The cultivation of strawberries under the film is carried out both in large crop farms, and in household plots. This method of cultivation has spread in areas with not enough hot summers.
Features of growing strawberries under a film
The subtleties of growing strawberries under a film:
- The place where the berry rows will be placed is dug up to a depth of 15-20 cm.
- Manure and mineral fertilizers are introduced into the soil.
- Top soil is covered with straw, hay, aged compost and other mulching material.
- To protect against pests living in the ground (mice, moles, shrews and others), sheets of cardboard or a metal mesh with small cells are buried under the beds to a depth of 20-25 cm.
- The beds are covered with a film.
- Strawberry bushes are planted in slots done at a distance of 20 cm in each row. The row spacing is 65-70 cm.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
Growing strawberries under the film has the following advantages:
- Lack of weeds under cover material. Grass can only germinate in slots near strawberry plants and is easy to remove.
- Under the film, the earth constantly remains wet. It requires much less water for irrigation compared to the traditional method of growing strawberries.
- Mustache cannot take root in shelter. If you want to get planting material, they can be cut and sprouted in another place.
- The bush and berries are much less likely to become infected with pathogens that live in the soil.
- Berries do not contact the soil and do not rot with heavy rainfall.
- On the surface of the covering material, the berries warm better and ripen faster.
- Pest control is easier. The film becomes an obstacle for their penetration to fruits and leaves.
This method also has disadvantages:
- If the summer is rainy, mold and fungal colonies can develop under the film in dampness.
- Weeds can germinate through the roots; they are difficult to remove in this case.
- Additional costs for plant protection products are required.
- The purchase of agrofibre is expensive. The longer the fiber, the more expensive it is.
- Effective irrigation of plantings will require the installation of drip irrigation systems.
Film selection
Currently, there are many varieties of covering material. Manufacturers believe that it can be used from three years or more.
For shelter, a perforated film with a thickness of at least 40 microns is suitable. You can purchase a film with pre-made holes for bushes.
There are such varieties of films:
- Black and white.It is used in hot areas. The bottom layer is black, it heats up from the sun, creates a greenhouse effect. A crust does not form on the surface of the earth; it remains loose.
The upper white layer protects the plant and berries from burns and overheating in contact with the material. - Black or dark brown.It is used in northern areas where there is no high temperature in summer. From a dark film, the earth warms up more strongly, the roots acquire a branched structure.
In winter, the film and the layer of mulching material under it do not allow the roots of strawberry bushes to freeze. - Transparent.The film allows the soil to warm up well. But under a transparent cover, weeds sprout stronger. You can remove them only with the help of herbicides.
- Reinforced. It appeared relatively recently. This is a three-layer coating. Between the two light-stabilized layers is a reinforcing mesh. The service life is long, the material does not tear in strong winds and hail. If damaged, the shelter is suitable for repair.
Planting strawberries under a black film
The best time for planting strawberries comes in late spring or early summer, when the soil is already warm enough. Planting berry bushes in the following sequence:
- Choose a place where nothing has been planted for several years.
- Loosen the soil, break or remove solid clods of earth.
- Make beds with a width of at least 80 cm, the distance between the rows is about 70 cm.
- If necessary, apply a layer of mulch (hay, straw, compost, chopped weeds) with a thickness of 20-30 cm.
- Leave the prepared area for 8-10 days to settle the land. At this time, you need to prepare an irrigation system. It is best to equip the place with drip irrigation.
- Cover the beds with foil. There should be no folds or creases. Press the edges of the material firmly to the ground or tack it on.
- Make holes for the bushes at a distance of 40 cm. It is better to arrange them in a checkerboard pattern - so the plants will not interfere with each other. Carry out cross-sectional cuts 15 cm long at the shelter, wrap the corners inwards.
- Pickle strawberries in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate or use a different disinfectant.
- Plant strawberry bushes and water (about 1 liter of water per bush).
- Compact the earth around the roots.
- Turn the corners of the incisions on the film outward and cover them with earth around the stems to prevent weeds from growing.
After landing care
Further care for strawberries comes down to timely watering, weeding of rare weeds, proper feeding, and pest control.
Watering
For strawberries, grown under the film, drip irrigation and irrigation using spray nozzles are suitable. Do not water during flowering.
For good growth and ripening of berries, three procedures per month are enough (about 1 liter of water per plant). If there is rain, reduce the amount of watering.
Do not use the watering hose. A jet of water under pressure leaches the roots and weakens the plants.
Top dressing
Strawberries do not tolerate acidic soils. She responds positively to the introduction of nitrogen-containing complex fertilizers or manure before planting.
During the first year of life, do not spend frequent and plentiful dressings, this can damage young plants. There will be enough nutrients that were introduced during planting.
The approximate composition of fertilizing during planting:
- 25 g of urea;
- 25 g of potassium salt;
- 40 g of superphosphate;
- 1 bucket of humus.
Mix the ingredients. Pipette 1-2 tbsp. Into each well. l mixtures. Be sure to water the plants after fertilizing.
The following year, in the spring, after removing dried leaves and garbage from the beds, prepare the mixture:
- 2 tbsp. cow manure;
- 1 tbsp. ammonium sulfate;
- 1 bucket of water.
Mix all the ingredients. Fill fertilizer under the bushes. You can add a few tablespoons of wood ash.
Weeding
Weeding when growing strawberries under a film does not cause much trouble. Remove weeds near the bushes in time, do not let them grow, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of them.
Pest control
The pest control process boils down to the following actions:
- Collect slugs from the film in a timely manner.
- In the spring, to prevent the appearance of aphids, weevils, ticks, spray the plants with a weak solution of ammonia (40 ml per bucket of water), boric acid (1 g of powder per 10 l of water).
- In the autumn, remove garbage from the beds, dried stalks.
- Use EM preparations (effective microorganisms) to spray the mulch and the plants themselves.
Planting strawberries under a film is becoming more and more popular every year. This method facilitates the work of gardeners, helps to get excellent crops and practically does not spend time on strawberry care.