How To Grow Strawberries at Home in Pots? Strawberries are the most loved summer fruits; it is a red sweet mouth-watering berry, which is liked by all age groups. Growing strawberries is a tremendous option for an amateur, simply because they are easy to grow and produce their fruits remarkably quickly. The flavor and feel of strawberries grown in your own home garden is unquestionably a million times better when compared to the ones available in super markets. Strawberry plants are known to yield luscious fruits especially, when grown in small places, which also include an extensive range of containers. In other words, “grow bag” cultivation is predominantly productive and economical.
How to Grow Strawberries?
Strawberries grow up fine in the ground; however, if they are grown on the same plot for a long period, they may tend to suffer from soil-borne diseases and pests. Strawberries can be easily grown for a year or two in smaller places such as pots, grow bags, hanging baskets and troughs; this method is known to have several advantages when compared to plants that are grown in an open environment.
Strawberries grown in containers take a primary place, as they require more of a sheltered space than a sunny location and raising them above the ground level helps in bringing out an unwavering microclimate. The strawberries grown in containers can be brought under a porch or a glasshouse, in order to advance the fruit cropping process. Strawberries grown in containers are less prone to soil-borne diseases and pests and are quite convenient in height for picking.
How To Grow Strawberries in Pots
Spring seasons are apt for growing strawberries; winter frost makes the growth of this plant way too hard in the garden. Strawberries produce flowers during early spring. Since they are excessively close to the ground, it is essential to position the plant in a place that has a lesser risk to frost. The higher the ground, the better are the chances for a good yield of strawberries. Frost damage can occur when the temperature drops lower than -2° and -4° Celsius.
The best method to grow strawberries includes growing them in the sunniest location of the garden that is least prone to wind. Excess wind will make the plant unable to pollinate.
While preparing pots for planting strawberries always ensure to make use of low loam content or soilless peat-free composts, which makes them less heavy and makes bulky pots such as big terracotta strawberry containers handier while changing places.
Process of Choosing Containers:
Grow bags are extensively used by home and commercial growers for strawberries. One grow bag can easily take five-six plants. Grow bags can be purchased from garden centers and DIY stores. In order to improve air circulation and stabilize the microclimate position, place the grow bags on a treated timber plank supported about three feet (one meter) above the ground level. Rigidly tie the wooden planks to the treated posts that are three inches (seven and half centimeters) in diameter driven by eighteen inches (forty-five meters) into the ground, or to a free-standing concrete block, timber support or even plastic crate. Grow bags may also be positioned on an upside-down box or crate. A railing must be added at every end that is 6 inches (15 centimeters) wide and stiff and a mini-mesh net extended by the side of each side must be included to hold the fruit horizontally, this action helps in improving the sugar content of the berries. By following the above techniques, you can expect a yield of 1 pound (half a kilogram) of fruit per plant approximately.
Window boxes and troughs can be used for growing strawberries similar to grow bags. Window boxes and troughs permit homemade or proprietary composts to be included during the potting process. A good number of strawberry cultivars are appropriate for hanging baskets and are attractive, especially, Viva Rosa, the pink-flowered cultivars.
You may water the strawberry plants with the help of drip lines or by hand, depending on the unstable position of the containers and the irregularity of the seasons during the year. Strawberry plants in pots, hanging baskets, grow bags and troughs must continue to be moist but not soaking wet, and may perhaps need watering more than one time during the day during hot weather conditions.
When the growth of strawberry plant commences, supply the plant with a balanced liquid feed that contains equal amounts of potassium and nitrogen every week. The liquid feed can be easily purchased from any DIY or garden stores.
Pick out all the strawberries as soon as you see them ripen, and preserve or eat them as the earliest. Do remember that an overripe strawberry fruit either falls of the vine or spoils quickly.
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