Strawberries in a greenhouse: the best varieties for beginners, photos. Technology of cultivation, planting and care with instructions, types and varieties with names

Until recently, growing strawberries in winter was only possible in greenhouses with industrial capacity. Nowadays, planting strawberries in a greenhouse will not surprise anyone - modern varieties and technologies allow anyone to do this.

Of course, year-round cultivation of strawberries requires financial investments, labor and knowledge, but with enough effort it can pay off. In addition, even if you do not intend to make a business out of growing strawberries in a greenhouse, it can become an interesting hobby.

Building a greenhouse

Before you start growing a fragrant beauty, you need to prepare its “residence” for this - a greenhouse. In order for it to turn out well, you will have to sweat a little and invest financially, but it’s worth it.

It should be understood that an ordinary greenhouse in which tomatoes, cucumbers and other greens grow in the summer is not enough; something more serious is needed. What kind of greenhouse is suitable for strawberries? Typically, a glass or polycarbonate structure mounted on a metal or wood frame is chosen.

The thickness of the polycarbonate must be at least 16 millimeters, and the base on which it will stand is strong and durable to withstand the weight of the structure with a snow load.

One greenhouse will not be enough to prevent strawberries from freezing in winter; in addition, it must be equipped with:

fluorescent lamps of sufficient power;
drip irrigation system;
a competent heating system capable of maintaining the required temperature in the room;
ventilation system
thermometers for measuring humidity levels and air temperature;
necessary equipment - shelves, pots, drawers, etc.

After everything is ready to grow strawberries in the greenhouse in winter, you can think about seeds.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

To grow berries throughout the year, it is necessary to observe such important points as:

planting technology;
correct selection of soil for strawberry cultivation;
preparation and cultivation of seedlings;
creating a unique microclimate in a greenhouse in compliance with lighting and watering standards;
providing proper care and fertilizing.

Video: Growing strawberries in a greenhouse

Seedlings are planted according to a 20x20 cm pattern for classic planting and in a checkerboard pattern for vertical planting.

Growing berries in a polycarbonate greenhouse has many advantages compared to more classic glass and polyethylene buildings, for example:

it is easier to create and maintain a microclimate in the greenhouse;
there are no difficulties with installing a heating system;
polycarbonate protects vegetation from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Priming

First of all, it should be said that the soil recommended for growing greenhouse berries must be nutritious.

Important! Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil by first disinfecting it. To do this, you can either treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or sterilize it.

Sterilization can occur according to the following scheme:

The substrate is poured into a large metal tray and covered with a lid.
Place the container with soil either in the oven or on the fire.
The heating temperature should be 60°C and maintained for 12 hours.

After this procedure, the disinfected soil is combined with such components as:

sawdust;
turf land;
sand;
peat;
dry humus;
ash;
urea;
mineral mixture, immediately before planting.

To prepare a special substrate, the components are combined in the following proportions: peat, soil and humus in equal parts. And then the remaining ingredients are added. To add looseness, sawdust is added. Humus, ash and added superphosphate increase the fertility of the substrate.

Harvesting and growing seedlings

Seedlings are grown from tendrils - shoots on berry bushes that are cultivated in open ground. The mustache is collected from the most powerful and prolific bushes of the previous season. Uterine rosettes are marked in the month of June by installing a peg or tying a ribbon.

We recommend learning about the use of boric acid for strawberries during flowering.

A certain number of whiskers are left on each rosette, but no more than five, and the rest are removed. Later, these shoots take root in July–August. This agrotechnical technique can be carried out both in open ground and in separate containers. With the onset of October - November, the rosettes are dug up and partially moved to the greenhouse to grow the first crop.

Those rosettes that are planned to be transplanted into the greenhouse later must be properly preserved. For this we recommend:

Remove shoots and leaves from the seedlings, leaving only the smallest ones around the growing point. The root system is cleared of soil, after which the seedlings are packed in 50–100 units in bags and sent to a refrigerated room for storage. For these purposes, the polyethylene bags should be about 0.04-0.05 mm thick. This method is called "Frigo".
The seedling material is transferred into separate glasses or seedling containers according to a 15x15 cm pattern. Then, careful care is provided, which, first of all, consists of regular watering. Seedlings can be left outside until frost sets in, after which they are brought indoors, fertilized and the leaves are removed.

Important! It is not recommended to use soil from beds where tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries and strawberries previously grew for the subsequent cultivation of strawberries.

Lighting

When dealing with the issue of lighting in a greenhouse, you should pay attention to:

its intensity;
length of daylight hours.

During the period of laying generative fruit buds, the duration of daylight hours should be short, and when the bushes begin to bloom, they require lighting for at least 15–18 hours. Thus, in regions with insufficiently long natural daylight hours, from January to March, 8–10 hours of artificial supplementary illumination are required daily. If only natural light is received in a smaller volume, for 8 hours, harvesting occurs on the 48th day.

Additional lighting will allow you to harvest faster, since receiving light for 16 hours every day, flowering occurs on the 10th day, and the berries on the bushes ripen already on the 35th

For additional lighting, sodium lamps with a power of 400 W are used, which allows the quality of light to be as close as possible to natural lighting. Lighting fixtures should be located at a distance of 1 m, which will cover an area of 1 m². To increase dispersion, it is recommended to use special reflectors.

As a rule, the lamps are turned on, adhering to the following mode:

in the morning - from 8–11;
in the evening - from 17 to 20 hours.

Also find out how to get rid of nematodes on strawberries.

Watering and fertilizing system

The process of growing berries in a greenhouse occurs in a more intensive mode than in open ground, therefore, plants require more strength to grow and bear fruit. They can get them from:

organic (peat, compost, humus);
mineral;
combined fertilizers.

Fertilizing greenhouse berries is done twice a month, since the soil for growing strawberries must be very nutritious. Fertilizer is systematically applied in the form of:

potassium salt –10 g;
ammonium nitrate - 80 g;
superphosphate –80 g;
water - 10 l.

Important! An excess of fertilizers can negatively affect the taste of the berries.

Watering greenhouse beds should be moderate, without waterlogging the soil, to prevent the death of the plant. You can water the bushes abundantly in conditions of elevated temperature, on hot summer days, when the greenhouse is very hot. Watering is recommended to be done in the morning.

The optimal solution for irrigating strawberries in a greenhouse is a drip irrigation system , since the moisture will fall under the root of the plant, and not on the leaves and fruits. The volume of watering should be based on the consumption of 3 liters of water per day per 1 m² of greenhouse bed, that is, the length of containers with strawberry bushes must be multiplied by 3 and obtain the total water consumption for irrigation per day. This system can be homemade from a hose running along the bottom of a container, or made from plastic bottles, or can be purchased at a specialty store.

Microclimate

As for creating special conditions in the greenhouse, here it is necessary to separately say about:

temperature conditions;
air humidity.

The air in the greenhouse should gradually and gently warm up to higher temperatures during the growing season, since the coolness in the greenhouse will retard the development of seedlings and the bushes will begin to flower later. So, when planting seedlings, the temperature in the greenhouse is at +12˚C, during the growing process the air should be heated to +21...+22˚C, and when flowering begins - +23...+25˚C.

It will be useful for you to read about the fight against whitefly on strawberries.

Air humidity in the park plays a significant role. This indicator should not be constant, for example:

when planting seedlings in a greenhouse, the humidity level should be high - 80–85%;
then it decreases to 75%, until flowers appear on the bushes;
During flowering, humidity should not exceed 70%. To adjust this parameter, ventilation vents must be created in the greenhouse for ventilation if the greenhouse is operated exclusively in the warm season. When using greenhouses in winter, it is necessary to create a simple ventilation system.

Container for seedlings

The following can be used as containers for growing strawberries in a greenhouse:

containers made of plywood, fiberboard;
plastic containers;
cellular polycarbonate;
plastic bags.

It is recommended to use a solid container for seedlings, but you should take into account the required parameters:

height – 20–25 cm;
width of the lower part - 15 cm;
The width of the upper part is 25 cm.

Did you know? Strawberries have high zinc content, which increases sexual desire in both men and women. And according to scientific research, the likelihood of conception after consuming this product increases by 25%, which is why in France there is a tradition of preparing strawberry soup with cream for newlyweds.

Choosing varieties

Not every type of crop is suitable for growing in winter. In order not to make a mistake and not waste effort, time and money in vain, we will consider the most popular varieties of strawberries for growing in a greenhouse.

It is necessary to choose exactly those that will produce a good harvest. They can be divided into the following groups:

Self-pollinating. With this type of crop, you don’t have to think about where to find bees in winter to form fruits. They are able to do this on their own, without the participation of hairy insects.
Neutral varieties. Fruiting of this type of strawberry occurs continuously. On average, new berries are produced on the crop every month and a half.
Long shelf life varieties. The name of the group speaks for itself. Unfortunately, there are not so many such varieties, and besides, in our country such a crop has not yet been selected.

In the first year, to start growing strawberries in winter, you will have to spend a lot of money to purchase planting material, but in the future these expenses can be recouped if you sell the berries on the market or in retail outlets. For these purposes, it is best to purchase proven varieties.

Before proceeding with further work, it is necessary to understand the technology of growing strawberries in a greenhouse in winter.

Choosing the right strawberry variety for you

The following were recognized as the best greenhouse strawberry varieties for Western Europe:

"Elsanta";
"Sonata";
"Zenga Zengana";
"Crown";
"Pineapple";
"Marmolada";
"Darselect";
"Honiai".

And even in simple film greenhouses, early strawberry varieties can ripen two months earlier than in open ground. And all thanks to the fact that film protection protects this berry from dangerous low temperatures, and factors such as lighting intensity, temperature and water-air conditions are at an optimal level. And all this is very important for strawberries to be truly healthy and beautiful.

Basically, the choice of strawberry variety depends on what exactly it will be grown for - if for constant collection of berries, almost all year round, then daylight-neutral varieties, called remontant varieties, are suitable. But for sale you need to purchase varieties with especially dense, transportable berries, which will be aligned in size. After all, according to the assurances of experienced gardeners, it is much easier to sell medium-large berries than giant ones sprinkled with small change.

Preparation of seeds and seedlings

There are two methods of growing - seeds and ready-made seedlings. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. It is best to stick to the usual planting method - shoots. When the plantings give positive results, you can figure it out and try to plant strawberries with seeds.

So, you need to buy seedlings from a trusted seller, or preferably from a nursery. You can experiment with mustaches from your garden, but it’s better not yet. It is better to leave all experiments for later.

Since most of the crops do not tolerate an abundance of moisture, you should prepare a container with good drainage so that excess water drains out.

Next, we fill them either with ready-made soil from the store, or you need to take fertile soil from the site, add complex fertilizer and plant seedlings in pots.

When transplanting seedlings into a greenhouse, they will already be blooming, so you should be careful not to damage the flowers. Otherwise, you may be left without a harvest.

Also, do not forget about the root system; to do this, you will need to carefully remove the seedling from the pot and plant it in a bed in the greenhouse.

Watering and fertilizing

Strawberries, like other berry crops, love moisture. However, excessive moisture is detrimental to plants both during the flowering period and during the ripening of berries. Remember not to let water get on the leaves and flowers. The best solution would be uniform drip irrigation.

The best way to water strawberries is by drip.

When planting plants, watering is carried out every day. Later (during flowering and fruiting) they switch to the regime after 5–7 days.

During the entire growing season, it is necessary to fertilize with complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. You can use liquid solutions (80 g of ammonium nitrate diluted in 10 liters of water with superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt).

Winter storage

While the seedlings are waiting their turn, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for their storage. To do this, we create the necessary light and thermal conditions for comfortable plant growth.

If they are waiting for their turn to be planted in the greenhouse, then they should be covered with covering material. If you are at home on the balcony, then you should carefully monitor the temperature; if it drops below zero, you should turn on an additional heat source - a heater.

Starting from January 15, daylight hours for berry crops should be increased; it should be at least eight hours. For this purpose, additional fluorescent lamps are used. If you want to taste your own strawberries during the May holidays, then starting in March you need to increase the daylight hours to 16 hours.

Main diseases and methods of combating them

Inexperienced gardeners believe that a greenhouse is a salvation from many diseases and pests, and the berries in it will be completely safe. In fact, when growing indoors, there will be much more diseases, in particular due to the lack of quality ventilation. Therefore, it is necessary to face troubles head on and know the basic methods of combating the most common fungi, infections and pests.

White rot. Due to the high relative humidity indoors, white mold may form on the strawberries, which looks somewhat like a very thin cobweb in clumps. The leaves on the plant suddenly begin to lighten and dry out after a couple of days, and the berries in the affected areas rot. The mycelium cannot be eliminated by practically anything, it is very resistant to drying out, so raising the temperature and lowering the relative humidity will do nothing. Control measures are drastic - removing infected berries and leaves and burning them. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to increase the room temperature and install a dehumidifier - most of the fungal spores will die, while others will simply be inactive.
White spotting. Almost every gardener knows her, since it is very difficult not to meet her. The first symptoms: the leaves become speckled with white, such circles can be up to 8 millimeters, they are brown at the edges, the center is very light, almost white, which is why the disease is called that. It develops, as a rule, during the flowering period of berries, destroying leaves, stems, and sepals. Peduncles may change color and become darker. The disease progresses with abundant watering and high relative humidity in the room, as well as high planting density. It can cause the loss of the entire harvest if you do not fight back in time. Treatment consists of treatment with Falcon, Euparen, or copper sulfate (the proportions are written on the packaging of the drugs).
Brown spot. An equally common disease, which, in special cases, “mows down” up to 60% of all plants. As a rule, in the first half of the season it does not make itself felt, or appears only on some bushes, and by the beginning of August it begins to progress fully. The leaves darken at the edges and acquire a bright brown color, then darken a little and dry out. The disease is very dangerous not only for the harvest, but also for the propagation of strawberries, as it affects leaves, flowers and even tendrils. The fungus multiplies and hides on the affected plant, and overwinters on it, so the most effective method of control is to remove the affected branches as soon as the fungus is diagnosed. Preventive spraying with Euparen and Metaxylene will ensure increased plant resistance to damage by this type of biological activity.
Powdery mildew is the greatest enemy of greenhouse plants. At high relative humidity, as well as at low temperatures, it develops exponentially. The disease can be identified by the characteristic white coating that forms on the underside of the leaf blade. After a while, it appears on top and then throughout the plant, including flowers, tendrils and sepals. The leaves curl into a “pipe”, after which they dry out and fall off, the plant stops synthesizing organic substances and dies. You can fight powdery mildew using copper sulfate, soap solution (4%) and Quadrix. But it’s easier to remove infected plants and monitor the optimal humidity in the room.
Root blight . Very insidious zoospores that are found in the soil infect the root system, mainly at the end of May, when the soil temperature reaches +20 degrees. Gradually, the roots turn red and die. As a result, the plant dries out. It is very difficult to diagnose and, in most cases, gardeners see the problem after “opening” the bush - the roots have turned red and dried out. You can try to determine the symptoms by the leaves - young leaves are much smaller than expected and are too light. Treatment with Quadrix helps by 70%, and the main method of control is to remove diseased plants and improve the health of the plantation.

It is not only unprofitable to treat many diseases, but also pointless, since it will take a lot of time and the bush will not bear fruit anyway. If plants die in isolated cases, then the best way to get rid of the problem is to get rid of the plant itself. If you trace a pest invasion or mass infection, then you need to resort to chemistry and change the conditions in the greenhouse.

Strawberry care

Now that everything is ready, we can consider in detail how to properly grow strawberries in a greenhouse in winter, and what needs to be done for this. As soon as the sun starts to get hot, and this will happen somewhere in March, the strawberries are carefully planted in the greenhouse without damaging the roots.

The ground is mulched or covered with a special dark film. It will help not only retain moisture and prevent the berries from getting dirty, but also protect against possible frosts in certain regions of Russia during this period.

What you should not forget about for normal growth of berry crops:

Frost protection. You should purchase enough covering material to cover the crop if necessary. You can additionally buy special heaters that will help maintain the required temperature at the proper level.
Watering. Don’t forget about proper watering of strawberries. After all, the soil in which they grow should not be dry and very wet. Watering is best done directly to the very root of the plant, avoiding it getting on the leaves.
Feeding. As soon as the plants are transplanted, they need to be fed. For this purpose, nitrogen-potassium fertilizer is used. It will be very good for strawberries if you water them with water to which you first add carbon dioxide.
Pollination. In order for strawberries to bear fruit well, they must be pollinated. To do this, you should take a brush and use it to disperse pollen onto the plants; if there are quite a lot of them, you simply cannot do without a fan.
Fighting diseases. Although the berry crop will grow in greenhouse conditions, it can get sick. The most dangerous diseases for strawberries are powdery mildew, gray and black rot. In order not to lose the entire plantation, it is necessary to inspect the seedlings daily and, if necessary, remove infected plant leaves.

How to grow strawberry seedlings

Strawberry seedlings can be obtained through seeds or from the tendrils of an adult plant. To grow from seeds, you will need containers with a height of at least 7 cm and soil. You can mix garden soil with sand in a ratio of 1/3 (one part sand and 3 parts soil).

The photo shows strawberry seeds

Seeds planted in soil

When growing strawberry seedlings, you should not expect quick germination. They will appear 20-21 days after landing. The fact is that all small-seeded plants take a long time to develop. This is due to the small size of the seed, which cannot contain many nutrients. Therefore, you will have to be patient.

When the strawberry sprouts and its second leaf forms, you need to fertilize it with any organic fertilizer. When the seedlings grow to 8-10 mm, they begin to dive.

Strawberry shoots

To do this, you will need small plastic cups or any other container of suitable volume. The best choice is plastic glasses with a volume of 0.5 liters. In this case, frequent watering will not be required. If you grow seedlings in smaller containers, there will be more hassle in caring for the seedlings.

Picking seedlings

The picking procedure consists of several stages; let’s look at the features of each of them in more detail.

The main stages of picking strawberry seedlings

Table. The process of picking seedlings - instructions.

Steps, illustrations	Description of actions
Step 1	Water the soil with water at room temperature.
Step 2	Use the handle of any cutlery (spoon or fork) to carefully separate and remove the plant.
Step 3	Make a small depression in a glass with soil (1.5-2 cm is enough).
Step 4	Plant the plant in a glass/pot.
Step 5	Form a low bed of soil around the base of the stem (dig in).
Step 6	Carefully water the planted plants with water.

Growing strawberry seedlings from mustaches

To grow seedlings from mustaches proceed as follows.

Step 1. Find a powerful, formed tendril of an adult plant.

Rosettes and mustaches

Step 2. At a distance of 20-25 cm from the mother plant, dig a hole 5-7 cm deep.

Step 3. Immerse the mustache rosette into it.

Step 4. Take a paper clip and bend it slightly.

Step 5. Press the socket to the ground using a paper clip (pin it).

Step 6. Fill the hole with soil and lightly compact it.

Stages of formation of strawberry planting material using tendrils

Step 7. Cut off the excess part of the tendril that is not connected to the mother plant.

Step 8. Water the outlet.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are a number of positive aspects that will only encourage you to start growing strawberries in winter, but there are also negative aspects. The first include:

Taste. No market berry can compare in taste to one grown at home.
Beneficial features. Any crop that is stored for a long time, over time, loses its beneficial properties, including vitamins. Berries just picked from the garden are not susceptible to this.
Safety. No matter how carefully the products that end up on store shelves undergo a thorough inspection, strawberries that contain harmful substances may end up, unlike those that grow in a greenhouse.

This method has only one negative point - it is a complex and fascinating process of growing berries. But you can simply forget about this when, in the midst of spring, you bite into fresh, aromatic strawberries. And see that all the hard work put in was not in vain.

Those who like to document everything can capture step by step, using photos, the process of growing strawberries in a greenhouse.

Advantages and disadvantages of growing all year round

You can continuously grow strawberries not only for your own needs, but also for sale.

This is an excellent business that attracts entrepreneurs with the following points:
high profitability, the level of which is in the range of 70–100%;
the berries are grown in conditions protected from bad weather, they are not afraid of precipitation;
in polycarbonate greenhouses, the bushes receive a sufficient amount of light and heat, which allows them to actively grow and bear fruit;
in stationary greenhouses it is possible to create a unique microclimate regardless of the season, thanks to good thermal insulation;
plants are protected from insects and pests.

The disadvantages of greenhouse cultivation include:
the need for an initial investment in the construction of a greenhouse and its arrangement for year-round operation;
the taste qualities of greenhouse berries during the “season” are inferior to those grown in open ground, so selling the crop during the period of mass ripening of the crop in summer cottages can be difficult;
Artificial pollination technology is an expensive procedure.

Photo of strawberries in a greenhouse

Strawberry diseases and prevention

Strawberries must be periodically processed to prevent diseases, pests and mold. The table shows strawberry diseases and ways to combat them.

To avoid such diseases, carry out preventive measures in time:

For seedlings, choose only healthy and prepared bushes.
Follow the norms for applying fertilizers; do not overdo it with nitrogen fertilizers.
To prevent diseases before the ovaries appear, spray the plants with Glyokladin, Fitosporin or Alirin.
Remove yellowed leaves, broken and diseased plants in a timely manner.
Observe the ventilation and humidity conditions in the greenhouse.

Portable beds

In the event that you were unable to prepare beds for strawberries in the fall, you can make so-called “mobile beds.”

You will need a dark garbage bag. By cutting it into three or four parts and stitching the edges, you will get bags.
Pour the prepared soil into them and leave until spring. With the onset of warmth, place the blanks on a sheet of slate in a sunny place in your summer cottage. Use a utility knife to make cuts in the polyethylene and plant strawberry seedlings there.
The soil in such “mobile beds” warms up quickly, and your bushes will soon bloom. They will be harvested several weeks earlier than the usual ripening time for strawberries in your region.

Blank for a mobile flower bed

With this growing method, the berries will be clean, and you won’t have to fight weeds. The mobility of such beds is the main advantage. They can easily be moved to different places on the site and interspersed with other garden crops.

Growing in special bags