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Many gardeners have strawberries in their garden. In this case, berries can only be obtained during the growing season, which ends in autumn. But today, many have already begun to grow strawberries all year round. You can grow strawberries in this way both for yourself and for business purposes. In this article, we will talk about growing strawberries all year round.
Choosing a variety for growing in greenhouses
If you decide to grow strawberries throughout the year, you must first read the appropriate manuals to achieve the desired results. In the specialized literature you will find not only all the necessary information on this issue, but also step-by-step instructions.
Initially, it is necessary to decide which varieties of strawberries for year-round cultivation are suitable in this situation. But in the matter of choosing a variety for cultivation all year round, it is necessary, first of all, to proceed from the purpose of this enterprise: for oneself or for sale. The following varieties are suitable for year-round cultivation of strawberries: Zenga Zengana, Elsanta, Crown, Darselect, Sonata, Marmolada, Pineapple, Khonia. These varieties are perfect for growing in a greenhouse.
It is best to use remontant species, which can themselves produce several waves of harvest. The most popular of them are Arapaho, Ada Herzberg, Bordurella, Albion, Geneva, Wima Rina, Brighton, Diamant, Queen Elizabeth, Temptation, Lyubava, Kyiv remontantnaya, Mahern, etc. In the case of the strawberry business, due to the rapid spoilage of berries, you need to choose species with high density and transportability. Fruit size should be medium-large. In this case, they are easier to sell than very large or small ones.
Year-Round Growing Methods
There are several ways to grow strawberries all year round. The most popular of them are:
- growing strawberries in the ground in a greenhouse;
- growing plants in bags.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these methods.
Growing in the ground in a greenhouse
Growing strawberries all year round in a greenhouse allows you to get large volumes of crops. Also, the use of a greenhouse film cover allows you to accelerate the ripening of fruits about two months earlier than when the plant grows in open ground.
The greenhouse allows you to create inside the structure all the conditions necessary for the growth of the plant and protect the strawberry bushes from exposure to low temperatures.
Before planting a plant, in order to obtain a crop all year round, fertilizers must be applied to the soil: humus and peat, and before direct planting, mineral complexes and fertilizers. The soil should be neutral and slightly acidic. In this case, antennae formed in the last growing season are used as planting material. Mustache sockets must be grown in the period of July-August in the open field. You can plant only those seedlings that have a well-developed root system. In October-November, they can already be transferred to the greenhouse. You need to plant seedlings in the greenhouse that do not have leaves. The harvest will ripen in March.
At the time of the appearance of flowers, the greenhouse must be constantly ventilated to prevent the development of diseases. For year-round cultivation of strawberries in a greenhouse, it is necessary to ensure constant drip irrigation so that water does not fall on flowers or berries, and also to feed plants with carbon dioxide. temperature as the plants grow. should be gradually increased.
The bags
Another effective way to grow strawberries around the clock is the bag method. This method requires the creation of all the necessary conditions at the beginning of growing, in contrast to the greenhouse, where conditions are adjusted as the plant grows.
Conditions for growing strawberries all year round in bags:
- choosing a suitable room where the strawberries will be warm and have constant access to lighting;
- temperature and light conditions. In this situation, they are fundamental. The temperature must correspond to the room mode. You can place bags in sheds, garages and other utility rooms;
- choice of growing bags. Usually large plastic bags are used. It is desirable that they be made of white film, which will provide a suitable light regime. The film thickness should not exceed 0,2 mm. The diameter of the bag can be from 16 to 210 cm (depending on your needs). It is recommended to choose bags of small sizes so that more bags can be placed on one area;
- substrate. For the manufacture of the substrate, peat and perlite are mixed. The bag on one side must be sealed;
- proper watering must be ensured.
The landing technology is as follows:
- 4 vertical rows are made throughout the bag;
- then several cuts of 8 cm are made in them in a checkerboard pattern;
- the distance between them is 24 cm;
- bags are installed on the floor (it is allowed to put them in several tiers).
Properly selected bags will allow you to grow strawberries for business all year round.
Dutch technology
The Dutch technology of year-round strawberry cultivation is applicable both for greenhouses and bags. This technology involves harvesting every two months. The essence of the technique lies in the fact that strawberries are not planted in open ground at all, which allows you to get a good harvest. This technology requires the use of only high-yielding remontant varieties. The plant variety must also be self-pollinating.
The soil for seedlings must be completely sterile. For these purposes, steamed sand or peat is used. Room temperature should be room temperature. For lighting, you can use fluorescent lamps. Plants need to be illuminated for 12 hours. Watering – daily. Fertilize with mineral fertilizers weekly. It is forbidden to use organic fertilizers. Every week it is necessary to control the pH level of the earth. Plant mother liquor should be changed every two years.
Conditions for normal plant growth
As mentioned above, in order to obtain sufficient crop volumes and maintain their palatability, proper growing conditions should be observed.
Normal conditions for plant growth:
- the soil. Depending on the cultivation method, various soil options can be used;
- fertilizers. Manure, peat and compost, as well as mineral fertilizers, must be applied to the soil. It is best to add complex fertilizers, with a combination of urea, potassium magnesia and superphosphate;
- light mode. To do this, use fluorescent lamps, which should illuminate the plant for 8-12 hours.
- humidity and temperature. A different way of growing requires a different approach to observing the temperature regime. Humidity should be around 80-85%. To obtain the desired level of humidity, you can use a humidity device.
In addition to observing these conditions, proper care for strawberry bushes is necessary to obtain a crop, which is as follows:
- it is necessary to carry out constant feeding of strawberries, both with fertilizers and carbon dioxide (1 time in two weeks);
- timely and uniform watering;
- airing the room;
- the use of mulch;
- carrying out artificial pollination.
Compliance with the rules of care and conditions necessary for growth will help you achieve the desired result.
Which way is more profitable?
Which method of the above is considered the most profitable is up to you to judge, since it all depends on the goal of growing strawberries all year round.
For the purpose of selling for the strawberry business, the greenhouse method using Dutch technology is considered to be the most preferable. It is she who gives the maximum output.
Video “Growing strawberries in bags”
In this video you can visually get acquainted with the technology of year-round cultivation of strawberries in bags.
