Growing strawberries in pots: how to plant and care, suitable varieties

There is nothing better than having your own land and growing whatever you want on it. However, here the question arises, what is the way out for those who do not have land, but there is a craving to engage in fruits or vegetables. Recently, growing strawberries in pots has become widespread. And how to do it correctly, in order to eventually harvest a good harvest, you can find out further.

Features of growing strawberries in pots

For those who decide to grow strawberries on the windowsill, the first thing to take care of is the choice of suitable material for planting.So, for example, if we are talking about closed ground, it is worth giving preference to varieties that are unpretentious to environmental conditions. In addition, in the room where it is planned to grow strawberries in a flower pot, it is necessary to provide a suitable temperature, humidity, and also monitor the level of lighting. All of these conditions must be met during the growing season.

Suitable varieties

Many, wanting to buy suitable varieties for planting, are guided by beautiful photos in flower pavilions. Nevertheless, according to experienced gardeners, preference should be given to remontant varieties of strawberries, as they are really time-tested. Such berries do not need delicate care and bear fruit all year round. Along with this, you need to know that such varieties live for about 2-3 years.

Based on the experience of specialists, when growing strawberries in pots, it is worth giving preference to the following varieties:

1. Garland.
2. Tristar.
3. Autumn fun.
4. Queen Elizabeth.
5. Crimean.
6. Brighton.
7. Inexhaustible.

It is better to plant seedlings, not seeds, due to the fact that the latter method will require a lot of effort.

How to plant and grow strawberries

To get a decent strawberry harvest, you need to adhere to some features of planting and growing crops, which we will discuss later.

Preparing the container

When choosing a pot for planting strawberries, you should not focus solely on its appearance. Aesthetic characteristics or design in this case do not matter, since, in general, foliage and berries will close the pot.

The choice can fall on ordinary flower pots or long plastic containers.

As for the volume of containers, it depends on how many plants are planned for planting, as well as where the pots will be located (for example, on a windowsill, balcony or greenhouse).

Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the selected container, which will exclude moisture stagnation in the ground. It is also worth taking care of drainage, expanded clay or broken bricks are suitable for these purposes.

Place to land

If we are talking about planting strawberries that will grow on the windowsill, it is better to stop at a window that faces south or east. However, it is possible to grow strawberries on the north or west side, however, provided that the plant is provided with a suitable amount of light.

Temperature

For a plant, a suitable temperature is + 18-20 degrees. If the thermometer drops below the indicator, the plant will begin to get sick. In the spring, the best option would be to use heaters.

Humidity, daylight hours

For strawberries, it is desirable that the air humidity remains at the level of 70-75%. In the winter months, as a rule, the air in the dwelling is too dry, so it is recommended to systematically spray the plant with settled water. Along with this, it is important not to overdo it, as high humidity is an excellent base for the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Suitable soil

The plant is quite demanding on the soil. And if we are talking about growing strawberries in pots outside of the street, this suggests that in a limited space the earth is rapidly losing its nutritional properties.It is for this reason that at the stage of preparing the container for planting, a mixture of soddy soil and manure should be added to the soil in equal proportions. Nutrient soil is poured into the container over the drainage.

Selection and preparation of planting material

If you have remontant varieties growing in your garden, they are quite suitable for planting on the windowsill. So, in the fall, the required number of bushes are dug out, which are placed in a container, sprinkled with soil. They are left for two weeks in a cool place so that the plant can rest for the necessary time. Next, the strawberries are placed in pre-prepared containers. Planting is carried out in such a way that the roots are half buried in the soil. The long root system must be trimmed so that it does not bend.

In addition, strawberry seedlings can be found in any specialized store or market. When choosing planting material, it is worth consulting with knowledgeable people who can recommend conscientious sellers.It is important to focus on the fact that planting is planned in pots.

Before purchasing, it is mandatory to inspect seedlings for damage and disease. It is worth giving preference to exclusively full-fledged, beautiful and he althy-looking rosettes.

Immediately before planting, the acquired seedlings are sent to a container with earth and placed for about two weeks in a cool place (for example, a refrigerator or a cellar). Such a measure will allow the plant to fall into a dormant state, and before planting it can rest.

Boarding process

At home, seedlings are planted in this way:

1. Place a layer of drainage and some substrate in pots for planting.
2. The roots of the plant are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a while.
3. The plant is placed in a container, the roots straighten out.
4. If there is a need to trim the roots, after that, in order for the plant to recover sooner, the roots are dipped in a weak solution of heteroauxin for several hours.
5. The lacking ground to the growth point is poured into the container. The soil needs to be flattened a bit.
6. In order for the bushes to take root, they are lightly watered with a solution of a heteroauxin substance.

In addition, strawberries are planted on the windowsill and with the help of seeds. The fruits in this case will not appear soon, but this fact does not deter gardeners. For those who decide to grow a crop from seeds, we offer one trick that will contribute to the simultaneous ascent of the plant. The material for planting (in this embodiment, seeds) is laid out on a wet cloth, which is folded in half, and then placed in a bag. The blank is sent to the refrigerator for a month. Seeds can be hardened in the same way.

Subtleties of plant care

After the planting has taken place in accordance with all the rules, it's time to learn how to competently organize the care of strawberries so that they will please them with delicious fruits.

Do I need top dressing?

Gardeners recommend fertilizing plants once every two weeks. In the form of fertilizers, simple dressings intended for indoor crops, or special formulations for strawberries, are used. This or that top dressing is applied strictly according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Often they are applied when the fifth leaf appears on the plant.

Those who do not want to resort to synthetic strawberry nutrition can make their own nutrient mixture at home:

1. A three-liter jar is filled with 30% eggshells, which must first be crushed.
2. A glass of ash is also sent there.
3. The jar is completely filled with warm water.

The mixture is infused for 5 days, after which it is filtered and diluted with clean water, in proportions of one to three. The mixture is then ready to be applied as strawberry feed.

In addition, chicken excrement or a weak solution of manure is taken to fertilize the crop.

While the fruits begin to develop, the bushes are most in need of iron. To enrich the soil with this chemical element, a rusty nail is placed in a container with successfully planted strawberries, literally a few centimeters.

After the fruits are harvested, feeding is done infrequently or not at all.

Irrigation Rules

You need to water strawberries only with settled liquid. Those who do not want to wait for the chlorine to sink to the bottom of the container, and who have a similar opportunity, can run the water through the filter.

The land in the container where the crop is planted is moistened twice a week. Watering should be done after lunch, that is, in the afternoon. After watering, the soil is certainly loosened.

It must be remembered that watering should not be abused, as this leads to rot on the roots of plants.

Treatment from diseases and pests

During fruit development, strawberries can be attacked by spider mites or such an unpleasant disease as gray rot. To eliminate these problems, the plant must be irrigated with garlic infusion.

For self-production of this mixture, you will need two cloves of garlic, which are pressed through the garlic and filled with 100 milliliters of liquid. The composition is insisted for two hours, after which everything must be filtered and poured into a spray bottle for further processing of strawberries.

Date of emergence and planned harvest

If a remontant species is planted, it blooms on the windowsill for 30-35 days, and picking berries begins 60-65 days after planting.

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