Contents
In recent years, growing strawberries in bags or, as gardeners say, using Dutch technology, has gained wide popularity. Since there is always a demand for this delicious berry, many organize a really profitable home business in this way. Moreover, in order to grow the first crop, you only need a dense plastic bag, a special substrate that can be purchased at the store, and following simple rules for care.
Preparation of bags
Ideal conditions for the growth of large berries are provided not only by compliance with greenhouse conditions, but also by the correct preparation of bags for planting. For these purposes, dense, plastic bags are used, preferably from a white film, the thickness of which should not exceed 0,25-0,35 mm, as it allows you to maintain a light regime for the plant, or less often industrial bags from flour or sugar. The diameter of the container is 13-16 cm, the length is 200-215 cm.
The bags are filled with peat and perlite substrate and sealed on one side. At the same time, it is not necessary to build such containers on your own; you can purchase ready-made ones in special stores or agricultural firms. In this case, you should choose the one with the largest diameter. This will not affect the yield in any way, and the use of the working area will be more efficient.
You should also pay attention to the system for attaching containers to the wall or ceiling of the greenhouse. For these purposes, either hooks are fixed on the vaults of the frame, or trellises are organized, on which impromptu beds are subsequently hung. If the substrate is prepared independently, preference should be given to slightly acidic, neutral, light soils. As a rule, a mixture of soddy soil, sawdust of a small fraction and sand in equal proportions is used for filling. Be sure to add organic fertilizers – humus and cow manure, but not more than 2,5-3,5% per container.
The substrate is thoroughly mixed. The bottom of the container is filled with a small amount of expanded clay, this will provide good drainage, prevent moisture stagnation and rotting of strawberry roots. Then, on top of the drainage layer, a moist substrate with fertilizers is tightly laid and the bag is closed.
Creating a microclimate
Home, living space is not particularly suitable for growing strawberries in bags, since the technology involves the creation of constant greenhouse conditions – maintaining the temperature at around 22-26 C, high humidity and, most importantly, proper lighting. The most economical and efficient option is to place the plastic bags vertically. In this case, the effect of natural light will be used to the maximum. However, if strawberries are grown in a cramped garage, barrack or shed, it is advisable to place the seedling container horizontally.
In order for the harvest to be all year round, and the berries to be juicy, new seedlings should be planted every 1,5-2,5 months, which are thrown away after harvesting the fruits. For this, only frigo seedlings are suitable, they can be purchased at many agricultural companies, or grown independently at their summer cottage.
Temperature and humidity
Successful ripening of berries is possible only if the temperature is constantly maintained at the level of 20-26C. Drops and drops of more than 5-7 C are not allowed, drafts are also excluded. To control the temperature, as a rule, automatic installations are used. However, you can regulate the temperature regime on your own, using a thermometer and short-term, daily ventilation of the room.
Humidity should be relatively high – not lower than 70-75%. To do this, every day or every 2-2,5 days, depending on the number of bushes and temperature, the air and the bottom of the bags in the greenhouse are sprayed. You can also maintain such humidity with the help of a special device. It is also recommended to observe the content of carbon dioxide in the air at the level of 0,15-0,22% in the greenhouse, which helps to increase the yield. This is achieved by lighting a simple candle for a long time.
Lighting and watering
Strawberries are photophilous plants. Full ripening of berries is possible only while maintaining natural light with a long daylight hours. That is why the main difficulty in growing strawberries in bags at home or in the garage will be the provision of proper lighting. It should be powerful, with a predominance in the red spectrum. As an artificial illumination for a greenhouse, HPS or metal halide lamps are best suited. Additional lighting should work for about 10-12 hours, to simulate the natural process of day and night. At home or in the garage, it is better to use high-power fluorescent lamps. At the same time, they should be turned on strictly according to the schedule, at the same time. In greenhouse conditions, additional lighting is turned on as needed. It is quite easy to determine the lack of lighting – at the same time, the plant begins to stretch upwards.
Watering strawberries should be regular and always drip, while it is not allowed to get water on the plant itself. To organize such an irrigation system, as a rule, tubes from under droppers are used. For larger-scale cultivation of berries, special equipment is used that works automatically without human intervention.
The scheme of planting strawberries in bags
Planting and care
4-5 vertical rows are marked along the bag, small cuts of 6-9 cm are made in a checkerboard pattern, into which sockets will be planted, at a distance of 22-26 cm from each other. The holes are made oblong oval or diamond-shaped. If the containers are vertical, then the seedling root is planted as deep as possible. To make landing holes, use a triangular spatula or a large diameter tube. With horizontal placement of containers, the cutout is made a little smaller, and the roots do not deepen much.
Seedlings are planted only in well-moistened, loosened soil. During planting, it is better to keep the sockets in a box with wet earth; it is not allowed to open the roots for more than 7-10 minutes. The density of bushes per container, depending on its size, is 9-25 bushes. After that, the beds are watered. After 5-7 days, when the bushes adapt to a new place, foliar dressing is applied, which allows you to quickly put on additional roots.
If special irrigation equipment is not used, immediately after planting, a 2-3 liter plastic bottle with three thin tubes, usually from a dropper, is fixed over the bag. Three power sources are recommended for one bag – at the bottom, in the middle and at the top. Each container should receive at least 2-2,5 liters of introductory nutrient fluid per day
Is it profitable to grow strawberries in bags?
How profitable it is to grow strawberries in bags can be roughly calculated in advance. For example, in one bag you can plant 15-25 bushes, collect up to 6-12 kg of berries with proper care. Since the growing bags are quite narrow, no more than 12-16 cm in diameter, up to 1-8 pieces can be placed per 10 sq m, installing in two tiers. In this case, you can collect about 65-95 kg of ripe berries from one meter and, depending on the season, sell them for $ 2,5-8,5.
Thus, with a constantly active demand for strawberries throughout the year, its cultivation will always have a decent level of profitability. Planting berries in bags, at a relatively low cost, allows you to organize a fairly profitable home business.
Video “Technology for growing strawberries in bags”
The video tells how to equip the cultivation of strawberries in horizontally located bags in greenhouse conditions, about the technological features of this planting method.
