Rules for growing strawberries in winter at home

Since strawberries are a specific plant, they are very prone to skin diseases.

Basic rules for growing strawberries in winter

Full development and fruiting of strawberries is impossible without lighting for 12-14 hours.

The main condition for planting is to provide warmth and sufficient illumination. Availability fourteen hour daylight hours strictly required.

Fruiting occurs in June and the first half of July, when the temperature fluctuates between 22-27 degrees... This should be taken into account when growing strawberries at home.

Planting methods

You can grow strawberries in the following ways:

1. Packaged.
2. Potted.
3. Boxed.

If the crop is planted for sale, the latter method should be used. This will require several spacious drawers. They can be replaced with bags made of polyethylene.

A significant disadvantage of this method is that they take up a large amount of apartment space. This method cannot be used in a small apartment.

If the berry is planted for yourself, then it is recommended to use flower pots. It will not work to achieve high yields. The main advantage of this method is easy care.

Air and temperature

To circulate air around the strawberries, it is enough to periodically open the window.

This culture needs high-quality air circulation... It is possible to provide her with access to air by opening a window in a vent mode from time to time.

The air temperature in the apartment in winter varies between 18-20 degrees.

This temperature is good for growing strawberries. If it rises, you can open the window to allow air circulation for the plant.

What soil to choose

The best option is to use a mixture of perlite and peat.

This soil is sold in specialized boutiques. It can be replaced with a fertilizer mixture. But its quality is noticeably inferior to the previous mixture.

Ready seedlings

You can buy ready-made seedlings; working with them does not require much time. The main disadvantage is that it will be more expensive.

Self-planting from seeds is a rather tedious method, but it does not require special monetary "infusions".

The best greenhouse varieties NSD

Neutral daylight (ND) varieties are excellent for cultivation in greenhouse conditions. Despite the huge choice, experienced gardeners have already managed to assess the advantages and disadvantages of each variety and have chosen the most promising and unpretentious ones for indoor use, which are not at all difficult to care for.

Which variety to choose for growing at home

You can grow any strawberries at home, but repair varieties will give the best result.

Homemade strawberries are conventionally subdivided into ampel and bush... Fruiting can be one-time or remontant. In the second case, the culture will delight with fruits throughout the year.

The fruits of the remontant varieties differ in shape, color and taste.

For growing at home, it is recommended to opt for remontant varieties. They are less dependent on light.

The following varieties are best suited for growing in an apartment:

• Queen Elizabeth;
• Homemade delicacy;
• Geneva.

A brief overview of the most suitable strawberry varieties for growing at home.

Shrub or ampelous variety?

Between bush and ampel varieties, it is best to make a choice in favor of the latter. No bright lighting required. The first berries appear already 2 months later.

The best greenhouse varieties of DSD

The category of remontant also includes varieties of long daylight hours (DSD), which produce two or more harvests in one season. They are usually large-fruited, but less promising in other respects and are less commonly used for growing in greenhouse conditions.

The category of remontant also includes varieties of long daylight hours, which produce two or more harvests in one season.

Preparatory work and soil selection

It is advisable to purchase the substrate in a specialized boutique. The choice should be made in favor of a universal soil suitable for planting vegetables and fruits.

You can make your own formula if you want.

If possible, you can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, you will need to mix:

1. Sand.
2. Forest soil.
3. Humus.

The main criterion for the soil is looseness and moisture. Not only the condition of the seedlings depends on this, but also the yield of strawberries.

Features of the

To grow healthy strawberries, the soil must be steamed or calcined.

• Covering the substrate with a crust is unacceptable... Otherwise, air access to the root system will be blocked.
• You can not take soil from vegetable gardensas it can be affected by a nematode.But if you have to work with just such a land, you need to carefully cultivate it.
• The soil needs careful steaming... This contributes to the death of all parasites. Then you need to shed the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Flower planting

Pots of any shape are suitable for strawberries, the main thing is that the dimensions are not less than 100x150 mm.

This method requires the following elements:

1. A pot with a diameter of 10 centimeters and a height of 15 centimeters.
2. Prepared soil.
3. Vitamin complex.
4. Small pebbles of lime.
5. Scoop.
6. Water.

Landing

Seedlings with three or more leaves can be planted in separate pots.

1. Pour pebbles into a flower pot, then soil.
2. Make a well for seedlings.
3. Stick the seedling into the soil, sprinkle with earth.

Watering and care

After 1.5 months, the first buds should appear.

• Water the plant as it dries.
• The strawberry pot should be on the window.
• Access to light should be maximized.

Drafts must not be allowed.

With good care, the first berries will soon appear.

Yield

Small. From 1 bush you can get up to 200 grams.

The main advantage of this method is year-round fruiting.

Planting with a polyethylene method

When choosing this method of planting strawberries, you should consider irrigation systems using drip pipes.

You can plant culture on a loggia or balcony. It is best to use the Dutch planting method. It may need the following:

1. Suitable container made of polyethylene.
2. Perlite composition + steamed peat.
3. Organic soil.
4. Synthetic elements.
5. Watering can.
6. Scoop.

It is best to use a soil substitute.

It is better to use a mixture based on perlite or vermiculite for filling the bags.

Preparation

Taken polyethylene with a diameter of 20 centimeters... Holes are cut in it in a checkerboard pattern.

Landing

• The distance between the bushes is up to 35 centimeters. You should not plant the bushes closer, otherwise the fruits will be small.
• The bags are filled with soil, vitamins are added.
• The angular rate of planting bushes is 50%.

Watering

To maintain optimal soil moisture, it is better to use drip irrigation.

The culture is irrigated as it dries. It is very important to monitor the moisture of the root system.

Water should not get on the strawberry flowers.

conclusions

Growing strawberries in a pot will be great fun!

Despite the hassle that you will have to face while growing strawberries in winter at home, this process can bring tremendous pleasure to the gardener. Indeed, many in the winter begin to get bored, for the opportunity to dig in the garden. And the admiration of the household will be an excellent reward for the work done.

Care

Making an irrigation system at home is quite simple. For this you need to use a container with a hose. The diameter of the hose should be 1 centimeter.

Such a hose must be brought to each bush and water the crop.

Lighting

For additional lighting, homemade lamps are used.

If there is not enough light for the plant, lamps can be used. If the house has a heater, the growing process will only accelerate.

It is necessary to pollinate the culture in the process of fruit formation.

Pollination

For pollination, use a soft brush or fan.

This can be done either manually or with a fan.... In the second case, the jet is simply directed towards the pots. It is advisable to do this in the morning.

For the first method, you will need a soft paint brush. This is a rather painstaking process that takes time. But its effectiveness is very high.

Feeding strawberries

For feeding, it is convenient to use instant complex fertilizers.

Replenishment of bushes should be carried out at least 2 times / 30 days... For replenishment, special fertilizers are used, which are sold in specialized boutiques. It is advisable to use a universal top dressing.

Overfeeding should not be allowed. Otherwise, all the vitamins will receive the leaves, and the berries will not ripen.

Mustache care

In the process of active growth of strawberries, tendrils are formed. They need to be tied up. To do this, a nylon mesh should be built on the window.

With the help of antennae, you can propagate the culture and get new seedlings.

To propagate strawberries, you need to root the outlet. Then it is separated from the uterine bush.

How to increase the yield?

To increase the yield of strawberries grown in greenhouses, you can use such modern technologies as the Dutch method of growing strawberries in plastic or plastic bags, or in special, so-called "berry containers".

Since both bags and containers can be placed on several levels, the strawberry yield is significantly increased. In order not to waste time and money on the installation of shelving, you can arrange bags with plants vertically.

Treatment of diseases

Horsetail infusion is well suited for the prevention of strawberry diseases.

The most common pathologies of domestic strawberries are gray rot and spider mites.

Fruits and leaves are affected by a specific bloom. The leaves fall off, the berry becomes loose, tasteless.

To get rid of diseases, you need to prepare a garlic solution. This requires:

• peel 2 cloves;
• crush them in a garlic press;
• pour boiling water over, leave for 20-30 minutes.

After cooling, the infusion is filtered and used when spraying plants.

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 the 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.

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.

Profitability

To calculate the profitability of a business, you should calculate the costs: from the purchase of material to the delivery of products to customers. It is important to consider your electricity and heating costs. You should also determine the expected profit.

One sq. m of seedlings can bear 4.5 kg of fruit per month - this indicator should be taken into account to calculate income per month. If the plantation has 50 sq. m, then it will bring 225 kg of berries. Depending on the season, the price of berries changes. The average cost is 400-500 rubles per 1 kg. Therefore, the income will be 90-112.5 thousand rubles per month.

It turns out that the liquidity of this business is several months. Many amateur gardeners have become businessmen, because by selling berries or seedlings, you can open a profitable business. The products will be in demand all year round, so the business will actively develop.

Picking

Read also: Strawberries: in the open field and in the greenhouse - we choose the suitable growing method for ourselves

• If the seeds have sprouted densely in 3 - 5 pieces, it does not matter. Do not touch them while they are small, let them develop in small groups.
• When the seedlings grow up, several real leaves will appear and the seedlings will look like a small bush, then you can cut off the excess plants with scissors.
• Do not try to pull out the plants, as this can damage the root system of neighboring seedlings, remember that strawberries are a rather capricious plant.

Seedling picking

• If the surface of the soil is covered with mold, then the plants can be saved with calcined sand. Sprinkle dry river sand around the young bushes to prevent mold growth.
• Do not overdo it with watering, the soil should not be waterlogged. The best watering is from the bottom through the holes in the cups. While the plants are very small, you can water by spraying or from a syringe without a needle.
• For the normal development of seedlings, light is needed. In the absence of proper lighting, the seedlings stretch out and turn yellow.

Root system development examples

In the evening and at night, containers with plants are recommended to be transferred to a cool place, for example, closer to the window glass.

An important technique in growing strawberry seedlings, allowing you to get strong plants - this is adding earth. The root system of strawberries is of a surface type, therefore, pouring loose soil with sand under young bushes stimulates the growth of additional lateral roots.

Once a week, it is advisable to spill the surface of the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate in order to avoid fungal diseases.

Secrets of a successful pick:

• It is not recommended to use deep glasses for picking, as plant decay is possible in them. The roots of garden strawberries are shallow, a 100 ml glass is quite suitable.
• Finished seedlings should braid the roots of the entire clod of earth in a glass.
• Looseness of the soil is a prerequisite. Use additives: sand, vermiculite, perlite, coconut substrate. Make a recess in the center of the glass with a peg, pour the energen solution (3 drops per half liter of water). Plant two plants per hole.
• Very small plants with two cotyledonous leaves should not be dived, such seedlings will not take root.
• Long roots should be pruned to stimulate the formation of additional lateral roots, which will ensure good nutrition for your seedlings.
• Do not bury the plant in the ground; leave the top center bud above the surface of the soil.

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Sowing seeds

Even in a small apartment with the help of modern technology, you can get a good harvest of strawberries. Proper care will ensure that you receive up to 4 harvests per year.

Strawberry bushes should be rejuvenated. Therefore, it is recommended to grow them from seed.

You can use peat tablets for planting strawberries:

• Place peat-distilled tablets in a plastic container and cover with water at room temperature. Leave to swell for five minutes.
• After five minutes, plant the seeds in the swollen peat tablets. It is convenient to carry them with a toothpick moistened with water.
• Place each seed in the center of the peat tablet. It is not recommended to deepen and cover the seeds with earth.

Seedling of garden strawberry in peat tablets

• Close the plastic container and sign the variety name and sowing date with a marker. Transfer the improvised greenhouse to the windowsill and leave it there until the seeds germinate.

The seeds should be left on the surface of the peat pellets, not covered with earth or buried.

On the eighth day, the seeds will begin to germinate.

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See also: Cooking jelly at home: 20 delicious fruit recipes and blanks for the winter

Pollination

Pollination will have to be done manually using a delicate brush or feather. It is possible to pollinate by ventilation, directing the air stream with a fan.

Pollination with a brush

Growing in winter on a windowsill doesn't make commercial sense. But how nice it is to pick a red ripe berry when there is snow outside the window or a blizzard is sweeping. Certainly worth a try.

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