out a maximum of twice - after harvesting.
• Inta-vir, v.r.p. (active cypermethrin, 3.75%). Spray before flowering to prevent weevils. Consumption is 1.5 liters per square meter.
• Aktara, v.d.g. (active ingredient thiamethoxam, 25%). Insecticide against whiteflies and beetles. 4 g of the drug is dissolved in 5 liters of water. The consumption of such a solution is 2 l/100 m2.
• Metaldehyde, v.g. (active metaldehyde, 5%). A broad-spectrum drug used on strawberries to combat snails and slugs. Spraying rate – 4-8 kg/ha.

Protecting strawberries from diseases

The main diseases of strawberries include wilt, rot, spotting and powdery mildew. can greatly affect the strawberry growing process.

Fungicides used to control strawberry pathogens:

• used in a 3-4% concentration before the beginning of the growing season and in a 1% solution before flowering and after harvesting against angular leaf spot and gray rot.
• Soap-copper emulsion consisting of 20 g of soap and copper sulfate per liter of water, destroys powdery mildew.
• Topaz and Azocene in concentrations of 5-20 g per 10 liters of water, respectively, are also effective against powdery mildew.

Besides chemicals protection, strawberry roots are dipped in biological preparations Agat 25K (7 g/l) and Gumat K (15 g/l) before planting.

In addition, we must not forget about agrotechnical conditions proper cultivation strawberries:

• return to the previous place no earlier than after 6 years;
• growing in the same place - no more than 4 years.