The first berries in the garden in summer are always our favorite strawberries. We are all looking forward to the opportunity to run in the morning to the treasured, sun-drenched garden bed with a mug or plate and quickly fill it with the long-awaited yummy. But you will also have to put in a lot of effort for a bountiful harvest.
Growing strawberries does not pose any particular difficulties or difficulties, but they still require the implementation of even the slightest rules.
Features of preparing beds for planting
The bed intended for planting strawberries must be clean, weed-free and well-cultivated. It is necessary to loosen the soil with a rake or cultivator; sometimes it is even better to treat it, on the recommendation of experienced gardeners, with a blowtorch (antifungal and restorative therapy). Since strawberries are a very capricious and demanding plant, we prepare the soil for planting very carefully.
Experts often advise making several annual beds, since there is an opinion that the first bed is just beginning to bear fruit, the second year is the most productive, and the third year is already in decline and must be completely replanted at the end of the season. The acidity of the soil should be 5.5-6.5, the soil should also contain humus (3-4% manure, or better yet more, although humus combined only with sandy soil can cause fungal infections, so you need an equal mixture of peat, humus, sand, etc.).
Because of these recommendations and soil requirements for growing strawberries, many people make varied beds on their plots. Some dig rectangles half a meter deep, line them with clay, then place a ball of an equal mixture (peat, humus, sand) there, and cover everything on top with film plus sawdust. Some people make high raised beds, similar to a tall flower bed, filled with the above mixture. Others generally prefer hydroponics for boxes of strawberry sprouts. In general, everyone has their own experience and many years of experimentation are in full swing.
It is also highly recommended to treat and globally clean the top working layer of soil under new landing, because during the work of the bed (ideally, this is a 3-year cycle), the soil gets tired and depleted, and many harmful insects and their larvae accumulate. Experienced gardeners It is not recommended to grow strawberries in beds after tomatoes or potatoes. The break in use should be about 6-7 years. But after grain crops, the soil becomes very suitable for growing strawberries and has a suitable chemical composition.
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Coverings for beds
Many recommend covering new beds with film or, as was previously practiced, roofing felt, sometimes waterproofing, and even pine sawdust for environmental friendliness (pine sawdust or needles have long been used as an antifungal agent and the basis for even building houses: the layer was placed directly on the ground under a wooden or clay floor, especially in wet and rainy conditions climatic conditions). Seedlings should be placed in the film slits in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 30-45 cm from each other. But there is an opinion, based on personal gardening practice, that the film accumulates fungi, mold and insect larvae; Moreover, it is not environmentally friendly and unhygienic.
Nowadays agrofibre is becoming very popular, the reviews about it are quite good: the ground receives sufficient aeration, weeds germinate less easily, and the berries then do not touch the ground, the harvest is cleaner and there is less risk of rotting.
Such ground covering technologies are due to the need to preserve seeds if we're talking about about germinating seeds for strawberry seedlings, and the need for free access to sunlight during the germination period, as well as the further competitive ability of sprouted seedlings against grass and weeds.
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Preparing seeds and seedlings for planting
Seeds take about 25-30 days to germinate. Young sprouts are very delicate, and they also require very gentle watering: a gentle stream of water and not directly on the sprouts. The soil must be kept constantly moist - young seedlings should not dry out.
If we are already planting seedlings in the prepared soil, then before planting them in the formed holes, the seedlings themselves need to be trimmed a little root system and dip in potassium permanganate. If the seedlings are not grown, but purchased, and even “dormant”, they first need to be inspected, cleaned and awakened, after keeping them in a warm, sunny place. The best time for planting is May-June. Preferably warm, settled weather.
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Soil fertilization
Strawberries need careful and high-quality fertilizer.
In principle, a variety of soils are suitable, you just need to be careful about fertilizing them: in the fall (in October), manure is added to the plowed soil, and in the spring, during the planting period, the necessary nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium are added. Strawberries need to be fed well. Analysis and monitoring for the presence of required quantity nutrients in the soil.
Also, based on the results, further adjustments are made to the required rates of mineral fertilizer application. Magnesium, for example, is added before preparing the soil, phosphorus - before planting the strawberries themselves, nitrogen and potassium - half before planting, half as fertilizing during the flowering and growing season. For 1 hectare, 50 kg of phosphorus, 80 kg of nitrogen, 100 kg of potassium and 100 kg of magnesium are taken. Experts also recommend adding micronutrient supplements. Strawberries are also required to be mulched twice a year. The first - during the ripening of the first harvest, the second - in the fall. Mulching is carried out with peat and sawdust; some prepare their own version from herbs growing in the garden. Strawberries should be mulched between the rows without touching the leaves.
Probably every person who works on personal plot, at least once in my life I tried. And many abandoned this idea as soon as they encountered a number of problems typical for a strawberry patch. This article will tell you how to make the process of growing strawberries easier using modern technologies.
First, let's list the main problems that arise in the process of growing strawberries. These include:
- rapid growth of weeds
- an ever-growing array of strawberry "whiskers"
- difficulties with harvesting (due to rapid overgrowth with “mustaches”)
- a huge number of slugs that spoil both bushes and crops
It’s also difficult to keep the garden bed in order, because the strawberry bushes cover all the free space with leaves.
Many problems gave rise to many solutions to the situation, each of which led to new difficulties:
- It’s easier to walk along the pyramid bed, but it breeds ants
- Chemicals help against slugs, but I don’t want to eat strawberries like this anymore
- varieties of strawberries have appeared, but they are tough and not tasty
- It is convenient to harvest strawberries growing on a pergola, but such strawberries freeze and generally do not live for long.
Modern technologies offer us new opportunities. And such an opportunity (in terms of setting up a strawberry bed) is the use of agrofibre.
Setting up a strawberry bed on agrofibre
The advantages of planting strawberries on agrofibre are obvious:
- the garden bed is easy to care for (weeds do not grow, “mustaches” do not grow)
- there are practically no slugs in such a bed (the water remains under a layer of agrofibre, and on top everything is dry, and the slugs are uncomfortable)
- it is easy to harvest, as you can quickly remove the mustache and clear the paths from them
- Ants, mole crickets and other garden inhabitants do not settle in the garden bed.
Materials and tools
What do we need to create such a strawberry bed that is easy to care for?
- agrofibre (we buy it in garden stores, based on the size of the intended bed)
- stones or paving slabs(useful for securing the edges of agrofibre, as well as for arranging paths)
- thick wire (we will bend pins from it to secure the agrofiber more firmly)
- shovel
- sharp knife
- planting material (strawberries)
Make a bed like this better in spring when you can buy seedlings in a store or market. Although many prefer to know that they are buying and taking seedlings with fruits at the height of the season. Both options are good, but if you buy bushes with berries, plant them somewhere separately, wait for the “mustache” and let them grow. For the garden bed we will need young bushes that are already next year will begin to actively bear fruit. After 3-4 years, old bushes will become completely unusable and will need to be thrown away.
When everything you need is already at your disposal, we begin to create a garden bed.
Stage one. Soil preparation
We determine the place where we will make the bed. Strawberry loves sunny places(it doesn’t matter to her whether there is wind there, but there should be sun for most of the day). We mark the area and dig up the ground in the place where we will have a bed.
You will determine the shape and size yourself, based on your own wishes. The only thing that is better to remember is that agrofibre has standard width(usually 1.5 meters), it will need to be laid in strips, and the joints in it will not stick together. Therefore, an excellent option would be a rectangular bed, or a square with one of the long sides being a multiple of the width of the canvas.
We dig up the soil inside the marked area, loosen it with a rake (take this stage responsibly, since you won’t have to dig in this place in the next three to four years)
Second stage. Agrofibre flooring
This is also a crucial stage. Now you need to measure the strips of agrofibre in accordance with the shape and size of the bed, lay it on the ground and secure it.
First we prepare the studs. To do this, cut the wire into equal pieces of 70-80 cm and bend each piece in half. We will use these pins to secure the agrofibre to the ground.
We overlap the agrofibre so that one layer overlaps the second by at least 20 cm.
Now we fix the agrofibre sheets to each other and to the ground. First, we press down the corners and joints with stones (paving slabs, boards or any other materials that are at hand), and then we fasten the agrofibre to the ground with pins.
Third stage. Track arrangement
Any path should make it easier to move around the garden bed and process plants. Calculate the distances so that you can easily reach each bush without any extra effort.
Of course, there are some average standards, but the easiest way is to check the distance to suit your individual needs. Simply squat down (or bend over, depending on how you are used to working on the ground) and extend your arm forward. Now measure the distance from your feet to the places where you reached with your hand. Multiply by two to get the distance between the tracks.
For such a bed, paths are needed not only for direct use, but also as an additional fixation of agrofibre to the ground. If there are joints in the garden beds, it is better to lay the path along these joints. For a rectangular bed without joints, we can recommend placing several paths diagonally.
If you have square paving slabs (usually their size is approximately 40x40 cm), then we can recommend placing not a solid path, but rather separate islands in the garden bed.
We press down the edges around the perimeter with wild stone or the same material from which the paths were laid.
That's all. The bed is ready for planting strawberries.
Stage four. Landing
We have already said that it is better to take young bushes (if you are creating a garden bed in the spring); if you start this business in the fall, buy seedlings that are the grown-in tendrils of this year. Flowers will appear on them in the spring.
First, we make markings (for example, with chalk or simply put small pebbles in the places where the bush is planned to be planted).
Now, in those places where the bushes will be located, we make a cross-shaped cut with a knife, and open the resulting corners outward.
We plant a strawberry bush in the resulting hole, and wrap the corners inside the hole.
Strawberries do not like deep planting. Make sure that the rosette of leaves is at ground level.
We repeat the operation with each bush.
After planting, you need to water each bush separately (from a watering can into the hole). In a day or two, it will be possible to install a stationary waterer connected to the water supply system in the flowerbed.
Now all that remains is to take care of the garden bed.
Caring for a strawberry bed
Strawberries don't like water, but they don't like dryness either. In hot summers, water the bed 2-3 times a week, preferably in the evening. In cooler times, watering is reduced.
Since you will not be replanting the bushes in the near future, do not forget to fertilize them (ask for special fertilizers for strawberries in stores). It is more convenient to use liquid (soluble) fertilizers, which are applied from a watering can, according to the instructions. Granular fertilizers are also acceptable. They need to be scattered evenly over the garden bed, and not under the bushes.
In the spring, you will need to cut off the old leaves on the bushes, and in the fall, remove the tendrils and foliage that was on the bush all summer, leaving only two or three young leaves.
Caring for such a bed is very simple, and harvesting brings only pleasant sensations.
In one place, strawberries can grow for up to 6 years, but the peak of its active fruiting occurs in the 3rd and 4th years of growth. Therefore, prepare the bed for this berry thoroughly. I give an example of how I make strawberry beds.
My rules for cultivating land for strawberries or any other plantings are almost the same. The main thing in this treatment is not to use chemicals. If I sometimes have to use chemicals, I try to do it with caution and to a minimum.
I dig up the earth, make a trench, put compost inside and bury it. I sprinkle the mineral fertilizer Superphosphate on top (the norm is in accordance with the instructions). If you have sand or humus, you can add them to better loosen the soil.
Then I harrow (level) the bed with a rake. Next I water the soil with BIO fungicide - natural protection against fungal and bacterial diseases. I buy the drug in the form of a paste and prepare a liquid solution from it by dissolving 1 part of the paste in 2 parts of rainwater (the solution can be stored in this form for the entire season). And then I prepare a working solution from this basic solution: 1 tbsp. l. liquid preparation per 10 l. water - per 1 sq. m.
If there is a black covering material - spunbond - then I cover the bed with it for a couple of weeks; if there is no material, then you can cover it with film or even boards. The soil should remain moist.
The compost I use is immature and that's what's good about it. After all, after just a couple of weeks, the soil is transformed (this can be clearly seen in the video below)! It becomes crumbly, blacker in color, and the number of earthworms increases. My strawberries grow in one place for up to 4 years, and for the first two years I feed the berries very little - the berries receive their main nutrition from compost and properly prepared soil.
The berry tolerates increased acidity soil, so I don’t scatter any dolomite or slaked lime. But ash can be added when planting.
I make the width of the strawberry bed approximately 70-80 cm. I place two rows of bushes on it at a distance of 20-25 cm from the edge and 30-35 cm, one row from the other and between the bushes. If possible, I fence the beds with slate so that the edges do not crumble, but the main thing is that there are no slugs on the plant. They, with their delicate bodies, are simply not able to crawl along the rough surface of slate.
After planting the strawberries, I water the bed thoroughly.
I once planted strawberries under spunbond. Freed myself from weeding and frequent watering, but ants often appear under the material. This is a photo from previous years.
I have often read that the most good time for planting strawberries from July 25 to August 10. But I plant strawberries later. The main thing I follow is that the prepared bed must remain covered for at least 2 weeks and the seedlings must be planted no later than August 25th. Remember that planting times vary in each region.
On the slate (or any other edging) I always make a mark with a marker - the year the strawberries were planted.
When planting new bushes, I make sure to cut off all the leaves, and most of the leaves on the runners, leaving no more than two. Strawberries have time to grow greenery and prepare for winter long before the onset of sub-zero night temperatures.
Author of the article: Love
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It is impossible to imagine a garden without garden strawberries. The large, sweet, aromatic berry is a wonderful dessert. But to grow it, you will have to work hard.
We choose a site, preferably with loamy, slightly acidic soil. The best predecessor for strawberries would be dill, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, but not potatoes and tomatoes. Carefully level the area, apply mineral and organic fertilizers- 35 grams of special “strawberry” fertilizer and 3-5 kilograms of lying manure on square meter. If it's not there, it doesn't matter. If finances allow, cover the beds with a special black covering film - you will get rid of the weeding work and save the crop from diseases. Gray rot can spoil up to 30% of the harvest. If you can’t buy film, prepare straw or stands for bushes so that the berries do not touch the ground.
Mark the location of the bushes: the width of the row is 60 centimeters, the distance between the bushes in the row is 20-25 centimeters. Make cross-shaped cuts in the film and plant young strawberry seedlings.
There are many varieties of garden strawberries. Here in the Kaliningrad region the following are popular: Zenga Zengana, Korona, Kama, Polka, Malinka and others, offers for varieties are updated all the time. Decide which strawberries you need more - early, middle or late, or maybe remontant. Water thoroughly and the plantation is established.
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