All about growing strawberries and strawberries in winter

Strawberries and strawberries are tasty and healthy berries, but their stay on store shelves and private traders is extremely limited. Many people simply do not have time to eat them, as the berries are already leaving.

Growing strawberries and strawberries in winter is a popular practice that many summer residents have already mastered. The technology has several advantages:

• berries will be available for consumption all year round;
• it is a profitable business if you grow fruits for sale, because strawberries are incredibly expensive in winter;
• the bushes will be protected from adverse weather events: showers, hail, snow, frost;
• the harvest is many times greater, while in the open ground a certain part of it dies immediately;
• judging by the reviews of summer residents, it is much easier to care for the crop in a greenhouse than in open areas.

Seedlings that were dug out of the ground in the fall are planted in greenhouses. Until the right time, such seedlings are stored in the cold, and when the moment comes, they are planted in a greenhouse. It is worth remembering that the bushes will have to provide maximum care, which is not limited to fertilizing, watering and other actions familiar to the gardener. We'll also have to organize lighting, ventilation.

In general, it can be noted that growing berries in a greenhouse in winter is fraught with certain difficulties and inconveniences. It is far from always possible at all. In order to minimize such nuances as much as possible, it is recommended to attend to two things: the correct selection of the variety and the arrangement of the greenhouse.

It is necessary to choose a variety for closed ground as carefully as possible. Not all types of strawberries and winter strawberries will grow in a greenhouse. To make things easier for yourself, use tips from experienced gardeners.

• Indoor it is recommended to choose remontant varieties of berries. They will bear fruit more than once, which will save energy and make it possible to get more harvest.
• The second point to consider is Is how the plants will be pollinated... In large greenhouses for industrial cultivation, beehives are built using Dutch technology. Summer residents who grow berries for themselves may need to arm themselves with a special brush and organize proper ventilation. But it will be even easier to choose self-pollinated crop varieties.
• You should choose fruitful varieties. In a greenhouse, it makes no sense to grow strawberries with weak yields.
• It is necessary to take into account much more: requirements for soil and moisture, planting. Some varieties are much more capricious in care than others. Some do not resist disease well in humid conditions.

If we talk directly about the names of varieties, then in practice the following varieties of culture have shown themselves best:

• "Diamond";
• Selva;
• "Sonata";
• "Marmolada";
• Monterrey;
• "Yellow Miracle";
• "Queen Elizabeth";
• "Polka".

The correct arrangement of the greenhouse includes, first of all, the choice of the greenhouse itself. It is necessary that the material from which the shelter is made is correctly selected. Experts recommend staying on glass or polycarbonate shelters, and here's why:

• with such materials it is easier to provide the necessary conditions;
• the yield will be higher, while the likelihood of getting sick in plants will decrease;
• weather and atmospheric phenomena will not in any way affect the integrity of the shelter and the safety of the plants.

In addition to the material itself, a number of conditions must be met in the greenhouse. The first step is to equip heating. This is best done before installing the permanent structure. If you lay pipes in advance, you will be able to heat the room with hot water. In other cases, summer residents install warm floors. Another option is infrared heaters, which will definitely require electricity to be supplied to the greenhouse. In addition, you will need to install lighting in the room, because in winter daylight hours are not so long, as well as a high-quality ventilation system.

It is worth dwelling in more detail on lamps, which are a very important element of a winter greenhouse.... The norm of light for strawberries is 10-14 days, and the sun is clearly not enough for it. Phyto-luminaires (bio-luminaires) can come to the rescue. An ordinary light bulb, which is at home in a chandelier or sconce, is completely unsuitable for a greenhouse. Here you need special lighting: red or blue. Phyto-lamps will help to achieve it. They can have LED elements, multispectrum and more. Such devices can be installed even where there is no light at all.

Bio-luminaires can emit a special spectrum that will allow strawberries or strawberries to gain mass faster. Thanks to ultraviolet light, the plants form strong and sweet berries. The lamps described are economical, they do not spend a lot of energy, which means they are very good financially.

Before talking about the direct planting of bushes, you should figure out how these same bushes are received and planted. It should be understood that this is a long-term process, so you have to be patient.

The easiest way is to grow them yourself. For this, the variety you like is selected and planted in a nutritious soil. During the first year, the antennae are removed from the plants, but in the second, on the contrary, the strongest shoots are chosen and rooted next to the mother bush. The tendrils that connect the main bush to the rosette can only be cut when the planted plant has strong roots. As soon as this happens, the "kids" can be separated by placing them on another bed or in a separate container.

In the second month of autumn (at approximately zero air temperature), young plants are removed from the ground and planted in a container specially selected for this. Leaves will need to be completely trimmed. The container is brought into a room with a temperature of 0 to -2 degrees. There the seedlings "fall asleep" and will be suitable for use for 9 months.

As soon as the moment of the desired planting comes, you should begin to prepare the soil in the greenhouse. Most often this is the middle of the second month of winter. Until this moment, it is important that the temperature inside the greenhouse is -2 degrees.

In addition, various useful elements are added there:

• peat or manure - 5 kg per 1 sq. m;
• potassium sulfate - 25 g per 1 sq. m;
• superphosphate - 80 g per 1 sq. m.

Also, directly during planting, a special top dressing is added to the holes, designed specifically for strawberry crops.

Strawberries are planted in a checkerboard pattern. Distance between rows - about 25 cm, and between the plants themselves - 15 cm... In addition, many plant strawberries under cover. The soil is covered in advance with a special material, during planting, simply by cutting holes in it. Shelter promotes more harmonious and faster growth.

In order for strawberry or wild strawberry bushes to please with a good harvest, you will have to try... First of all, it is important to observe the temperature regime.So, from the moment of disembarkation, they begin to gradually increase it. The maximum allowable rate is 8-12 degrees Celsius. Everything should take place gradually. When daylight hours increase, the temperature is gradually brought to a value of 15-20 degrees Celsius. At night, the greenhouse should be +8.

Both strawberries and strawberries are very fond of water, but this does not mean that they need to be watered in huge quantities. Watering should be moderate, correct. It is impossible for drops of water to remain on the leaves or stems - the liquid must go strictly to the root. Moreover, the water cannot be cold. Its temperature should be close to the temperature of the soil itself. The easiest way is to organize a drip irrigation system. She will give water, evenly distributing it between the bushes, without eroding the ground and without requiring the presence of a person. The liquid will be consumed sparingly.

It is necessary to water the plants once every 7-10 days, and when the fruits appear - a couple of times a week.

Along with watering in the greenhouse, you will have to maintain the correct humidity by constantly taking measurements. So, when the seedlings are just planted, it should be at least 85%. The growing and development periods will require 75% moisture. As soon as flowering starts, the indicators drop to 70%.

The strawberries are fertilized during the flowering period. Plants cultivated in winter love liquid fertilizing. Chicken, horse droppings in liquid form are good. Wood ash can also be added there. Animal waste is dissolved with water in a ratio of 1: 12 and insisted for several days. One bucket is enough for about 10 strawberry bushes.

There is also another fertilizer - mineral. In a 10-liter bucket, mix saltpeter (10 grams), potassium salt (17 grams) and superphosphate (20 grams). It also works well for winter strawberries and strawberries.

Mulch helps the soil retain enough moisture. It protects against the spread of diseases, pests, allows you to get a more juicy and rich harvest. Strawberries in a winter greenhouse must be mulched. You can use different types of materials for this, but it is best to choose inorganic ones. They can be black film, spunbond. Such fabrics do not draw nitrogen from the soil and are easily removed, unlike the same wood chips or straw. Besides, they do not rot, all kinds of microorganisms do not begin to multiply in them.

You can also grow winter strawberries or strawberries at home, with your own hands. Taking care of it is no more difficult than in greenhouses, and you can get a good harvest. We will describe the secrets of cultivation at home below.

• Choosing a landing method. Homemade strawberries can be grown in many different ways. Some people like planting in flower pots, which are located on the window. Others grow it on the balcony in plastic bags filled with soil. Still others place the bushes in boxes and boxes. The last method is the most convenient.
• Compliance with conditions. For strawberries to start growing, they need special conditions. Room temperature - from 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, lighting and air circulation are required. Containers with sprouts are placed on illuminated windowsills; it is important to install additional light sources. An air conditioner can be used to circulate the air properly. In the absence of frost, regular airing will help.
• Soil selection. The easiest way is to buy ready-made soil with all the necessary additives. If you are not looking for easy ways, you can cook it yourself. Peat, humus and garden soil are taken - all in equal parts. Next, it is worth preparing sawdust (proportion in relation to the ground - 3: 10).The sawdust is kept in a urea solution for a couple of hours (for 3 liters of water, 2 full tablespoons). After soaking, they are supplemented with a small amount of sand and chalk. Sawdust and earth with peat and humus are mixed, then a little sand should be added there (1: 10). The prepared soil is placed in a container where there is already drainage. Further, the soil will only be fertilized. To do this, prepare a mixture consisting of 3 liters of water, half a teaspoon of copper sulfate and a glass of mullein.
• Landing... Landing features depend on the container. So, pots or other containers should be large and deep. Plants are planted there when they have at least 3 leaves. The soil is calcined. The indentations should be small, about a couple of cm. The planted sprout is crushed with soil, then sprayed on it. As for the bags, holes are cut in them, leaving the same distance between them as between the seedlings in the greenhouse. Sprouts are planted in holes and covered with earth. The bag must be tied.
• Care... Strawberry care at home is identical to that of a greenhouse. It is necessary to feed, loosen, water the plant. Separately, it should be said about watering bags. Manual will be inconvenient - here you need to organize a whole system. A plastic bottle is suspended above the container, 5 thin tubes are inserted into it, the other ends of which are inserted into polyethylene at an equal distance of 0.5 meters. When there is water in the bottles, it will slowly flow down the tubes. This principle is similar to a drip. The dose for 1 bag is 2 liters per day.