Planting strawberries - the basis of a rich harvest

Berry crops are universal in care: they can grow and bear fruit both in the open ground, and in greenhouses, under a film or in flowerpots on a balcony. From the observance of the basic rules of planting of garden strawberries depends the health of the bushes on the bed and the volume of the future harvest.

Rules for planting strawberries

The plantation of berries can be started from seedlings as well as from direct sowing of seeds to the ground. The second option is used much less often: if you ask a farmer with experience about how to plant a strawberry correctly, he will begin his story with the acquisition or cultivation of seedlings. Otherwise tips for planting focus on:

1. Choosing the right seeds. For beginners and residents of regions with a temperate or cold climate, it is better to start experiments with hybrids - on their packages the F1 marking is put.
2. Sprouting on a sponge or cotton pad. It is desirable that the seeds are poured on a damp cloth, a piece of foam rubber, cotton, but not in the ground. This method of germination solves the problem of "false" seeds, for which peat pots are wasted. In the plastic container, a cloth or cotton wool soaked with water falls, seeds are laid out on it, which will be used for planting ground strawberries. The container is closed with a lid and stored in a warm place until the seeds swell.
3. Hardening. Before transferring seeds to pots for seedlings, their vitality is enhanced by contrasting temperature changes. Twice a day, containers are placed in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to prevent their death during the first freezing.

Soil for planting strawberries

The yield of berry crops is affected not only by fertilizers, but also by soil. Most gardeners who know how to plant strawberries are sure that its varieties can not tolerate calcium derivatives - carbonates. Therefore, it is impossible to use the garden plots on which tomatoes, Bulgarian and hot peppers or potatoes grew last year. Choose the right soil will help the following rules:

1. The minimum concentration of clay fractions. Clay forms dense layers in the soil, preventing the penetration of oxygen and nutrients to the roots. If the soil on the site still refers to loamy, it is mixed with river or sea sand in a proportion of 3: 1.
2. The optimum degree of compactness of the soil. Planting of strawberries should be calculated for the length of the root system of at least 30 cm. The depth of the landing pit, taking into account the irrigation and subsidence of the soil, can be at least 45-50 cm.
3. Accounting for the ratio of soil to humus. It retains moisture in the soil on arid days, so the humus level of 3-5% is a critically low value for digging bushes into the ground.

Distance between strawberries at landing

There are 4 schemes of placing bushes in the suburban area: the distance between them depends on the choice of scheme. The correct planting of strawberries is classified according to the following types:

1. Separately standing bushes. Varieties with vigorous growth have widely spreading roots and long mustaches. To ensure that they do not intertwine, the mustache is regularly removed, and between the bushes, a distance of 50-60 cm is observed.
2. Rows on the ridge. The garden area is zoned, the bushes are planted in even parallel rows 15-20 cm apart. To facilitate watering and harvesting, the row spacing is set at 40-50 cm.
3. Carpet planting of strawberries. Low-growth determinant varieties grow on the area of ​​the bed, forming a carpet with intertwined mustaches. Plants are planted so tightly that under their upper leaves a microclimate is formed, useful for rainy areas.
4. Nesting disembarkation. In the center of the future circular garden planted one bush, around which are planted six more. The distance between neighboring plants should not be less than 5-6 cm, between neighboring ridges - 40 cm.

How to water strawberries after planting?

One of the main factors for maintaining the yield of the bed is the level of groundwater under it. They should be located no closer than 1 m to the surface of the soil. The higher the level, the less often the beds are watered, and vice versa. Irrigation after planting strawberries should take into account the features of the plant:

1. The root system of berry crops normally functions only if water is received along the entire length of the underground part of the stem. Therefore, it is impossible to irrigate only one part of it or rely on groundwater.
2. The moisture actively evaporates from the soil during the first half of the day - watering should occur in the early morning hours.
3. Planting strawberries does not tolerate watering with a directional jet or through sprinkling. High water pressure undermines the roots, so from the time of the appearance of these sheets and before fruiting, use a nozzle-sprayer.

Fertilizers for strawberries during planting

Without special fertilizing (organic or chemical) berries are ill or grow too small. To combat soil and stem defects, mixtures are called for that are used three times for the entire season: after transplanting or appearing leaves, when flowering and bearing fruit. What kind of fertilizer to plant strawberries would not have been used, it should include:

• compost ;
• humus;
• urea ;
• superphosphate ;
• ash;
• potassium salt.

Strawberry planting dates

As with any garden crop, the strawberry has an optimal time to transfer the seedlings to the ground, under which it will not die. The defining factor here is weather conditions: the seedlings should not face frosts or the rainy season. The planting dates for strawberries in spring differ from autumn ones, because they are aimed at achieving different results:

1. In early March, berry bushes in the south are planted on beds, so that strong mustaches and rosettes appear on it. With late planting, the harvest will be reduced by a factor of 1.5-2. In the middle band, this manipulation is done from March 15 to April 1.
2. In autumn, plant weak young bushes, which in the first year can not survive the summer heat. Transfer to the ground is carried out from July 25 to September 15.

How to plant a strawberry in the spring?

On the eve of summer, the main danger for berries is wheatgrass and other weeds, therefore before the planting of strawberries in spring, the ridge is thoroughly digged and the roots of other plants are removed. Further actions are:

1. Increased acidity of the soil. For watering use an aqueous solution of limestone.
2. For transfer to the ground, perennial mustaches or bushes are used, the stem thickness of which is at least 6 mm.
3. Planting of strawberries is carried out after it is lying in the open air in the shade for 2-3 days.
4. Seedlings are planted in dry holes, at the bottom of which there must be ash. Slightly pressing the earth after digging with your hands, shoots should be poured abundantly.

How to plant a strawberry in the fall?

Beginners should carry bushes in the fall, not in the spring. Then the chance of low fruiting and death of the plant disappears. To understand how to properly plant strawberries after harvesting, you should follow several rules:

1. The choice of an open area of ​​soil heated by the sun over the summer. In this case, the soil will cool as slowly as possible.
2. The time of planting is determined independently - at least one month must remain until frost.
3. The soil is disinfected from strawberry nematodes with water with the addition of ammonia.
4. The earth, excavated from the holes, is mixed with compost in a proportion of 6: 1 and put it back into the holes after they are placed in the bushes.
5. In autumn, planting strawberries with mustaches is especially popular. A rosette with long stems is placed in pots at the end of June for 2-3 weeks. When the rosette takes root, it is transplanted according to the usual scheme.
6. Plantings are covered with a warming material - a thick film.

Ways to plant strawberries

There are so many options for cultivating this berry that it is not necessary to have large areas for the crop to harvest. Decide how to plant strawberries, based on the wishes or possibilities of the gardener. There are four main ways to do this:

• landing in the open ground;
• vertical cultivation;
• planting strawberries on the covering material;
• landing in the pipes.

The scheme of planting strawberries in the open ground

Given that the berry is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, it tolerates a good soil with predominance of peat or sandstone. Planting and caring for strawberries in the open ground assumes a sequence of stages:

• soil disinfection;
• digging out bushes from peat pots together with an earthen lump;
• burying shrubs with a large root neck into the ground;
• Creation of a ridge with observance of distance on the chosen method of landing.

Planting strawberries under the film

Cultivation under the film allows you to pick berries for a month before the due date. Just like planting a strawberry under a film, it can be placed under the agrofiber. Both methods create a special microclimate on the bed, protected from pests and excessive moisture. Agrotechnics in this case applies the following:

• preparation of beds with convex bulk top;
• shelter with a piece of film or special fabric after watering;
• preparation of slits in the covering material with a knife, without which it is impossible to plant strawberries under agrofiber;
• planting seedlings in the slots;
• watering and increasing the cuts as needed.

Planting strawberries in pipes

Plantations of berries in pipes can be placed both vertically and horizontally. The only difference is that planting seedlings of strawberries in the pipes horizontally takes more space from the total area of ​​the site. Regardless of the type of pipe placement, it is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Pipes of thin metal, plastic or PVC are cut to the optimal length.
2. In each tube, holes are drilled or punched with a diameter of at least 8-10 cm.
3. The ground is loosened and buried in the pipes together with the fertilizer, because in the future it will not work evenly to saturate the soil with useful substances.
4. In the pipes, they fix the plugs and fix them with expanded clay.
5. Strawberries are planted in the holes without deepening the root neck strongly into the soil. The holes for her do with their fingers.

Vertical planting of strawberries

On compact gardens there is no place for a wide ridge for the cultivation of strawberries, but this will not be a hindrance to an intelligent gardener. It is easy to learn how to plant seedlings of strawberries - there are only two ways to do this:

1. Vertical chain-pyramid from containers of different diameters, tires or chest. Multilevel landing can be made from old furniture with boxes, car rubber constructions or a combination of several pots. In the furniture boxes or holes in the tires, the soil is buried, into which the plants are planted.
2. Cylindrical design of metal or mesh. The "pipe" with a height of 1.5-2 m is pumped into the pit and filled with suitable soil. Strawberry bushes are planted in holes: further care for them will be watering and trimming the mustache. For fertilizing only liquid fertilizers are suitable.

Planting strawberries with seeds

Although the method of direct landing into the ground is not considered popular, it has its fans. In wet and warm regions many gardeners consider the growing of seedlings as a waste of time, because they do not need to harden and disinfect the soil. This method does not negate the quality control of the soil: before planting seedlings of strawberries or seeds, the beds are sprinkled with a loose substrate or humus. Among other rules of sowing the direct method indicates:

1. Select the time of seeding. If the seedling appears in pots in an apartment or a glassed-in balcony, then the open soil deprives the seeds of the privilege of obtaining heat during the active growth phase. The period of their immersion into the earth moves from the beginning of March to the middle of April, when the risk of frosts is reduced to zero
2. Mulching. To protect against changes in temperature and the first pests, the ridges are sprinkled with sawdust, remains of old bushes or needles. Surface coating of the soil with mulch planting of strawberries will be positive and will thank with friendly entrances.
3. Removing the bottom sheets . When 3-4 leaves appear on the upper part of the shoot, the lower ones will gently snap off so that all the juices go to the development of new inflorescences.