Strawberries are very tasty and healthy berries, which you want to feast on all year round. Of course, you can go to the nearest supermarket and get this delicious treat. And you can grow this delicacy on the balcony, it is not only not very difficult, but also very beautiful.
Is it possible to grow strawberries on the balcony all year round
Growing strawberries on the balcony is not only possible, but also very convenient... Growing this sweet berry on the balcony is a very common method, as with proper care, fresh and tasty berries will always be at hand.
Glazed balconies on the south side are most suitable for growing berries, since the sun must illuminate the plant for at least 6 hours a day.
The following advantages can be distinguished growing strawberries on a glazed loggia:
- In a small area, you can get a good harvest, since the containers with strawberries do not take up much space.
- If you want to feast on a juicy berry, you do not need to go far or drive behind it, it is always at hand.
- Ease of care. If the first signs of pests and diseases appear on the plant, you can immediately notice them and take the necessary measures.
- With the right organization, you can get a crop even in winter.
- Environmental friendliness of the berry.
- Aesthetic component - on the balcony it smells very nice and tasty with strawberries.
Planting berries on the loggia must be approached very responsibly, determine the place, choose the right varieties and convenient containers.
If the balcony faces the wrong side, you should not deny yourself the pleasure of growing strawberries, you just need to take care of additional lighting and insulation of the balcony.
Attention: strawberries are very afraid of drafts and cold wind, therefore, the airing of the balcony should be carried out in calm, sunny weather.
Tips for growing strawberries on balconies:
Which varieties are most suitable for growing
There are no special varieties suitable specifically for landing on the balcony. In the markets and in specialized stores, they can offer the most suitable varieties, but they can just as well be grown in the country.
Therefore, it is worth choosing plants that are least susceptible to diseases, having tasty, juicy fruits and giving a good harvest, preferably self-pollinated.
The varieties of this berry are initially classified according to the type of fruiting:
- harvest once a year - in spring;
- harvest twice a year - in spring and autumn;
- remontant varieties that yield crops all year round.
When choosing a variety, be sure to take into account that some species can give the first harvest in the year of planting, while others - only for the next season.
The following berry varieties are most recommended for planting indoors: Roxana, Zagornaya, Queen Elizabeth, Festivalnaya, Rusanka, Desnyanka.
Queen Elizabeth variety has beautiful, large and sweet fruits. This plant produces a lot of antennae, so you can provide yourself with your own young rosettes for the whole year.
Festivalnaya grade it is distinguished by a special sweetness, the half has only a slight sourness. It is not a remontant variety, but it bears fruit for a long time. By the end of fruiting, the size of the berries is almost halved.
Desnyanka variety - high-yielding, mid-season variety. Forms antennae perfectly. The berry has a pleasant sweet and sour taste.
Never purchase strawberry seeds or seedlings from spontaneous markets and unverified sellers, as the stated benefits may be false advertising.
In what containers to plant
Almost any container is suitable for growing berries at home, from boxes, flower pots to plastic bags.
Many gardeners recommend packages, considering that they create conditions that are closest to natural. It is preferable to choose bags white, two-meter, with a diameter of 200 millimeters.
It is unlikely that more than three bags can be placed on a square meter of a balcony. If you want to have fresh berries all year round, then you should grow it this way.
If strawberries are planted in containers, then it should be roomy: the length is at least 200 centimeters, and the diameter is 20 centimeters.
With the right care, strawberries will bear fruit well in any small containers: flower pot, plastic container or hanging basket.
The main requirement for containers is the presence of drainage holes, without them the seedlings will not be able to breathe normally and will die.
It is desirable that for one adult strawberry bush the pot should be at least 3 liters in size.
If there are no holes in the pots, you need to make them yourself.since strawberry seedlings do not like stagnant water. The pots should be hung (ampel method) or raised so that free air circulation and excess moisture outflow occur.
Growing strawberries on the balcony in vertical beds. DIY hydroponics:
Planting bushes:
What soil is needed for planting
For strawberries, soil matters more.with which the container is filled. You can buy special soil in the store, or you can prepare it yourself and plant bushes:
- 10 parts of black soil;
- 10 parts of peat;
- 10 parts of humus;
- 3 parts of sawdust;
- 1 part sand.
The entire composition is thoroughly mixed and poured into containers. Then the containers are poured with a solution made up of 200 grams of mullein, ½ teaspoon of copper sulfate and 3 liters of water.
Terms and basic rules for disembarkation
If strawberries are planted as seedlings, then it is worth considering the weather conditions and the characteristics of the room.
If the balcony is closed, well-insulated seedlings can be planted in early April. If the balcony is open - at the beginning of May.
You do not need to place the seedling very deep in the pot, since as a result new leaves will not appear.
But you can't leave it on the surface either. - the root will dry out. Deepen half of the base so that the leaves and buds are not covered with soil.
Strawberry seedlings should have 6 formed leaves.
If you want to achieve the speedy rooting of seedlings, it should be watered with a solution of heteroauxin: 1 tablet is diluted with 5 liters of water.
Subject to the presence of an insulated balcony, seedlings can be planted in September.
How to pollinate a berry
Most of the time the plant has to be in a closed room, as a result natural pollination is very difficult.
Therefore, to obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to carry out artificial pollination or use self-pollinating varieties of berries. If there is no exchange of pollen, then fruit ovary will not occur.
You can artificially pollinate as follows:
- Fan assisted... We put the device in the morning near each bush, so that the air flow is directed to the other, and we slowly move from bush to bush.
- With your hands... We purchase a natural bristle brush. The brush should be fine. We manually pollinate each flower, moving from one to another. This method is more efficient than the first one.
If it is difficult to carry out artificial self-pollination, it is worth purchasing hybrid self-pollinated seedlings that can bear fruit all year round.
Bolero, Florence, Honey and Corona are especially popular varieties for growing on the balcony.
Such berries are capable of producing crops all year round, the main thing is to take care of the correct lighting and thermal insulation.
Care rules step by step
A good strawberry harvest depends on correct watering, selected capacity and soil, room temperature and lighting. Let's analyze the care step by step.
Strawberries are very light-requiring, she needs sunshine 14 hours a day or more, so the gardener should worry about artificial lighting on the balcony.
A good option is a fluorescent lamp. Reflectors made of foil can be used.
After planting, the seedling begins to take root and release a mustache. Very quickly, the entire container can be filled with strawberry rosettes.
In order for all the power of the plant to go into the formation of the fruit, mustache should be plucked... They can be planted in other containers or left for storage.
Some growers recommend picking the first flower on a plant., believing that the seedling will form more flowers, which will accordingly increase the yield.
The main thing when caring for strawberries is follow watering rules... Very often peat does not allow moisture to pass through well, so you can put pots of plants in the water.
When the pot is saturated with water, it will sink. Dry pots float for a while.
Watering should be carried out every other day, not forgetting to spray the leaves, berries and flowers of the plant with water.
Important: watch the temperature, if it drops below 14 degrees, the strawberries stop blooming and bearing fruit, if the temperature exceeds 35 degrees, the plant weakens and gets sick.
Fertilize seedlings at least twice a month... Specialized fertilizers and cow manure are introduced into the soil, which should be diluted: 20 parts of water for one part of manure.
It is better if the manure is already fermented. Fresh manure is diluted one to two and settled for 7 days. Then it is divorced 1 in 20.
Strawberries can be left to winter on the loggiaif the temperature inside is above 5 degrees below zero. It is worth insulating containers with berries with sawdust and needles.
Do not forget about airing the roots and stems of the plant, otherwise the process of decay may begin and the seedling will die.
In winter, the bushes are practically not watered, since the root can freeze or rot.
If the balcony is very warm and it is possible to create additional lighting, then fresh berries can be enjoyed even in December.
As you can see from the above, the process of growing strawberries on the balcony is not very difficult. Using simple guidelines, with some diligence and hard work you can provide the whole family with this berry.
DIY pods have more flavor harmony than store-bought pods.