Content
Growing strawberries in bags is a Dutch technology that allows you to harvest the maximum berry yield. The method is widely used for planting plants in open ground, at home, in greenhouses, garages and other utility rooms.
Method advantages
Growing strawberries in bags has the following benefits:
- throughout the year, you can harvest up to 5 times;
- plants are less susceptible to diseases and pests;
- absence weeds;
- the resulting beds take up little space in greenhouse or in an open space;
- allows you to grow berries for sale.
Selection of varieties
For cultivation in bags, strawberries are chosen that do not require careful care, are capable of bearing fruit for a long time, grow quickly and have a high yield.
It is important to choose self-pollinating varieties if strawberries are grown in plastic bags indoors.
The following varieties have such qualities:
- Marshal - sweet strawberries, giving large sweet berries with a slight sourness. The variety is resistant to diseases and not sensitive to temperature changes. Marshal's yield is up to 1 kg.
- Albion - remontant variety, which is distinguished by large oblong fruits. Up to 2 kg of berries are obtained from one bush. Strawberries taste sweet and have firm flesh. The plant requires constant feeding and watering.
- Geneva Is a popular remontant variety that bears large elongated fruits. Strawberries Geneva have a pleasant taste and can be stored and transported. It takes up to 2.5 weeks between harvesting periods.
- Gigantella - large-fruited strawberry with good taste. The weight of the first berries is up to 120 g, then the plant produces fruits of less weight. Each bush brings up to 1 kg of harvest.
For breeding, you can purchase new varieties or use your own seedlings if the strawberry has the necessary characteristics.
Preparatory stage
To get a good harvest, you need to provide for various nuances. This includes bag selection and soil preparation.
Bag selection
Strawberries are planted in white plastic bags with a thickness of 0.25 to 0.35 mm. This choice will provide the plants with the necessary light conditions. One option is to use regular bags that sell sugar or flour.
In specialized stores, you can buy bags that are adapted for growing strawberries. The diameter of the container should be from 13 to 16 mm, and the length should be up to 2 m. The bags are filled with earth and sealed.
Soil preparation
The technology for growing strawberries in bags involves the preparation of the soil. Strawberries prefer neutral, light soils of low acidity. You can get such a soil from a mixture of sod land, fine sawdust and sand. These components are taken in equal proportions.
The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed. A little expanded clay is added to the bottom of the container to create a drainage system. Due to this, moisture stagnation is eliminated, which causes rot on the root system and the ground part of the plants. The substrate and fertilizers are applied to the drainage layer, after which the bag is closed.
Placement methods
The soil bags are placed vertically or horizontally in a greenhouse or other room. The choice of placement method depends on the free area that is planned to be occupied for planting. To equip the beds, additional devices will be required: fastening hooks or racks.
Vertical fit
With a vertical landing method, step-by-step instructions include the following steps:
- A container is being prepared, which is filled with soil and fertilizers.
- The bag is tied with a rope, placed in an upright position, and then suspended. The best option is to install bags in two tiers of several pieces.
- Holes up to 9 cm wide are made in the bags, where strawberries are planted. Leave at least 20 cm between the bushes.
- An irrigation system is being carried out, lamps are attached.
Vertical placement is suitable for areas with limited space, as it allows you to place a large number of bags.
The use of this technology in a greenhouse is shown in the video:
Horizontal landing
In large greenhouses or open ground, the bags are usually placed horizontally. The procedure remains the same as for vertical installation.
Strawberries in bags are placed directly on land or on prepared racks. The most rational option is to equip several rows with plantings.
Strawberry care
To grow strawberries in bags all year round, you need to provide the plants with the necessary care. This includes a set of measures to create a suitable microclimate: temperature, humidity and light levels.
Humidity and temperature
For constant ripening of berries, it is necessary to provide a temperature regime in the range from 20 to 26 ° C. In this case, the temperature must not drop or fluctuate more than 5 ° C. The strawberry growing room must be protected from drafts.
You can adjust the temperature yourself using a thermometer. Heaters are installed in the room, which turn on when it gets cold. If you want to lower the temperature, it is enough to ventilate the greenhouse.
To grow strawberries, the humidity must be kept at 70-75%. To maintain moisture, the bottom of the bags and air are sprayed.
It is possible to increase fruiting in the greenhouse due to the high content of carbon dioxide (from 0.15 to 0.22%). Such indicators are obtained after the combustion of a conventional candle.
Illumination level
Strawberries need plenty of light. To ensure the full ripening of the berries, you need natural light and long daylight hours.
Therefore, when growing strawberries in bags, an important issue will be the arrangement of the lighting system. This will require powerful red-spectrum lamps. This includes metal halide devices or HPS lamps.
Additional lighting must be active for 12 hours to simulate a change in the time of day. For growing bagged strawberries at home fluorescent lamps are required. They must be turned on strictly at a certain time.
If bags of strawberries are located in the greenhouse, then the backlight is turned on if necessary. When the strawberry lacks light, its shoots begin to stretch upward.
Watering rules
Another condition for strawberry growth is compliance with watering rules. To grow strawberries, you will need a drip irrigation system. Water is supplied from a common pipe, from which pipes are supplied to the bags. Droppers are installed at the ends of the tubes.
Such a system will facilitate the care of strawberries and provide the plantings with the necessary level of moisture. It is organized using pipes and metal or plastic with a diameter of 160-200 mm. The pipeline is installed over the bags.The number of pipes depends on the height of the bags and is usually 2-4. 0.5 m is left between the pipes supplying water.
At home, watering can be organized by hanging the plastic bottles to which the tubes are attached.
Top dressing and pruning
Regular feeding strawberries... Fertilizers are especially important during the flowering period of plants.
Potassium substances are selected for feeding, which are used as a solution after watering strawberries. An effective fertilizer is a solution of chicken manure.
Dry leaves and stems are pruned. To harvest strawberries throughout the year, you need to plant the plants in bags every two months. To do this, you need to preserve the seedlings and provide them with the necessary conditions.
Young bushes are placed in a basement or refrigerator, where the temperature is maintained from 0 to + 2 ° C and humidity is about 90%. It is best to place the seedlings in polyethylene bags.
Conclusion
Growing strawberries in bags makes it possible to get a high yield. The method involves the creation of optimal conditions for the ripening of berries. To do this, you need to equip irrigation and lighting, maintain the humidity and temperature indicators at the proper level. The bags are placed vertically or horizontally, which largely depends on the availability of free space.
