Strawberries are a fruit that is eaten everywhere in the world and are incorporated into lots of recipes. Cakes, jams, ice creams, juices. It’s better with strawberries ! To make it still better, it is interesting to know that the fruit was cultivated without pesticides. And we can do it at home. In pots or flower beds.
Apart from being tasty, strawberries contain significant nutritional values for the human body, including vitamin C and iron. While they started in Europe, strawberries can be cultivated even in areas with different climates and can be picked almost throughout the year. Strawberries are simpler to grow than you may know and you could have your own plantation following some procedures and care.
How to plant strawberries at home?
With the fruit
For those who like to grow their own fruit, it is best to choose organic strawberries. The “regular” strawberries sold in supermarkets tend to be unable to sprout.
With the organic strawberries in hand, you will cut them into small pieces, where the seeds are, and place them in a pot with soil mixed with worm castings and sand. After that, apply very little soil on top of the strawberry pieces and, using a spray bottle, water them until they are very damp. Do this last step every day. The results may take up to twenty days, but it will be worth it.
By seed
This is a method for people who wish to have less work when planting strawberries at home, as you will not have to cut them in order to obtain the seeds. You can easily obtain strawberry seeds ready for planting in shops that sell gardening supplies or organic supplies.
With strawberry seedling
Similar to seeds, strawberry seedlings are also readily available in organic and gardening stores. Similar to any seedlings, strawberry seedlings also need a little special attention in order to grow successfully and bloom.
Where to plant strawberries?
Once you have chosen what you will use to start growing strawberries at home, you must choose where you will plant them. There are many good places to plant strawberries from scratch or to transplant seedlings.
In pot
You don’t necessarily need a specific pot, but choose a medium pot that is up to 30 cm deep. This container should have holes at the bottom for water drainage.
Make a first layer of stones or expanded clay at the bottom of the pot to drain the water. Before adding the soil, use a drainage mat, such as felt, to avoid losing substrate.
In construction site
First of all, always choose soil rich in organic matter. You can plant seeds, seedlings, or the actual fruit. If you use seedlings, cover the soil with some kind of mulch, such as coconut husks or straw.
In a styrofoam box
Some people use Styrofoam boxes to plant strawberries and the results have been positive, since the material is a good thermal insulator. This way, you can reuse Styrofoam boxes, a material that is difficult to recycle. For those who are only going to plant one plant, it is possible to use smaller Styrofoam containers, such as lunch boxes or açaí and ice cream containers.
Choose a soil rich in organic matter, fill these containers and water them before placing the strawberry seedlings or seeds. If they are shallow containers, there is no need for a drainage system, just make a few holes in the bottom and that’s it.
In a hanging pot
Using hanging pots can be a great way to take up less space when planting strawberries at home. Not to mention that this can be a good place for the fruits to develop, since their bunches will be suspended in the pot, without touching the soil.
Remember to find a place where there is good light to hang the pots, so your strawberries will grow beautiful and tasty. The best thing is that this planting option adds more beauty to the place.
In PVC tube
PVC pipes are often used to create the famous vertical gardens, a great option for placing on balconies or walls inside the house. To plant horizontally, simply make small openings along the pipe and leave a 10 cm gap.
If you want to plant vertically, just make holes along the pipe, spaced about 15 cm apart, cover the bottom and fill it with soil. Then, just take seedlings and place them in these openings. You can use clamps to secure the pipe to the wall or bury the base in the ground.
Planting in tubes is a practical option to prevent strawberries from coming into direct contact with the soil.
How to care for strawberries ?
Knowing how to care for strawberry plants after planting them is very important. Even though this fruit is not difficult to grow, there are important characteristics that make the environment much more conducive to its development.
Best soil for strawberries
The sandy-clay soil is ideal for planting. It should have a lot of organic matter and be well-drained. The soil should be fertile, for this you can mix topsoil with organic compost. To maintain the soil’s nutrition, you can fertilize the soil once a month.
These characteristics should be part of any growing area, whether in pots or in the ground. If you want to plant in the ground, fertilize the area with worm castings and some organic matter , such as eggshells, for example.
Ideal lighting for strawberries
Excluding cloudy periods, regions with suitable conditions for growing strawberries have around seven to 12 hours of direct sunlight. This direct sunlight should preferably begin as soon as the day begins.
If you live in a place where there is little sunlight, keep them in a place where sunlight shines all day long and preferably arrange the plants horizontally. This will allow the strawberries to receive more direct light, compensating for the lack of more intense sunlight.