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Progress does not stand still. Around us, there are more and more new methods, technologies, procedures aimed at quickly obtaining results. In the agricultural sector, we often observe new technologies for growing vegetables, fruits and berries. And some of them actually make life easier for many farmers. Today we will talk about Finnish technology, thanks to which your strawberry crop will delight with an abundance of large fruits.
Principles
Interestingly, from a geographical point of view, Finland is not a very suitable country for growing strawberries. This is due to the climate, unsuitable for these berries. But lately, Finland has been surprising with the quantity, and, most importantly, the quality of strawberries. By the way, today many people use Finnish equipment both on large and small plantations. The secret lies in the principles of cultivation. Of course, at the heart of any of them is the main factor – heat.
The first is the greenhouse method of growing strawberries. This method can be carried out both in small tunnels on natural soil, and in a greenhouse equipped with new technology. The second is growing strawberries using black film. This method is carried out on open ground and significantly speeds up the ripening time of berries. In scientific language, this method of growing is called mulching.
With this technology, strawberries need only 7-8 weeks to grow. The film covers the soil, the soil warms up and the root system grows faster. Mulching occurs in two ways: directly with a black film or non-woven black material (agril, agrospan). Another method is to build high beds. This method is similar to the second. The earth is also covered with a film, in this case it is called spunbond, the principle is the same – warm the soil.
Advantages
So, let’s figure out why the Finnish way of growing strawberries is so good. Firstly, in the soil and its deep layers, a favorable environment is created for the development of microorganisms, which, in turn, enrich it with oxygen and all the elements necessary for favorable functioning.
Secondly, thanks to the film, the topsoil can retain nitrate nitrogen. Thanks to this, the root system of plants consistently receives all the necessary nutritional elements. Weeds do not have the opportunity to actively germinate, which facilitates the entire weeding procedure. The film keeps the soil moist for almost the entire summer, but there is one caveat. If there is excessive heat, there is a risk that the crop will dry out. To prevent this from happening, you need to install a drip irrigation system under the film.
The black film attracts the sun’s rays, thanks to which the soil warms up quickly and the strawberry crop ripens in record time. When ripe, the berries fall on the film, and not on the soil. So, strawberries remain clean, without rot and dirt.
We will separately consider the advantages of mulching with agril and agrospan. The advantages of covering with non-woven material are in many ways similar to the advantages of black film: weed growth is reduced, berries are not polluted, and the soil is stably moistened. But when covered with non-woven material, the soil does not heat up so much. This type of coating is lighter than black film, more precisely, moisture penetrates better, which prevents the soil from drying out even in extreme heat.
Video “Preparing the soil for planting strawberries”
How to properly prepare the soil and what is the Finnish planting process.
What will be required
Film is the main functional material in any Finnish crop growing technology. Mulch cover is used for planting in one and two rows. For the first case, you will need a film coating of one meter, and for two-row landings, 1,2–1,3 meters of film are used. Films are of different types. Black, dark brown types of film are more effective for crop growth, but they are too active in attracting the sun’s rays, which can cause the crop to dry out. There is a white film, but when using it, the result will have to wait longer.
You can use materials from polypropylene non-woven fabric: Lutrasil, Agrotex, Agril. The cost of such materials is usually not very high, but there is a risk that the crop will not be sufficiently protected. For the discussed technology of growing strawberries, you will need a drip irrigation system. The hose is stretched throughout the garden, small holes are made in it and placed in the ground to a shallow depth. So, the crop is guaranteed to be protected from drying out.
Cultivation technology
First, farmers prepare the ground for future strawberry planting. The earth is dug up, weeded, and then loosened so that there are no large lumps of earth. Due to this, the soil is enriched with oxygen. Site selection is important before planting. Choose the one on which nothing grew a year before planting.
Further, the earth is well fertilized. Experienced farmers advise using natural fertilizer, such as horse manure, humus, compost. As a rule, the width of the beds is 80 cm. Between the rows they maintain a distance of about 60-70 cm, so that in the future it would be easy to walk between the beds, mow the grass, etc. The bed needs to settle for two weeks and at this time the irrigation system is being prepared. After preparing the hose for irrigation, it is laid between the rows. The hose itself is rooted into the ground to a depth of 4-5 cm, and the far end of the hose is closed with a cork.
After the earth in the garden has settled and sagged, you can proceed to the stage of working with the film. The film is stretched and fixed with stones or boards from all sides of the garden. Strawberries are planted in the cut holes so that the bushes do not interfere with each other, it is recommended to place them in a checkerboard pattern. The first watering of the holes must be carried out manually, then with the help of the installed irrigation system.
After the strawberries have risen, the farmers will quickly pick the berries from the film. As you can see, the Finnish method of growing strawberries is quite simple, economical and not very energy intensive. Many European countries already use this technology for growing berries. In Our Country, this technology is gaining popularity. The main thing is that the result is visible – ripe, juicy berries, which, in fact, they were striving for.
Video “Description of planting strawberries under the film”
Features of planting strawberries under a black film. You can hear the basic rules of landing.
