Growing strawberries under agrofibre

Gardeners know how much time and effort goes into growing strawberries. It is necessary to water the seedlings in time, cut off the antennae, remove weeds from the garden and do not forget about top dressing. Today, new technologies have appeared that make this hard work easier. Strawberries under agrofibre are grown in a simple and affordable way, which is becoming more and more widespread.

Agrofibre or, in other words, spunbond is a polymer that has the structure of a fabric web and has certain specified properties:

• it perfectly passes air, moisture and sunlight;
• spunbond retains heat, providing an optimal microclimate for beds or seedlings;
• simultaneously protects strawberries from penetration of ultraviolet rays;
• agrofibre prevents the growth of weeds in the garden;
• protects strawberry seedlings from mold and slugs;
• eliminates the need for herbicides;
• also attracted by the environmental friendliness of agrofibre and a fairly low cost.

  

White spunbond

Agrofibre is of two types. White is used as a shelter for beds after planting strawberries. Spunbond can be covered directly with the bushes themselves, it will create a greenhouse effect for them. Growing up, seedlings lift light agrofiber. It is also possible to raise the spunbond in advance with the help of curved support rods. During weeding the bushes, it can be easily removed and then laid again. If the density is chosen correctly, then white agrofibre can be kept on the beds from early spring until harvest time.

Black agrofibre

The purpose of black spunbond is exactly the opposite – it has a mulching effect and maintains optimal temperature and humidity in the garden, and for strawberries – the necessary dryness. Spunbond has other useful properties:

• there is no need for frequent watering of seedlings;
• the bed gets rid of weeds;
• microflora does not dry out in the upper soil layer;
• agrofibre prevents the penetration of pests – bear, beetles;
• strawberries stay clean and ripen faster;
• the tendrils of strawberry bushes do not tangle and do not germinate, their reproduction can be regulated by cutting off the excess ones;
• agrofibre can be used for several seasons.

Advantages of spunbond over film

Agrofibre has a number of advantages over polyethylene film. It retains heat well and during frosts can protect seedlings from the cold. Polyethylene has certain disadvantages:

• strawberries under the film are subject to such adverse factors as overheating of the soil, inhibition of microflora;
• during frosts, it forms condensate under the film, which leads to its icing;
• it only lasts one season.

It is important to choose the right agrofibre in order to effectively use all its useful properties. As a mulching material for beds, black spunbond with a density of 60 g / sq. m. It will serve excellently for more than three seasons. The thinnest type of white agrofibre with a density of 17 g/sq. m will protect strawberries from excessive exposure to sunlight, heavy rains or hail, as well as from birds and insects. To protect against severe frosts – up to minus 9 degrees, spunbond is used with a density of 40 to 60 g / sq. m.

Preparation of beds

To plant strawberries on agrofibre, you must first prepare the beds. Since they will be covered for three or four years, a thorough work is required.

1. First you need to choose a dry area, well lit by the sun, and dig it up. Strawberries under the film grow well on slightly acidic medium loamy soils. It gives high yields in the beds where beans, mustard, and peas were previously planted.

   

2. It is necessary to clear the soil of the roots of weeds, stones and other debris.
3. Organic and mineral fertilizers should be added to the ground, depending on the type of soil and the climatic characteristics of the area. On average, it is recommended to add a bucket of humus with two glasses of wood ash and 100 g of nitrogen fertilizers per square meter of beds. If necessary, you can add sand and mix well or dig again.
4. The beds must be carefully loosened and leveled. The soil should become loose and light. If after the rains the earth is wet and sticky, it is better to wait a few days until it dries.

Agrofibre laying

When the beds are ready, you need to properly lay spunbond on them. To grow strawberries on a black film, you need to choose the highest density agrofibre. It is sold in rolls with a width of one and a half to four and a length of ten meters. You should carefully lay the spunbond on the already finished bed and carefully fix the edges from gusts of wind. Stones or paving stones are suitable for this purpose. Experienced gardeners fix the agrofibre with artificial hairpins cut from wire. They also stab the agrofibre, putting small pieces of linoleum on top of it.

If you want to use several cuts of spunbond, then it must be laid with an overlap of up to 20 cm, otherwise the joints will diverge, and weeds will grow in the resulting opening of the beds. Agrofibre should fit snugly to the ground, so the aisles can be additionally mulched with sawdust, they retain moisture well.

Seedling selection

When selecting seedlings, it is desirable to adhere to some rules:

• if strawberries are planted in the spring, it is better to select young bushes, and in the fall – the antennae of this year;
• stems and leaves of strawberries should not be damaged;
• seedlings with rooted roots are best discarded;
• before planting, it is good to hold the strawberry bushes in a cool place for several days;
• if strawberry seedlings are grown in cups, it is necessary to dig a hole deeper;
• seedlings grown in open ground do not need a deep hole, as their roots are slightly pruned;
• before planting, dip each strawberry bush in a solution of clay with water.

Planting seedlings

Growing strawberries on agrofibre film has some peculiarities. On the spunbond canvas, you need to mark the landing pattern. The places of the incision are marked with chalk. The optimal distance between strawberry bushes is 40 cm, and between rows – 30 cm. In the marked places, using a sharp knife or scissors, neat cuts are made in the form of crosses about 10×10 cm in size, depending on the size of the bush.

Seedlings are planted in the prepared holes.

After planting, each strawberry bush is watered abundantly with water.

Correct watering

Strawberries planted on spunbond do not require constant watering, as they do not like high humidity. Abundant sprinkling requires only moments of landing and dry periods. You can water the seedlings from a watering can directly onto the surface of the spunbond. However, the lack of water for strawberries is also harmful, during flowering and ripening, it should be regularly watered about two or three times every week.

The best way is to organize a drip irrigation system:

• water flows directly to the strawberry roots, leaving the aisles dry;
• it remains in the garden for a long time, due to slow evaporation;
• fine spray evenly distributes moisture in the soil;
• after drying, a hard crust does not form;
• the time for watering seedlings in the middle zone of the country is about 25 minutes, and in the southern regions a little more;
• during the strawberry harvest period, it also increases by about two times;
• drip irrigation of beds is carried out only in sunny weather;
• through the drip irrigation system, seedlings can also be fertilized with mineral fertilizers dissolved in water.

Watering strawberries on agrofibre is shown in the video. A hose or tape with holes is placed in the beds at a depth of several centimeters, and the seedling planting pattern is calculated according to the locations of the holes in the tape. Drip irrigation eliminates the hard work of watering your garden beds with a watering can.

Care of strawberries grown on agrofibre

It is much easier to care for spunbond garden strawberries than regular ones:

• with the advent of spring, it is necessary to remove the old yellowed leaves on the bushes;
• cut off excess antennae, which are easier to notice on spunbond;
• cover the bed for the winter with white agrofibre of the required density to protect against frost.

Reviews

Numerous reviews of Internet users indicate that the use of agrofibre in growing strawberries is gaining more and more popularity.

The use of spunbond in greenhouse conditions

Using white agrofibre, you can significantly speed up the ripening of early strawberry varieties. Planting seedlings is carried out in the last week of April or in the first decade of May. A row of low wire arches is installed above the beds, one meter apart from each other. From above they are covered with agrofibre. One side is fixed tightly, and the other should open easily. From both ends of the greenhouse, the ends of the spanbond are tied into knots and secured with pegs. Growing strawberries under agrofibre does not require complex care. It is enough to monitor the temperature inside the greenhouse. It should not be higher than 25 degrees. Periodically, you need to ventilate the seedlings, especially if the weather is sunny.

Results

Modern technologies every year more and more facilitate the work of gardeners and gardeners. Using them, today you can get high yields of your favorite berries, including strawberries, without much difficulty.