How to make a garden bed and plant strawberries under black covering material
There are many ways to grow garden strawberries in the garden beds. Planting strawberry seedlings on a black covering material has undeniable advantages over the traditional one. Planting on agrotextile has many similarities to mulching, which strawberries love very much.
Method essence
The essence of planting strawberries over agrofibre is that special material is laid on the soil. Holes are made in it, in which strawberries will grow. Berries and leaves grow from this hole without touching the soil. Any summer resident can make a bed with covering material. There are no fundamental differences from the usual planting when growing over agrofibre.
A black spunbond is used as a shelter. Or any other non-woven material, always black.
Pros and cons of growing strawberries over agrofibre
The advantages of planting garden strawberries over black covering material include:
- Berries do not have contact with the soil and do not rot if the soil is waterlogged.
- The strawberries ripen evenly.
- The mustache does not sprout.
- You don't have to weed the soil and keep an eye on the weeds, they don't appear without sunlight.
- Easy to harvest.
- The soil does not dry out and does not become waterlogged.
- The created conditions attract earthworms, and they, in turn, saturate the soil with oxygen.
- Bushes grow strong and healthy.
- The berries ripen 2 weeks earlier than usual.
- Agrofibre protects the rhizome from frost in winter.
- Spores and insect larvae do not enter the site.
The disadvantages include the waste of time installing agrofibre and growing strawberries so that the entire bush is located on the surface of the shelter.
Advantages of black film over polyethylene
When growing strawberries over a shelter, the question immediately arises: to use polyethylene or agrofiber. Before planting, it is worth figuring out which material is better.
Advantages of agrofibre over polyethylene:
- Agrofibre allows water to pass through, you can water the bushes right through it. The same cannot be said about polyethylene. When using it, you will have to think about another irrigation system.
- The same goes for fertilization.
- The soil “breathes” through the pores in the agrofibre. Polyethylene does not allow air to pass through.
- When using agrofibre, the risk of developing fungal diseases is reduced due to the fact that the soil under it does not melt, and oxygen circulates.
A significant advantage will also be the fact that agrofibre, in comparison with polyethylene, is more durable. The shelter can last up to 3 years. This period is enough for the entire growth of strawberries in one garden bed. Polyethylene changes every year.
Types of inorganic shelters
What else can you cover the soil when planting strawberries:
- Polypropylene film (available in white, black and two-color).
- Agrotex (depending on the manufacturer, this type of shelter is called differently - spunbond, agrotex, lumitex, agrospan).
Mulching materials vary in shade and density.
What material to choose for mulch
The strawberry mulching cloth should be black. It should also be as dense as possible. Or use a two-tone material. The black side of the agrofiber is facing the soil, and the white side is facing the sun. Through the white part, the material heats up and through the black part it gives all the heat to the soil. In addition, the black part of agrotextile prevents weeds from growing.
Features of landing under cover
It is necessary to lay agrotextiles on strawberry beds correctly. It depends on how the seedlings will grow and what kind of harvest they will give. Planting seedlings under the fabric has its own characteristics.
Necessary materials
To plant strawberries under agrofibre, you do not need a lot of materials. First of all, you will have to buy a black spunbond. You will also need some bricks or large stones. Or thin boards to secure the fabric to the garden bed. Nothing else is required.
Landing dates
The most favorable period for planting strawberries is early spring. But seedlings are planted in autumn and summer. Autumn planting allows seedlings to take root during the winter. During this time, the root system will form, and in the spring the bushes will immediately begin to bear fruit. Planting in autumn begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-September. In spring, strawberries are planted after the threat of night frosts has passed and warm weather has established.
Choosing a landing site
Strawberries are among those crops that are demanding on the planting site and soil composition. The berries are planted in open, sunny areas. The bushes should be in the sun most of the day. It will be even better if the garden bed is made on a hill. It is undesirable for trees with a dense spreading crown to grow nearby.
The culture prefers to grow on loose loamy or sandy loam soils. Strawberry does not tolerate waterlogged soil. This is another advantage of black fabric. The humidity level can be adjusted.
Preparation of planting material
It is not necessary to prepare planting material for planting. Most often, strawberries propagate with a mustache, so you need to prepare seedlings from the moment they begin to grow.
For propagation of strawberries, female strawberry bushes are used after fruiting. On each bush, 3 mustaches and 3 sockets are left. As soon as the layers grow to three full leaves, they are transplanted.
Soil preparation
The soil for planting garden strawberries is prepared in advance in the fall. The soil is dug to a depth of 7-10 cm. The soil is mixed with rotted manure or compost. In the spring, they make beds and plant strawberries.
If you plan to plant seedlings in the fall, then prepare the soil in spring according to the same principle.
Landing technology
The scheme of the formation of the beds and the installation of agrofibre:
- Prepare the soil for planting in advance, mix the soil with manure, humus and wood ash.
- Moisten the soil, rake the ground so that the bed rises above the soil.
- Make beds up to 1 m wide.
- The spunbond needs to be wider than the bed in order to secure it tightly to the sides.
- Fasten it tightly at the sides.
- There can be several ways of fastening. The easiest way to do this is with aluminum or wooden beams, onto which the material is screwed. Or you can fix it with large stones or bricks around the entire perimeter.
Planting strawberries outdoors:
- To plant strawberries, you need to mark in advance on the fabric where to make cuts.
- Make cruciform incisions in the fabric.
- Dig holes in the hole and plant seedlings.
- It is not recommended to make wide cuts, otherwise weeds will grow along with the strawberries. The incisions are made 10 cm wide.
The corners of the cuts are tucked inward. Strawberries are well watered with warm water. During planting, the sockets must be positioned so that they are above the level of the bed.
Plant care rules
The second important point to remember after planting is the care of the seedlings. The minimum care for garden strawberries includes watering, applying mineral and organic fertilizers, loosening the soil and removing weeds. It is not required to cover strawberries for the winter, agrofibre retains heat, which does not allow the roots to freeze. You need to take care of strawberries step by step.
Features of feeding and watering
The number and frequency of watering depend on the period of planting plants in open ground. When planting in spring, irrigation will be frequent. The first few weeks after planting the beds are watered 3-4 times a week. Closer to summer, the amount of moisture is reduced depending on the temperature regime. There will be less watering in the fall. About 2 weeks before the onset of cold weather, irrigation is stopped. Only heated water is used. The use of cold water leads to the development of fungal diseases.
The second important point is fertilization. It is not necessary to apply fertilizers in the first year after planting if the soil was mixed with manure or other top dressing before planting. In the second year, fertilizing is applied according to the following scheme:
- The first time the soil is fertilized after the snow melts. Chicken manure or mullein diluted in water is introduced into the soil. After a few weeks, nitrogen is added to the soil. It accelerates growth. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied before flowering strawberries.
- The second time, phosphorus and potassium are added to the soil. Such fertilizers increase the number of ovaries and improve the quality of the fruit. Fertilizer is applied until the end of the fruiting period.
- Before the onset of cold weather, strawberries are fertilized with organic dressings. Watering with wood ash or bone meal diluted in water is suitable. Or superphosphate is used.
It is important not to overdo it when fertilizing. An excess of nutrients in the soil leads to an increase in the deciduous mass of strawberries and a decrease in yield.
Mustache removal
Strawberry whiskers need to be trimmed if you do not plan to propagate them. The rosettes take nutrients from the soil, they are not enough for the growth of berries. You need to trim the mustache until mid-summer. Maximum - until August. Autumn is not the best time to remove whiskers from strawberries.
Possible mistakes
Errors when growing strawberries under black covering material:
- Use a loose agrotechnical cloth. Strong weeds will sprout through this tissue.
- Do not tamp agrofibre tightly near bushes.
- In the southern regions, it is undesirable to use a covering material of a dark shade. The soil will overheat, which will negatively affect the root system.
Observing all the rules for planting under the covering material, it will be possible to avoid many problems with growing crops.
