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The main goal of any gardener is a large harvest rich in juicy fruits. But sometimes the usual ways of growing berries, vegetables and fruits are not enough. Sometimes you can notice that in someone else’s garden it is replete with overgrown seedlings. Especially with regard to our earliest guest – strawberries. Not all gardeners succeed in having large fruits of sweet berries every year. And not everyone knows such a method as planting strawberries under a black film. It will be discussed in this article.
Process description
There are many known methods for growing strawberries today. Growing under black cover is a relatively new and definitely effective way to get the desired result. Most often, this method is used in industrial production. For example, Polish farmers are very fond of this method and use it to grow various garden crops. Moreover, the beds are formed and the film is laid with special mechanical devices.
So, a bed with strawberries is covered with a black film, from which the leaves of the bushes look out. In other words, the strawberries under the film are in the so-called sauna, where there is no light and no weeds are able to survive. In addition, the process of watering the planting is facilitated – the coating is able to retain moisture and the bed can not be watered for as long as 7-10 days. Also, strawberries under the film do not come into contact with the soil, so the berries remain clean for a long time and rot from the ground does not affect them. The procedure for cutting the mustache is greatly facilitated, since they are also above the coating.
The disadvantage of this method can be excessive heat. The black color attracts the sun’s rays and the crop dries up. The next significant factor is that you will need a drip irrigation system for this method. But on the other hand, thanks to such an irrigation system, you will significantly save water costs. If the above disadvantages are not a problem for you, then let’s figure out what we need to plant strawberries under a black film.
Video “How to plant strawberries”
In this video you can see recommendations on how to plant strawberries.
What will you need?
Of course, the most important material in this method is the film. Among professional gardeners, it is called agrofibre or spunbond. It can last a long time – about three years. There are several types of agrofibre, but the most effective of all, nevertheless, is black. Due to its color, it absorbs heat, and quick warming ensures a quick harvest.
You can choose a black and white coating – it is directed downwards with a dark layer, which provides heating of the strawberry roots. Light, in turn, is on top, which is why the plants do not dry out. As already mentioned, black or dark brown film is effective, but there is a risk of strawberries drying out.
Agrofibre can be bought at any store for gardeners. Sold cover with already cut circular holes for plants. The width, as a rule, is chosen based on the size of the beds. But the film thickness should not be less than 40 microns. The size of the material depends on the length of the beds and their number.
The second important device after coating is a hose. It will be needed for drip irrigation of strawberries. The length of the hose must correspond to the length of all the beds (their sum). It is thanks to the mounted irrigation system that the planting of strawberries will receive the required amount of water. You will also need scissors, a shovel, ropes and gardening gloves.
Seed preparation
Three months before planting, strawberry seeds must be prepared. For this there is such a procedure as stratification. With it, the seeds must be placed in a place with a low temperature (+2 + 4 degrees), while the seeds must be wet and subsequently they must be moistened. Remember to stir the seeds once every two weeks. Just before sowing, they need to be dried a little. Properly prepared seeds will make it possible to plant large strawberries.
How to plant under a film
First of all, you need to carry out preparatory work on the site. Choose a place where the maximum amount of sunlight falls so that the strawberries warm up well under the film. It is important that nothing grows at the future strawberry planting site for two to three years. Before planting strawberries, the soil must be dug up and fertilized well.
Be sure to level the soil well, it should not contain large clods of earth. Fertilizers are best used natural. It can be horse manure, humus, compost. The result should be light, loose soil. The bed can be about 80-90 cm wide, it is better not to exceed one meter. A convenient distance between the beds is 60-90 cm, then it will be more comfortable for you to follow the strawberries and collect them.
Next, you need to install an irrigation system. We lay the hose between the rows, make small holes in it to let the water out. We sink the hose into the ground by about 4–6 cm. The distant end of the hose must be closed with a stopper.
The next step is to prepare the film. On it you need to make markings, and cut holes for strawberry bushes. It is better to place the bushes in a checkerboard pattern, then they will not interfere with each other’s growth. The optimal hole diameter is 10–15 cm. If you don’t want to do painstaking work, you can simply cut the film into two perpendicular lines, just hide the rest of the film inside. The bed should be given time to settle – a maximum of two weeks.
Now we fix and stretch the coating. To do this, we fix it near the ground, you can bury it with earth from all sides. Make slits with a shovel, where you tightly fill the edges of the film. You can also fix them with bricks or stones.
The final stage is the direct planting of strawberries. You need to plant it in the cutouts already made on the black coating, the excess part of the film needs to be bent under the canvas. We water each planted hole for the first time with water manually, then the irrigation system will do it.
As you can see, everything is very simple. For this method of growing strawberries, you do not need to spend a lot on expensive tools and devices, all you need is a film and a desire to try something new.
Video “Detailed instructions for planting strawberries”
In this video you can see detailed instructions on how to plant strawberries in a black film.
