How to grow strawberries at home all year round: breeding and care features

In addition to greens and flowers, strawberries can be successfully grown at home. There are several known varieties of this crop that can grow under artificial lighting. Since it is more difficult to grow strawberries in a house than in a garden, before planting, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements that the plant makes to the place of growth. And in order to harvest at least twice a year, you will need to ensure proper care.

How to grow homemade strawberries?

Breeding heat-loving crops in an apartment is not difficult. Popular remontant varieties are suitable for cultivation, on which berries successfully ripen all year round with a constant and long-term supply of ultraviolet radiation.It is important to create a suitable indoor microclimate for the culture.

However, there are varieties (neutral daylight, or NSD) that can germinate even with insufficient sunlight. Moreover, such strawberries can bear fruit for up to 9 months.

You will also need to create comfortable conditions for the plant. The latter refers to maintaining an optimal temperature regime. The level of humidity does not play a decisive role. However, during the winter it is recommended to spray the bushes regularly.

Varieties of strawberries for the apartment

It was noted above that there are two types of strawberries suitable for growing at home:

1. DSD. On a culture of this type, the fruits appear twice within one year. Most of the berries appear at the second harvest. The fruits of this variety appear under the condition of constant light.
2. NSD. The grade differs in the increased resistance to changes of a microclimate (jumps of temperature, humidity). Berries appear even in low light. The fruits take nine months to form.

From the first group of varieties for growing in an apartment, Crimean, Autumn fun or Garland are often used. The Brighton variety is distinguished by the fact that in addition to low maintenance requirements, this plant produces fruits that hang in the bushes. Therefore, this strawberry is used for growing in pots.

For growing in containers, gardeners recommend the Queen Elizabeth variety, which provides year-round fruiting.

Also, beautiful colors appear on this plant that can decorate the interior of an apartment.

Rules for growing in an apartment

Growing will not cause difficulties, provided that the rules of planting and subsequent care are followed. It is also important to decide on the place where the culture pot will be placed.

Suitable place to grow

It is recommended to place a container with a plant on a windowsill facing south or east. These areas are considered the most illuminated.

Growing on a balcony is also possible, provided that this area is insulated and protected from the winds.

For the rapid growth of the crop, it is necessary to provide sunlight for 14 hours. During the cold season, artificial lighting with ultraviolet lamps will be required.

Temperature

Strawberries are thermophilic plants. Therefore, the culture is able to bear fruit, provided that it grows at temperatures up to +20 degrees. If this requirement is not met, the plant will die.

Humidity

This parameter does not play a decisive role, provided that the optimum temperature is maintained and sufficient daylight hours are provided.But for normal growth, strawberries need humidity at the level of 70-80%. In winter, it is recommended to spray the bushes regularly from a spray bottle to avoid overdrying the leaves.

It is important to prevent waterlogging of the soil, otherwise fungal diseases will occur.

Selection of containers for planting

If the plant is grown from seeds, then the strawberries are first planted in small glasses. Then, after picking, the culture is transferred to more spacious containers. When 5 full leaves appear on the bushes, strawberries can be transplanted into a pot.

The choice of capacity depends on which variety is grown. For ampelous varieties, it is recommended to use hanging pots, since on such bushes the fruits hang down. The remaining varieties are planted in long boxes up to 15 liters or separate containers. Also, the plant can be grown in plastic bottles with holes in the bottom to drain excess liquid.

Select soil mix

For growing a heat-loving crop, purchased soil mixtures intended for indoor plants are suitable. If desired, the soil can be prepared independently. To do this, you need to mix humus with sand and earth with needles in equal proportions.

Strawberries grow well in loose soil provided there is a constant flow of water. After preparation, fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus must be applied to the soil.

Seeds or seedlings: which is right?

Strawberries are grown from seedlings or seeds. The last option is quite laborious. Therefore, novice gardeners are advised to purchase seedlings. The plant should be planted in autumn. To do this, you need to separate large seedlings from the sockets and plant them in a pot, leaving only 1-2 young leaves. After that, the container with the culture must be left for two weeks in a cool place.

If seeds are used, the planting material must first be soaked. To do this, you need to take a container with holes drilled in the bottom. Then you need to lay out moistened gauze. Next, seeds are placed on the material, after that - planting material, and is closed from above with wet gauze. A container with a lid should be placed for three days in a well-heated room. At the end of this period, the container is sent to the refrigerator for a day to harden the culture.

Seed material is sown into the soil at a distance of four centimeters and to a depth of one centimeter. The pots are then covered with polyethylene. After the appearance of seedlings, you can start planting the plant.

Boarding process

In order to plant a heat-loving crop, you must first fill the bottom of the prepared container with a layer of expanded clay, which will act as drainage.Next, lower the roots of the seedlings into a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After a few minutes, lower the plant into a pot. Rhizomes are not recommended to be bent, therefore, if necessary, long branches should be removed. In the latter case, before planting, you will have to soak the strawberries in a weak solution of heteroauxin (the duration of the procedure and the proportion of the mixture are indicated on the packaging of the product).

At the end, the roots are covered with prepared soil so that the soil reaches the outlet. At the end, the plant is watered abundantly.

How to care?

During the fall and winter, strawberries need to get enough light. To do this, you will have to install an ultraviolet lamp near the plant. Subject to this condition and regular watering, the plant will not require additional care.

What to fertilize?

For irrigation, it is recommended to use settled or filtered water.The procedure should be carried out twice a week. If necessary, the frequency of watering can be increased. After each procedure, the soil should be loosened. The plant begins to fertilize during the period when the first leaves appear. For this, complex mixtures are used. In the future, top dressing is applied every 2 weeks.

For fertilizing the plant, a home-made mixture is suitable. For this you will need:

• grind the shell by taking one egg;
• fill with the resulting powder a third of a three-liter jar;
• pour ashes in an amount not exceeding one glass;
• Pour preheated clean water into the jar.

The composition is infused for five days. For fertilizer, this mixture is used, diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1: 3.

Pruning and pollination

Pruning is recommended to be carried out regularly, removing overgrown mustaches. This procedure will ensure the normal growth and development of the plant. However, if strawberry owners plan to transplant the crop over time, then pruning is not necessary.

Artificial pollination is carried out in two ways. The first assumes the following: during the flowering period, you need to brush over all the blossoming buds. The second method is simpler: you need to direct the switched on fan to the bush.

Wintering

Subject to the rules of planting and care, strawberries can not be prepared for winter. During this period, it is important to ensure sufficient watering (since the soil dries faster in the apartment) and the level of illumination.

Common diseases

Indoor strawberries are not susceptible to diseases, provided that a purchased mixture was used for seedlings. In rare cases, gray rot develops, for the destruction of which garlic tincture is used (2 cloves per 100 milliliters of water, infused for 2 hours).

Pests affecting strawberries

The only pest (provided that purchased soil mixture is used) that infects strawberries is the spider mite. The same garlic tincture is used to control insects.

Sprouting and harvesting dates

If seeds are used, the first sprouts appear 20-30 days after sowing. Strawberries planted by seedlings begin to bloom in 30 days. Berries are formed and ripen within 1-2 months. Some varieties produce early, others six months later.

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