Growing strawberries in a greenhouse all year round as a business. Nutritious salad with spicy chicken and grapes

" Strawberry

Strawberries are considered the most popular berry, loved by both adults and children, which is why the business of growing it in a greenhouse has very high profitability. It is also worth considering the fact that in the off-season the cost of this berry increases several times, but the demand remains at the same level, which allows you to receive significant income.

In order to build a profitable strawberry business, you need to think through all the details of berry reproduction and decide on the method and place of cultivation:

1. Growing strawberries in open ground at the dacha, you can get a rich harvest, but selling it will be quite difficult. The main role in this issue is played by the seasonality factor and great competition for this period. We also must not forget about the weather, which, if unfavorable, can destroy most of the berry plantations;
2. The greenhouse method is the most profitable, because when using it, you can collect ripe fruits not only in late spring and early summer, but also at other times of the year. A correctly selected set of varieties will allow you to obtain a continuous harvest and, accordingly, profit all year round. Berries grown in a greenhouse will be protected from the effects of natural factors.

Using greenhouses, you can grow strawberries all year round, but you should carefully study all the factors and protect yourself from all sorts of risks. First of all, it is worth noting that such a business will be profitable only in areas with a warm or temperate climate. In more harsh conditions you will have to spend more money on heating and lighting the greenhouse, which will create additional costs.

Advantages and disadvantages of strawberry business

Growing strawberries in a greenhouse is well suited for own business and has a large number of advantages:

• Strawberries are a very popular berry, so finding distribution channels is not difficult. The harvest can be sold both for fresh sale and for processing;
• Fairly low competition– the main peak of strawberry sales is the seasonal period, but the rest of the time the berries are in short supply and therefore their price increases several times;
• When growing fruits in a greenhouse there is no need to be afraid that the harvest amount will decrease due to unfavorable weather conditions;
• Using modern techniques growing berries in a greenhouse, you can grow greatest harvest in the smallest area;
• The strawberry business is very quickly pays for itself.

The minimum area required to start a business is just a few square meters

Also, this type of income has significant disadvantages that should be taken into account when building a business plan:

• High cost of greenhouses and other equipment, because of which it will be necessary to prepare a thorough start-up capital;
• Strawberries require constant care And favorable conditions habitat, that is, when growing it, you will have to carefully monitor the level of lighting, heating, soil moisture and other indicators. For beginning gardeners, the main difficulty may be the need for artificial pollination;
• High heating cost and electricity.

Strawberry business the best way suitable for experienced gardeners who want to make money from their hobby. The main difficulty of such a business of your own lies in the competent cultivation of berries, while making a profit from the sale of a high-quality harvest will always be at a high level.

Where to start a strawberry business?

Before you start growing strawberries, you need to prepare a plot of land and a greenhouse. It is also very important to choose the variety to grow wisely.

Preparing the soil for growing berries

In order to start growing berries on an industrial scale It will be enough to purchase 1 hectare of land. With a small starting capital required area can be rented.

According to most businessmen, the most profitable plot of land will be located next to the city and directly to the highway. In this case, it will be possible to significantly save on harvest transportation.

One of the most important nuances will be the selection of soil mixture for growing berries. Strawberries best take root and bear fruit on soil consisting of the following components:

• 2 parts of turf;
• 1 part humus;
• Ash;
• Mineral fertilizers;
• In order to reduce the acidity level of the soil, superphosphate, potassium chloride or ammonium nitrate.

Before planting seedlings, the soil must be loosened.

Choosing a greenhouse

For organization profitable business Polycarbonate greenhouses are best suited. There are three types of greenhouses, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:

1. Frame greenhouses, covered with film is the most cheap option Moreover, this design is very quickly installed. The disadvantage of this greenhouse will be insufficient protection of plantings in winter;
2. Glass greenhouses also suitable for running a strawberry business. In such buildings it is possible to install a heating system, and glass surface transmits sunlight well, thanks to which you can create best conditions for plants. The disadvantage of the structure will be its size and the need to build a foundation;
3. Polycarbonate greenhouses This is the most expensive, but at the same time the most profitable option for strawberry farming. They can be installed additional heating and lighting, polycarbonate also transmits sunlight well. Design greenhouses light and durable, can last a long period time.

On initial stage you can build 3 greenhouses measuring 30 by 40 meters. One such design will cost 80-100 thousand rubles.

Necessary equipment

In order to get a harvest not only in summer, but also at other times, additional lighting and heating must be installed in the greenhouse, with the help of which you can obtain an optimal microclimate for strawberries.

To create an artificial heating system for a structure, an infrared cable or pipes are laid underground through which warm air. For heating, you can use an electric boiler or stove-stove..

Additional lighting plays a huge role when growing strawberries in seasons with short daylight hours. 400 watt sodium lamps are best suited, with which you can create an imitation of sunlight. One lamp should be located at a height of one meter above the plant and illuminate no more than 1 square meter area.

To improve light dispersion, special reflectors can be installed.

Considering that Strawberries tolerate drip irrigation best, it is necessary to build special system, which will consist of a barrel of water installed above the shelves with plants and a rubber tube lying on the surface of the ground. IN rubber pipe make small holes, the number of which should be equal to the number of bushes.

Choosing a strawberry variety

In order for a business to generate a sufficient amount of profit, it is necessary to grow tasty and beautiful berries that the consumer will like. Which varieties are most suitable for growing in a greenhouse? For planting in greenhouses you should choose remontant varieties that do not require artificial pollination.

Self-pollinating varieties with large berries regular shape, painted bright red. Availability is welcome rich aroma. It is also necessary to pay attention to the density of the fruit, because it determines the tolerance of transportation and shelf life.

The following strawberry varieties are considered the most popular::

• etc.

For achievement best result, in each greenhouse they plant different kinds plants (early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening). In this way, a continuous flow of crops can be ensured.

Planting and care

Planting and caring for strawberries is the most important part of the work, because the quantity and quality of the harvest depends on it.

When planting strawberries in a greenhouse, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Before placing the seedlings on permanent place, her keep in a dark and cool room for several days with a temperature of +2 degrees;
2. When using Dutch suspended technologies each seedling is placed in a separate pot filled with nutrient substrate;
3. If the bushes are planted in the ground, then the distance between the rows should be 35-40 centimeters, and between individual plants 20-25 centimeters;
4. During landing Do not bury the heart of the plant;
5. The final stage will be watering planted bushes.

In order for strawberries to feel comfortable, adhere to the following indicators::

• immediately after landing the temperature in the greenhouse is gradually increased from 10 to 22 degrees, with the beginning of flowering this indicator increase to 25 degrees;
• humidity should be equal to 75-80 percent;
• daylight hours should be 10-12 hours.

Water the strawberries using the drip method as the soil dries. Once every 7-10 days after watering, carefully loosen the soil.

When growing plants, it is very important to remove weeds in a timely manner, trim off excess tendrils, shoots and damaged leaves.

Strawberries are pollinated using soft brushes or intensive ventilation. Some gardeners install beehives in the greenhouse.

Once every 14-20 days, the soil must be fertilized with ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride diluted in water.. It is also very important to carry out preventive treatments from diseases and insects.

As soon as the strawberries are ripe, you can start picking the berries. It is best to do this work manually. In this case, the berries will not wrinkle and retain their presentable appearance.

Sales of manufactured products

After the strawberries are harvested, they need to be sold. It is worth noting that Even the most shelf-stable varieties of strawberries do not have a long enough shelf life Therefore, it is best to think through sales channels in advance and conclude supply agreements.

There are several common ways to sell products:

• selling berries to stores, supermarkets and other retail outlets;
• You can also have strawberries sell to various processing plants, restaurants, etc.;
• goods can be sold through own retail outlets.

Sell ​​fresh and delicious strawberries quite simply, because it is in high demand both in summer and winter.

Profitability of strawberry business

Before starting your own business, you need to calculate the start-up capital, regular expenses and income received.

In the event that you do not have your own land plot, you will have to spend 1,250,000 rubles to open a business, and the costs are divided into the following components:

• purchase land plot– 500,000 rubles;
• construction and equipment polycarbonate greenhouses– 550,000 rubles;
• the purchase of seedlings is made on the basis that 1,200 plants are placed in one greenhouse - 3 greenhouses * 1,200 seedlings * 50 rubles, the final amount will be 180,000 rubles;
• registering a business and receiving all necessary documents– 20,000 rubles.

If you have your own land plot with an area of ​​1 hectare, the starting capital will significantly decrease to 750,000 rubles.

In addition to the expenses described above, annual expenses should be taken into account:

• payment for electricity and heating – 20,000 rubles;
• payment for other utilities-5,000 rubles;
• fertilizers, processing, etc. – 10,000 rubles;
• other expenses – 10,000 rubles.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that every 2-3 years the strawberry plantings will have to be renewed and if you do not prepare seedlings yourself, you will have to purchase seedlings again.

At correct selection varieties you can get up to 5-6 harvests of berries. Their cost will depend on the time of year:

1. Spring-summer harvest will cost 108,000 rubles (360 kilograms * 3 greenhouses * 100 rubles);
2. Autumn-winter harvest will bring much more profit, namely 270,000. This is due to the fact that in a given season a kilogram of strawberries will cost 250 rubles.

A strawberry business can bring huge profits and pay for itself in 1-2 years. The main condition for the success of the business will be the production of high-quality products, namely tasty and attractive berries.

Sample business plan

A business plan for the production of strawberries is built by each entrepreneur independently. It must include everything individual characteristics future business. Sticking to general scheme The drawn up plan should contain the following points:

1. Full information about grown strawberries(variety, germination, fruiting time, yield, care features, etc.);
2. Area and detail description of greenhouses;
3. The relationship between supply and demand on the market, presence of competitors and other similar factors;
4. Industrial plan;
5. Full costings;
6. Revenue forecasts, plans for future profits;
7. Financial risks and possibilities for their minimization.

The production plan includes all data related to the cultivation of strawberries (preparing the greenhouse and seedlings, planting, care, picking berries, etc.) and plans for selling the resulting harvest.

A business built on year-round cultivation of strawberries, pays for itself very quickly and can bring good income . Before you start creating your own business, you need to calculate everything down to the smallest detail in order to avoid failure in the initial stages.

Strawberries are a perennial herbaceous plant, which has been successfully “cultivated” and selectively improved over the years.
It can be grown only if the main conditions are met - providing sufficient light and heat. Be it a strawberry plantation in a field, small garden bed in the country or a compact container with bushes on the balcony, 14-hour daylight is required. Now, as for the heat: the harvest season for most varieties falls in the second half of June - early July, that is, the warmest days, when the average daily temperature does not drop below 18-19 degrees. This should be taken into account if you want to grow a culture at home.

By the way, information obtained from the depths of botany claims that the berry that is familiar to us is not a berry at all, but a complex nut fruit.

Now about the quality of the soil: strawberries, although they are not considered particularly demanding in this regard, still grow better on fertile, light soils with good circulation of air and moisture. Usually this is sandy or sandy-loamy soil with an acidity reading of no higher than 5-6 and the presence of humus about 3-4%. In the conditions of growing at home, you can take care of the quality of the soil when planting, but regular application of fertilizers will help to ensure sufficient nutrition for the plants in the limited volume of the container.

Now, taking into account the existing knowledge, you can begin the preparatory work.

Landing

It is wiser to start any new business with small volumes. And growing strawberries at home usually starts with a few bushes. Over time, having gained your own experience and obtained successful results, it will be possible to grow more plants. In the meantime, let's start mastering the process step by step.

First, determine the location for placing your homemade strawberry “beds.” Undoubtedly, the easiest way to grow them is on glazed and insulated loggias in apartments and in greenhouses or heated verandas in private houses. But if there are no such premises, then ordinary window sills will do, preferably on the south side.

Secondly, let’s decide how to get the plants - we’ll use ready seedlings or sow the seeds. The option of growing ready-made strawberry bushes is much more convenient, especially if you have the opportunity to dig them up in your own garden bed. Purchasing seedlings in a store will require financial investments, and in this case, buying seeds will be cheaper. But on the other hand, growing strawberries from seeds is very troublesome, and you will have to wait much longer for the harvest, so let’s consider the option of ready-made seedlings.

1. We select the container. To plant strawberries at home, you can use ordinary flower pots, approximately 12-15 cm deep and about 20 cm in diameter. This volume will be optimal for growing one plant, since in a smaller pot it will not have enough nutrition, and in a larger pot, acidification of unclaimed soil may occur. Also convenient to use wooden boxes, made to fit the window sill or plastic containers sold in stores. The main thing that is necessary in any container is the presence in the bottom drainage hole, through which excess water will drain during irrigation.
2. We are preparing the land. Of course it's easier to buy ready mixture for seedlings, but why spend money if you can prepare high-quality soil mixture: 2 parts earth + 1 part humus + 1 part peat + some sawdust hardwood. We fill the container to a third of its volume with this soil, not forgetting to first add a layer of gravel or small stones to the bottom.
3. We plant seedlings. The bushes should have a well-developed, fibrous root system. We cut off the dry and excess leaves on the strawberries, leaving 3-4 of the youngest ones, remove the damaged roots, and pinch off the too long ones. We lower the plant into the pot, straighten the roots and gradually add and compact the soil, while making sure not to deepen the root collar. After planting, be sure to water the plants. At first, the plantings should be protected from direct sunlight.

Creating optimal conditions

Now that the plants are planted, it is necessary to provide them with maximum comfortable conditions content. The required air temperature for strawberries differs little from what is acceptable for us, so maintaining this regime is not difficult. On warm autumn days, the plants will feel good on the balcony, but with the onset of noticeable cold snaps at night, it is recommended to bring the containers into the room. Subsequently, when placing the strawberries on the windowsill, you need to make sure that cold air from the street does not penetrate here, and the rising warm currents from the radiators can provide sufficient temperature.

Now regarding the light required to grow strawberries. In our climate, the closer autumn is, the shorter the daylight hours; for example, in the Moscow region by October it is only 10 hours, and in December it barely reaches 7. It is clear that in such conditions the strawberries will not be harvested , but the death of the plant is not far away. The problem can be easily solved with the help of special lamps for illuminating seedlings. Modern devices emit light almost similar to that of the sun, so plants receive the entire necessary spectrum, including red, which is responsible for successful vegetation and flowering. Artificial light is turned on early in the morning and before sunset, so that a full day of light is at least 12 hours.

In the future, caring for strawberries consists of regular watering and fertilizing. You can use ready-made concentrates as fertilizers or add potassium humate to the water for irrigation approximately once a week in the dosage specified in the instructions.

And last important point, which must be taken into account in order not only to grow strawberries, but also to get a harvest! Taking into account the absence of free-flying bees in the apartment, you need to do flower pollination yourself. To do this, it is convenient to use a regular small brush with natural bristles. It is enough to simply move it lightly along the core of each flower so that the fruits begin to set and soon you will be able to enjoy the first berries.

Just hearing the word “strawberry” makes you feel its amazing sweetness in your mouth, and before your eyes... nice images: ripe strawberry on a bush, warmed by the sun; strawberries and cream; delicate dessert decorated with strawberries...

The main secrets and subtleties of year-round cultivation of strawberries

This summer delicious berry quite often present on our table, but imagine how surprised guests and household members will be if you please them with fresh strawberries during the “off season”! And not those imported berries that lie on supermarket shelves, raising doubts about their usefulness, but real homemade strawberries, juicy and aromatic.

Now anyone who has such a desire can grow strawberries all year round. To do this, it is absolutely not necessary to have a heated greenhouse; you can grow berries in an ordinary flower pot on kitchen window. All you need is to stock up on seedlings, soil, containers for strawberry seedlings and, of course, patience, because strawberries are a rather capricious plant.

Anyone who has such a desire can grow strawberries all year round.

How can you get strawberry bushes to bear fruit in autumn, winter and spring? The secret is simple: in a dormant state, strawberry seedlings dug up from your plot in the fall can be stored for up to nine months; for this you just need to keep them in the refrigerator or in a cool place. basement. In their natural environment, strawberries “wake up” after the snow melts, and when stored at home, you can “wake up” the seedlings at the moment you want. Thus, by taking seedling bushes out of the basement or refrigerator one by one and planting them in the ground, you can get the desired result - strawberries will bear fruit all year round without interruption.

Video about growing strawberries all year round

Another important point that you will definitely need to take into account is that strawberry seedlings need a long day of light (up to 14 hours a day). In the autumn-winter period, the days are very short, so you will have to use artificial lighting. Any technology for growing strawberries all year round is based on the fact that the plants are provided with additional illumination using fluorescent lamps.

Pollination of flowers will also be artificial, regardless of which strawberry varieties you choose for year-round cultivation. If you have planted several strawberry bushes at home or in a greenhouse, you can pollinate them with a simple soft brush, touching each flower with it daily. IN large greenhouses You can place a hive with bees to ensure natural pollination.

If you have planted several strawberry bushes at home or in a greenhouse, you can pollinate them with a simple soft brush

Strawberries bear fruit best all year round, the varieties of which differ high yield and the ability to set berries several times after the first fruiting. These are varieties such as:

• Marmolada,
• Maria,
• Selva,
• Darselect,
• Tristar,
• Elsanta,
• Yellow miracle,
• Polka,
• Sonata,
• Tribute,
• Mount Everest,
• Darkness,
• Queen Elizabeth.

What is the best way to grow strawberries in winter?

There are many ways to grow strawberries all year round: some are based on the principles of hydroponics (growing without soil), others involve the use plastic bags. You can choose any method that you consider the most effective and acceptable.

Year-round growing of strawberry seedlings in bags is becoming increasingly popular

Year-round use on balconies and loggias is gaining increasing popularity. Substrate is poured into ordinary long bags made of thick polyethylene, slits are made along the surface for strawberry bushes, and seedlings are planted. When choosing this option, do not forget to constantly ventilate the room in which the bags of growing strawberries are located, otherwise the roots of the plants will be blocked.

The strawberries that we see in the supermarket in winter are grown using Dutch technology. In essence, this technology is very similar to that described above, only it is used mainly in greenhouses. If you live in a city apartment and don’t have a greenhouse, but really want to get strawberries all year round, practical guide will help you achieve high yields at home.

Video about growing strawberries all year round in bags indoors

You can plant strawberries one bush at a time. flower pots using rosettes prepared in the fall or growing them yourself. If you follow the basic rules for caring for strawberries at home, you will have delicious berries on your windowsill throughout the year.

Another option is to use hydroponic system. In this case, strawberry seedlings are planted in an organic substrate (for example, coconut fiber) or in aquatic environment, and is supplied to the roots of plants nutrient solution. As a result, strawberries bear fruit all year round - the video will allow you to see that hydroponic installation Without the use of a substrate, fairly large berries ripen on strawberry bushes.

It is better for farmers to build medium-sized greenhouses (100 - 120 sq. m). Polycarbonate can be replaced with a double layer polyethylene film, but such coverage will have to be updated after 1-2 years.

Large greenhouse farms often use steel frame greenhouses covered with glass. The pitched roof structure provides good daylight and does not allow snow to linger. Glass retains heat well, but it costs significantly more than film and polycarbonate.

Strawberries in industrial conditions grown in a rack way, or use hanging Dutch technology. Industrial greenhouses for strawberries with such placement, it saves space and makes harvesting easier. It is also possible to plant strawberry bushes directly in the ground.

Hydroponic technologies reduce the cost of the process, but significantly worsen the taste of the berries. They acquire a characteristic watery taste and lose their aroma. A greenhouse with a blank wall made of cinder blocks will help you save on heating costs. Usually the northern wall is made blank.

The blocks reliably protect the greenhouse from cold winds, and they can also provide additional heating according to the principle solar battery. There must be a greenhouse equipped with a ventilation system And drip irrigation, good lighting.

Advantages and disadvantages of business

Business for growing strawberries in a greenhouse has many advantages, which makes it especially attractive for beginners.

1. Strawberries are very popular. It is readily purchased by both end consumers and shops and catering establishments.
2. Competition is low, strawberries are present in sufficient quantities on the market for no more than 3 months a year.
3. Imported berries are significantly inferior in taste and aroma to domestic varieties grown in soil.
4. In the winter-spring period, premiums for strawberries increase significantly.

Among the disadvantages business can be noted:

• costs for the construction and equipment of greenhouses;
• high cost of electricity for heating;
• need for registration legal entity for working with stores;
• V summer season the markup on products decreases.

Variety selection

Remontant strawberries that do not require pollination are ideal for this. IN closed ground Both early and mid-season varieties can be planted.

It is important to choose options with fairly dense berries that can withstand transportation well. Consumers prefer brightly colored large strawberries regular shape with a rich aroma.

Among the most popular varieties:

Entrepreneurs with experience in greenhouse farming recommend choosing varieties of Russian, Dutch, American and Polish selection. They take root well in protected soil, do not get sick and give good harvests.

Greenhouse equipment rules

Still at the construction stage of the greenhouse it is important to think through the system. Most convenient option– combine biofuel with artificial heating. An infrared cable or pipes are laid underground, through which warm air is driven. For heating, you can use an electric boiler or fire, as well as stoves.

Prepare biofuel, mixing horse, pig or goat manure with straw, spilling the mixture with water, covering it with film and leaving it for several days. Rotted manure is spread under the top layer of soil. This mixture maintains the temperature in the greenhouse up to 25ºC.

Very important point – soil preparation. For strawberries, you need a light mixture of equal parts of turf and humus with the addition of ash and mineral fertilizers.

To optimize acidity, a mixture of superphosphate and potassium chloride is suitable. The soil must be thoroughly loosened.

For suspended technologies, you can use a peat-perlite mixture, which must be steamed. The prepared substrate is poured into plastic sleeves and placed on racks installed along the walls of the greenhouse. Nutritious the mixture retains moisture well and accelerates the development of strawberry bushes. The Dutch system increases strawberry yields, allowing you to remove 8 kg of berries from one sleeve.

Strawberry care

The grown seedlings are planted in the greenhouse. When using Dutch hanging technologies, each bush is placed in a separate pot filled with nutritious substrate. When planting bushes in the ground placed in rows with a distance of 30-45 cm. To optimize watering and maintain the required level of humidity in the greenhouse, you should install an automatic drip system.

The soil should not dry out, but flooding is also unacceptable. Stagnation of water in the soil provokes the disease gray rot, which can destroy the crop. Humidity in the greenhouse should not fall below 80%. After the bushes take root, you need to ventilate the room daily.

Required to be paid once every two weeks mineral fertilizers: ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride diluted in water. After flowering begins, you need gradually increase the temperature in a greenhouse, this will speed up the ripening of the berries, making their taste bright and rich.

Accounting for income and expenses

Before starting work, a detailed business plan, taking into account upcoming expenses and planned income. The list of expenses must include:

• rent or purchase of land;
• building materials for greenhouses and costs for its construction;
• greenhouse equipment (ventilation, irrigation, lighting systems);
• purchase of planting material, fertilizers and insecticides;
• fare;
• registration of a legal entity (required for working with retail chains);
• salary of hired personnel.

Growing strawberries in a greenhouse all year round as a business is not cheap for a private owner.

Construction and equipment of a polycarbonate greenhouse with an area of ​​100 square meters. m will cost 90,000 rubles. You will have to pay for heating and fertilizers from 15,000 rubles per month. Another 15,000 rubles will have to be spent on purchasing planting material; about 10,000 rubles costs to register a legal entity and obtain certificates for products.

Helps reduce costs:

• use of combined fuel;
• growing seedlings yourself, from seeds;
• refusal of hired labor;
• replacing polycarbonate for covering the greenhouse with a cheaper film.

Calculate your expected income from the farm. With a yield of 5 kg per 1 sq. m can be removed from 400 kg of berries. The average purchase price is 600 rubles per kilogram. The price varies throughout the year from 200 to 800 rubles per kg, depending on the time of year. Thus, profit from one greenhouse will be 240,000 rubles per month. The profitability of a strawberry business in a greenhouse is from 50%.

In winter, the markup on berries increases 1.5 times. This is due to a decrease in supply and high demand from retail chains. However, it is worth considering that heating costs also increase during this period.

Many farmers refuse from growing strawberries in winter, preferring earlier planting and extending the fruiting period until November.

If you decide to start another business growing, or, then look at the articles on our website.

Entrepreneurs who decide to grow strawberries in winter should sign agreements with retail chains and enterprises Catering. This will help minimize the percentage of defects and stabilize income.

The announced technology is suitable both for industrial scale and for growing strawberries at home (the only difference is the size of the room and the amount of harvest).

Strawberry is not only an early ripening and productive berry that does not require high labor costs when growing it, but also a great opportunity to earn money. However, having come to the idea that you can make good money from strawberries, almost everyone who wants to start a similar business is faced with basic technical problems:

– How to establish year-round cultivation of strawberries?

In order to answer this question with maximum clarity, below you will be presented with a clear and harmonious system that allows you to understand not only the agricultural technology of growing strawberries, but also to obtain real data on necessary equipment and all kinds of components expressed in specific numbers. All this will allow you to significantly save time and money by spending necessary calculations right here and now.

Premises for growing strawberries.

Growing strawberries all year round is possible not only in greenhouses, but also at home. Absolutely any room is suitable for this purpose, and even city ​​apartment(you can actually grow strawberries at home)! How this is possible, you will understand a little later. Now I will explain what requirements a strawberry plantation must meet in a room with a complete lack of sunlight.

Lighting.

In order to ensure normal photosynthesis for strawberry bushes, you need to create artificial lighting. For these purposes, 4 types of lamps are suitable:

1. Fluorescent lamps.
2. Sodium lamps high pressure.
3. ESL ( energy-saving lamps).
4. Metal halide lamps.

In our case best option- This high pressure sodium lamps. The fact is that the high pressure of sodium vapor in the lamp allows the output to produce spectra such as red and blue radiation, which in their parameters closest to bright summer sun .

At the same time, it is not enough to simply install a lamp over a certain area of ​​the bed, since its light must be evenly distributed over the entire surface. That is, the lamp must be enclosed in a special lamp equipped with a reflector, which helps not only to optimize lighting, but also helps to reduce electrical appliances throughout the entire area of ​​the strawberry plantation, thereby reducing electricity costs.

Sodium lamp characteristics:

• Optimal power– 400 W.
• Lighting area – 1 m².
• The height above the level of the bed is no more than 1 m.

That is, in order to illuminate 1 m² of bed, you will need 1 lamp. In this case, the lighting intensity should be at least 12 hours for day-neutral varieties of remontant strawberries. And here a natural question arises:

– How much will such a pleasure cost, in terms of electricity costs?

And here a rather impressive figure emerges - 1296 kW of electricity per year. To be more precise, over 9 months in rubles this is approximately 2 thousand.

But these expenses will more than outweigh the yield, which, despite all equal conditions can reach 40 kg of strawberries per 1 m². But the wholesale cost of 40 kg of strawberries in winter will plunge you into a slight shock - at least 20 thousand rubles! Well, does such income make it more fun? Then read on.

The technology for growing strawberries in a greenhouse also requires additional lighting. Let’s say the thermos greenhouse option I proposed in the article about, which allows you to save up to 75% of electricity for heating it, also needs artificial lighting, especially in winter time. It’s just that in the case of a greenhouse, the lighting intensity will be significantly less.

Strawberry beds.

Strawberry beds are, of course, a general expression, and essentially you will have to design three-row shelving.

Optimal width such a rack is 1 m (), height 1.5 meters, length arbitrary. The rack needs to be divided into 3 rows and containers should be installed in each of the rows: the width of the container in the lower part is 15 cm, in the upper part 20 cm, the height of the container is 20 cm, the length corresponds to the length of the rack. The distance between rows of containers is 20 cm.

Since the racks will bear a high load, it is better to make them welded from metal profiles. For containers, materials such as plywood, fiberboard, plastic, wood, etc. are quite suitable.

Other characteristics of a closed room:

• Air humidity – 75-80%.
• The air temperature is 20-22°C, but not more than 25 degrees.
• Ventilation is moderate.

So, we’ve sorted out the room and its equipment and now we’ll look at the basic methods of growing strawberries in such unusual conditions.

Preparing compost for growing strawberries.

Basic compost composition for strawberries– this is 80% light sandy loam and 20% humus.

And here you need to be careful with humus, since many people confuse it with manure. Manure and humus are completely different things, and it is the latter that comes from the former. It doesn’t matter what type of manure served as the starting material for the formation of humus, the main thing is that the humus is kept. That is, it must be at least 3 years old, the humus must be uniform in color and without any ammonia smell.

The second point that you should pay attention to after thoroughly mixing all the components of the compost is its pasteurization. It would be nice if you equipped a special compost pasteurization chamber (read more about compost pasteurization in the article). But if you do not have such an opportunity, then you can go another way.

To pasteurize compost you will need a container closed type any volume. After the container is filled, thoroughly pour the compost with water and place it on low heat. The main thing is to arm yourself with a thermometer with a division scale up to 100°C and make sure that the temperature of the compost fluctuates in the range of 55-60°C for 10-12 hours, while constantly stirring it.

Before filling containers with compost, they must be equipped drip irrigation system. And no matter what methods you use to grow strawberries, this watering system is optimal for each of them. Just surface watering for strawberries is not recommended.

A drip irrigation system for strawberries is arranged as follows:

1. Pour a 10 cm high layer of compost into each container.
2. We lay tubes over the surface of the compost in containers.
3. We make holes in the tubes based on water consumption - 3-4 liters. per 1 m² of shelving per day.
4. We install a water container 1 m above the level of the rack and connect a pipe system to it.

If it is not possible to automate such an irrigation system, then required consumption water (3-4 liters per 1 m²) is measured experimentally, as is the actual size and number of holes in the tubes.
In addition to its main function, drip system watering serves as a tool for delivering strawberry bushes nutrients. These can be water-soluble fertilizers and growth regulators. But whether to use them or not, everything will depend on the specific situation.

Well, when the irrigation system is installed and adjusted, all that remains is to fill the containers with soil and proceed to growing strawberries.

Choosing a strawberry variety.

I personally cannot advise you on which particular variety of strawberries to grow. The fact is that strawberry varieties are constantly updated and selected, but I will provide you with the main criteria for choosing a variety for year-round cultivation of strawberries:

• First, it must be a variety classified as remontant type of strawberry neutral day (such strawberries bloom several times a year).
• Secondly, the period of formation of berries and ovaries in this variety must be continuous.
• The third is the maximum possible size of the berries and their uniform color at the ripe stage.
• Fourth is high taste, as well as strong aroma berries

Establishing a mother plantation and year-round strawberry crop rotation.

Let's immediately determine the technological period for fruiting strawberries. We will have it 9 months, from September to May, since growing strawberries in the summer using the technology I proposed is unprofitable due to its low cost and high competition.

In order to prepare a good mother plantation, capable of producing a stable harvest already in September, it is necessary to plant it in early April. This is done in two ways: either by growing remontant strawberries with seeds, or by growing them with seedlings.

If you do not have the required number of seedlings obtained from your strawberry plantation, then the second method is the least preferable. It's just that in this case you risk purchasing planting material strawberries, not fully consistent with its original varietal qualities. That's why best method the laying of the first plantation is the seeds.

Strawberry seeds are sown in small boxes , previously with well-moistened soil and only lightly cover them thin layer land. At the same time, the germination rate of strawberry seeds is quite low and does not exceed 50%. The main criterion for high seed germination is bright sunlight, in our case light sodium lamp, as well as high humidity of the soil surface.

Support high humidity soil should be sprayed with water, i.e. drip, surface watering in this case is inappropriate, since the water will erode upper layer soil.

After the first shoots appear and the strawberry seedlings take root, carry out the first picking, planting the strawberries in a checkerboard pattern - 5X5 cm. Approximately 1.5 months after the first picking, carry out the second picking, planting the strawberries or in rows, with a distance between the rows 20 cm, or in a checkerboard pattern - 10X10 cm.

In the end, after doing all this work, you should get required amount uterine strawberry bushes, which are at a stage close to budding. In terms of time and quantity, this is expressed as follows: by the end of July, you should grow 100 strawberry bushes per 1 m² of shelving.

But already in the second year of growing strawberries, you can obtain planting material not using seeds, but using young sockets. That is, year-round crop rotation in this case will cost you completely free. This is done quite simply. In the month of April, the free plots of land in containers are inoculated with tendrils, and by the end of May, young strawberry bushes, called rosettes, are obtained.

From all of the above, it becomes clear that all strawberry beds require annual updating. And this is not just a whim, but a necessity, since remontant strawberries, unlike ordinary garden ones, rarely bear fruit for more than 2 years.

The planting of mother bushes on the plantation is carried out at the end of July, and by this time it is advisable to obtain planting material that is just gaining color. Further care comes down to watering, fertilizing and, of course, harvesting.

In conclusion, I would like to note that in order to reproduce planting material, you need to equip a room equal in area to the room with the main strawberry plantation, or simply grow planting material in open ground.

Return