Growing strawberries in your apartment is a trendy and fun pastime. There are many ways to grow them: plant them in flowerpots or bags with a soil substrate, or in hanging baskets. Growing berries can even generate income. All your produce can be sold profitably, as home-grown strawberries are more valuable than store-bought ones.
Growing strawberries at home: rules and varieties
To ensure the berry produces good fruit, it needs a pot with drainage. It enjoys frequent watering but doesn't tolerate standing water. It's best to plant seedlings in prepared soil from mid-August to mid-September. They can also be planted in early spring.
If the apartment has heating, the strawberries are treated with warm water. When grown from seeds, they are placed in the refrigerator for about 28 days, covered with a damp cloth. This will help the seeds germinate faster. After the shoots appear, the first flowers are picked to allow the plant to strengthen.
After seedlings emerge, mold sometimes appears, which should be carefully removed. Afterwards, air and dry the seedlings, and treat the soil with an antifungal agent. To ensure the seedlings thrive, treat the plant with growth stimulants. When selecting seedlings, select large, undamaged rosettes. Before potting, remove all leaves, except for a few of the youngest.
Gardeners believe that for growing strawberries on a windowsill, you need to choose indoor varieties that bear fruit all year round:
- Yellow miracle;
- Queen Elizabeth;
- Mount Everest.
You can also grow home-grown strawberry varieties:
- Pink Dream;
- Temptation;
- Geneva.
They are considered low-maintenance and will bloom year-round. Greenhouse varieties are not suitable due to the dry air in an apartment.
Step-by-step instructions
To ensure delicious strawberries and a bountiful harvest, follow the instructions. Start by choosing the right location for the berries and finish by sowing the seeds. This last step requires particular preparation.
Choosing a location
Strawberries don't like cold, so they should be placed on a south- or east-facing windowsill. If the berries don't get enough light or warmth, their flavor will noticeably deteriorate. However, if a north-facing windowsill is more suitable, it's best to purchase a heating unit. It's important to provide the plant with at least 14 hours of daylight. You can use lamps twice a day (during the day until noon and in the evening from 4 to 8 PM) or choose a well-lit windowsill. The temperature shouldn't be below 18 degrees Celsius or above 20 degrees Celsius; the strawberries will either freeze or overheat.
Selecting capacity
Seedlings should be transplanted into pots for indoor growing when they have about six leaves. By then, the seedlings will no longer have enough space to grow. Much depends on the number of plants per pot. If you're growing a single plant, don't choose a pot larger than three liters. Hanging planters are also an option. If you're growing many plants, consider spacious, large containers with a capacity of about 15 liters.
Regardless of the container's capacity, it needs drainage holes and a drainage layer, for which expanded clay or brick chips can be used.
Selecting soil
Strawberries require loose, airy, and slightly moist soil. A substrate suitable for growing any vegetables or flowers is suitable. The following should be included in the nutrient-rich soil:
- Turf soil.
- Humus.
- Nitroammophoska.
Garden soil isn't suitable for this purpose: it may harbor various harmful bacteria. However, if there's no other choice, such soil can be treated with a potassium permanganate solution or dried in the oven. A substrate made from peat and vermicompost will provide favorable conditions for growth and flowering.
Seed preparation
First, soak the seeds. Poke holes in a plastic container and wet one part of the cotton wool, then place the seeds in it. Then cover them with another piece of cotton wool. Next, close the container and place it in a warm place for two days. Then, place it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Don't let the cotton wool or cotton pads dry out, and open the container occasionally.
Sowing seeds
First, place the seeds in a small box with moistened soil, keeping space between them. Then, add a thin layer of soil on top. After this, place the container in a warm place and cover it with glass or a plastic bag. After the seedlings sprout, remove the cover and place the box on a windowsill. The plants are then replanted, complete with their true leaves.
Post-planting care
Once strawberries are planted, they need to be cared for: watered, pruned, fertilized, and pollinated. Most procedures require a consistent routine, which is important to remember.
Watering mode
After planting, strawberries especially appreciate generous watering, applied to the roots. It's worth noting that frequent watering is not recommended. This can lead to root rot or fungal diseases. The bushes may also experience reduced fruit production due to insufficient oxygen reaching the roots. However, doing this infrequently isn't a good idea. The best method is to water the plants a couple of times a week, in the afternoon. Afterward, loosen the soil.
It's best to water plants using trays: this will make the process easier to control. Water the bushes when the soil begins to dry out.
Necessary fertilizers
Fertilizer should be applied once every 14–21 days. This should begin after the first leaf appears. The following fertilizers are best suited for strawberries:
- wood ash;
- weak manure solution;
- eggshell;
- chicken manure (dilute 1 to 20)
But you can also choose mineral fertilizers, such as Kemira Lux. These fertilizers are applied in early spring, when the strawberries stop producing fruit again and when buds appear. During the fruiting period, the plant needs iron to form ovaries, which should be applied twice a month.
To ensure the plant has enough nitrogen, add urea, and potassium-rich fertilizers are recommended in early spring. If the gardener is averse to chemical fertilizers, they can fertilize with fermented milk products mixed with ash.
Haircut
To preserve strawberries on a windowsill over winter, cut off the runners from which the fruit was harvested and moisten the soil before the onset of cold weather. You can also store strawberries in cardboard boxes. During normal times, if you don't plan to expand your plantings, trim the runners daily. This pruning can easily conserve the plant's resources for producing juicy fruit.
Pollination rules
To produce fruit, garden strawberries need to be pollinated. There are several methods of artificial pollination: manual and using an electric device. The first method involves using a brush or a small piece of cotton wool wrapped around a stick and brushing it over the flowers. This is repeated throughout the flowering period. The second method involves installing a fan directed at the plants.
Diseases and pests
Indoor strawberries can be affected by spider mites. Garlic infusion (mixing two cloves of garlic with water) is commonly used to combat them. However, other diseases also occur: white rot of fruit, root rot, septoria leaf spot, leaf spot, and yellowing of leaf margins. Viral diseases are incurable. Powdery mildew can be treated with phytosporin. To prevent plant diseases, select high-quality planting material.
When to harvest
Seeds germinate only a month after planting. And seedlings take even longer to bloom. Berries begin to be harvested after 2–3 months.
Grow strawberries Growing strawberries in an apartment is easy. You just need to choose the variety carefully and prepare the soil well, cultivating it beforehand. It often harbors pests or gnats. Keep temperature and humidity in mind, which are crucial for this berry. Then, the strawberries will sprout soon and later delight you with a bountiful harvest.
When can I go to the Lenin State Farm to pick strawberries in 2021?
How to Grow Strawberries on a Windowsill: From Choosing Seeds to Flowering
When and how to plant strawberries in the fall of 2020: propagation methods, planting techniques
After which crops can strawberries be planted?