Is it possible to grow strawberries at home. Planting material preparation

Do you want to enjoy strawberries yourself all year round and have them for sale? It's easy - you just need to know the secrets of growing this diet food product indoors!

Home conditions help to increase the duration of the period of full development of strawberries, turning winter outside the window into summer under the roof. It should be emphasized that the presence in the rooms of pots and flowerpots, hanging planters or balcony boxes, vertical containers, plastic bags give the room an elegant decorative look.

Home conditions help to increase the duration of the period of full development of strawberries, turning winter outside the window into summer under the roof.

Not only benefits, but also beauty - this is the additional benefit of growing strawberries all year round on a balcony, window sill or wall. The use of remontant strawberry varieties of neutral daylight ensures regular fruiting, provided that the illumination is provided by fluorescent gas discharge lamps. Their composition of the spectrum is not much different from sunlight. At right choice growing technologies and good care you can get up to 5 strawberry crops during the year.

Selection of strawberry varieties for year-round cultivation

The preference for home grown strawberry varieties should be approached with special attention. It is necessary that they all be remontant (within 40-45 days they form inflorescences, ovaries and berries) and high-yielding. For Dutch technology we need varieties that can be stored for a long time without losing their attractive qualities. Dutch seedling Frigo (Frigo) is very popular. She is able to give bountiful harvest and after 7-10 months of cold storage. Also, high-yielding Dutch varieties have proven themselves well: Gloom, Polka, Darslek, Sonata, Marmolada, Tribute, Maria and others, which can also be stored in a dormant state for a long time.

For the usual technology of growing strawberries, without frequent replacement seedlings, it is recommended to use the Queen Elizabeth 2 variety, which is famous not only for its high yield, but also for its ability to form berry ovaries 2–4 more times after the first harvest. An important note - you need to choose self-pollinated varieties, otherwise the difficulties in caring for strawberries will be added.

Growing strawberries at home

The harvest of strawberries depends on the application of biological technologies. It is they, first of all, who form all the conditions that allow year-round cultivation of strawberries with healthy, environmentally friendly berries.

In the absence of experience in growing any plants in an apartment, it is better to first start growing strawberries only for your own needs. But if it works out, you like it, you will like it - then you can think about the strawberry business. First you need to decide on the place where the juicy berries will grow. For them fit wall rooms, insulated balcony or loggia, window sill. Let's not forget about the advantages of closed ground:

• much less space is required for growing plants;
• no dependency on the weather outside.

Growing strawberries all year round at home should begin with a step-by-step and detailed methodology that will help create all the conditions for rich harvests. To make year-round strawberry cultivation a reality, you need:

• desire to do business;
• create the necessary conditions;
• apply special technologies.

No need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to start getting acquainted with the experience of people who really achieve high yields of strawberries all year round - practical guide below for you.

Excellent results gives seedlings of strawberries planted in compact greenhouses using Dutch technology. Its essence is simple.

Strawberry seedlings planted in compact greenhouses using Dutch technology give excellent results.

Otherwise, this technology of growing strawberries all year round is called distillation. Harvesting of berries is made possible by the constant planting of new seedling bushes every 30-45 days. Old seedlings are usually discarded. This technology imposes special requirements on the soil - it must be sterile without microorganisms and weeds - on lighting, watering and fertilizing, used strawberry varieties. Dutch technology can equally be applied to the cultivation of strawberries on steep and horizontal surfaces. Advantages of the Dutch technology:

• seedlings can be planted in any containers: plastic bags, clay pots, wooden and plastic boxes, pallets and containers;
• the ability to grow strawberries on a balcony, wall, window sill, garage;
• berries are harvested every 1.5-2 months, which allows using this technique for business;
• the greatest efforts and costs are needed only at the initial stage.

Once, having launched a year-round production of growing strawberries at home, in the future it can only be maintained in working condition, spending little effort.

For this method, you do not need to harvest seedlings for future use. It is enough to plant varieties that are capable of producing several crops per season under good conditions. Them distinguishing feature- to form ovaries of berries, regardless of the length of daylight hours. This way the best way Suitable for growing strawberries all year round for your family's table. For this technology, pots, boxes, containers are considered the best containers. They will have enough space on the windowsill, loggia, or on the slopes of the windows.

Technology for growing varieties of neutral daylight hours

The main difference between this method and the Dutch technology is that seedlings are used for a year, and not for one or one and a half months. Otherwise, agricultural practices for care, feeding, watering, artificial pollination with all technologies are similar to each other.

Modern technology greatly simplifies the cultivation of many vegetables, medicinal herbs and berries at home. There is a wall-mounted economical FazendaGreen system, which is designed for year-round harvesting of an environmentally friendly strawberry crop. The FazendaGreen module consists of a wall-mounted shelf with 7 special pots on three shelves. On top there is a phytolamp with an ideal light spectrum for strawberry vegetation. Also in the upper part of the structure there is a container designed for 5 liters of water, and special system glaze.

Using ready-made automated systems for growing strawberries at home

Water flows down and flows to each of the 21 pots evenly, which creates the ideal microclimate for the growth and development of strawberry seedlings. There is a special sensor that automatically monitors lighting, temperature, amount of fertilizer and soil moisture. In case of deviations from the norm, he sends SMS to the owner's smartphone. The size of the whole structure is 1040x670 mm, and one portion of water is enough for 7 days of irrigation. This installation allows you to grow 6 kg of strawberries per month. There are a lot of materials on the Internet on the topic: strawberries all year round, grown according to Dutch technology.

Rules for growing strawberries in the house

To create in an apartment good conditions for the cultivation of strawberry seedlings you need to know your passions useful berry. Strawberry likes:

• abundance of light - the duration of daylight hours cannot be less than 14 hours;
• fresh light breeze - you need systematic ventilation of the room with the help of a window;
• comfortable temperature plus 18-22o C.

To create good conditions in the apartment for the cultivation of strawberry seedlings, you need to know the addictions of healthy berries.

To create specific favorable conditions for strawberry seedlings, it begins with the choice of a place (it is desirable that it has as much sunlight as possible). A good option is to place strawberry seedlings near the window. But, if you use fitolamps, strawberries can be grown in a warm but dark garage. Illumination is needed anyway. Practice has proven that daylight hours at 16 hours significantly accelerated the growth and fruiting of plants, and a day at 10 hours - all stages of growth and development of strawberry seedlings - lengthened.

Any containers can be used as dishes for seedlings. But, in the apartment it is not advisable to use plastic bags. They are good to use in greenhouses, where an optimal microclimate is maintained: uniform lighting, comfortable temperature and required humidity. At home, such conditions are difficult to achieve. For an apartment, pots, boxes, various containers are a good option. They are beneficial because they can easily organize the collection of excess water from irrigation. To do this, it is enough to put a pallet under them.

Instead of the usual soil, a special substrate is used, which consists of a mixture of disinfected high-moor semi-decomposed peat without weed seeds and microbes with various additives: perlite (to improve aeration), coconut fiber and mineral fertilizers (potassium chloride and superphosphate). But you can get by with improvised additives.

Instead of the usual soil, a special substrate is used

Here is an example of a homemade substrate. For 10 kg of peat, 2 or 3 tablespoons of dolomite flour are added (you can replace 200 gr. wood ash). All ingredients are thoroughly mixed. For storage, this mixture is poured into a plastic bag and poured from an old kettle with a specially prepared solution. Half a teaspoon is diluted in three liters of water blue vitriol and 200 ml of liquid mullein. Just before use, peat is mixed with 2 kg of small sawdust, previously moistened with a solution of urea (1/3 tablespoon of urea is diluted in 0.5 liter of water). A small amount (1/10 of the total volume) of coarse-grained river sand is also added.

With the Dutch technology of growing seedlings, a lot will be required. Therefore, you immediately need to decide the question: when and how to grow it? Where and how to store? If you have a vegetable garden and you are cultivating strawberries in open ground, seedlings can be grown by yourself in the summer months. To do this, strong, well-developed rosettes are selected in June and July and planted in peat containers. Varieties should be remontant (that is, yielding crops immediately a month and a half after transplanting into closed ground) and self-pollinated. If you don’t have your own plot, you will have to buy seedlings in specialized stores. She is not cheap.

If you have a vegetable garden and are into outdoor strawberry cultivation, you can grow your own seedlings during the summer months.

For storage for the winter in a cold way, strong rosettes are selected, in which 3-4 leaves have appeared. The thickness of the root neck should be at least 5 or 6 cm. The length of the root lobe is not more than 5 cm. Seedlings are neatly laid out in plastic or wooden boxes, the bottom of which is covered with wet moss. Top boxes must be closed with a lid. Seedlings are stored in the refrigerator: temperature - +1 or +2 degrees; humidity - 90%. In such conditions, it can be saved from 1.5 to 10 months.

You can grow seedlings yourself from seeds that are bought in stores for summer residents. This method takes time, effort and patience. Planting strawberry seedlings is done in plastic bags according to a checkerboard pattern: 25x25 cm into cut holes at an angle of 40 degrees.

strawberry care

To get a rich harvest of strawberries, you need to take care of it. Care consists in proper lighting, timely top dressing and watering. Additional lighting with fluorescent lamps is needed to extend daylight hours up to 14 hours. Watering and fertilizing is done with drip system. It is this irrigation system that provides the optimal microclimate and best conditions for strawberry development. If the substrate has been prepared correctly and a healthy strong seedling- Pest and disease control at home should not be.

How to increase the yield of strawberries at home

Strawberries are very responsive to feeding, moderate, but timely watering, good uniform lighting. An important agricultural technique at home to obtain good harvest- artificial pollination. Under natural conditions, strawberries self-pollinate with the help of wind and insects. At home, a fan can help. The best option it is considered a soft brush, which you need to touch the inflorescences.

Delicious, juicy, ripe berries strawberries - a delicacy for children and adults! On the beds in the summer northern latitudes she feels great. But using the technology described above, it can be successfully grown at home. Strawberries all year round are vitamins, delicacy, exotic! But, it can also be a profitable, exciting, enjoyable activity.

Although strawberries are called the “queen of berries”, its “disadvantage” is the same as that of “subjects” - it has relatively little time allocated by nature during which it is possible to harvest. As a rule, a month, on the strength - one and a half. About technologies for year-round growing strawberries (and this is quite possible at home) - this article.

Features of breeding and caring for strawberries in a small greenhouse located on the site will not be considered. Although on some sites this is positioned as growing all year round, but, according to the author, the issue of “at home” is only indirectly related, and even then, with big reservations.

We will consider only methods for obtaining berries in small quantities, for our own consumption, and not for sale. So there is a difference. If only because you don’t have to develop a business plan, calculate profitability, look for sales outlets, and so on, that is, do what is necessary when starting your own business.

If you "walk" through the thematic forums, then there are very different opinions. Everyone who has ever tried to grow strawberries at home advertises what he himself bred. It is pointless to list everything, but it makes sense to highlight the most commonly used names of varieties. Maybe, this information useful to the reader.

• "Elizabeth II".
• "Geneva".
• "F - SSH1".
• "Selva".
• "Homemade delicacy".

Varieties of this berry are classified according to several parameters. It does not make sense to consider everything, since such information is of interest only to those who want to organize own production strawberries for sale.

fruiting type

For growing berries at home, its remontant varieties are more suitable. Unlike strawberries, whose bush bears fruit only once, they produce a crop all year round.

Type of strawberry

Ampel varieties are less demanding on lighting. It is on them that the choice should be made if it is planned to organize natural as its main type, and lighting - only as a necessary addition to increase the length of daylight hours.

Conclusion - for growing at home (on window sills, in back rooms, and so on), ampel remontant strawberry varieties are more suitable. Some of them are indicated above. They feel great and develop even in small containers - flowerpots, containers, pots.

Choosing a place to grow

There are practically no restrictions on this item. Any free area, even in an apartment, is suitable for growing. It could be like outbuildings- a garage, a shed, and loggias (balconies), even window sills in the premises.

The main criterion for selecting a site is the possibility of creating the required conditions for the cultivation of strawberries at minimal additional costs, which is important from a practical point of view. That is, without any large-scale reconstruction, redevelopment, repair or other troublesome work.

Although it is necessary to take into account the volume of "production". Why are strawberries grown? If you just pamper your household with a fresh berry, this is one thing. But if it also goes to the preparation of jams, preserves, pastries, various desserts, then the area should be sufficient for its cultivation in large quantities. It is clear that a couple of window sills in this case is clearly not enough.

Conditions for high strawberry yield

The soil

It is better to use the store. Suitable for any mixture for growing flowers and vegetables. Self-cooking presents some difficulty, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to exactly maintain the share ratios of the recommended components. For those who are confident in their abilities, we can advise the simplest composition - 1 part of humus, sand and earth, moreover, forest. Even in the fall, taking the required amount of it in a nearby planting is not a problem. If possible, it is better to prepare soil from a spruce forest - such soil is considered more valuable.

Most gardeners are limited to taking land directly from the plots. But before loading into containers for strawberries, it must be processed at home. Practice shows that garden soil often infected. Basically - the root nematode.

What to do with country land?

• Perform heat treatment. In other words, steam.
• Spill with manganese solution. Enough of its average concentration (slightly pinkish).

The prepared mixture should “stand” a little. Therefore, it is compiled in advance, about a week before disembarkation.

Drainage

Nothing new here. Everything, as for any indoor plants. On ⅓ of the container, expanded clay, pebbles of small fractions are poured. Bags with drainage are inexpensive (about 45 rubles), and are not in short supply.

Lighting

It implies not only the main, but also an additional one - the backlight. It should be as close as possible to that which provides a normal level of photosynthesis during the growth of strawberries in open ground. That is, in relation to a bright, sunny day.

Lamp types

For cultivation homemade strawberries All of the above are suitable, but their effectiveness is different.

• Energy saving.
• Luminescent.
• Metal halide.
• Sodium (high pressure).

On the last type of lamps you need to dwell in more detail. Without delving into the principle of their functioning, it is enough to note that blue and red predominate in the spectrum of their radiation. This is what makes such light as close to the sun as possible.

For 1 m² of area, when the lamp is located at a height of 1 m, a 400 W light bulb is enough. The simplest calculations show that the use of products of such power will result in a significant increase in electricity costs. Therefore, it makes sense to install sodium lamps only in cases of production in large volumes. For home breeding in several containers (flowerpots), it is better to choose a different type of lighting fixture.

Watch the video - growing strawberries using hydroponics:

Lighting duration

Everything is done in relation to natural conditions. Therefore, you need to calculate that for strawberries the daylight hours should be within 12 hours.

Humidity

Indoors, it should be maintained at 75 (maximum 80)%. Is it always possible? Yes, not everyone will like that the room feels damp; some react very painfully. If you grow berries not in a separate room, but in a residential one, on a windowsill, then you should practice ways to artificially increase humidity in those sectors where containers are installed.

How? For example, put cups of water next to them (natural evaporation increases humidity), spray regularly in this part of the room.

Temperature regime

Strawberries "wake up" in late spring and bear fruit when stable warm weather sets in. This is what should be taken into account. The recommended temperature range is from 18 to 24 ºС. If a this condition is not fulfilled, it is necessary to organize artificial heating of the sector in which the tanks are located.

Watering

Regular. Strawberries are a moisture-loving crop. But it is not worth over-moistening the earth, as this is fraught with the development of fungal diseases of the root system.

top dressing

There are special formulations, although universal products used for most indoor plants are also suitable. The frequency of application is at least once every 2 weeks.

What to consider:

• Excess nitrogen in the soil initiates the growth of greenery, which negatively affects the yield.
• Berries need more iron. If it is enough, then they are tied well. You can buy a special / solution with a high content of this chemical / element, but in the absence of it, any “piece of iron” that needs to be immersed in the ground will do. For example, a nail, and an old, rusty one is better.

Strawberry tendril care

They grow quite quickly and, intertwining, shade the strawberries. So that she does not lack light, the mustache needs to be “organized”. For example, pull fishing lines, nylon threads in different directions, around which they will trail.

Pollination of plants

At home, we can only talk about artificial. The easiest way is with a fan during the flowering period. But here there is a nuance. The air jet should be “weak”, and how to achieve this is up to you, dear reader. Or use the device low power, or move it away from the strawberries.

Planting material preparation

The required number of bushes is dug out in the fall, when summer residents thin out the plots, preparing them for wintering. Strawberries are a perennial crop characterized by states of "sleep" and development. So you need to give her at least a couple of weeks to rest. To do this, the bushes removed from the beds are placed in some kind of container, lightly sprinkled with earth and placed in a dark and cool place. For example, in the cellar.

• Before disembarkation. Long roots are shortened so that they do not bend at the landing site. And in order for the culture to easily endure this stress, it is placed in a weak solution of heteroauxin for about 3.5 hours. room temperature. Concentration - for 5 l - 1 tablet of the drug.
• Landing. After placing the bush in the hole, the earth is slightly compacted, and then it is advisable to pour it not with water, but with the used solution.

Where to get strawberry bushes?

Self-growing from seeds is a rather complicated process. If you buy, then only in specialized outlets, but not by hand, in the "flea market". The easiest way to get planting material is to negotiate with summer residents. All, without exception, thin out the beds in the fall. Where do they put the greens? That's right, throw it away. So the problem with finding bushes is solved quite simply.

Feature of growing in a separate room

The basic requirements remain the same. But there are a number of nuances. To erect racks or not is at the discretion of the gardener. It is clear that the high-rise structure will allow placing on confined space large quantity containers. As such, you can use not only boxes, but also bags.

• Material - polyethylene. And be sure to be tight, otherwise such containers will quickly tear. Even better - with reinforcement.
• When choosing bags, you need to consider that they must be vertically oriented, more precisely, narrow and high. This will allow them to be installed more densely on 1 "square" of the territory.

The rest is simple. Each bag is filled with potting mix, tied securely and laid in a row. They can be placed not only vertically, but also horizontally. Even hanging. Cuts are made in the walls of such containers. Bushes will be planted in them. Therefore, the location seats about the same as in the beds, with an interval of 20 centimeters.

What to provide additionally

• Forced ventilation of the room. Since we are talking about year-round cultivation, then regularly opening the door and windows is not an option, especially in winter.
• Lighting. It is mounted so that the strawberries in each bag receive a sufficient amount of light. Based on this, a wiring diagram and the location of devices are drawn up.
• Artificial irrigation. Here you have to think about how to organize watering depending on the location of the bags. There are many different methods, and choosing the right technology is not particularly difficult. For example, use plastic container, from which a capillary is assigned to each “nest”.

This article discusses the most simple technologies harvesting strawberries at home throughout the year. Lots of methods. Whoever wants to expand their horizons, or if the above information is not to their liking for some reason, can easily find a description of such growing systems as "nutrient layer", "aquaculture" and a number of others. But these cultivation methods are no longer for window sills in an apartment or a private house.

It remains to add that regardless of the chosen technology for growing strawberries, you need to carefully deal with all the signs of the disease of this crop, methods of dealing with possible ailments and the necessary drugs. Everything should be at hand, since the only "doctor" is the strawberry breeder himself.

What is a remontant strawberry?

To grow strawberries at home, you need special varieties - remontants. The remontant strawberry differs from the usual one in that it bears fruit not once a year, but during the season it can bring 2 or more crops. But she also makes appropriate demands - she needs high-quality fertile soil and frequent watering.

Pay attention to the "development" of seedlings - the bushes should have 3-5 healthy green leaves and preferably a large bud (heart).

Landing

When planting strawberries, keep in mind that they will have to stay in this pot or container for 1-3 years (depending on the variety). It is not recommended to transplant it from pot to pot, because. already mature plants do not tolerate transplantation.

For planting, you can use any containers, given that a volume of at least 3 liters is required for one bush. For example, in long containers, balcony boxes (volume 10-15 l) you can plant no more than 3-4 bushes with a distance between them of 20-25 cm.

In pots, containers must have holes for water drainage, and at the bottom - a good layer of drainage (expanded clay, pebbles, broken bricks).

As a substrate, store-bought universal soil mixture for flowers is suitable. Or cook it yourself by mixing forest soil, humus or biohumus, peat, sand in proportions of 2:2:1:1, respectively.

Landing dates - focus on March-April.

top dressing

It is necessary to feed, especially during flowering and fruiting. Feeding frequency - approximately 1 time in 2 weeks. It depends on the state and stage of development of the plant, as well as the time of year. For example, you do not need to feed in winter, you can let the strawberries rest, unless they bloom.

Fertilizers can be used mineral complex or organic.

Personal experience

In early June, they gave me a bush of strawberries straight from the garden. The owner, unfortunately, did not know the name of the variety. But he said that during the summer this strawberry brings him 3 crops, and at home - it generally bears fruit all year round.

I doubted very much that I could grow strawberries on my windowsill. But I decided to try it anyway. And here's what came out of it.

Day 1

I bought a universal soil mixture in the store and planted a bush in a fairly large pot. Since it was summer outside, the pot was sent to the balcony. Fortunately, it is not glazed with us, so strawberries on fresh air it was just wonderful. Moreover, the side is sunny - the sun shines through the windows almost all day. It is better to place pots with strawberries on the south and southeast windows.

Day 11

The first new leaf appeared - this means that the plant has taken root. In general, the new leaves came out noticeably shorter than the old ones, but were healthy. But the old leaves gradually died off: they lost their elasticity, lay down and turned black at the base of the petiole. But this did not last long, maybe the change of conditions affected.

Day 30

The first bloom came out. In general, in young plants (seedlings) it is recommended to remove the first flower stalks so that the plants develop well and gain strength. Then the next harvests will be generous. But since my plant was already an adult, I left the peduncle. Moreover, I could not wait to wait for the berries.

Day 37

The first flowers bloomed. In total, 2 flower stalks came out, each with 4 flowers. The flowers lasted 2-3 days, then the petals fell off and the berries began to grow. The flowers were not pollinated.

Day 52

The last flower has bloomed. And by this time, other berries have already grown. The flowers bloom and fade in turn, so the size of the berries is different. Accordingly, the largest berries on this moment- These are the very first flowers. One peduncle broke under the weight of the berries, I noticed it too late. I propped them up with a jar. To prevent this from happening to you, place a fabric roller or a piece of foam rubber under the flower stalks. Watered about every 3 days. At a temperature of +30 °C - every 2 days.

Day 61

First try! As you can see, the strawberries are a very decent size. One of them was very rich red and very sweet. And the other is lighter and with sourness. Probably broke early. The rest are still maturing.

Day 72

Despite the fact that not all the berries have ripened from the first harvest, the bush has already released the third peduncle. And about 40 days have passed since the appearance of the first. That is, the second harvest has gone.

Then you can sum up the results of the first harvest: only 8 berries were formed, 2 of them withered (maybe watered a little, there were very hot days +33 ° C), 3 grew large and 3 small, which are still ripening.

The third flower stalk turned out for some reason shorter than the first two and the berries are smaller.

Around the middle of September, I removed a pot of strawberries from the balcony. The remaining berries from the first harvest and from the second ripened already in the room.

Wintering

In order for strawberries to bear fruit in winter, additional lighting is needed, which will increase daylight hours to 12 hours. After all, the more light, the sweeter the berries. Ordinary lamp HPS is sufficient to produce a crop.

The temperature must be maintained in the region of 18-20 ° C.

Life span of remontant strawberries

Since these strawberries bloom and bear fruit more often, they naturally age quickly. DSD varieties can last you 2-3 years. And NSD varieties - only 1 year, then it will be necessary to plant new bushes.

Well, the experiment went well. As you can see, growing juicy strawberries at home is not so difficult. It took me almost 2 months to do this, i.e. 61 days passed from the moment of planting to the ripening of the first berry.

Share this important information with your friends on social networks!

READ ALSO

Modern agrotechnical methods and technologies have made possible cultivation strawberries all year round in non-standard conditions, for example, at home. Many amateur gardeners have seriously taken up this fascinating business, because by growing garden strawberries at home, you can provide yourself with tasty and useful product all year, regardless of the season. In this article we will tell you how to grow strawberries all year round in greenhouses and just on the windowsill.

Growing strawberries in greenhouses and at home all year round can be profitable business, if you establish a continuous process and increase volumes. In recent years, several new methods of commercial cultivation of berries have appeared, but for home conditions, the Dutch technology, based on growing strawberries exclusively in greenhouses, remains the most acceptable. rational use small areas.

For those who are not yet familiar with this technology and do not know how to grow strawberries in small room, having received the maximum yield, you should know that the technique is very simple. Its essence is the regular planting of new seedlings, which ensures continuous harvesting even in cold winters. Of course, this can only be achieved by creating favorable conditions for active vegetation, flowering and fruiting of strawberries.

Commercial cultivation of berries according to the Dutch technology involves the use of a stationary greenhouse with full set equipment that provides plants additional lighting, drip irrigation controlling humidity and temperature. In addition, the required number of seedlings should always be available, which are planted to replace the old bushes (after the end of fruiting, the bush is simply thrown away). Such an enterprise requires financial investments, but its profitability is so high that all expenses pay off literally in the first months.

If you are not going to plant strawberries in such volumes, but plan to grow several pots on the windowsill for yourself, the Dutch technique may also come in handy. Growing strawberries at home in small containers does not require any additional investment, except for the purchase of seedlings or seeds for growing them, as well as the purchase of a substrate and pots. Estimate the usable area planned for year-round cultivation and decide on how to place the containers. According to the Dutch method, seedlings can be planted in any container, even plastic bags which are very convenient to hang vertically.

Video "Growing at home"

From the video you will learn how to grow strawberries at home and get a good harvest.

Seedling selection

For continuous collection of strawberries, you need to plant new seedlings regularly (1 time / 1.5-2 months), so you have to buy it or grow it yourself. Of course, it is more profitable to have your own seedlings, since its cost is much lower than the purchased one, but this will also require a lot of effort. Seedlings can be grown from seeds or harvested within summer season if there is a bed in the open field.

The easiest way is to root the rosettes that form in the summer on the mustache of the mother bushes. In autumn, young bushes are dug up on the main plantation and placed in cold (0 ... + 2 ° C). Under such conditions, seedlings can be stored for up to 9 months, which allows for its continuous planting. In the absence of a plantation, seedlings can be grown from seeds, but this process will take longer and require a lot of attention.

Another popular way to obtain high-quality seedlings is cassette growing of seedlings. It involves placing already cooled outlets in plastic containers with nutrient solution. With the cassette method, the roots grow very intensively, literally by the hour, and after 4-5 weeks the container is completely filled with roots. Without a doubt, such seedlings are very strong and therefore give a good harvest.

Varieties for the greenhouse

For year-round cultivation in greenhouses, you should choose remontant varieties that form the ovary with a neutral light day. This feature guarantees undulating flowering and fruiting throughout the season, which, with regular planting of seedlings, allows you to achieve continuous fruiting. For growing in the house, remontant ampelous varieties are more suitable, which will not only bring you a plentiful and continuous harvest, but will also become an interior decoration. Most ampel varieties are beautifully untwisted, they can also be planted in hanging planters.

Whichever variety you choose, it must meet the following characteristics:

• be self-pollinating, otherwise you will have to do this procedure manually;
• have high immunity to diseases and temperature changes;
• have a short growing season (ripe early);
• to be large-fruited (than larger berries, the higher the yield).

There are many varieties that simultaneously possess all these qualities: Pineapple, Selva, Honey, Queen Elizabeth, Geneva, Darselect, Arapaho, Tribute, from domestic ones: Moscow delicacy, Sakhalinskaya and others.

Preparing plants for planting

Before planting seedlings in a greenhouse or pots, they need to grow and form a good root system. To do this, young bushes are transplanted into boxes or pots with a substrate, where they undergo forcing. For more active growth, upper layer soil should be fertile and always moist. In open ground, young rosettes can be transplanted to another area, the so-called nursery, where the plants will grow green mass and root system.

With a decrease in temperature to 0 ° C, the seedlings are dug up, the leaves are removed, and the roots are placed in a nutrient substrate and taken out into the cold (cellar, refrigerator). At rest, they are stored for several months before planting in the greenhouse. Storing seedlings in the cold is the main condition for successful cultivation strawberries on the Dutch technology. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that when it hits warm conditions(to the greenhouse) seedlings quickly wake up and begin to grow actively, which leads to early flowering and ripening of berries.

Growing vertically

Vertical placement of beds significantly saves space, therefore it is considered the most rational. The method involves placing beds in vertical position: in layers, tiers, pyramids or by hanging. Various materials are applicable as a planting container: pieces of PVC pipes, plastic bags, plastic containers, wooden boxes.
There is nothing complicated in adapting all these containers for growing strawberries:

• bags or bags need to be filled with a substrate, make holes at a distance of 20-25 cm in a checkerboard pattern, plant seedlings in them and hang them;
• containers and boxes can be arranged in tiers or pyramids, and the substrate can be poured into the protruding parts and bushes can be planted.

Separate topic - vertical bed from PVC pipes. For its manufacture, materials will be needed, and the process itself will require time and effort. Of the materials, pipes will be needed: large (15-20 cm in diameter), and thin (about 5 cm), as well as fasteners, plugs and other small things. Holes with a diameter of at least 10 cm at a distance of 20 cm are made in a large pipe - seedlings will be planted in them. Small holes (2-4 cm) are drilled in a thin pipe, it is placed inside a wide pipe and used for uniform watering along the entire length of the structure.

Further, drainage and soil are poured into the space between the pipes, after which seedlings are planted in the holes. The lower edge of the pipe is closed with a plug, and in the upper part, water is supplied to the thin (inner) pipe. Thus, the strawberries are evenly moistened and give an excellent harvest. In addition to the fact that the beds from the pipes take up little space, they also look very decorative.

growing at home

Year-round growing strawberries at home can take place on a balcony or windowsill. For planting seedlings, you can use any containers that are unnecessary in the household, but, of course, they look most spectacular flower pots. A pot should be chosen at the rate of 3 liters of soil volume per 1 bush. Drainage should be laid at the bottom of the pot, and then pour in a soil mixture consisting of humus (5 parts) and hardwood soil (3 parts). At home, it is convenient to use hydroponics. Coconut fiber is best as a substrate, but you can also mineral wool, perlite.

When planting plants in a large container, do not plant more than three bushes. But it is also important that all the bushes are of the same variety - regrading will have a bad effect on the quality of the crop.

Seedling replacement is not carried out as often as in greenhouses: ordinary remontant bushes require updating once every six months, and ampelous varieties - once a year.

Plant care is standard, but strawberries need to be watered exclusively. drip method(using a drip system used in medicine). Ampel varieties need to be supported and tied up, as their long lashes grow very quickly. This is how, with little investment of time and effort, you can grow a real garden with fragrant berries on the windowsill of the house.

Video “Growing all year round”

From the video you will learn how to grow strawberries all year round.