Growing black strawberries outdoors

Black strawberries are the fruit of modern breeding. In taste, the berries are not inferior to red varieties and even somewhat surpass them. It is distinguished by black fruits and rich bright aroma. Such strawberries look so exotic that not everyone decides to start growing them. However, there are those who have already appreciated this variety. Planting and caring for black strawberries practically does not differ from the agricultural technology of ordinary red varieties.

Black strawberry varieties

The color saturation of this strawberry is due to the large amount of pigment. At first, the berries turn red, and as they ripen, they acquire a maroon, almost black color.

Today, Russian gardeners grow two varieties of black strawberries:

• "Black Prince";
• "Black Swan".

"Black Prince" - a variety of American selection. Unfortunately, this variety cannot boast of high frost resistance and therefore cannot be grown in the open ground of the middle lane, but it is quite suitable for cultivation in greenhouses. There is another variety from Italian breeders under the same name. It is also prone to freezing in the open field.

There is also a frost-resistant black strawberry - "Black Swan". The berries of this variety cannot be called completely black: rather, they are characterized by a dark red color. This garden strawberry is suitable for growing both in the greenhouse and in the open field.

Certain difficulties may be associated with the acquisition of seeds of exotic berries. So far, planting material can only be purchased via the Internet. At the same time, there is a great chance of encountering counterfeiting. Only official suppliers can guarantee the quality of seeds and their full compliance with the variety.

Seed preparation for sowing

The dates for sowing seeds of black strawberries for growing in a greenhouse and open field are at the end of February - beginning of March. Sowing work can be done a month earlier, but in this case additional lighting will be needed, otherwise there will be no seedlings. For seed germination and further development of seedlings, a daylight hours of at least 12 hours are required.

First, you need to prepare the seeds properly. This process is called stratification. The sequence of actions looks like this:

1. a piece of cotton cloth is placed at the bottom of the plastic container;
2. then they spread the seeds, preventing them from touching;
3. spray the planting material from the sprayer;
4. cover the top with the same natural matter;
5. close the container with a lid with holes made in it;
6. keep warm for two days for swelling;
7. then put in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, which is, in fact, a stratification process.

The contents of the container are checked periodically, sprayed if necessary. You need to moisten the seeds in moderation, making sure that they do not dry out and rot.

Soil treatment

At the same time, when the seeds have been placed on stratification, they are preparing the soil for sowing. The earth should be light, breathable. The fertility indicator at this stage does not really matter.

To prepare a mixture, take 1 part of sifted garden soil and 2 parts of sand. In order to disinfect the soil, it is advisable to calcine in the oven or steam in the microwave.

• The soil is slightly moistened before placing in the microwave. Processing should take 5 minutes.
• The soil is placed in the oven for 20-30 minutes and kept at a temperature of 100 ° C.

Preparing the soil should be done in advance so that beneficial soil microorganisms can multiply in the time remaining before sowing. If the soil was disinfected immediately before sowing, EM preparations can be added to it. They help restore beneficial microflora.

Sowing operations

Strawberry seeds are small in size - at first they can be planted in one common container or wooden box. The container must first be washed and treated with boiling water or potassium permanganate solution.

The planting process is as follows:

1. small expanded clay is poured onto the bottom (a layer 1.5 cm thick is enough);
2. pre-prepared soil is laid on top and slightly compacted;
3. using any convenient object, make holes 0.5 cm deep with an interval of 3 cm;
4. gently moisten the earth from a spray bottle;
5. spread the seeds in the holes with tweezers;
6. sprinkle crops with dry earth or river sand and lightly spray again.

The emergence of seedlings can be expected in 2-3 weeks. The warmer it is in the room, the faster the sprouts will hatch.

Seedling conditions

Seedlings are kept in a bright and warm room, periodically moistening the soil. Water for irrigation should be separated, at room temperature or slightly warmer. It is applied under each seedling with a syringe or a small syringe. It is required to maintain the soil in a moderately moist state, preventing it from drying out and avoiding waterlogging.

When 2-3 true leaves appear on the plants, pick strawberries in separate cups or peat pots. Individual containers should have a diameter of 5 cm. Peat pots have the advantage of helping to maintain the integrity of the root system when planting in the ground and provide strawberries with additional nutrition.

In April, the seedlings are prepared for transplantation to a permanent place by hardening. Every day, the plants are briefly taken out to a cool room, gradually increasing the time they stay there. In the last days before planting, the seedlings are left at a temperature of + 5 ° C overnight.

Tempering is especially necessary if strawberries are to be grown outdoors.

Choosing a place for landing in open ground

Sandy loam soil with neutral acidity is most suitable for growing strawberries. When preparing a landing site, it is better to opt for the southwestern slopes. In such areas there is no stagnation of water, they are well lit by the sun. Strawberries like nutritious soil, so before planting, the soil is fertilized by adding a bucket of humus and 300 g of ash per square meter.

Before you start transplanting bushes, it is advisable to treat them with "Epin" or "Zircon". This will help plants to cope with stress more easily and adapt faster in a new place.

As a preventive measure, you can spray the bushes with infusion of garlic (200 g per 10 liters of water).

If there are several beds, the distance between them should be at least 40 cm. In one row, strawberries are planted with an interval of 30–45 cm. When planting, the rules of crop rotation must be taken into account. Berries will grow well after legumes, garlic, onions, green manure.

Planting process

The prepared seedlings are planted in the holes, evenly distributing the roots on the nutrient soil. Bushes should not be buried. Each plant is held with hands in an upright position and covered with soil. After planting, abundant watering is carried out.

If you happen to purchase ready-made seedlings, planting is carried out in August or early September. This period is most favorable for the process of rooting strawberries in a temperate climate. Before the arrival of frost, the bushes will have time to take root and tolerate wintering well. In a cold climatic zone, it is better to postpone planting seedlings in open ground until spring.

Further care of strawberries

After planting in the ground, it is better to cover the soil under the strawberries with mulch. This measure will help avoid weeding and frequent watering.In the process of decomposition, the needles will act as a natural fertilizer, as well as maintain optimal soil acidity.

It is better not to use hay, sawdust, straw as mulch for strawberries.

In order to grow strong plants, in the first year of planting, whiskers and flower stalks are completely removed on them, which draw off many nutrients during the growth process. Let the strawberry gain strength - in the second year it will certainly thank you with abundant fruiting. It is better to start reproduction with a mustache no earlier than two years later.

The first feeding is carried out 2 weeks after planting in the ground. Plants need nitrogen at this stage. Since strawberries prefer organic matter, it is better to use humus, vermicompost, chicken droppings as fertilizers. During the growing season, you need to fertilize the berry at least 3-4 times. After the first nitrogen-containing top dressing, the bushes are fertilized before flowering and after harvesting. In case of signs of nutritional deficiency, fertilizers are applied unscheduled.

From chemicals, you can use ammonium sulfate (1 tbsp. L. Per 10 l of water) mixed with mullein (1 glass) and nitroammofoska (1 tbsp. L. Per 10 l of water).

Additionally used as fertilizer:

• infusion of nettle;
• milk whey solution;
• top dressing based on ash, boric acid and iodine;
• yeast solution.

Feeding strawberries after picking berries is necessary in order to prepare the roots of plants for winter and to facilitate the establishment of flower buds for next year's harvest. Fertilizer consumption per 1 bush is 0.5–1 l. Towards the end of September, it is advisable to add mullein-based top dressing with the addition of ash and superphosphate.

Although black strawberries are considered resistant to typical diseases of the crop, it is better to play it safe and take preventive measures to protect against diseases. For this:

• carefully choose the landing site;
• follow the rules of crop rotation;
• in autumn and spring, plant residues are removed;
• loosening the soil in preparation for winter;
• at the beginning and at the end of the season, the berry is treated with a fungicide solution (Bordeaux mixture, Fitosporin);
• water the bushes, trying not to fall on the leaves;
• weed plantings in a timely manner or protect from weeds with mulch;
• planting nearby herbs and plants that emit phytoncides (onions, garlic, marigolds, lavender).

Caring for black strawberries can be considered standard, but care for this plant is necessary so that the gardener does not experience disappointment in the variety. Fully observing the cultivation technology, starting from the stage of planting seeds for seedlings and ending with harvesting, you can unleash the full potential of black strawberries. Heat-loving varieties should be planted in a greenhouse; they will not survive outdoors.