What inventive amateur gardeners will not think of. An irrepressible desire to plant as many plants as possible on a tiny piece of land leads to original solutions. One of these is growing strawberries in a barrel. Such a design can stand not only on a summer cottage, but also on the balcony of a city apartment. In addition to the practical purpose of obtaining berries, such a “bed” will also delight the eye with its beauty.
Strawberry Growing Methods
Sweet strawberry that is beloved by everyone grows in almost every country or homestead. They grow it both in greenhouses and on open ground.
You always want to get a good harvest, a lot of berries, so that you can eat fresh and prepare for the winter. To optimize the use of usable space, the most unexpected solutions for organizing beds are invented. Growing strawberries in a barrel has already firmly taken root in the cottages of Russians.
But this is not the most exotic method. There are even more original options: for example, growing strawberries in a pipe. The location of the pipe itself can be vertical and horizontal. A great option to save a lot of space, and in some cases (horizontally suspended pipe) do not occupy fertile soil or place on the site.
In a barrel
Growing strawberries in a barrel is convenient and practical. To do this, use a variety of barrels in volume. It is not recommended to use containers in which chemicals or fuels and lubricants were stored.
The system is simple: several holes are made in the barrel with a diameter of not more than 5 cm and at a distance of 20 cm from each other. Usually staggered. From below it’s worth retreating 20 centimeters and draining so that the water can leave. Strawberry bushes are planted in the holes.
For irrigation, a pipe with many small holes is inserted into the center of the barrel. The bottom plug prevents water from flowing out, it gradually moistens the soil under the pressure of its own weight.
Strawberry care is the same as with conventional cultivation: watering, pest treatment, harvesting.
In the pipes
Growing strawberries in a pipe can significantly increase the area of the general plantation for the crop. Horizontal pipes can be arranged in several rows and tiers. The vertical option, in addition to giving a harvest, will help to make a picturesque and unusual hedge.
When equipping such "beds", one must take into account the love of strawberries for the sun and the poor tolerance of drafts. The pipe will have to be buried at least 35 cm, it is imperative to provide for an irrigation system, it is about the same as in the barrel.
In drawers
There is another option - strawberries in boxes. Cultivation is practically no different from ordinary beds. You can make several tiers of very different shapes: from ordinary steps to the pyramid, how much imagination and skill of the hands will be enough.
Such "beds" can be installed anywhere in the summer cottage or placed on the walls of outbuildings. Layered structures will allow you to collect a larger crop from a smaller area.
It is a very realistic option when strawberries in boxes grow on city balconies. Growing is not burdensome, any housewife can do. On the wall, you can strengthen several rows of small drawers, it is better if it is the south side of the house.
Benefits
Growing strawberries in horizontal tubes has its positive aspects:
- the berries do not touch the soil, respectively, are less prone to decay, they do not need to be freed from particles of land;
- takes up little space, up to 100 bushes can be freely placed on 1 m 2 , and not up to 15, as on an ordinary garden bed;
- high productivity from 1 m 2 - up to 10 kg (for comparison: remove up to 2 kg on the ground);
- small rodents and pests will not be able to get to the crop;
- since the "beds" are located above the ground, there is no need to constantly bend down to pick berries or process them;
- seeds of various weeds do not get into the closed ground;
- such plantations do not need weeding;
- in addition to practical tasks, such plantations carry an aesthetic burden, especially if you put such pipes wrapped in green along the fence.
disadvantages
But not everything is so cloudless and simple. As in any business, there are some nuances. Growing strawberries in a pipe requires solving the following problems:
- strawberry bushes must be fed at least once a week;
- the soil in vertical pipes and a barrel dries quickly, watering is done every 3-5 days;
- initially, vertical "beds" need to be made mobile and for the winter time to be removed in a warmer place, wrapping up does not save from complete freezing of the soil;
- as practice shows, strawberries in a barrel can be grown for one year, then you will have to plant new seedlings;
- wooden barrels are short-lived and rot quickly.
There is one more minus, which significantly affects the crop yield. Growing strawberries in a barrel shows that the lower bushes rot from an excess of moisture. The upper ones, on the contrary, suffer from its lack. A smooth crop is obtained from bushes located in the middle of the structure.
Growing strawberries in the ground allows each gardener to choose from a huge variety of varieties. The main thing is that they should be zoned for a specific climate zone. You can choose a variety for both the greenhouse and open ground.
Growing strawberries in a barrel requires a more thorough approach to choosing a berry variety. The best option would be varieties of repair strawberries. They are more resistant to adverse conditions and take root better.
The best varieties are considered such as Albion, Lyubava, Queen Elizabeth, Gigantella Maxi, Crown, Kimberly, Brighton and others. Curly strawberries are also very suitable for this method of growing.