Growing strawberries using Dutch technology: description and advantages of the method

Growing strawberries using the Dutch technology, you can get several harvests of this heat-loving crop within one year. The popularity of this method is also due to the fact that the described method requires less time and labor. Dutch technology provides two options for planting and germinating strawberries.

How the method works

The essence of the Dutch technology is as follows: for the germination of strawberries, optimal conditions are created to ensure the maximum possible yield. To do this, the gardener continuously plants new seedlings after the previous one has given first fruits.

The method involves planting crops in separate containers:

• flower pots;
• bags;
• boxes;
• pallets.

For maximum fruiting, it is necessary to ensure a constant supply of nutrients to the bushes. This will require the organization of continuous drip irrigation with a mixture of trace elements.

Basically, according to Dutch technology, greenhouse germination of strawberries is used. This option allows you to harvest all year round. However, it can be grown without greenhouses. In the second case, it will also be necessary to provide certain conditions in which the plant can grow quickly and produce early crops.

Varieties for cultivation

According to the Dutch technology, strawberries grow in a closed (limited) environment. Therefore, remontant varieties are used to grow crops in this way.In addition, the plant must be a self-pollinating species, otherwise it will not be possible to get a crop. The following varieties meet these conditions:

1. Darselect. Gives an early harvest and is able to grow in low light conditions. The fruits of the plant are large. From one bush you can collect up to a kilogram of berries.
2. Selva. The variety, in the absence of frost, bears fruit throughout the year. Subject to the rules of cultivation, one bush produces up to 1.5 kilograms of fruit.
3. Sonata. The variety belongs to early ripe varieties. Each bush also produces up to 1.5 kilograms of berries.

Remontant varieties suitable for Dutch cultivation include Queen Elizabeth 2, Fresco and Albion.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Dutch technology benefits include:

• early and stable harvest all year round;
• strawberries are not susceptible to diseases and pests;
• berries are marketable and have a pleasant taste;
• technology allows crops to be grown in small areas;
• method suitable for sprouting culture at home.

The main disadvantage of the method is that for year-round ripening it will be necessary to provide drip irrigation. In addition, it is necessary to create and maintain a certain microclimate, as well as constantly acquire planting material.

Planting method

Dutch technology provides two options for growing strawberries: horizontal and vertical. Each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages. At the same time, both growing options allow you to get a stable and abundant harvest.

Vertical

This method provides for a vertical (one above the other) arrangement of boxes or other containers with strawberries. This growing option is chosen for small areas. In particular, the vertical method is suitable for an apartment. The main disadvantage of this method is the difficulty of providing continuous drip irrigation: it is necessary to create non-standard designs for supplying water and nutrient mixture.

Horizontal

This option is suitable for greenhouse cultivation of crops, as it provides for the installation of containers with strawberries parallel to the floor and to each other. This method is considered the most convenient due to the fact that to organize drip irrigation, it is enough to lay a hose with holes and a plug at the end between the containers. Horizontal cultivation is not suitable for small spaces.

The process of growing strawberries in the Dutch way

Growing according to the Dutch technology requires compliance with several important nuances that affect the planting yield:

1. Capacities of small depth. Polypropylene pipes, boxes, containers and flower pots are suitable for this.
2. Seedlings should not be placed close to each other, trying to save free space. This will reduce the size of the berries.
3. Before pouring soil into pots, the soil mixture must be disinfected. For this, a heated solution of potassium permanganate is used. Before adding to the soil, peat must be steamed.
4. Strawberries give a good harvest, provided that mineral fertilizers are applied with a sufficient amount of useful trace elements.
5. Due to the fact that according to the Dutch technology it is necessary to regularly change plants, it is recommended to prepare planting material in advance.
6. For the winter, strawberries grown in the open field can not be covered. At the same time, before the onset of spring, it is necessary to prepare new planting material by placing the seedlings in the refrigerator.
7. In case of insufficient illumination, it is necessary to install ultraviolet lamps next to the strawberries.

According to the conditions of the Dutch technology, after harvesting, it is necessary to remove the plant from the soil and place new seedlings. This procedure, on average, is repeated every two months.

Otherwise, cultivation according to the Dutch technology does not differ from other methods: when planting seedlings at the bottom, drainage (expanded clay or otherwise) is covered with a layer of up to two centimeters, and the strawberry roots are straightened and, if necessary (if the rhizomes are bent), cut off. The plant requires constant watering and regular fertilizing.

Ground

It is not recommended to use the soil collected on the site for growing strawberries. Such soil contains pathogens, due to which the plant will die. For strawberries, a purchased soil mixture used in growing indoor plants is suitable.

It is important that this soil is sufficiently loose and has a high moisture capacity.

Procuring and growing seedlings

Seedlings can always be bought in stores. However, if the Dutch growing method is used, use your own seedlings.

To get seedlings, you need to plant one bush in open ground. After the onset of the first frost, it is necessary to dig out the strongest plants and place them in a dry room with an air temperature of 0-2 degrees. Then, a day before planting in prepared containers, these seedlings are kept in a room at +18 degrees.

The second option is convenient in that a mustache is used for planting, growing from the main bush. This material, also after trimming, is first kept indoors at a temperature of 0-2 degrees. Then the seedlings are placed in a container with any soil mixture and left in this form for 1 month in a shaded area. Then, for one week, the planting material is exposed to a well-lit place.At the end of this period, seedlings can be distributed into containers.

Lighting

The best solution is planting strawberries in greenhouses. In this case, the plant will receive enough light. In the cold season, artificial lighting will be required. UV lamps must be placed at least 1 meter from the bushes.

Irrigation and feeding system

In order to organize drip irrigation, you can lay garden hoses with small holes cut out and a plug at one end along the beds with strawberries.

To feed the plants, a mixture of 10 liters of water, 80 grams of ammonium nitrate and 10 grams of potassium chloride is used. Such a composition in the amount of 100 milliliters, through drip irrigation, must be applied under each bush. Top dressing is applied 2 weeks after planting and during the flowering period.

Microclimate

To obtain a constant crop in a greenhouse, it is recommended to maintain an air temperature of + 18-25 degrees. During the period of active flowering, it is necessary to warm the room up to +21 degrees.

The optimum humidity level is 70-80%. In case of deficiency, it is recommended to spray the bushes. In case of high humidity, greenhouses should be ventilated, otherwise the plant will infect the fungus.

Seedling container

As noted above, any containers with holes at the bottom are suitable for planting strawberries, through which excess water is removed. For this, both ordinary pots or containers, and do-it-yourself containers made from plastic pipes or bottles are used.

Further care

Strawberry care provides for a constant flow of water. In this case, moisture should be avoided on the fruits and leaves. A drip irrigation system helps achieve this by running tubes directly under the root of each plant.

In order for the culture to constantly bear fruit, the soil must be well moistened, and the air temperature must not exceed (not fall) the established limits. Every 10 days it is recommended to fertilize strawberries using specialized mixtures. It is also necessary, as a preventive measure of diseases, to spray the bushes with appropriate compounds. Affected berries and leaves should be removed immediately.

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