The Dutch proposed an interesting current method of growing strawberry bushes for harvesting berries throughout the year. Every year it is gaining momentum due to its effectiveness and relative simplicity. Anyone can try the Dutch way of growing strawberries in action, even on the windowsill in the apartment.
Features of the Dutch method
The basis of the method is the year-round continuous harvest of strawberries. The first wave of the harvest is followed by the next one and this cycle is not interrupted. This distinguishes this direction from the traditional way of growing strawberries.
The Dutch method has its own characteristics:
- The room must be equipped, and the ground in which the strawberry bushes are planted must be closed. Choose containers for planting so that they correspond to the method of planting. These can be boxes, pots, bags, buckets, etc.
- The plant does not have the ability to harvest all year round, so after harvesting it is replaced with prepared seedlings. Replacement of bushes takes place every 7-9 weeks on average.
- In this technology, watering and feeding are used only by drip.
- You can arrange strawberry bushes in the beds vertically or horizontally ..
Advantages and disadvantages of the technique
Every year, the Dutch method of growing strawberries is becoming more and more popular due to its obvious advantages:
- in a small area, you can arrange an impressive amount of seedlings;
- arrangement of seedlings in any suitable container;
- sufficiency of natural light for all strawberry bushes when grown in heated buildings, from a material that transmits sunlight;
- for the method, equipment of any shelter is possible;
- since the berries do not have contact with the ground, they are as safe as possible from the transmission of diseases and pest attacks;
- short growing season - picking berries is possible after 1.5-2 months from planting;
- fresh berries all year round;
- use of an established cultivation mechanism for a long time;
- strawberries taste identical to those grown outdoors.
Disadvantages of the Dutch method:
- The need for the constant presence of a young mustache. Planting material is used all year round, so it should always be there. When small volumes of strawberries are grown, it is profitable to grow seedlings ourselves; it is much more profitable to purchase them on large farms with large production scales.
- Continuous maintenance of the microclimate and control over the lighting in the greenhouse.
Suitable varieties for growing
To obtain strawberries using the Dutch farmers method, you need to choose the right varieties. Repaired ones are especially suitable. Their advantage is the property of self-pollination. If insects are used for pollination of flower stalks, then hives are placed in large rooms. An artificial wind generated by fans is suitable for this purpose.
The following varieties are preferred:
- Darselect.An early ripe variety from France with orange-red-brown heart-like berries. It has an average winter hardiness. Each bush can be harvested up to 1 kg.
- Marmalade.Two waves of comb-shaped, bright red berries are native to Italy. Productivity up to 900 g of berries from a bush.
- Polka. Conical berries are deep red in color. Up to 1 kg of large berries are harvested from each strawberry bush.
- Selva. Super-yielding variety from America. The mass of fruits from a bush is about 1.5 kg.
- Sonata.A variety from Holland. The berries are large, bright, mid-season. Withstands slight frosts. The yield is up to 1.5 kg of berries per bush.
- Tristar. Strawberries crossed with Milanskaya strawberries bring high yields of large red berries. Frost resistant.
variety "Darselect"
grade "Marmalade"
grade "Polka"
variety "Selva"
grade "Sonata"
grade "Tristar"
In addition to these, it is possible to plant varieties of Tribute, Mrak, Baron, etc.
Planting methods
According to the method of growing strawberries, proposed by the Dutch, both the horizontal method of placing the bushes during planting and the vertical arrangement are equally good. The alternative is determined by the area of the room and its equipment with an additional lighting system.
Horizontal
With this method of arranging seedlings, it is planted in a single line, placing containers in rows parallel to the floor surface. This planting method is applicable for large volumes and areas. Considered less expensive. Can be used in conjunction with the vertical method of placing strawberry bushes.
Watch a video about the horizontal method of planting strawberry seedlings:
Vertical
The vertical fit is at right angles to the floor. Cascading planting, observing a checkerboard pattern, allows the plants to not come into contact with each other during growth. Therefore, maintain a gap of at least 25 cm between strawberry bushes. PVC pipes, bags, boxes and other containers are used. The method has found application in small farms and gardeners.
The vertical method of planting strawberries is presented in the video below:
Required materials and equipment
To implement the Dutch method for growing strawberries, you cannot do without:
- Containers for planting strawberry bushes.The choice of packaging is great, here you can rely on your imagination. Suitable pots for flowers, empty PET containers, bags or sawn-cut pipes, old car tires with holes for seedlings, etc. The main condition is to arrange them so that the plants have enough light.
- Seedling. It is preserved with a mustache or cassette method.
- Priming. Ordinary land from the garden will not work. It is worth preparing or purchasing a special soil.
- Organization of watering.A point irrigation system is used, and humidifiers are used to ensure the optimum humidity in the greenhouse.
- Lighting system.Responsibility and attention in the selection and proper location of additional lighting devices is the main component for obtaining a crop. Energy-saving and LED lamps or special phytolamps of red-blue radiation are used.
Step-by-step instructions for growing strawberries using Dutch technology
There are no optional conditions in the technology of strawberry harvesting by the method proposed in Holland. Each of them must be performed accurately and completely.
Growing room
The choice of premises depends on the expected scale of production. This can be either a huge greenhouse or hangar, or a balcony in an apartment, or even a part of a room. Many even equip cellars and attics for growing strawberries. The main condition is the organization of sufficient lighting and microclimate.
Planting soil
Before use, each planting mixture is subjected to steam or high-temperature treatment for disinfection. To do this, use steam generators or fry the soil in the oven at a temperature of 130 to 180 degrees.
Purchase the planting mixture in a special store, or prepare it yourself. To do this, mix 3 parts of sandy soil with 1 part of humus or rotted manure and 1 part of river sand (its% ratio should ideally not exceed 10%).
The main thing is that the planting mixture has a high moisture capacity, porosity and is non-toxic. For soil preparation it is recommended to use peat, perlite, sawdust, urea, ash, chalk.
In places with unsuitable soil types, hydroponics are often used instead of soil. With this type of cultivation, nutrients are fully regulated and delivered through the irrigation system. The fiber simply fixes the plant without playing a nutritious role. In hydroponics, coconut fiber, mineral wool, and other materials are used.
Harvesting and growing seedlings
Young strawberry bushes should be available without fail. Without seedlings, the original conveyor principle of the Dutch strawberry growing method will be interrupted. Therefore, it is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to the issue of growing or purchasing seedlings.
Be sure to remove peduncles from one-year-old plants, otherwise the seedlings will be weak, and the root system is undeveloped.
High-quality planting material is obtained in 2 ways:
- It is grown from whiskers, which give mother plants. In the fall, they are carefully removed from the ground and transferred to a well-ventilated dark storage with low humidity and an air temperature of 0 to 2 ° C. The day before planting in the greenhouse, they are transferred to a warm room and sorted out, leaving only healthy specimens.
The main disadvantage of this method of obtaining seedlings is that the nursery of queen plants must be updated every 2 years. - It is similar to the first method, but with the difference that the mustache is immediately planted in cassette containers. And already in this state they are kept in the preparatory room for a month. For 5 weeks, move to a warmer place and leave for a week at room temperature. Then they are planted in a greenhouse. This growing method is less expensive and very common.
Lighting
In order for the crop to please with volume and stability, one cannot do without the organization of additional lighting. For every 3 sq. m greenhouse should have 1 lighting device. The lamps should be located at a distance of at least 1 m from plants.
Strawberries need at least 12-16 hours of light per day. Therefore, in winter or on cloudy days, energy-saving light and phytolamps are additionally used. The use of incandescent lighting is not profitable, as electricity costs will immediately skyrocket to huge total figures.
You can read more about suitable lamps for growing seedlings here.
Irrigation and feeding system
When using the method from Holland for growing strawberries, it is possible to use only drip irrigation and feeding in order to protect the plant part of the bush from moisture ingress. This will protect plants from rot and other diseases, as well as protect them from attack by pests. The irrigation system is easy to assemble with your own hands, but you can buy and install a ready-made one.
Watering adjustment, for optimal flow of moisture to strawberries, is carried out until 3-4 drops of water per minute are reached.
Home watering in an apartment or other small space can be organized from water bottles and rubber tubes.
In order not to overdo it with moisture when making liquid dressings, take into account its total amount. To prepare additional food, dilute 10 g of potassium chloride and 10 g of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water. The rate of top dressing is 100 ml for each strawberry bush.
You can use organic matter instead of mineral fertilizers. For example, an infusion of chicken manure in a ratio of 1:15 with water.
Feeding strawberries is carried out 10 days after planting in the greenhouse and at the stage of active flowering.
Seedling container
The variety of containers suitable for use in this method of growing strawberries is quite wide. These can be wooden one-sided or double-sided boxes and plastic boxes, plastic bags and a cascade of flower pots, long containers and cuttings of plastic pipes.
Consider that the plants have enough room to develop their root system. The number of available bushes in one container depends on this. For one strawberry bush, a lump of soil with a diameter of 25 cm and a depth of about 30 cm is required.
You should not do dense plantings, saving space. This will lead to stagnation of air between plants and the occurrence of putrefactive diseases, disproportionate growth and extension of the bushes to light due to competition for lighting.
Microclimate
The development and ripening of berries depends on the microclimate in the greenhouse. The most suitable temperature is between 18 and 25 ° C. When it is lowered, plant growth slows down, development stops.
The humidity in the room should not exceed 70-80%. To control it, regularly ventilate and spray the greenhouse. Water containers located inside the shelter will help saturate the air with moisture.
The level of carbon dioxide for the effective process of photosynthesis must be at least 0.1%. To achieve it, candles are set on fire in the greenhouse.
Strawberry bushes care
Indoor care of strawberry bushes plays an important role. To do this, follow these steps:
- Don't forget about watering. He should be moderate. The drip system can be made by yourself or purchased from specialized stores.
- Adjust the length of daylight hours with additional lighting. In order not to forget about this, the system can be automated using timers.
- Observe the temperature regime in the greenhouse from 18 to 25 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 21 ° C during the flowering period.
- Monitor the temperature when preparing and storing seedlings. At -3 degrees, the plants die, and at +3 degrees, the seedlings wake up.
- Maintain humidity levels, ventilate the area and spray the plants.
- Scan the plants to remove dry leaves and bad fruit.
- Watch out for pollination.
- Replace the bushes that have finished fruiting with new ones in time. Rooted whiskers from "old" strawberries can be used as seedlings.
Possible difficulties
Difficulties with the Dutch method of growing strawberries can arise in 2 directions:
- Providing seedlings. It is necessary to think over the delivery time in advance, and create conditions for preserving young mustache.
- Creation and compliance with growing conditions. This point is greatly simplified by purchasing and installing automated equipment. It is expensive, but its use will soon pay off due to the receipt of a rich tasty harvest.
It is not difficult to grow strawberries according to the method from Holland, but it involves certain costs and constant responsible work. At first, while the process has not yet passed its first round, difficulties and additional expenses may arise. In the future, the process will go steadily, bringing a rich harvest and an equivalent income.