Strawberry is an early and fruitful berry crop, loved by many. In winter, the opportunity to purchase fresh berries is not available for everyone. Even in large supermarkets, strawberries are not always on sale, and the value of the coveted delicacy is very high. Many lovers of delicious berries are interested in, can you grow strawberries at home? Yes, there is the possibility to organize the cultivation of strawberries at home. All depends on the scale of the crop: you can adapt for the breeding of berries window sills or equip the room of any area, even a room in a city apartment.
How to grow strawberries at home?
A number of conditions should be created for growing strawberries at home all year round. Required:
- providing artificial illumination for normal photosynthesis. You can apply fluorescent, energy-saving, sodium or metal halide lamps. According to agrotechnicians, sodium lamps are more preferable (another name is high-pressure lamps), the red-blue radiation spectrum of which is closer to bright sunlight. It is advisable to equip the lamp with a reflector optimizing the lighting, and contributing to the reduction of energy costs;
- installation of racks in several rows. For the manufacture of racks, a metal profile is required that can withstand the significant loads created by containers for growing berries. The depth of the rack should not exceed 1 meter, so that there are no problems with illumination. Containers for growing strawberries at home can be made from plywood and wood, but plastic bags that are sold in the store are quite suitable. Successful use also of dense polyethylene bags ;
- Also in the room for breeding strawberries at home, a special microclimate should be created - humidity of about 80%, temperature + 20 ... + 25 degrees, moderate ventilation;
- for compost the mixture of 4/5 parts of light sandy loam and 1/5 humus is best suited. Compost should be processed in a special chamber or, pouring water, warm in a large container for 10 hours at a temperature of + 55 ... + 60 degrees, while constantly stirring. This operation will help get rid of parasites, fungi and weed seeds;
- device irrigation system of medical droppers connected to a common water conduit. To each bag should be brought no less than three tubes. If strawberries are grown in containers, it is possible to water from the sprinkler with sprinkler, but considering that the capricious culture does not tolerate water stagnation, it is necessary to create a wide drainage layer.
How to grow strawberries from house seeds in winter?
More often the reproduction of the crop is carried out with the help of sockets, but it is possible to grow strawberries from the houses at home. Purchased seeds are recommended to harden by placing in the refrigerator a pre-wrapped seed cloth in a plastic bag. During the month the seeds should be kept in a cool place. But the hardened seeds produce friendly, viable shoots. Periodically, it is desirable to fertilize the plant with fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorus, and to cultivate the bushes with the Zavjaz tool to form the ovaries.
What kind of strawberries can you grow at home?
When deciding how to care for homemade strawberries, we must not forget that the berry crop growing at home must be dusted artificially. For pollination, you can use a fairly powerful domestic fan or, if the strawberry is grown a little, manually using a brush to process each flower.