How to grow strawberries all year round at home?

Modern agricultural methods and technologies have made it possible to grow strawberries all year round in non-standard conditions, for example, at home. Many amateur gardeners are seriously engaged in this fascinating business, because growing garden strawberries at home, you can provide yourself with a tasty and healthy product all year round, 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.

Breeding technology

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

Those who are not yet familiar with this technology and do not know how to grow strawberries in a small room, while receiving the maximum yield, should know that the technique is very simple. Its essence is the regular planting of new seedlings, which ensures uninterrupted 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 Dutch technology involves the use of a stationary greenhouse with a full set of equipment that provides plants with additional lighting, drip irrigation, and regulates humidity and temperature. In addition, there should always be the required amount of seedlings, which are planted instead of 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 are paid off literally in the first months.

If you are not going to plant strawberries in such quantities, 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 investments, except for the purchase of seedlings or seeds for growing it, 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, planting of seedlings can be carried out in any container, even plastic bags, which are very convenient to hang vertically.

Home Growing Video

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

Selection of seedlings

For continuous collection of strawberries, you need to regularly (1 time / 1.5-2 months) plant new seedlings, so you have to buy or grow them 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 require a lot of effort.Seedlings can be grown from seeds or harvested during the summer season if there is a garden bed in the open field.

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

Another popular way to obtain high-quality seedlings is cluster growing of seedlings. It involves placing the 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 robust and therefore yield a good harvest.

Greenhouse varieties

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

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

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

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

Preparing plants for planting

Before planting seedlings in a greenhouse or pots, you need to grow them and form a good root system. To do this, young bushes are transplanted into boxes or pots with a substrate, where they are distilled. For more active growth, the topsoil must be fertile and always moist. In the open field, young rosettes can be planted in 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 being planted in the greenhouse. Storing seedlings in the cold is the main condition for the successful cultivation of strawberries using Dutch technology. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that when it gets into warm conditions (in the greenhouse), the seedlings quickly wake up and begin to grow actively, which leads to early flowering and ripening of berries.

Growing vertically

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

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

A separate topic is a vertical bed of PVC pipes. For its manufacture, materials will be needed, and the process itself will require an investment of 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 trifles. Holes with a diameter of at least 10 cm are made in a large pipe at a distance of 20 cm - seedlings will be planted in them. Small holes are drilled in a thin pipe (2-4 cm), it is placed inside a wide pipe and is used for uniform irrigation 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 moisturized and produce an excellent harvest. In addition to the fact that the beds of pipes take up little space, they also look very decorative.

Growing at home

Year-round cultivation of strawberries at home can take place on a balcony or windowsill. For planting seedlings, you can use any containers unnecessary on the farm, but flower pots, of course, look the most effective. The choice of a pot should be based on 3 liters of soil per 1 bush. Drainage should be laid at the bottom of the pot, and then a soil mixture consisting of humus (5 parts) and deciduous soil (3 parts) should be added. It is convenient to use hydroponics at home. It is best to take coconut fiber as a substrate, but you can also use 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 - re-grading will have a bad effect on the quality of the crop.

Replacement of seedlings is not carried out as often as in greenhouses: ordinary remontant bushes require renewal once every six months, and ampelous varieties - once a year.

Plant care is standard, but strawberries need to be watered exclusively with a drip method (using a drip system used in medicine). Ampel varieties require the installation of supports and tying, since their long lashes grow very quickly. This is how, with a 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.

Table of contents:

• Technology used for growing strawberries all year round
• Correct selection of strawberry seedlings
• List of strawberry varieties for cultivation in a greenhouse
• The cold method of storing seedlings is the basis of a full harvest
• Equipment of premises, preparation of plants for planting
• Growing strawberries vertically
• Breeding strawberries using a drip irrigation system
• Formation of mother plantation and strawberry crop rotation
• Growing strawberries at home

The beauty of garden strawberries depends on the introduction of biological technologies that create all the conditions for the cultivation of healthy, environmentally friendly berries all year round. How to grow strawberries all year round? The question is very relevant for industrial and amateur gardening. Thanks to biological products and new biotechnologies, you can get healthy, environmentally friendly berries. What is the difference between the experience of growing berries throughout the year from the technology familiar to gardeners?

Scheme of a film greenhouse (greenhouse) for strawberries.

Any gardener can easily master the techniques for growing wonderful berries at home. It is not necessary to have a greenhouse or a heated greenhouse to work successfully. Real profit can be gained by learning how to grow strawberries all year round in an ordinary flowerpot on the windowsill.

Growing strawberries is a very lucrative home business. The profitability of such an economic activity is 100%.

Technology used for growing strawberries all year round

Diagram of vertical cultivation of strawberries.

To grow strawberries at home, Dutch technology is used, used by gardeners and large farms. The method is simple, and with proper care, about 150 kg of fresh berries are obtained from one bush.

The technique ensures the cultivation of berries all year round. There is no need to use soil, fertilizers, machinery, special equipment. There is no crop pest control. The demand for the products is very high; the product will grow environmentally friendly, free of chemicals. It is also important that, having mastered this technique, the owner becomes the owner of super-profit.

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Correct selection of strawberry seedlings

For propagation of garden strawberries, you can purchase ready-made seedlings or grow them yourself from seeds.

Seeds are subject to long-term storage. They are taken from the middle part of ripe berries. Cut off one layer, place on paper and dry. Before the time of planting, they are placed in an environment with a low temperature of + 2 + 4 ° C. Then moisten and mix.

To prepare planting material, you can grow seedlings yourself from seeds or choose a ready-made material.

There are several ways to harvest seedlings. To grow strawberries, young rosettes are cultivated on uterine plantations. Rooted whiskers are dug up in the fall on the main plantations. Seedlings are stored at temperatures from 0 to 2 ° C.

Most often, cassette seedlings are used for growing. She has a well-formed root system. Receive it after 35 days. The finished cooled outlets are placed in plastic containers. After 3 days, the length of the roots will be 3-4 cm, on the 10th day, the root system is formed. After 5 weeks, the cell is completely filled with roots.

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List of strawberry varieties for cultivation in a greenhouse

Planting scheme for strawberry seedlings.

Starting his highly profitable business, the gardener selects strawberry varieties that have a neutral daylight hours. To grow strawberries all year round, choose the strawberry variety in which inflorescences, ovaries and berries are continuously formed. The ovary is formed with a long daylight hours. Longline cultivation involves the use of varieties "Pineapple", "Brighton", "Elizabeth" and others. In practice, the varieties "Selva", "Elizabeth II" yield crops throughout the year.

Strawberry varieties are divided according to their purpose: for indoor and outdoor soil. Indoor cultivars require uniform air temperature, constant humidity and light. The crop ripens all year round. In June, the first berries are obtained: the fruits are large, resistant to powdery mildew, wilt.

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The cold method of storing seedlings is the basis of a full harvest

Growing a full harvest of garden strawberries involves the use of seedlings stored in a refrigerator or cellar. It is prepared for long-term storage in advance. They stop the growth of bushes by stopping watering them. The plant is constantly monitored: after 10-15 days, it is watered again, it is not allowed to overgrow. In the fall, the rosettes are dug out, sorted, and stored. The thickness of the root collar of the seedlings should be 6 mm, the rosettes have 3-4 leaves, the length of the roots is 5 cm.

Bunches of seedlings are placed in boxes, put them in a cellar. It has a shelf life of 1.5 to 10 months. Plant it as needed. Storage temperature +6 + 2 ° С, humidity - 90%, СО₂ content - 5%, oxygen - 2.5%. A sharp change in the microclimate must not be allowed.

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Equipment of premises, preparation of plants for planting

Strawberry planting schemes.

The room for growing berries is prepared in advance. It can be a non-residential room, garage, shed. It is necessary to prepare bags of strawberry seedlings. They are installed vertically along the entire room.In the row spacing, the distance is 90 cm, between the bags - 15-30 cm. In the first and second rows, the bags are slightly displaced in relation to each other. Density of distribution of bags - 2-3 per 1m².

Procured:

• container for supplying solution;
• adapter;
• plastic pipe;
• nozzles;
• clamps-clamps;
• fluorescent lamps;
• metal corners;
• foil;
• dropper tubes;
• bag.

The container for the nutrient solution is attached to the bracket. Using adapters, branching is created for the pipeline. Clamps are attached to it, which support the bag in an upright state. Strawberry bags can be placed in 2 tiers with a distance of 30 cm between them. Install the lighting system by mounting fluorescent lamps. To grow strawberries all year round, lamps must illuminate the entire planting area. Foil is placed on the walls, which serves as a reflector.

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Growing strawberries vertically

Strawberry variety table.

Growing strawberries vertically allows you to get a large harvest of berries. Vertical planting is done to save space, collecting environmentally friendly berries.

To equip a vertical bed for strawberries, you will need the following tools:

• bit;
• drill;
• plastic pipe;
• stub;
• leg-split;
• sackcloth.

The required pipe length is measured. Holes are drilled at the top. The pipe is covered with burlap, covered with twine. In the larger pipe, 3-4 holes are drilled in each row. A total of 4 rows are formed. A plug is placed on the lower hole. The workpiece is attached to a fence or mesh. A narrow pipe is placed in the main pipe and covered with a 10 cm thick layer of gravel.

Strawberries are planted in the windows on the main pipe. A second landing option is possible - through the pyramids. To create them, you need a similar set of tools. Space-saving design. They take 3-4 old tires, in each they make a hole with a diameter of 10-20 cm. Lay them in a heap in the form of a pyramid, cover it with soil. Before planting, the soil is fertilized with humus.

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Growing strawberries using a drip irrigation system

To grow berries you need to prepare:

• droppers for solution;
• opaque film;
• pallet;
• plastic bags;
• water pumps;
• tank;
• nutrient solution.

The strawberries are placed on the substrate. Using droppers, they adjust the supply of the nutrient mixture to the root part of the plants. The substrate is peat mixtures or mineral wool. All substrates are placed in a film and placed in a tray. An excess of the nutrient mixture accumulates in it, which is supplied under pressure from a dropper. For this, water pumps are connected or a tank with a solution is placed above the required irrigation level.

In order to grow strawberries according to the nutrient layer system, they are harvested:

• plastic box;
• hoses;
• pipes;
• tank;
• water pump;
• cups for planting plants.

With this method, strawberries are fed from a solution in plastic boxes. In them, the solution is pumped by a pump through hoses or pipes from the main tank. Plants are placed in cups. Their bottom is raised, does not touch the nutrient mixture.

In a grown plant, the roots are in a nutrient medium. The universal solution contains all the necessary micro and macro elements.

Strawberries need to be bred, observing a certain temperature regime. The temperature should be + 18 ° C at night, + 25 ° C during the day.

With a drip irrigation system, the water consumption per 1 m of the length of the container will be 3 liters of water per day. The drip irrigation system is adjusted by increasing the number of holes in the hose.

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Formation of mother plantation and strawberry crop rotation

How to grow strawberries all year round using the technological term of berry ripening? Average indicators of this period are determined from September to May.The mother plantation is laid in mid-April. Strawberry seeds are sown in boxes filled with soil, covering with a small layer of earth. Seed germination depends on bright lighting and soil moisture. Indoor lighting is produced using sodium lamps. High soil moisture is provided by spraying water on it.

The first picking of seedlings is done after the emergence of seedlings. After 45 days, a second pick is carried out. Seedlings are planted according to the 10x10 cm scheme. By the end of July, 100 strawberry bushes are formed on 1m² of racks. All strawberry beds are renewed annually.

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Growing strawberries at home

In the apartment, strawberries can be grown on a windowsill. Strawberry cultivation means forcing it. A permanent planting of new seedlings is carried out, after fruiting it is usually removed. Seedlings for year-round use are stored for 7-10 months. A sufficient number of strawberry bushes are harvested. In winter, remontant varieties are planted: "Geneva", "Queen Elizabeth II", "F - SSh1".

A bush of a remontant strawberry variety is placed in a container, covered with earth, and placed in the basement for 14 days. After a dormant period, the bushes are planted in pots with soil.

3 sockets are planted in a large pot. The central bud is located on top of the ground. The composition of the soil includes 5 parts of humus, 3 parts of deciduous soil, drainage is laid on the bottom. Charcoal and river sand are used as drainage. Watering is done through a pallet.

Install additional lighting. The lamp burns for no more than 10 hours. Fertilize strawberries with humus only before flowering. During flowering, a plant disease is possible: strawberries are affected by gray rot. In this case, it is necessary to treat the infected areas with warm water. Spraying with garlic tincture gives good results.

You can grow strawberries from seeds on a windowsill. The best variety - "Supreme", with a mass of berries 5-7 g. Strawberry seedlings may have long whiskers during active growth. They are tied to special trellises.

Cultivating strawberries at home all year round, any person will provide themselves with vitamins not only in the berry season, but will also be able to open their own business and earn a lot of money.

To grow strawberries at home on the window, it is enough to allocate space on the windowsill, prepare a flower box, and know the basic rules of care. We will tell you about the choice of variety, dressing and technology for growing strawberries at home all year round.

To grow your favorite seasonal berries, it is not necessary to equip a greenhouse, it is enough to select a windowsill on the sunny side and take care of the plants, providing conditions for full growth and fruiting. At the start, you need to decide on the variety of berries, on which the subsequent result depends.

Variety selection

For home cultivation of strawberries, you need to choose remontant varieties. They bear fruit more than once a year, like ordinary ones, but two or more, moreover, abundantly. However, both nutrition and care must be relevant, that is, appropriate.

Repair strawberries are divided into several categories, depending on the length of daylight hours. It is called that, only in an abbreviation: DSD - long daylight hours, and NSD - neutral daylight hours, which is more typical for most regions.

Varieties where flower buds are born with long daylight hours bear fruit twice a year: in early summer and early autumn. Also, DSD varieties are characterized by predominant fruiting for the second harvest. Its share is 60–90% of the total mass of berries.

The second category of remontant strawberries is able to bear fruit continuously all year round. This species is not whimsical to care for, it is resistant to variable humidity, lighting and unstable temperature conditions. These features are key when choosing a variety for home cultivation and regular fruiting.

Light-loving remontant strawberry varieties include: "Inexhaustible", "Autumn fun", "Crimean", "Garland". The unpretentious neutral species include: "Queen Elizabeth" I and II, "Brighton", "Roman F1", etc. It should be noted that the variety "Queen Elizabeth" surpasses other varieties in terms of the number and size of fruits, the frequency of fruiting.

Seeds or seedlings

If you decide to speed up or facilitate the process and buy ready-made seedlings, pay attention to the development of the plant. A good sign of a healthy bush is the presence of 3-5 developed leaves and an embryo (buds for ripening future berries). It is better to buy seedlings in a specialized store, then you can count on compliance with the declared variety and the proper quality of the planting material. Ready-made seedlings can be planted in separate pots or long flower boxes at a distance of 15 cm.

Seed planting

Seed preparation

The seeds should be worked a little. To sow seeds and get healthy seedlings at home, you need:

1. Soaking the seeds will speed up the germination process. To do this, take a transparent plastic container with a lid and punch holes in it with a sewing needle. This is necessary for air circulation.
2. Cover the bottom of the container with gauze or cotton pads. Dampen material and spread seeds. Cover them with damp cotton pads on top.
3. Close the container with a lid and place in a warm place for 2-3 days. If you are soaking multiple varieties, be sure to mark the containers accordingly.
4. Now proceed with the stratification (hardening) of the seeds. This is necessary to simulate winter weather conditions, in order to accelerate the awakening of seeds and get fast germination. Place the container with cotton pads in the refrigerator. Remember to control the humidity level. Open the container lid every 1-2 days and moisten the cotton pads.

After two weeks, the seeds are ready for sowing in the ground.

Soil preparation

To grow strawberries at home, you can use garden soil or purchase a multipurpose mixture at the store. The earth should be crumbly. The best option: mix in equal proportions forest soil, garden soil, and sand. Soil preparation should be started in conjunction with seed stratification.

Disinfect the soil by heating it in the oven for 20-30 minutes. However, beneficial bacteria are destroyed along with the parasites. Allow the soil to cool down for 2-3 weeks to restore nutrient balance. During this time, the seeds will go through the stratification stage and will be ready for sowing.

Sowing seeds

For sowing seeds, you can use improvised containers: plastic boxes, flower pots, cardboard boxes. The height of the sides should be at least 10 cm. Fill the container with earth and start sowing seeds:

1. Use a pencil to make shallow grooves of 0.7–1 cm with a distance of 3–4 cm.
2. Since the germination rate of seeds is about 40%, it is necessary to sow the seeds often.
3. Gently grind the grooves with soil, no more than 0.5 cm.
4. Cover the container with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 4-5 days.

After the first leaves appear, remove the film and transfer the container with seedlings to a well-lit place. Better if it is a windowsill on the south side.

When the seeds have released several pairs of leaves, the seedlings can be dived into separate permanent containers.

Take a spacious wooden or plastic box, pour a thin layer (1–2 cm) of expanded clay or fine gravel on the bottom for drainage. Pour a second layer of fertile soil. The depth of the earthen "cushion" should be 10-15 cm.

Make holes 8–12 cm apart and plant the seedlings. Moisten the soil regularly.

Knowing how to grow seedlings from seeds, you can choose any variety of strawberries and gain invaluable experience and a bountiful harvest year-round.If the strawberry grows, transplant the newly formed bushes into separate containers.

A few tips:

1. Mature plants do not tolerate transplanting well. When planting seedlings, choose a spacious container in which the plant will live for a long time.
2. The capacity can be any, if its volume is not less than three liters per one bush. If you take, for example, long balcony boxes with a volume of about 15 liters, then you can plant 5-7 strawberry bushes, at a distance of at least 15 cm. This need is associated with the active growth and development of the plant.
3. The bottom of the tank must be laid out with a layer of drainage (you can take expanded clay, pebbles or broken brick).

Care and feeding

Strawberries are not whimsical to care for. Growth stimulants should not be used - with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation and optimal humidity, the plants will regularly bear fruit.

Microclimate

It is better to place pots with plants on windowsills facing the east or south-east side. The quality of the fruit directly depends on the amount of sunlight. To circulate fresh air, it is sufficient to leave the window sash in the ventilation position.

If in your region the climate does not often please with sunny weather, then it makes sense to buy the simplest ultraviolet lamp that will promote photosynthesis all year round. Remember to keep the soil moist.

To prevent plants from drying out during your absence, resort to the greenhouse effect method. To do this, moisten the soil well, and cover the container with the plant with a film or plastic bag. Do not forget about the "breath" of plants: make holes for air circulation.

Top dressing

Strawberries must be nourished with nutrients. To do this, you can use mineral and organic complexes: nitrophoska, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, wood ash, etc. The first feeding should be carried out during the growing season, with the formation of a couple of real leaves. Choose your favorite top dressing recipes, and alternate their use 4 times a year, excluding the fruiting period:

• 1 tsp nitroammophos for 5 liters of water;
• 1/2 tsp boric acid, 15 drops of iodine, 1/2 cup of wood ash per 5 liters of water;
• Soak a liter jar of crusts and slices of rye bread in two liters of warm water, keep for 7 days in a warm place. Add three parts of warm water to one part of the sourdough, and add top dressing to the plant;
• Dilute 1 part of sour milk or whey with 3 parts of water;
• mix a tablespoon of nitrophoska with a teaspoon of potassium sulfate in 5 liters of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. Dissolve potassium nitrate in 5 liters of water;
• 50 grams of wood ash per 5 liters of water.

Top dressing should be carried out during the growing season and flowering, as well as after picking berries. At this time, new roots are formed, buds are formed for the next fruiting season. It is important at this time to pay maximum attention to the strawberries.

As a rule, strawberries at home are not susceptible to disease. The only feature is the lifespan of plants. Since strawberries of the NSD varieties bear fruit more abundantly and more often, which means it ages faster, its lifespan is 1 year. As for the varieties of DSD, the fruiting of which is several times poorer than NSD, then their lifespan will increase proportionally and is 2-3 years.

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At the present time, year-round cultivation of strawberries at home with developed technologies and the presence of a rich selection of varieties, especially remontant ones, that yield a harvest throughout the growing season is quite possible. By combining growing plants in the warm summer season on the balcony, and the cold winter in the room, you can pick strawberries all year round at home, without bothering yourself with trips to the hypermarket or trips to the garden area.

This is not to say that this is a simple occupation. Forcing strawberries within a year using modern technology, which has received the name "Dutch" in Russia, requires daily work and quite tangible financial costs associated at the initial stage - with investments in equipping a house for a place and containers for growing it, and in the future - for purchasing and renewal of the substrate, purchase of fertilizers, renewal of varieties (purchase of seeds or seedlings) and electricity spent on artificial lighting and the operation of electric pumps supplying nutrient solutions to the roots of plants.

To this should be added the need for watering, feeding, trimming "whiskers", artificial pollination and periodic replacement of fertile plants. In order to save money, you can grow seedlings at home on your own from seeds, but this also takes time and some effort.

In terms of financial and labor costs, such a hobby can be compared to maintaining two or three aquariums with ornamental fish with a volume of 100-300 liters at home.

If desired and the skills of working with tools, you can automate the process of irrigation and dosed artificial lighting to the utmost by assembling simple structures.

Where to begin?

With an estimate of the area of ​​the balcony and living space of the house in which you plan to grow berries all year round. In articles devoted to the organization of space for growing various berry and vegetable crops on the balcony, we described in some detail the methods of planting plants: both in horizontal and in vertical containers. The undisputed leader in saving space at home is the vertical placement of plants.

The substrate can be filled both in elongated polyethylene bags (preferably made of dense black polyethylene film, and large-diameter plumbing pipes with holes cut in them. If it is decorated with a beautiful coating (polyethylene film, "hammer" enamel or other materials), then it will not spoil the design of the apartment, but will organically fit as an element of landscaping.

If the area of ​​the balcony and the room allows (they should be approximately the same), which you plan to occupy with containers for growing strawberries all year round, then it is advisable to place a "life support" system in the same area in combination with containers, which will allow you not to worry about timely watering or turning on the lights.

Substrate

Forcing strawberries at home all year round usually does not involve the use of land (especially garden) as such. Instead, at home, either coconut fiber is used in a mixture with peat and perlite, or peat with the addition of expanded clay sand (fine fraction) and perlite (vermiculite). This is due to the weight of the substrate. The containers filled with peat and perlite are several times lighter than those filled with garden soil. It is more convenient to move them. The second reason for the use of artificial substrates is their "sterility". You do not run the risk of bringing strawberry pathogens or pest larvae with the ground. In the middle of winter, you will not have mosquitoes or midges hatched from the garden soil, and two-tails or caterpillars will not start running on the floor.

Another plus is the almost complete absence of dirt, which is inevitably washed out from the drainage holes after watering the plants. There will be no peculiar smell of damp soil at home. At any time of the year you will be able to compose a well-known composition of the substrate elements, which will be most suitable for plant growth, and renew the containers for planting new plants with it.

Most suitable varieties

For growing strawberries all year round in a balcony or room, at home, remontant and ampel varieties are most suitable. There is no need to grow tall, sturdy plants that give upright flower stalks in balcony conditions. In any case, the berries will not touch the surface of the earth, and therefore will be amazed by all kinds of "rot" that nest in wet soil and will always be clean and elegant.

Ampel varieties at home are convenient in that they will completely overlap the container in which strawberries are grown with their hanging down lashes. And remontant varieties will provide you with an uninterrupted harvest. Modern breeding varieties also include curly varieties of strawberries, which are independently capable of clinging to a support and growing upward, like a liana, forming a dense green curtain. But growing them on the balcony of a house is possible only during the summer season, since it is very problematic to move the plant into the room without damaging the shoots, and then equip the trellis in the apartment or pull the twines on which the plant's lashes could settle.

If everything is clear enough with the planting of the first batch of plants, then the subsequent replacement of fertile plants requires explanations. It is recommended to replace the plant once a year. In order not to completely bare the container in which the strawberry grows, and not to wait for the growth of seedlings, its flowering and fruiting phase, it is advisable to have plants of different planting dates in one container. Initially, it will be enough to plant seedlings at intervals of 6 months (in spring and autumn), and next year replace 1/3 of the plants with new ones. Weakly fruiting plants or those that have formed a small number of ovaries should be replaced.

In no case should you allow re-grading within the same container. And the close location of various varieties on the balcony can lead to unintentional over-pollination and degradation of the variety.

When growing 2-3 varieties at home, try to isolate them from each other as much as possible, especially on the balcony, when pollination can occur naturally - either by wind or by insects.

Fertilizer use

No plant can survive all year round on artificial substrates without an influx of nutrients necessary for leaf growth and fruit formation. Therefore, growing strawberries at home, year-round, requires constant use of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Taking as a basis the ready-made fertilizer mixtures "For strawberries and strawberries" or "For berry crops" initially, during the period of intensive growth and before flowering, they should be applied according to the manufacturer's recommendations (on the package).

During the period of formation and ripening of fruits, their number should be reduced as much as possible against the technical standards that are recommended.

In the container, there is no intensive leaching of fertilizers by rains or, after irrigation, they do not seep into the groundwater. When organizing drip irrigation, almost all moisture supplied to the container is absorbed by the roots. Consequently, the applied fertilizers are also absorbed. Therefore, there is no need to make the recommended 5-10 grams per 1m2.

Strawberry care

The main care for plants will be regular pruning of the "mustache" - if it is not an ampelous variety and not a remontant, forming fruits on young mustaches, as well as periodic pollination during the entire growing season. Pollination can be done either with a fan (cold hair dryer) or with a soft kolinsky (squirrel) artistic brush.

Use different brushes to pollinate different varieties of strawberries and never mix them up or store them nearby. Pollination with a brush is a laborious process that requires attention and time, but gives better results than using a fan or hair dryer.

Be sure to spray the plants from a spray bottle at least once a day, because on the balcony - due to intensive air circulation and at home - due to the action of heating devices, the air is extremely dry, and this negatively affects the plants.

Organization of lighting

If there are no problems with a lack of lighting on the balcony in the summer months, then in the conditions of growing strawberries all year round in winter, additional artificial lighting is required. The most optimal is the use of LED lamps with a balanced emission spectrum. As a last resort, you can use fluorescent lamps "daylight" in combination of 1- "cold" + 2 "warm" light.

To prevent the red-blue radiation of the LEDs from annoying, the plants should be fenced off with a screen made of foil-clad material (thermal insulation sold in hardware stores) or crumpled food foil glued to sheets of cardboard or fiberboard. This will distribute the lighting more evenly and increase its efficiency up to 50% of the light source's power.

Additional lighting during the period when plants are in the room should be 12-14 hours. You can automate the switch-on process by connecting the lighting device to the simplest Chinese timer, costing 200-300 rubles.

Organization of watering

If you use a vertical planting system, then it is advisable to use a drip irrigation system - either by placing a container with a nutrient solution (water) above the level of the container in which strawberries are grown and ensuring the solution flows through the tubes from a medical "dropper", or initially put into the structure a tube located in the middle of the container and having a bottom (plug) and many small holes d-1 mm. along the entire length of the tube through which watering is carried out.

In "advanced" irrigation systems, you can use a micro-pump for garden fountains or aquariums, which will pump a strictly defined volume of liquid sufficient to moisten the soil. It can also be connected to a timer. Once every two weeks, instead of water, use a solution of mineral fertilizers for irrigation.

Let's sum up

The process of growing strawberries all year round is permanent. It does not allow you to “forget” or postpone any of the listed manipulations. However, this is the lot of any agricultural production - work all year round without days off and holidays.