Strawberries in pipes: an economical growing method

Cooking pipes

To grow strawberries in a pipe, you need to take a PVC sewer pipe with a diameter of 15 cm of any desired length. For horizontal cultivation, it is cut lengthwise into 2 parts; for vertical beds, you will need a drill with large nozzles. Holes are made in the pipe at a distance of 20-25 cm in size sufficient for planting a strawberry bush.

The lowest hole must be at least 30 cm long. A 2 m long pipe can contain 20 vertically planted bushes. This is a pipe for the soil, and a thin pipe for irrigation should still take the middle. It also needs to make holes in it – this time small holes in three rows, since the water will still flow down, the holes are made only 2/3 of the length from the top.

For growing strawberries, they take not only plastic pipes, they also use aluminum or chrome-plated steel – there is not much difference. A large pipe is filled with soil that you can buy or mix yourself (ordinary garden soil + peat + humus + some sand and wood ash), at the bottom you definitely need to arrange a good drainage layer of fine gravel or expanded clay. For better air exchange, experienced gardeners are advised to add sawdust as well.

Some craftsmen make pockets by sticking aluminum or plastic disposable plates out of the holes, then it turns out that each bush is sitting on its own balcony.

How to plant

Planting in the pipe is carried out as follows: a bush with roots no longer than 11 cm is lowered into the hole so that the roots straighten out, and covered with soil using other holes. The root neck of the bush should remain at ground level. Strawberries love acidic soil, so the prepared soil can be slightly acidified with vinegar by diluting 10 g with 1 liter of water.

The bushes grow, new leaves appear on each, then flowers, and all this greenery grows without touching the ground, gradually covering the dishes. The fruits will also hang – clean, without the threat of rotting from contact with wet ground. The pipes are arranged in different ways: vertically straight, obliquely at different angles, but you need to plant strawberries so that their roots are always directed vertically down.

Thus, the Gigantella, Pomegranate, Desnyanka varieties grow well, they are high-yielding, quite resistant to diseases and pests. It is good if the seedlings were kept cool and moist for several days before planting. Strawberries are planted in pipes, as in a plot, in early spring, the snow will melt a little or in early autumn (August-September). If strawberries propagate by tendrils, it is worth leaving uninhabited holes, directing the tendrils there if necessary for rooting. The bottom holes would be nice to take away for accompanying flowers that can repel pests, marigolds are perfect for this role.

Video “Features of growing strawberries”

Care and feeding

Caring for strawberries in pipes, even planted vertically, is no different from the same strawberries grown in the garden: watering, pest control, feeding, harvesting, rooting, reproduction. Strawberries need to be watered from above only until flowering, and after that it is advisable not to wet the leaves, water should only fall on the ground. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, it should be watered as needed, checking the humidity near the root with your finger. Watering is carried out almost automatically: the irrigation pipe is filled with water from above, and then it gradually pours out through the holes.

Fertilizers when growing strawberries in pipes are applied along with irrigation. Manganese sulphate, zinc, cobalt nitrate and boric acid are mixed in equal parts and diluted with water. Before flowering, you need to water the strawberries several times with fertilizers. And then the opinions of experts differ. Some say that during the ripening of the fruit, it is generally necessary to stop feeding, while others argue that even more needs to be applied, otherwise there will be a small and unsweetened berry. What everyone agrees on is that the soil must be well fertilized in the spring before planting and in the fall, when rooted young bushes are planted.

Protection against pests

Pipes with strawberries are placed on the street, on a balcony or in a greenhouse. Everywhere there is a danger of infection with fungal diseases, and pests can get if you do not take any preventive security measures. When growing vertically, it is not in vain that it is advised to give the lower tiers to calendula, you can sometimes take separate holes between strawberries with onions, garlic, dill – they also contribute to the healthy cultivation of strawberries, and fresh herbs are always at hand.

Strawberries can be attacked by slugs, snails, ants, Colorado potato beetles, ticks, aphids – everything is like in a garden. To combat the tick, Karbofos is used. The Metaldehyde tool will come in handy if slugs with snails really make their way. But the Colorado potato beetle will have to be removed mechanically, by hand – all drugs designed to combat it will have a harmful effect on the composition of the berry. But it is still more dangerous in the garden, and not on the balcony of a city high-rise building. It is best to get rid of aphids by washing and spraying with onion or garlic tincture, a solution of laundry soap.

It is very convenient to grow strawberries in vertical pipes, because you do not need to constantly bend over or squat, standing straight is much more convenient to take care of the bushes and harvest. And the space savings are simply amazing: one 2 m high pipe replaces a 4 by 6 meter section. With vertical cultivation, plantings can be arranged in tiers or along the perimeter of the greenhouse – also saving space.

Video “How to grow strawberries”

A useful guide will help beginners and already experienced gardeners deal with all the issues that relate to growing strawberries.