7 varieties of strawberries that can be grown on the balcony (plus growing instructions)

Each of us has long noticed that strawberries are sold in supermarkets almost all year round. People grow it in their garden plots in the spring-summer season.

What about those who don’t have a plot of land? Or if you want your own strawberries in the fall, for example? But it’s not difficult to grow strawberries on the balcony. The most important thing is to know which variety to plant, and the most basic rules for planting and caring for it.

How to grow strawberries on the balcony

Of course, it will be difficult to achieve the yield declared by the manufacturers on a balcony or windowsill, but collecting a decent harvest of tasty berries is quite possible. To do this, just follow a few simple rules.

Experts from the Becker company shared tips on how to properly grow strawberries on the balcony with readers of Ogorod.ru.

Rule 1. Focus on the cardinal points

The optimal location for strawberries is the south side of the house or one exposed to the sun in the afternoon. The ideal option is a glazed balcony, but an open one is also suitable. When growing strawberries on a glazed balcony or loggia, do not forget about regular ventilation.

Rule 2. Choose the right containers

It doesn’t matter what you will grow strawberries in - in hanging pots, balcony boxes or plastic buckets. The main rule: one plant must have at least 3 liters of substrate. Choose containers deep enough so that you can add a 3-5 cm layer of drainage to the bottom. Also, do not forget about drainage holes to remove excess moisture.

When growing several plants in one container at once, plant strawberry seedlings at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other and at least 7 cm from the walls of the containers.

Rule 3. Prepare a nutrient substrate

The soil for strawberries should be loose and nutritious and have a slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.5-6.0). You can buy a ready-made mixture at a specialty store or prepare it yourself. Here are some suitable options:

• sand, turf, peat (1:3:6);
• peat, turf soil, humus (1:1:1);
• peat, sawdust or perlite (1:2);
• peat, humus, vermicompost (2:1:1).

Be sure to spill containers filled with substrate before planting seedlings with a solution of potassium permanganate or any fungicide for disinfection.

Rule 4. Don’t forget about fertilizing and watering

Every two weeks, feed strawberries with any complex fertilizer with microelements (according to the instructions).

Water your balcony strawberries with warm, settled water 1-2 times a week at the rate of 0.5-1 liters of water for each plant. The frequency of watering depends on the size of the container and the air temperature. In cold and rainy weather, strawberries need to be watered less often and with less water, and in hot and sunny weather - often and abundantly. The main rule is that the soil should always be slightly moist. But do not overdo it, otherwise the soil in the containers will begin to “sour.”

Rule 5. Continue to care after harvesting

If you want your strawberry bushes to produce a good harvest for 3-4 years, do not forget to pay attention to them throughout the year. After harvesting, continue to water the plants as the earthen ball dries out. Also remove tendrils and old leaves as needed.

In the fall, when the air temperature drops below 4°C, insulate containers with plants with foam rubber or other available material, or move them to an apartment or cellar. Also, do not forget to periodically moisten the soil in them.

Follow these simple rules, and you will definitely reap a good harvest of strawberries. For those who want to try ripe, juicy berries this season, we recommend buying not seeds, but seedlings grown in containers. Such plants take root well and quickly begin to grow. You can view the full list of strawberry varieties and hybrids here.

We wish you a good harvest and new dacha records.

Varieties for planting

Descriptions of garden strawberries indicate the main characteristics, including the length of daylight hours (photoperiodic reaction). The following types are derived:

• a group of varieties of short daylight hours (SD), bears fruit once in early summer. Length of day - up to 12 hours;
• long daylight hours (LDD), bear fruit twice per season. Bud formation occurs when the day length is 12-17 hours;
• neutral daylight hours (NDD). The duration of natural light does not affect the formation of buds; fruiting is almost continuous. If favorable conditions are created, strawberries will produce berries even in winter. The same varieties are used for growing Victoria hydroponically.

Varieties of the second and third groups are suitable for planting on the balcony. But these crops are not for the lazy, since regular renewal of plantings and soil is required, otherwise the harvest will be low. The plate lists varieties that, according to reviews from gardeners, are most suitable for planting in boxes, pots or in a pipe on a loggia or on an apartment window sill.

In addition to these varieties, Bolero , Tristan , World Debut (with pink flowers), Temptation , Tuscany , and the legendary Elizabeth II .

Features of growing from seeds

You can get strawberries on your balcony from seeds, but growing them this way will require a lot of effort. The beginning of sowing is February-March. Strawberry seeds germinate very slowly, so soaking them is recommended. To do this, take a transparent plastic container, in the lid of which holes are made in order to provide air access. Moisten two cloths with water. One is placed on the bottom, seeds are poured onto it, then the second is covered. The container is placed in the refrigerator. At this time, you need to make sure that the rags do not dry out.

To grow strawberries from seeds, you can use peat tablets.

After two weeks, the seeds should be sown in a container filled with soil. They are lightly pressed to the ground with tweezers or a match, then covered with a lid. Holes must also be made in it. After some time they will begin to sprout. There is no need to rush to remove the lid, this should be done gradually. After three leaves appear, they need to be transplanted into small cups measuring 5 by 5 cm. Here the bushes will grow, and in May they will be transplanted to a permanent place.

Care rules step by step

I've finished disembarking - a start has been made. All that remains is, taking into account the factors influencing growth, to get the first harvest.

Pollination

A balcony without bees; strawberry flowers cannot pollinate themselves. Using a watercolor brush, I transfer pollen from flower to flower, or shake the bushes for pollination.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

Grow the “Suprim” variety; it does not require help with pollination.

Watering

Strawberries prefer moist soil. I organized drip irrigation for the seedlings.

1. I took a 2 liter plastic bottle.
2. I washed it with laundry soap.
3. I bought a medical system for droppers at the pharmacy (1 piece for each pot).
4. I made holes in the bottle (according to the number of bushes) and inserted tubes with a dispenser.
5. I treated the connections with silicone to seal them.
6. I pour water into the bottle and set the clamps to drip mode.

Removing a mustache

In hanging varieties, the mustache reaches a meter in length, and the pots become heavier. I shorten it to 30 cm with disinfected scissors.

Author's note

Natalia Papanova

Blog author

I use cuttings from the whiskers to plant new specimens.

Top dressing

Strawberry loves boron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron. I feed my beauties during fruiting once every 2 weeks. I take complex potassium fertilizer “Kristalin” or water it with vermicompost. To strengthen the immune system, I spray it with a solution of chelates once every 7 days.

Pollination

The hardest part is pollinating the flowers. As you know, strawberries, in most cases, are a dioecious plant, but even if there are monoecious ones, conditions are necessary for high-quality fertilization. Often it is wind or water. Let's look at the most popular methods of fertilizing flowers.

1. Wind. During flowering, pollen is released, which must fall on the queen of the flower. Thus, pollen enters the generative organs and fruit set begins. No wind on the balcony? This is not a problem, we will do it. The simplest option: open the side and front windows to create a kind of draft - this should be quite enough. The only negative is that it cannot be done in winter and at temperatures below 15 degrees, as the color may simply fall off. That's why we make a warm wind. We take the fan out onto the balcony, turn it on to the minimum speed and leave it until the strawberries bloom. If you're lucky, it's a few days. If the color is constant and the berries are formed continuously, then we take out the fan every 2 days for 4-5 hours.
2. Water. To do this, you need a good sprayer that can be used to constantly irrigate the plants. But the method is not always effective, since it will, on the contrary, wash away some color. It is best to irrigate at the beginning of flowering when the pollen is very close.
3. Insects. It is very poorly suited for a balcony, but you can still try it. It is especially good if you live on the first floors. You just need to open the windows and wait for bees, flies, bumblebees and other insects to run around the flowers. When growing strawberries outdoors, on large areas, from 1 hectare, a beehive is often installed for more efficient pollination. Of course, this is not suitable for a balcony, and the neighbors will not be too happy when they go out onto the balcony to get some air.
4. Manual method. A little labor intensive, but most effective. You need to take a special brush, slightly moisten it and move it over all the flowers. On a pollinated flower, you can tear off the outermost leaf so that after an hour you won’t get lost as to which flower remains unpollinated. Thus, in a couple of hours you can easily fertilize up to two dozen bushes. Of course, this is not the easiest option, but if you want to grow strawberries indoors all year round, then it is worth the effort.

If pollination is carried out on time, this guarantees a large harvest, but it is worth noting that not all flowers bloom at the same time, they have up to 10 or more stages, so it is better to combine fertilization methods.

Strawberries - growing methods

There are different ways to grow strawberries on the balcony. Convenient containers can often be made from available materials. Depending on the size of the room, containers are placed horizontally or vertically, which allows for maximum use of space.

Options for growing strawberries in pots

Pots, crates and plastic bottles

Strawberries on the windowsill grow well in pots. The main condition is that their volume must be at least 2.5 liters. Each bush will need a separate container. The pots are placed in rows. Or you can do something original and place them vertically, thus creating interesting beds.

To store strawberries in winter you will need two boxes. A thin layer of polystyrene is poured into the larger one. Then a smaller one is placed in it, in which the plants are located.

For the first method you will need several pots of different sizes. You need to fill them with soil and place one on top of the other, starting with the largest one. The second method involves using a metal rod. It is fixed in the ground and pre-prepared containers are strung on it. This design looks very unusual. Wooden boxes are also suitable for growing. The distance between the bushes should be at least 15 cm. It is important that there are holes in the bottom of the container for water drainage.

If there are not enough pots or boxes, but you want to grow strawberries, then you can use ordinary plastic bottles. You need to choose large volume containers; two-liter containers are suitable. Moreover, you can place them horizontally and vertically. In the first case, they are cut in half, and both parts are used for planting. In the second, a small hole is made in the wall in which the bush will grow. They are simply placed on the floor, mounted on a wall or a pyramidal base.

Pipes and bags

An interesting way to grow strawberries is in pipes. It allows you to significantly save space on a balcony, the area of ​​which is usually limited. For this, two plastic water pipes of different sizes are used. The main one, about 20 cm in diameter, will contain bushes. The second, thin, 1.5 cm in diameter, is intended for watering. The narrow one should be 10 cm longer than the wider one. Many holes should be made in the thin pipe, not reaching the bottom edge of 15 cm. Then it should be wrapped in burlap and secured with rope. Holes should also be made in the second pipe, with a diameter of about 10 cm. The distance between the holes should be maintained at 20 cm. After this, plugs are inserted into the pipes and placed one inside the other. Next, add a certain amount of expanded clay and slightly moistened soil. We must ensure that there are no empty spaces left.

The structure must be properly secured. It's very easy to use. Strawberry bushes are planted in the holes. When it’s time to water, remove the cap from the narrow tube and pour in water. It saturates the fabric and falls into the ground. To make sure that the soil has received enough moisture, you can simply test it with your finger in one of the holes. The advantages of this method include compact plantings and affordable prices for materials.

The use of polyethylene bags is also allowed. They are filled with soil mixture, holes are made in the side for strawberries, and a reservoir of water is placed on top.