Technology for growing strawberries under black covering material

Planting strawberries on agrofibre has many advantages over the classic cultivation method. An early and bountiful harvest, the presentation of the berries, minimal labor costs for care - all this pays off the efforts spent on creating the garden bed and material investments. At the same time, the agricultural methods used in this case have their own characteristics. Only their consistent implementation will help to achieve a good result.

Pros of growing strawberries on a covering material

Strawberry is a thermophilic plant whose root system loves plenty of moisture. It has been noticed that with a small amount of precipitation and irregular watering, the yield decreases, and the berries become smaller. For good fruiting, it should be watered not only often, but also abundantly throughout the growing season. Growing strawberries under agrofibre allows you to reduce these labor costs and reduce water consumption, which is very important in many farms.

Under the covering material, moisture evaporates slowly, creating a certain microclimate. This environment is suitable for microorganisms involved in the formation of nutrient soil. In addition, in a humid environment, the number of earthworms increases, which improve the structure of the soil, increase its air permeability. Thanks to this, the roots of strawberries breathe, they absorb nutrients better, the plants do not experience stress due to the drying out of the soil.

In winter, the covering material protects the root system from freezing in the absence of snow. In spring, under agrofibre, the soil warms up faster. Strawberries growing in such beds start growing season earlier than usual, and the crop ripens 7-10 days faster. The berries do not come into contact with the ground, have a beautiful presentation and are not affected by harmful bacteria.

The covering material acts as a mulch and facilitates maintenance.

• There is no need for weeding due to the fact that dense black agrofibre does not transmit ultraviolet rays, and without them weeds will not grow.
• It is not necessary to loosen the soil after watering - this function is performed by earthworms, and under the shelter the earth is not blown by winds, the top layer is not covered with a crust.
• Frequent watering is not needed, the covering material does not allow moisture to quickly evaporate.
• The mustache does not take root, which makes it easier to remove.

Features of growing strawberries under agrofibre

In addition to the advantages, this method has some features. They consist in the fact that you can only feed strawberries in such beds with fertilizers dissolved in water, pouring them directly under the bush itself. You can use the foliar feeding method, but it is carried out at certain times - before the formation of berries and after harvesting.

If you need to update the strawberry plantation and this requires planting material, you will have to root the mustache on a separate bed. This will require additional effort, but planting updates are usually carried out once every 4 years.

A drip or automatic irrigation system is laid at the time of the formation of the beds. Moreover, if a non-woven covering material is used for cultivation, then the irrigation system should be on top of the agrofibre. If a black plastic wrap is used for artificial mulch, the irrigation pipes or hoses should be placed underneath.

Important!

Black plastic wrap loses to non-woven fabric. It does not allow air and precipitation to pass through, and decomposes faster under the sun's rays.

Preparing the garden

Properly prepared soil is the key to a high yield.For growing strawberries, an area is allocated that is illuminated by the sun all day. They prepare it in advance - they are freed from weeds, in some cases it may be necessary to remove the sod. Digging is carried out on a shovel bayonet, while removing all the roots of weeds, especially perennial ones. Although the black material prevents the grass from growing, some weeds can change the direction of growth and break through where the strawberry seedling will be planted.

Well-rotted organic fertilizers are applied to the site - it can be humus or compost. One square meter of the garden will require 1-1.5 buckets of organic matter. It is also necessary to add 1/5 of a bucket of ash and complex mineral fertilizer. Better to use special fertilizer for strawberries, because its constituents are selected in such quantity, in which they are necessary. Fertilizer is embedded in the topsoil and the entire area is leveled.

If the soil is heavy, then sand, leafy soil and peat will be required. The amount depends on how much clay soil you have at your disposal. In some regions, the soil does not dry out for a long time after rains, and in this case, ridges are formed for growing strawberries. When using agrofibre, it is more economical to form combs 80 cm wide and plant strawberries in two lines.

Important!

Before laying the covering material on the bed, it must be spilled with water.

Any black non-woven covering material with a density of 50 or 60 g / m2 is suitable for artificial mulch²... It can be spunbond, lutrasil, agril and others. Its width should be slightly larger than the width of the bed. To prevent the wind from blowing the shelter, it must be pressed along the entire perimeter with boards, stones or metal pins. If a narrow agrofibre is available, then it is overlapped. The overlap of one layer on another should be 15-20 cm.

Planting strawberries

Strawberries are planted in both spring and fall. With spring planting, the berries will be there only after the season, and with autumn planting, a small crop can be harvested next summer. Last dates for planting strawberries in autumn - September 15 or 20, depending on the weather forecast.

Cross-shaped holes are made on agrofibre, they should not be too large, otherwise weeds will germinate through them. The optimal pattern: between the holes in one row - 25 cm, and between the rows - at least 40 cm. You can grow strawberries in two or three lines. More often they do not need to be done, because care and collection of berries will be difficult. The passage between the beds must be at least 60 cm.

The corners of the hole are folded back and a strawberry bush is planted in the formed gap. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that its roots do not bend, and the growth point, or "heart", is at the level of the soil. If you plant it deeply, the growing point will rot, if it is high, the plant will dry out. Watering at the time of planting should be done carefully - 1 liter for each plant. Despite the fact that the entire bed was shed before, water is needed to evenly distribute the soil between the roots.

Advice

For cultivation under agrofibre, it is better to use varieties with tall leaves and peduncles. Stunted plants will try to release foliage under cover.

Care

Leaving is reduced to the fact that occasionally water the strawberries, feed and cut the foliage twice a season after harvest.

Watering is carried out only when the soil under the shelter dries up. Check this by feeling the ground. If it has dried out at a depth of 1.5-2 cm, then you can water it. If it rains periodically, then watering is not required. In hot summers, a small layer of hay can be put on agrofibre to avoid overheating the soil.

Fertilize twice - in the spring, as soon as new foliage begins to grow, and in the summer, a month after harvesting. Fertilizer is diluted in water and 1 glass is poured under each bush. You can apply foliar dressing, they are carried out at the same time.

After the last berries are collected, the entire aerial part of the plant is cut off.At the time of cutting, the growth point must not be damaged. In warm regions, the same procedure is carried out in the fall, when the leaves change color. If the climate is cold, then the foliage is left for the winter - this is how strawberries winters better. In addition, the bushes can be additionally covered with spruce branches or straw.

Rooting a mustache

The mustache is removed as it grows back. If you need to use them for further cultivation, then you should do this:

1. leave a part of the shoot with a rosette that is closest to the mother bush;
2. it is not cut off until the roots begin to form;
3. cut as close to the mother plant as possible;
4. sockets are planted in a circle on a separate bed;
5. a low container is placed in the center between them, into which water is poured and the tips of the mustache-shoots are lowered there. In this case, it is necessary to press down so that they do not slip out of the water.

Until two new leaves grow on the outlets, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is constantly moist, and the water in the container does not evaporate. After the leaves have grown, the rosettes can be transplanted to a permanent place.

If the entire garden is updated, then after harvesting, you can remove the shelter and leave the mustache until it is completely rooted.

So, growing strawberries under agrofibre is labor-intensive only at the stage of forming the beds. Further care is minimal, and the harvest is early and of high quality.