Planting strawberries under the black covering material: technology, photos, reviews

Virtually all gardeners grow strawberries on their site. And each of them faced the difficulties of this process. Weeds, rotten berries, pests and other troubles spoil the general impression of harvesting. How to avoid this and ease yourself work? The way out of this situation will be the planting of strawberries under black covering material. Advanced gardeners have long used this method and are getting good results. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this method of cultivation in this article.

Features of growing strawberries

What do gardeners face in the process of growing this berry? First of all, these are weeds. They grow throughout the agrotechnical period and interfere with the growth of strawberries.

The second difficulty is the mustache. They grow constantly, there are many, and it is very difficult to track the growth of strawberries.

At the same time, the following problem arises: it is a complication of harvesting. Strawberries overgrow, berries become small, and to collect them is problematic. You can use for planting new bezessye varieties, but their taste is far from ideal. And finally, the last problem is pests. Basically, this slugs, which spoil not only the crop, damaging the largest and ripe berries, but also bushes. It is not entirely appropriate to use chemicals for pest control. Berries in the process of maturation can accumulate harmful substances and become unsuitable for eating. Planting strawberries under black covering material almost completely eliminates all these problems.

The advantages of the new method

What is the advantage of such a landing? Firstly, this is the absence of weeds. They can not break through the film, they do not have enough light, and this depresses them. They grow not so abundantly and break through only in places cut for planting. But with this shortcoming it's easy to manage.

The second advantage is sufficient soil moisture. Moisture is retained under the cover material, which is especially important in dry periods. Strawberry does not require frequent watering, in contrast to growing outdoors. Thirdly, berries are always clean. They do not contact the ground, do not rot and do not have disease. Harvesting becomes convenient, and the quality of berries increases.

Well, the last advantage is the problem-free removal of the mustache. They are on top of the covering material and do not have the ability to take root. Strawberry does not grow uncontrollably, and it is very simple to cut off the antennae on the surface.

disadvantages

Planting strawberries under cover material has its own disadvantage. He is the only one and not so weighty. Irrigation of the strawberry becomes difficult. You can, of course, pour water under each bush into the slot for planting, but with large areas this is a very laborious process. But there is a way out. This is a drip irrigation. Such a system will require certain costs, but it will pay off afterwards. This innovation has even its advantages. The drip irrigation system significantly saves water and electricity. Therefore planting strawberries under black covering material in combination with new methods of care gives tangible results.

Optimum planting time

When is it better to plant strawberries? This berry well takes root at any warm time. Some people prefer to buy seedlings with berries to be sure of the result. But it is preferable to plant strawberries under the black covering material in the fall. For starters, you can allocate a small area for a new method of planting, gradually increasing it. Planting strawberries under the black covering material in the spring also takes place. The choice of the season depends on personal preferences and previous experience. The main thing is to choose good seedlings and high-quality cover material.

Seedlings for planting

Which strawberry bushes should I take for planting? Planting strawberries under the black covering material has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account. Usually this bed is done not for one year, but for 3-4 years. This is the time it is recommended to grow this berry in one place. Therefore, for planting it is better to take young seedlings that will begin to bear fruit in the first year of planting and will increase the yield each year. Varieties of strawberries can choose any. It depends on personal preferences, taste and other conditions. When buying, you need to pay attention not only to the age of the seedlings, but also to their appearance. They should not have any visible signs of disease and damage. The root system, even in young growth should be well developed. Well and in the rest it is necessary to rely only on the taste.

Necessary materials

Planting strawberries under cover material in autumn or spring is not an easy matter. The main thing is to stock up with the necessary tools and materials. In addition to the most important component, strawberry seedlings, you will also need agrofiber or black mulch fabric. It has many names ("Agrotex", "Spunbond") and is sold in specialized stores that are in sufficient quantity in any city. Therefore, there will be no problems with the purchase of such material. You will also need a sharp knife or scissors to prick holes for planting strawberries. Stock up with a thick wire is needed to fix the material. At the edges, you can use heavy objects in the form of cobblestones or other similar objects. Of garden materials you need to prepare a shovel. This is all you need to organize a convenient bed for planting strawberries using a new technique.

Choose a place for planting

The right place for planting is the key to future success. Strawberry loves the sun and warmth. In this case, the berries mature well, do not rot and gain sufficient sweetness (although this sometimes depends on the variety). Therefore, the planting of strawberries under cover material in the spring or at other times should be carried out on solar patches. The wind and drafts do not play a big role, because they are not afraid of strawberries. The main condition is the sun. The quality of the soil plays an important role, but this defect can be corrected by adding organic or mineral fertilizers. When marking the bed, it is necessary to take into account the fiber size, which is usually 1.5 or 3.2 meters.

Soil preparation

We start with digging the soil and do this especially carefully, since in the coming years it will be unavailable. If the nutrient indices of the soil are low, then we must improve them. For this, a bucket of compost or manure is applied to each square meter and 1.5 cups of wood ash. This step can be carried out before digging or re-sealing the nutrients in the soil. Manure and ash will be replaced by conventional complex mineral fertilizers, which must be introduced in accordance with the instructions. Then we make beds. For planting strawberries form earthy hills, on which it will grow better. Now the bed is ready, and you can spread the covering material.

We spread the covering material

The density of the covering material can be different. If you expect to use it for about 3 years, then it should be at least 50 microns. As evidenced by the reviews of gardeners who have already tried this method, more reliable is a covering material with a density of 100 microns. It does not allow the germination of weeds and serves as a good protection all the time of use (3-4 years). If the width of the covering material is 1.6 m, then we form one bed about 100 cm wide. Then the edges of the agglomerate can be prikopat or fixed. Over the finished bed spread the covering material and securely fix the edges. There are several options. The first is pinning the material to the ground with studs made of wire using squares made of denser linoleum or plastic. The second is the clamping of material in narrow grooves in the ground with wooden slats. In the third variant, it is possible to press the agrovolokno to the ground, wrapping around a heavy pipe or a wooden beam. The fourth option is land dropping. And finally, you can overlay a bed of strawberries with bricks or stones. Any of these methods fix the material around the perimeter. If you have to join the strips of agrofiber, then at the joints they should be at least 20 centimeters apart. Now the bed is ready for planting strawberry seedlings.

Landing

There is nothing complicated in this process. First you need to make chalk markings. We put crosses in the places of planting strawberries, not forgetting to leave a place for paths that will be useful in harvesting. Planting strawberries under black covering material (photo process you will find in this article) - it's quite simple. In the marked places we make a cross-cut. Its edges are bent outwards. Then in the hole plant a seedling of strawberries and bend the edges of the covering material inside. So we plant all available seedlings. The density of planting depends on the variety, but between the bushes should be left at least 20 centimeters. You can place the seedlings in checkerboard pattern. The main thing is to remember that strawberries do not like deep planting. A rosette of plants can not be buried in the ground. Immediately after planting, one must water each seedling. Then you can conduct a system of drip irrigation, which will facilitate this process. Planting strawberries for black covering material in September is carried out by the saplings of the current year. Next year they will give the first harvests.

Care for the garden

Special care for the garden with strawberries does not require. You should regularly water the bushes. Especially in hot weather (2-3 times a week). Transplant strawberries do not need for several years. But fertilize the bed is simply necessary. For this, it is better to use liquid preparations. After fruiting, cut off the strawberry leaves and antennae. Thanks to the cover material, this will not be difficult. Leave only 2-3 young leaves. In the spring, it is also necessary to prun the old leaves. Some beginning gardeners mistakenly assume that after the fruiting, the strawberry does not require care. This is not true. During this period, the bulk of agrotechnical work begins. This is pruning of leaves and mustaches, watering and compulsory fertilization. It is necessary to help strawberries to accumulate strength for wintering and new harvests.

Reviews

Planting strawberries for black covering material, reviews about which are only positive, is considered an innovative method. In some countries, this method has been successfully used for a decade. Gardeners testify that the covering material not only will allow to save a crop, but also will make process of cultivation less labor-consuming.