Is it possible to grow strawberries in a pot on the balcony at home?

Strawberries are a very tasty and healthy berry, which you want to feast on all year round. Of course, you can go to the nearest supermarket and get this delicious treat. And you can grow this delicacy on the balcony, it is not only not very difficult, but also very beautiful.

Is it possible to grow strawberries on the balcony all year round

Growing strawberries on the balcony is not only possible, but also very convenient.... Growing this sweet berry on the balcony is a very common method, as with proper care, fresh and tasty berries will always be at hand.

Glazed balconies located on the south side are most suitable for growing berries, since the sun must illuminate the plant for at least 6 hours a day.

The following advantages can be highlighted growing strawberries on a glazed loggia:

1. In a small area, you can get a good harvest, since the containers with strawberries do not take up much space.
2. If you want to feast on a juicy berry, you do not need to go far or drive behind it, it is always at hand.
3. Ease of care. If the first signs of pests and diseases appear on the plant, you can immediately notice them and take the necessary measures.
4. With proper organization, you can get a crop even in winter.
5. Environmental friendliness of the berry.
6. Aesthetic component - on the balcony it smells very nice and tasty with strawberries.

Glazed balconies located on the south side are most suitable for growing berries.

Planting berries on the loggia must be approached very responsibly, determine the place, choose the right varieties and convenient containers.

If the balcony faces the wrong side, you should not deny yourself the pleasure of growing strawberries, you just need to take care of additional lighting and insulation of the balcony.

Attention: strawberries are very afraid of drafts and cold wind, therefore, the airing of the balcony should be carried out in calm, sunny weather.

Tips for growing strawberries on balconies:

Which varieties are the most suitable for growing

There are no special varieties suitable specifically for landing on the balcony. In the markets and in specialized stores, they can offer the most suitable varieties, but they can just as well be grown in the country.

Therefore, it is worth choosing plants that are least susceptible to diseases, having tasty, juicy fruits and giving a good harvest, preferably self-pollinated.

The varieties of this berry are initially classified according to the type of fruiting:

• harvest once a year - in spring;
• harvest twice a year - in spring and autumn;
• remontant varieties that yield crops all year round.

When choosing a variety, be sure to take into account that some species can give the first harvest in the year of planting, while others - only for the next season.

The most recommended varieties for planting indoors are the following varieties of berries: Roxana, Zagornaya, Queen Elizabeth, Festivalnaya, Rusanka, Desnyanka.

Roxana, Zagornaya, Queen Elizabeth, Festivalnaya, Rusanka, Desnyanka varieties are best suited

Queen Elizabeth variety has beautiful, large and sweet fruits. This plant produces a lot of antennae, so you can provide yourself with your own young rosettes for the whole year.

Festivalnaya grade it is distinguished by a special sweetness, the polo has only a slight sourness. It is not a remontant variety, but it bears fruit for a long time. By the end of fruiting, the size of the berries is almost halved.

Desnyanka variety - high-yielding, mid-season variety. Forms antennae perfectly. The berry has a pleasant sweet and sour taste.

Never purchase strawberry seeds or seedlings from spontaneous markets and unverified sellers, as the stated benefits may be false advertisements.

In what containers to plant

Almost any container is suitable for growing berries at home, from boxes, flower pots to plastic bags.

Many gardeners recommend packages, considering that they create conditions as close as possible to natural ones. It is preferable to choose bags white, two-meter, with a diameter of 200 millimeters.

It is unlikely that more than three bags can be placed on a square meter of the balcony. If you want to have fresh berries all year round, then you should grow it this way.

If strawberries are planted in containers, then it must be roomy: the length is at least 200 centimeters, and the diameter is 20 centimeters.

Planting boxes and pots must have drainage holes

With the right care, strawberries will bear fruit well in any small containers: flower pot, plastic container or hanging basket.

The main requirement for containers is the presence of drainage holes, without them the seedlings will not be able to breathe normally and will die.

It is desirable that for one adult strawberry bush the pot should be at least 3 liters in size.

If there are no holes in the pots, you need to make them yourself., since strawberry seedlings do not like stagnant water. The pots should be hung (ampel method) or raised so that there is free air circulation and excess moisture outflow.

Growing strawberries on the balcony in vertical beds. DIY hydroponics:

Planting bushes:

What soil is needed for planting

For strawberries, soil is more important.with which the container is filled. You can buy special soil in the store, or you can cook it yourself and plant bushes:

• 10 parts of black soil;
• 10 parts of peat;
• 10 parts of humus;
• 3 parts of sawdust;
• 1 part sand.

The entire composition is thoroughly mixed and poured into containers. Then the containers are poured with a solution made up of 200 grams of mullein, ½ teaspoon of copper sulfate and 3 liters of water.

Terms and basic rules for disembarkation

If strawberries are planted as seedlings, then it is worth considering the weather conditions and the characteristics of the room.

If the balcony is closed, well-insulated seedlings can be planted in early April. If the balcony is open - at the beginning of May.

It is not necessary to place the seedling very deeply in the pot., since as a result new leaves cannot appear.

But you can't leave it on the surface either. - the root will dry out. Deepen half of the base so that the leaves and buds are not covered with soil.

Strawberry seedlings should have 6 formed leaves.

If you want to achieve the speedy rooting of seedlings, it should be watered with a solution of heteroauxin: 1 tablet is diluted with 5 liters of water.

Subject to the presence of an insulated balcony, seedlings can be planted in September.

Seedlings for planting should have 6 formed leaves

How to pollinate a berry

Most of the time the plant has to be in a closed room, as a result natural pollination is very difficult.

Therefore, to obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to carry out artificial pollination or use self-pollinating varieties of berries. If there is no exchange of pollen, then fruit ovary will not occur.

You can artificially pollinate as follows:

1. Fan assisted... We put the device in the morning near each bush, so that the air flow is directed to the other and slowly move from bush to bush.
2. With your hands... We purchase a natural bristle brush. The brush should be fine. We manually pollinate each flower, moving from one to another. This method is more efficient than the first one.

If it is difficult to carry out artificial self-pollination, it is worth purchasing hybrid self-pollinated seedlings that can bear fruit all year round.

Bolero, Florence, Honey and Corona are especially popular varieties for growing on the balcony.

Such berries are capable of producing crops all year round, the main thing is to worry about proper lighting and thermal insulation.

Self-pollinated hybrid varieties for planting on the balcony: Florence, Honey, Corona and Bolero

Care rules step by step

A good strawberry harvest depends on correct watering, selected capacity and soil, room temperature and illumination. Let's analyze the care step by step.

Strawberries are very light-requiring, it needs sunshine for 14 hours a day or more, so the gardener should worry about artificial lighting on the balcony.

A good option is a fluorescent lamp. Reflectors made of foil can be used.

After planting, the seedling begins to take root and release a mustache. Very quickly, the entire container can be filled with strawberry rosettes.

In order for all the power of the plant to go to the formation of the fruit, mustache should be plucked... They can be planted in other containers or left for storage.

The berry needs light, the removal of the mustache, watering every other day, adherence to the temperature regime

Some growers recommend picking the first flower on the plant., believing that the seedling will form more flowers, which will accordingly increase the yield.

The main thing when caring for strawberries is follow watering rules... Very often peat does not allow moisture to pass through well, so you can put pots with plants in the water.

When the pot is saturated with water, it will go down. Dry pots float for a while.

Watering should be done every other day, not forgetting to sprinkle the leaves, berries and flowers of the plant with water.

Important: watch the temperature, if it drops below 14 degrees, the strawberries stop blooming and bearing fruit, if the temperature exceeds 35 degrees, the plant weakens and gets sick.

Fertilize seedlings at least twice a month.... Specialized fertilizers and cow dung are introduced into the soil, which should be diluted: 20 parts of water for one part of manure.

It is better if the manure is already fermented. Fresh manure is diluted one to two and settled for 7 days. Then it divorces 1 in 20.

Strawberries can be left to winter on the loggiaif the temperature inside is above 5 degrees below zero. It is worth insulating containers with berries with sawdust and needles.

Do not forget about airing the roots and stems of the plant, otherwise the process of decay may begin and the seedling will die.

In winter, the bushes are practically not watered, as the root can freeze or rot.

In winter, the berry is practically not watered, containers can be insulated with sawdust or needles

If the balcony is very warm and it is possible to create additional lighting, then fresh berries can be enjoyed even in December.

As you can see from the above, the process of growing strawberries on the balcony is not very difficult. Using simple guidelines, with some diligence and hard work you can provide the whole family with this berry.

DIY pods have more flavor harmony than store-bought pods.

Felix

1 4

This berry will give you delicious fruits and the beauty of its flowers.

Greetings, my dear readers!

If you want to set up a mini-garden in the apartment for growing healthy and tasty agricultural crops, pay attention to strawberries. It is a storehouse of essential minerals and vitamins. At the same time, it is desirable that the strawberries on the balcony and windowsill be repaired.

The berries on such a plant ripen all year round and do it quickly. In addition, from the point of view of aesthetics, during flowering, and then fruiting, remontant strawberries are in no way inferior to decorative flowers.

About varieties of remontant strawberries that can be grown all year round

At the moment, breeders have bred a huge number of various varieties of cultivated strawberries. However, not all of them are suitable for indoor cultivation.

For cultivating berries on the balcony, it is optimal to choose remontant strawberries, both ampelous and bush. It grows well and looks beautiful on the windowsills of premises or loggias.

Optimal views

Queen Elizabeth has fantastically large berries.

Such strawberries will bear fruit all year round. In addition, it has an impressive variety of shapes and colors of flowers, sizes and colors of berries.

Various varieties of year-round garden strawberries have white, pink or cream flowers, large, medium and small berries. Agricultural fruits are red, yellow and cream in color.

Therefore, strawberries can be a true decoration of the house. Especially if you cultivate several varieties of it, different in size and color.

Traditionally, the following varieties of berries are considered the most suitable for growing on a loggia and balcony:

• "Queen Elizabeth";
• Regina;
• "Alexandria";
• Baron Solemacher;
• "Lord";
• Zenga-Zengana.

Large-fruited hybrids (marking F-1), which are suitable for growing in pots, are especially appreciated by amateur gardeners:

• "Alyuba";
• "Home Delicacy";
• Elan;
• "Florence";
• "Moscow Delicacy",
• "Elizabeth II", etc.

In the photo - strawberry "Yellow Miracle".

Take a closer look at high-yielding varieties and hybrids with pink flowers of different tones and not so large, but fragrant berries:

• Sakhalinskaya;
• Floriana;
• Sakhalin Seedling;
• World Debut;
• "Yellow Miracle";
• "Novel";
• "Lizonka", etc.

Before growing this crop, please note that there are now three new hybrid varieties of remontant strawberries. They were bred by German breeders. They are already directly intended for cultivation at home. This is:

• "Balcony Stream";
• Balcony Charm;
• "Balcony cloud".

What kind of agriculture to choose for the balcony

Seeds of a balcony variety of garden strawberries "Home Delicacy".

Now I will talk about the best, in my opinion, strawberry varieties for growing on a loggia / balcony.

1. Queen Elizabeth holds the record for yield. Has large berries, their sour-sweet taste is very pleasant. This variety is bushy and really needs a truly royal care. Containers for this culture should have a volume of at least 45 liters, and you will have to fertilize the strawberries themselves in various ways and often.

If you own a small balcony, you will have to give up the cultivation of "Queen Elizabeth". However, on a medium and large loggia, you can perfectly combine volumetric containers with bushes of this culture and small hanging baskets (pots) with small-fruited berries of a different variety.

2. "Homemade delicacy".The name exhaustively speaks about the taste of this berry. With regard to agricultural technology, the main advantages of the variety are easy cross-pollination and a relatively compact root system.
   It is not difficult to find a container for such a bush, it grows well in small pots. The variety has small fruits, but you can harvest high berries.
3. "Sarian" is considered by gardeners to be the best choice for cultivation with their own hands, not without reason. This plant rarely gets sick, it is resistant to heat and cold. Thanks to these features, it is suitable for growing both on open balconies / loggias and on glazed ones.
   The berries on the bush ripen large and taste very good. The only drawback is that Sarian's harvest is small. You will only gain about two kilograms of berries from each plant.

Strawberry variety "Sarian" - the royal choice

4. "Kama" is perfect for cultivation on balconies and loggias. The variety bears fruit abundantly and several times a year. Large berries are brightly colored, look very beautiful and are great for canning.
   The fruits are stored for a long time and do not lose their presentation during transportation.

High-yielding variety "Supprim".

5. Supprim is a high-yielding and parthenocarpic (self-pollinated) crop. The main advantage of the variety is its ability to bear fruit all year round and even in winter. Supprim's fruits are very sweet and medium in size.
   This type of strawberry needs to maintain a stable temperature regime throughout the cold season of the year. As a result, this crop should be grown only on an insulated and glazed balcony or loggia.

Best Potted Variety for Winter Growing

This variety is the most suitable for winter cultivation.

If we mention the cultivation of strawberries all year round, then in my personal opinion the best choice for this would be the hybrid of the first generation F-1 "C-141". Such a culture grows well in the garden, delighting others with large flowers of a dark pink color.

However, it grows well in pots. They can be transferred to indoor windowsills at the end of the spring-summer season when it gets cold.

In winter, such strawberries will continue to delight you with their beautiful color and aromatic berries that are gradually ripening. The relative disadvantages of the winter "S-141" - the fruits in the cold season are smaller and not very sweet.

I will acquaint you in more detail with this variety.

1. The bushes of the plant are of medium size and very large shiny dark green leaves.

This culture has beautiful pink flowers.

2. In summer, the culture grows widely due to the formation of horns. Umbrella peduncles protrude above the bush, 7-10 flowers appear on them.
3. The first color is very large, comparable in size to the color of the rose hips. It has a pleasant dark pink tone. The berries are dark red in color and have superficial seeds.
   In shape, the berries are similar to forest strawberries: rounded-conical and elongated, up to 2 centimeters long. Beautiful fruits smell strong and pleasant.
4. This variety grows antennae a little. They immediately begin to bloom and are "clones" of the parent bush. As a result, these tiny copies grow to adult plants by the fall.
5. From mid-July to autumn, the plantings of S-141 strawberries are very beautiful. Large dark pink flowers rise above their dark green leaves in real bouquets.
   At the same time, the plants, like a necklace, are constantly decorated with dark red fruits. On top of that, this beauty exudes a pleasant strawberry aroma.

The taste qualities of the berries of this varietal hybrid are not the highest, although they are aromatic and sweet. Based on this, in the summer season, it is better to choose other, more delicious types of garden strawberries for planting. Leave the S-141 for the winter.

Growing berries at home

Seeds of remontant strawberries.

Reconstruction types of strawberries on the loggia / balcony are grown from seeds. You can purchase them in any special store for gardeners or order with delivery in the online store.

How to choose the composition of the soil

The success of any event primarily depends on the correct provision of the required conditions for its implementation. Since strawberries are not a common agricultural crop for cultivation in an apartment, therefore, you must approach the matter in a special way. For example, carefully select the soil for the berry.

Special soil for the cultivation of remontant strawberries must contain such components in equal proportions (first 4 points).

1. Peat.
2. Biologically active humus. Its role can be played by manure and bird humus (compost).
3. Vermiculite or perlite.
4. Quartz sand. Best of all, if it is river. Such material, in contrast to the quarry analogue, contains a higher percentage of nutrients.
5. Mineral and organic fertilizers. However, keep in mind that the cleanest environmentally friendly nutrient for plants is wood ash.

Ready soil for plants.

The soil substrate for strawberries should not contain excess nitrogenous compounds. Otherwise, a lush crown of leaves will grow near its bushes, and few berries will be tied.

It may turn out that you have never done gardening before. Then I recommend that you buy in a special store along with strawberry seeds and a ready-made soil substrate for it.

Location for berry cultivation

Strawberries need the light of the sun. Based on this, it is necessary to grow it where it will receive the maximum required lighting and heat.

1. The best option for growing berries is a balcony on the south side of the house. The worst choice is the northern room, where the plants will have to be provided with lighting using phyto-lamps.
   On the western and eastern balconies, it is necessary to additionally illuminate the bushes in the first and second half of the day.
2. If you take these conditions into account, then strawberries will delight you with berries until late autumn.

Pots with strawberry bushes are best hung or placed not outside, in the inside of the loggia / balcony. These delicate plants do not like wind and excess draft.

We plant seeds in the prepared substrate

Having decided on the varieties of strawberries that you will cultivate and, having acquired seeds, as well as a soil substrate, start planting yourself.

1. Seed material for seedlings, if it is possible to provide it with additional lighting, can be sown in the time period from January to early March.
2. When there is no artificial highlighting, take your time with planting. Sow in April, then there will already be enough sunlight. Otherwise, the seedlings will grow strongly, and they will develop poorly.

Home seed stratification.

Before planting, mix the seeds with disinfected sand (for example, roasted in the oven) ahead of time. Seeds should also be stratified. You can do it like this:

1. A few days before sowing, put the seeds in the refrigerator for three days.
2. At the same time, maintain a stable temperature regime from -3 degrees to -5.
3. Moisten the soil before planting. Plant the seeds shallow, only slightly covering them on top with soil.
4. To create a favorable microclimate, namely the greenhouse effect, cover the plantings with polyethylene film. A mini greenhouse is also great for this purpose.

I will tell you about one more way of growing seedlings.

The seeds in the containers started to grow.

1. For sowing strawberry seeds on seedlings, take low (8-10 centimeters) bowls or containers. They should have drainage holes and a drainage layer at the bottom. Fill the containers with a soil medium consisting of a fertilized mixture of sand (one share) and light leafy soil (one and a half shares). Moisten the soil with water.
2. Please note that strawberry seeds are very small.Therefore, it is necessary to sow them superficially and rarely. Slightly press the seeds into the moistened ground or sprinkle them with a thin layer (1-2 millimeters) of the sifted substrate.

Remove condensation under the film.

3. Next, cover the bowls with plantings with film or glass. Shake or wipe off condensation water and ventilate containers from time to time. When it dries, spray the soil with a spray bottle.
4. Until the time when the seedlings hatch, keep the containers in the dark.
5. The desired temperature regime for seed germination is approximately + 18˚. At higher temperatures, the seeds will sprout more slowly. Stratification of seed material will increase germination. To do this, it must be kept for at least 10 days at low positive temperatures (+ 3 / + 7˚).

Strawberry sprouts are formed unevenly.

6. Strawberry seedlings do not germinate evenly. The first sprouts emerge after 14 days; they appear en masse after about three to four weeks.
7. When this happens, remove the film from the plates and put the sprouts in a cool and light area (+ 15-17˚).
8. When germinating seedlings, gently moisten the soil between the tender strawberry shoots. At the same time, do not allow the soil to dry out and excessive waterlogging. Otherwise, the seedlings will die.
9. Too densely growing seedlings you will have to thin out. Otherwise, the development of plants will slow down.

We equip seedlings for permanent habitat

The sprouts are ready to be transplanted to a permanent location.

1. Strawberry seedlings are transplanted into light nutritious soil when two or three true leaves grow.
2. In this case, it is important to root the shoots at the same depth level at which they germinated before. In other words, you should not bury and raise the core of the bush above the ground level.
3. When the sprouts after transplanting take root and begin to grow actively, begin to harden them. Place the pots on an open balcony and teach them the sun and fresh air.
4. Plants are planted in a permanent place when the spring frost ends. As a rule, bushes have already grown 6-7 true leaves by a given period of time.

Correct planting depth of shoots.

5. When transplanting several shoots into one pot or container, keep in mind that the step between them should be at least 10-30 centimeters. The specific distance between strawberry bushes depends on their variety.
6. Choose a sunny plot on the balcony for pots with strawberries. Water the sprouts regularly, especially when rooting after a dive.
7. You can achieve good fruiting only when the seedlings receive all the necessary nutrients from the ground.

Therefore, it is necessary to dive the seedlings into such containers in which there will be a lot of space for the growth of the root system. My instructions are as follows: usually, these are boxes, pots, flowerpots, containers with a volume of at least 3 liters.

You can even grow seedlings in a plastic bottle.

• The specific volume of the vessel must correspond to the selected strawberry variety.
• Ensure that containers are drained. For this purpose, make holes in their bottoms so that excess water does not accumulate in the soil. Place gravel, expanded clay or small pebbles on the bottom of the vessels. This layer will help excess moisture to drain out without problems during watering.
• Pour soil substrate onto the drainage layer. Please note that the seedling soil should be at room temperature. This will help the sprouts to adapt and promote the growth of the root system.

I warn you that when transplanting strawberry seedlings, shaking off the soil from the roots is extremely undesirable. And a very small damage can cause the death of the sprout.

This can be used to prune roots and leaves.

When you are unable to transplant a sprout with a soil lump, trim the roots slightly before diving. Please note that interacting with air, the tips of the roots quickly die off.

Use sharp garden shears to trim the roots. When diving, make sure that the root collar is not damaged.It should not remain under the ground.

How to care for a plant

Growing strawberries on the balcony before they bloom requires close observation of the plants and timely care. They will be the key to a good harvest.

With an insufficient vessel size and poor ventilation of the balcony / loggia, the growth and development of the bushes slows down. As a result, periodically spray the plants with feeding solutions. Top dressing is also good as a preventive measure.

So the sprouts will receive additional nutrient and mineral compounds they need for health. Feed the strawberries about once every 10 days.

Pinch the growing tendrils regularly and in a timely manner. So you will help the plant to form correctly (according to agricultural technology). Then all the vital energy of the bush will begin to go into the leaves, the setting and growth of fruits, and not on the expansion in breadth.

Growing and caring for remontant strawberries on the balcony also presupposes the creation of conditions for high fruiting. Here are my recommendations for doing this.

1. To improve the fruiting of strawberries, remove the buds that grow first. When new leaves appear on the bush in a safe amount, do not touch the next color.

Special fertilizer for strawberries.

2. The formation of ovaries and the appearance of fruits can be accelerated if the leaves are periodically sprayed with a growth stimulant. You also need to feed the plant roots with mineral and organic fertilizers.
   At the same time, do not overdo it and strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturers of the formulations. Otherwise, you can get the opposite effect or even destroy the berry.
3. In order for the root system and ovaries to form correctly, strawberries need to be fed with iron ions. In this case, you do not have to buy store products.
   Dig in small pieces of corrosive iron into the soil. In the course of oxidative processes, plants will receive the necessary substances.

Pollination of color with a brush.

4. You will have to pollinate the female color yourself. For this purpose, a soft small brush or cotton ball will do.

Strawberries will give their first harvest 4-5 months after sowing seeds. 2-3 years after planting, strawberry bushes grow very much. To rejuvenate them, dig up the plants, divide them and plant them in a new vessel.

What is needed for culture in winter

The main advantage of strawberries is that they are a perennial crop.... Its bushes will delight you with their color and fruits for several years. Based on this, provide a comfortable wintering for the plants (if they are not repaired):

1. In the second decade of October, cut off all inflorescences and leaves from the bushes. Divide and repot the plants as needed. Cut off the roots and disinfect them with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
2. It is best to overwinter the bushes in a place with a moderately cool temperature. The best option is a glazed and insulated loggia or balcony.
3. Water your strawberries very sparingly during the cold season. It is not necessary to nourish it at all during this period. The air temperature should not fall below 0˚. Watch this carefully.

With the arrival of spring, strawberries will sprout fresh sprouts, turn green and bloom, and then give you delicious fruits.

About curly strawberries

This is how curly strawberries grow.

You can plant curly strawberries on your balcony. This agriculture will give you tasty and fragrant fruits from the beginning of June until the onset of frost.

In addition, for example, the remontant Garland variety will decorate the balcony with waves of thin stems dotted with white, green leaves, ripening yellow and red, already ripe berries.

Amateur gardeners usually cultivate a climbing berry on trellis supports. They allow "vines" to look great and reach a significant height. Now manufacturers have begun to produce special plastic support nets in various colors for climbing crops.

Having presented a modest harvest in early June, the curly berry plant begins to actively grow shoots with antennae until the second decade of August. Additional rosettes soon form on the processes (there are several on each antenna).

If you do not equip trellises for plants, these sockets will take root in the ground and a new bush will develop from them. On the support, young sprouts form in the air, receiving nourishment from the uterine berry. In the first decade of August, the shoots give color and begin to bear fruit.

Curly berry on a trellis.

The trellis support not only allows the climbing strawberries to fully show their decorative abilities, but also protects them from diseases that may appear from contact with the ground.

During the autumn cold, wrap the trellis on the open balcony with covering material. Then you will be able to harvest until late autumn. For the entire season, one plant is capable of producing about a pound of fragrant berries.

Conclusion

Strawberries are a miracle on the balcony!

I told you how to grow strawberries on the balcony. The agricultural technology of this process is not very complicated, the main thing is to do everything correctly and in a timely manner. The price of pleasure is also negligible.

The video in this article will show you a lot more interesting things. Ask questions in the comments if something is not clear to you.

Hereby I say goodbye, and success in your endeavors!

September 8, 2016

If you want to express gratitude, add clarification or objection, ask the author something - add a comment or say thank you!

The city balcony will begin to bear fruit in the literal sense of the word, if you organize a small vegetable garden on it. You can grow anything - from healthy greens to tomatoes. But it is especially pleasant when you are greeted in the morning by delicious, fragrant strawberries grown by your own hands: the balcony has all the conditions for making this dream come true. Let's consider step by step how to choose a variety, create a suitable microclimate and achieve a good harvest as a result.

Conditions for growing strawberries on the balcony

They say that garden strawberries are not picky berries, they develop with ease, bloom and bear fruit even in inappropriate conditions. However, letting the growth process take its course is risky, because even in greenhouse conditions it is not always possible to achieve the desired result.

Even in the photo, red juicy berries look fresh and appetizing.

In order for the seedlings to take root well, and to start flowering on time, a number of requirements must be met:

• Try to withstand the temperature regime. The favorable temperature for planting seeds in the ground is + 18 ° С, when the first shoots appear, it must be lowered to + 14 ° С, and from the moment the first flowers appear and throughout the entire fruiting period, it should be increased to at least + 20 ° С.
• Provide good lighting. Garden strawberries love not only warmth, but also light, so the best option for growing is a balcony or loggia facing the south side of the building. If there is not enough natural light, phytolamps are installed. The minimum "daylight hours" for a berry crop should not be shorter than 11-12 hours.
• Observe the rules of care: prepare containers for planting, pick up nutritious soil, organize a transplant in time, make regular watering, and carry out the pollination procedure correctly.

To bring the conditions for growing strawberries on the balcony closer to natural conditions, regularly ventilate the room, but beware of drafts, a sharp wind is contraindicated for the plant.

Benefits of remontant strawberries

Southerners are accustomed to the fact that during the long summer, strawberries yield several times, but the northern climate allows you to harvest a succulent crop only once - around the middle of summer. In order for the berries to appear on the bushes 2-3 times per season, remontant varieties have been specially bred.If you choose the right variety, provide the culture with good care, then remontant strawberries on the balcony will bear fruit all year round - from spring to December, that is, about 3-4 times.

The limited volume of the container is not an obstacle to rapid fruiting

All remontant varieties are usually divided into 2 groups: DSD and NSD. The first abbreviation means that the buds of a plant appear with a long daylight hours, and the second - with incomplete daylight. The crops of the first type are more capricious, therefore they are limited to a double harvest (in July and early September), but not all of them withstand the second fruiting. The second type is unpretentious, so we advise you to choose any of its representatives.

Of the remontant varieties, preference should be given to ampelous plants, since they are easier to place in pots on the walls. The lower tiers can be set aside for bush crops with large berries.

What varieties are suitable for the balcony

Specific varieties of strawberries for the balcony are chosen at their discretion. The main thing is that they take root well and develop further in greenhouse conditions. However, experienced gardeners already know which species have worked well, here are some of them:

• Queen Elizabeth II. They fell in love with her for her productivity and pleasant sweet and sour taste. Bushes bear fruit all year round, while the berries are large, juicy. A feature of cultivation is the increased volume of the planting container, since the root system is relatively large.
• Homemade delicacy. This is a special variety developed for growing on terraces, loggias, balconies. With proper watering and frequent airing, the plant bears fruit until the very cold and produces a crop of relatively medium-sized (5 cm), but numerous berries. The advantage is a small root system that allows planting in conventional flower pots.
• Supreme. Refers to self-pollinated crops, which makes plant maintenance easier. This variety loves loose soil and light moisture, so mulch from moss and bark can be added to the soil. Fruiting occurs until October, and under suitable conditions all year round. Each bush can bring up to 2 kg of strawberries for the entire period.
• Moscow delicacy. Differs in good germination - about 80-85% of seeds sprout and develop according to schedule. About 4 months after sowing, you can enjoy your first harvest. This plant is known not only for its delicious fruits, but also for its large, beautiful flowers.

Some varieties, in addition to rich fruiting, are highly decorative. For example, Tuscany strawberry bushes are covered with bright pink flowers. The berries are medium-sized, but appear in large quantities. Regular maintenance of the crop and growing this remontant variety on the balcony turns a small room into a real garden.

Magnificent bloom of wild strawberries Tuscany

In addition to the listed varieties, pay attention to Kama, Clery, Darselect, Florence, Festivalnaya, Desnyanka, Roxana, Zagornaya, Rusanka, Bolero. Each variety has its own merits. For example, Florence berries retain their freshness for a long time and do not spoil, and Kama is considered one of the best garden berries for making preserves and jams.

The main stages of cultivation

Garden strawberries develop well on the balcony and windowsill, but subject to good regular care. This does not differ from her garden relatives, who also need to be planted on the ridges on time, and as the bushes grow, weed, water and timely harvest.

Preparation of containers

It is necessary to start with the preparation of containers in which the strawberry bushes will feel comfortable and free. With a shortage of space for the development of the roots of the crop, you can not wait.

Strawberries in a regular flower pot

Depending on the root system of the selected variety, traditional containers for home cultivation are selected for growing crops:

• flower pots installed on shelves and in wall-mounted pots;
• special narrow boxes for balconies up to 1 m long;
• wide boxes resembling containers for food or bottles;
• baskets with a liner made of dense material;
• special multi-tiered structures from several pots or boxes.

Sometimes simple plastic bags are used, packed tightly with soil and installed on a reliable base or hung along the railing.

Good harvest in an alternative growing container

The minimum size of pots for plants with a compact root system is 0.15 m in diameter, the width of the balcony box is from 0.2 m.The depth should also be at least 0.15 m, but these are minimum indicators, many varieties require a larger volume of soil.

Which soil is better

There are several schemes for compiling fertile soil specifically for growing garden strawberries. The first popular option is a supermarket gardener mix that will cost you a small amount. However, a similar composition is selected independently, taking peat as a basis. 3 parts of peat account for 1 part of river sand and 1 part of vermicompost (humus).

The soil for strawberries should be loose and nutritious.

The second option is collected according to the same principle, but about 20% of chernozem and the same amount of sawdust are added to the total volume. The sawdust function is to create a loose, slightly moist soil that allows the roots to breathe. To prevent the wood from souring, before mixing, the sawdust is treated with urea and a little chalk is added to them.

For protection, a solution of vitriol is added to the soil, and for fertility - natural fertilizers. However, the latter should be introduced with care so that a specific smell does not spread to all homes.

How to grow strawberries from seeds

Many believe that the richest harvest on the balcony is provided by strawberries grown from seeds, when the entire agricultural process is done by hand "from scratch". For ease of maintenance, seeds are sown in long boxes, but not sprinkled with soil on top. After abundantly wetting the soil, they are covered with glass or a thick plastic wrap for insulation and protection from the wind.

As soon as the sprouts hatch, the film is removed, and the containers with the plants are rearranged to a lighted place, closer to the sun.

The appearance of the first leaves on sprouts

The first leaves indicate the time of transplantation.

Planting seedlings

The sprouts are planted in pots, preferably 1 piece, so that the root system develops fully, and the growing process proceeds according to plan. If the roots of the selected variety are not large in size, then standard pots 15 cm x 15 cm are enough. But in each of them it is necessary to arrange drainage: pour a layer of pebbles, fine gravel or gravel on the bottom, in which holes have been made in advance.

The transplanted bushes have bloomed

After planting in a permanent place of growth, the soil can be fertilized with universal growth stimulants or fertilizers recommended for growing garden strawberries. If the seedlings are purchased, and not your own, you can additionally process them - cut off dried roots, remove sluggish leaves.

Care rules

To achieve maximum effect, each bush needs careful and regular care, which includes the following procedures:

• Pruning - removing the bottom three leaves before transplanting (there should be 5-6 pieces left), as well as cutting off the top after the plant has risen by about 10 cm.In the future, you will have to cut off the mustache, and in some cases, extra flowers so that the energy of the plant goes for the nutrition of berries.
• Top dressing with natural or complex fertilizers every 2 weeks. An infusion of eggshell and ash, aged for a week, is suitable (for 3 liters of water - 1 liter of ground shell and a couple of tablespoons of wood ash). Many speak well of the mineral supplement Kemir Lux.
• Watering is carried out regularly, depending on the exactingness and moisture content of the variety.It is also necessary to monitor the temperature and the rate of evaporation of moisture in the pots - it is desirable that the soil does not dry out, but is always slightly damp.

If the bushes are planted in a common box, then the distance between them should be at least 20 cm. In addition to watering, spraying is necessary, which should be carried out every 3-4 days.

Pollination secrets

Not all varieties are self-pollinated, so you have to learn how to pollinate yourself. This is a responsible and scrupulous process, you have to act very carefully. The pollination tool is usually a cotton swab dipped in clean water or a fine art brush with soft bristles.

Brush pollination process

It is necessary to wait until the flowers have fully bloomed and are ready for the procedure. Then take a brush and carefully, trying not to damage the petals, draw it over the stamens and pistils. It is advisable to remember or mark which flowers have already been processed, otherwise the process may take a long time.

When the first berries appear, you will have to check the containers for their ability to withstand the heavy load of the crop. You may need stands for especially fertile plants so that the berries are more free and continue to pour.

Video materials on the rules for growing balcony strawberries

To find out if it is possible to grow strawberries on the balcony, we suggest watching videos with useful tips.

Some private successful experience:

Seed repair strawberry:

Professional recommendations for the selection of varieties:

Tips on growing and how to keep strawberries on your balcony in winter:

The process of obtaining berries on the balcony is very similar to greenhouse cultivation, but at the same time it has its own nuances. By following simple rules, you can achieve amazing results throughout the year. However, for the period of frost, it is better to leave strawberry bushes alone: ​​slightly insulate, shade from the sun's rays and put in a cool room - until spring.

If you really want to grow strawberries, but there is no summer cottage, do not despair.

Start growing strawberries in pots - it's fun!

It is best to grow self-pollinated remontant and ampelous varieties in pots.

Plant strawberry seedlings in a pot, not too densely so that the seedlings touch a little, but do not shade nearby bushes.

Rice. 1. Strawberry ampelous

Choosing a variety of strawberries for growing in pots on the balcony

There are 3 types of strawberries:

- strawberry varieties that give one harvest in the middle of summer;

- varieties that produce berries in spring and autumn;

- remontant, it bears fruit all the time.

Experts advise to buy varieties of remontant strawberries for growing in pots. She has no special requirements for the length of the day, she bears fruit all year round, and the ampelous varieties will hang beautifully from the pots.

For example, gardeners recommend planting "Queen Elizabeth", she has a very large number of berries that are harvested from the bush. She gives a mustache. Also suitable are "Home Dessert", ampelous "Frapendula". "Bolero" does not give a mustache, but it bears fruit all season. These varieties give a harvest already in the first year.

Choosing a variety of strawberries for growing in pots at home

According to the recommendations of people who grow strawberries on the windowsill, the following varieties are best suited for this: "Dutch", "Home delicacy", "Elsanta", "Geneva", "Eros", "Queen Elizabeth 2".

Soil for strawberries

Your best bet is to purchase a ready-made, all-purpose strawberry primer in the store. But you can make the earth yourself. For this, take equal parts of humus, sand and earth.

Or, in the fall, make a compost heap - dig a trench, put leaves in there, put cut grass and tops. Sprinkle with a mixture of humus, sand and earth. Add more ground "Magic Garden" bought in the store. Cover with black foil and sprinkle the edges of the foil with earth. In the spring the soil will be ready.

Take pots with a diameter of 18 cm, drain, as strawberries do not like stagnant moisture. At the bottom of the pots, put fragments from bricks, small pebbles, expanded clay.

Potted strawberries: from seed

1. How do I collect my seeds?

Leave one of the largest berries on the bush. When it is ripe, pick it off, wipe it in a strainer under running cold water, then place it in a glass of water and leave it for 3 days, then the pulp will move away from the seeds. Then rinse and dry on a napkin.

2. Planting seeds

1. Purchase strawberry seeds from your local nursery. It is best to sow in mid-February. Fill the drainage pot halfway with sand, then add the earthy mixture, water thoroughly.

2. Spread the seeds over the surface of the soil. Since they are very small, you can do this with tweezers. Press in the seeds a little.

3. Pour snow on top.

Rice. 2. Planting strawberry seeds

4. Cover the pots with plastic wrap or glass.

5. Expose the pots to the sun. If you are planting strawberries in winter, place the peas near the radiator.

6. Water the plantings. Keep the ground moist, but not too damp. Make sure the soil does not dry out.

7. When the first shoots appear, remove the film. The soil will dry out faster now, so remember to check the soil and water it.

8. Pull out excess shoots. Let the seedlings grow at a distance of 15 cm.

9. Cover the surface of the ground.

Planting seedlings

If you want to plant seedlings taken from your summer cottage in pots, then select healthy bushes, place them in a small container with soil and put them in a cool place for 14 days, so you will provide the bushes with a dormant period. Then gently lift the bush from the temporary container, gently shake off the excess silt.

In order for the seedlings to grow powerful roots, place 1 tablet of heteroauxin in 5 liters of water. Place the seedlings in a heteroauxin solution so that they are saturated with it. Leave it on for 18 hours. Then spread the roots over the surface of the soil in the pot. Sprinkle with soil so that the outlet is above ground level. Compact the soil. Pour water thoroughly, where you see holes, add soil.

Strawberries in pots at home: conditions for flowering and fruiting

Potted strawberries are advised to be placed on the southern and southeastern windowsill, as the bushes like good lighting.

If your strawberry grows in a pot or hanging basket, then turn the container, then the plant will be illuminated from different sides.

In winter, plants require additional lighting, they can be illuminated with fluorescent lamps, so that the culture has a 12 hour day. Strawberries can be watered through a tray, but you should not pour them, or the rhizomes will rot and green algae will appear on the ground. Then oxygen will cease to flow to the rhizomes, and the strawberries will not grow.

If the strawberry leaves are pale, add a pinch of ground coffee to the ground to add nitrogen to the soil. If you notice that the rhizomes are peeking out of the hole in the bottom of the pot, then transplant the bush into a larger pot.

Strawberries love soil with a pH level of 5.3-6.5. You can add a handful of compost to your pot once a month. Once a week, you need to feed the strawberries with an ash solution and a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Stop feeding if ovaries appear.

When the first flower stalks appear, remove them so that the strawberry can grow powerful leaves. The second peduncles grow in 2-3 weeks, but they are much more powerful and stronger than the first. Usually on a peduncle of 7-9 buds. You can cut off 4-5 buds, leaving 3-4 each. Then the berries will be large.

It is necessary to spray the strawberries with well-settled water, as well as substances with iron, as it helps to establish the crop.

In addition, some remontant varieties produce many mustaches, if you want to collect as many berries as possible, then trim the antennae with scissors, as they consume a lot of nutrients and therefore greatly reduce the yield.

In 2 months you will have your first crop.When blooming, brush over the flowers with a soft brush to pollinate them. Pick ripe berries immediately, those that hang for a long time may rot. Bushes cease to harvest for 4 years.

After picking the berries, you need to cut off the leaves and put the pots with bushes in a dark place for 3 months, this will be a dormant period, at this time you need to water the bushes so that the ground is not dry.

Strawberries in pots on the balcony

When planting in pots, leave a distance of 20 cm between the bushes. On the balcony, you can also illuminate strawberries with lamps until 12 o'clock in the afternoon. Pollinate the plants yourself, put a fan in front of the blooming strawberries every day. Watch out for watering, the soil should not be dry, but not too wet. Feed the bushes with fertilizers twice a month.

Pests

Until the buds open, the bushes are sprayed from midges and other insects with a composition of herbs. Take: nettle leaves, celandine, hot pepper pods, pour boiling water. Leave it overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion, dilute with water and spray the bushes.

Spider mites and aphids

A spider mite often appears on unripe berries. It can be seen by a small cobweb on the plants, and diseased leaves turn yellow and dry.

To eliminate the pest, make a tincture: add 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic in 100 g of water and spray the bushes with fresh infusion, it helps well against spider mites and aphids.

Birds

If birds begin to peck at the berries on the balcony, attach a wire mesh over the pot.

Strawberry mite

If you have planted diseased bushes, then in the spring, as soon as the first leaves appear, spray them with the composition "Colloidal Sulfur" or "Karbofos". Spray "Neoron" 10 days before the blooming of the buds.

Rice. 3. Strawberry mite

Wasps

You can put jars of compote on the balcony, then the wasps will be distracted by the compote and will not touch the berries.

Diseases

Fusarium and late blight wilting, with it, necrosis occurs on the edges of the leaves, later the leaves become brown and die off. With late blight wilting, the bushes grow very poorly, the leaves become grayish. Then the rhizomes die off.

If you are planting strawberries with seedlings in pots, then for prevention, before planting, wet the rhizomes with solutions of humate K (with a concentration of 15 g / l) and agate 25k (with a concentration of 7 g / l).

Powdery mildew

With this disease, the leaves curl and acquire a purple color, they have a mealy bloom. If the plant is damaged, it is necessary to spray it with the composition: add 30 g of soap, azocene and copper sulfate and 15 g of "Topaz" to 15 liters of water. But you can use the composition only before the strawberry blossoms.

Rice. 4. Powdery mildew

Gray rot

It is detected by the fact that light brown spots with a fluffy bloom are visible on the berries. The berries dry up and mummify. For prevention, you need to mulch the soil in pots with finely chopped straw or pine needles. In the spring, when the leaves begin to grow, spray the bushes with 2-4% Bordeaux liquid.

Brown leaf spot

Brown spots appear on the leaves and sepals, then they increase.

White leaf spot

Brownish and purple specks appear on the leaves. When the first leaves of the new seedling grow, spray them with 2-4% Bordeaux liquid. When the berries are tied, it is no longer possible to carry out processing until the end of fruiting.

That is, if you do not have a summer cottage or you have nowhere to plant strawberries, then you can plant strawberries in pots and grow them in the room or on the balcony. Strawberries will perfectly decorate windows in an apartment or a loggia, both during flowering and during fruiting.

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