Growing Strawberries In Greenhouse - Polyhouse

Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Hello gardeners, are you thinking of how to grow strawberries in the Greenhouse or controlled environment? Well, we are here today with a new topic called growing strawberries in Greenhouse. Are you interested in growing strawberries in a greenhouse? Well, this article may help you to grow strawberries in a greenhouse. In this article, we also discuss the related topics about growing strawberries in a greenhouse.

Introduction to Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is a very important fruit plant of India and strawberry belongs to the Rose family. The commercial production of Strawberries is possible in temperate and sub-tropical areas of the country. Strawberry is a species of great economic importance and it is of high added value in the horticultural sector at national and international levels. Strawberries are one of the most in-demand fruit always in India because of their all-year-round availability. Strawberries can be cultivated in greenhouses in many parts of the world. A greenhouse will protect the plants from heavy rain and strong wind and by providing enough heat to encourage out-of-season fruit-bearing.

A Step By Step Guide To Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

In the greenhouse system, Strawberry plants grow throughout the years. Strawberry fruit is a very rich source of Iron, Potassium, vitamin C, and fibre. But greenhouse production of the Strawberry plant not only fills consumer demand but also helps growers maintain their cash flow. If you already have a greenhouse system, Strawberry production is a very logical way to increase your revenues and lengthen your season. Greenhouse growing Strawberry has many advantages and benefits such as increased yield, relatively easier pest management, as well as better fruit quality and quantity. The temperature of about 15°C must be maintained until the strawberry plants start to flower.

Types/Varieties for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Depending on your needs and goals for growth, you should know that there are different many types of plants to choose from. Even if you grow strawberries in a greenhouse, it will never change the bearing times of the plants much. Therefore, picking or selecting the right type of plant is crucial for your year-round strawberry supply. If you just want to extend the picking season of the plant, you still may use seasonal plant types. They are listed below:

June-bearing strawberries

June bearers are just amazingly common and affordable. They provide the highest strawberry yields and you can easily achieve it over two to three weeks. They are commonly divided into Early Season, Midseason, and Late Season.

Early Season strawberries usually start fruiting in the late spring. Early Midseason strawberry varieties start fruiting around five days after Early Season varieties. Midseason strawberries start bearing fruits nearly in eight days after Early Season varieties. Late Midseason strawberry varieties will start fruiting in about ten days after Early Season varieties. Late Season strawberry varieties will produce their berries approximately 14 days after the Early Season varieties.

Everbearing strawberries

Everbearing strawberries do not bear the fruits endlessly. They usually allow only two harvests every year. It is also likely for a few of them to supply three harvests under excellent conditions. They put out very fewer runners than the June bearing varieties. They’re set using the hill system or in areas where space is brief.

Day-neutral strawberries

Day-neutral strawberries are unique. They’re going to produce a healthy harvest within the first year. They flower and fruit as long because the temperature is between 35°F to 85°F. Outside they will bear fruits from April until October. A greenhouse, however, can provide the right conditions for them to offer you a year-round supply. The main disadvantage of this variety is that they produce smaller berries than June-bearing and everbearing strawberries. These berries also are planted using the hill system a bit like the everbearing ones.

Strawberry runners

Strawberry runners also are called stolons. They’re parallel stems that spread above the bottom and make brand-new clone plants at nodes spaced with alternating intervals. This is often the rationale why strawberries are recognized as stoloniferous. The long and leafless stems between the mother plant, the plant-growing nodes, and therefore the growing point of the stolon are called internodes.

Adventitious roots give strawberries a plus over other plants. Strawberries are capable of propagating themselves through runners. This may let them discover better soil or spots with sufficient sunlight. Since strawberries never stop sending out runners, their beds need to be constantly thinned to take care of a healthy production

Suitable Soil for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Strawberries do very well in nutrient-rich, well-drained, acidic soils that have high concentrations of high organic matter. You can fertilize your strawberry plant twice a month with well-balanced, organic compost throughout the growing period. The optimal and ideal pH should range between 5.5 and 7.0. You need to combine a layer of straw or mulch throughout the surface to keep the roots cool and free from moisture. Switch to a high potash liquid fertilizer right after they start to bloom out. This may maximize its fruit-bearing ability.

Suitable Temperature for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Strawberry plants love to flower in cool to warm weather or climate. The temperature must not go over 25°C because higher temperatures can negatively impair the growth of the plant and kill the pollens. Keep the greenhouse temperature around 18- 25°C until they start flowering. Once you have picked the strawberries from the plant, you need to decrease the temperature inside your greenhouse so that it stays cold throughout the winter. A cool phase is more important to stimulate them to flower the next season. This is only matters if you choose June-bearing or everbearing strawberry plants.

In the first eight months or so, pick off all the blossoming flowers so the strawberry plants do not fruit. If you want to start growing strawberries from runners, make sure that to maintain proper humidity levels because runners are usually more sensitive to warm and hot temperatures than grown berries.

Lighting Requirements for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

In case if you miss this: Growing Organic Spinach At Home.

Light for Strawberries in Greenhouse — **Lighting Requirements for Strawberries in Greenhouse** (pic source : pixabay)

Make sure that the glazing of your greenhouse is obvious and there’s nothing within the thanks to obstructing out the sunshine. They need to receive a minimum of six hours of daylight a day, some varieties need up to 12 hours. As such, choose your greenhouse site appropriately and make sure the greenhouse kits you purchase allow adequate light. With lessened light and photosynthetic movement, they can’t bear many fruits.

If you would like to grow strawberries in winter, you ought to use a grow light to offer your plants enough daylight. Otherwise, they’re going to not develop many fruits.

Best Ways to Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

The yield and rate of return of the greenhouse mainly depend upon which Strawberry planting method you choose. On average, you can even pick up to 60 kg of berries for a year from 1 square meter of Strawberry planting. But this figure is reached by experienced planters, and newcomers in the first couple of years can only rely on a 50% result of growth.

Procedure for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Get disease-free seedlings from reputable nurseries
Plant them into the bottom, pots, planters, or raised beds
Ensure the hole is deep enough to accommodate the entire root age without bending them and confirm the crown remains just above the surface
Work the soil in raised beds as this offers the simplest condition for greenhouse-grown strawberry. Then mulch the beds to manage water loss and minimize the invasion of weeds
Don’t plant your strawberries too deep because they could rot
For easy passage, it’s helpful to supply your strawberries with many areas. Use a trowel to bore a hole large enough to accommodate the roots, and if you’re planting within the ground, plant them 18 inches apart, leaving 30 inches between rows
If you’re planting runners, lay the roots call at the slot and confirm that the crown is resting at the soil level. an equivalent works for planting in pots
The pots should be a minimum of six inches in diameter with several draining holes
For 12 wide hanging baskets, three to four strawberry plants are enough. Florian variety is that the most suitable option for hanging baskets because it bears fruit both on the mother plant and its runners. Use Plant Caddie Hooks for your hanging baskets – they create it easier to boost and lower the basket for care and harvest
If you begin immature plants or tendrils during a greenhouse, plant them during a clear pouch or humid propagator till the roots have settled
Apply a water-soluble organic compost that has high potash amount to market fruiting
Planting from seeds takes a little dose of patience because they will take up to a month to sprout and can normally crop subsequent year

Water and Feeding Requirement for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Because of their shallow roots, strawberries survive well when the ground is wet. They need frequent watering on very hot summer days. But they don’t like always sitting in the water-logged ground, which can weaken the crown and may cause the berry to rot.

It is very reasonable to water from the base. Ideally, need to provide about an inch and a half of water each week. It is better to water your plant early in the morning so that the water will not dry out fast.

You can feed your Strawberry plant every 2 weeks with a balanced, use organic fertilizer during the growing season.

Tips and Tricks for Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

When the flowers of the plant bloom, you need to fill them with an organic liquid fertilizer every fortnight.
The other main variations of strawberry produce runners or stem with blooming plants along the length. Eliminate them once they appear so that the plant’s vitality will go towards fruiting and flowering.
If you planted the June-bearing berries, remove the flowers in their first year so that you’ll have an upscale harvest in June.
The VegiBee Garden Rechargeable Pollinator is going to be helpful to encourage fruiting. Some berries can become deformed thanks to non-pollination.
You also can grow sweet strawberries from pots.
Straws and fibre mats keep down weeds and stop plant disease.
Crop rotation remains the simplest practice. Replace your strawberry plants after three years.
It will create a green colour on the underside of the fruit if there’s an oversupply of nitrogen so take care of it.

A Year-Round Supply of Strawberries in Greenhouse

Greenhouse Strawberries (Iamge source: pixabay)

As mentioned earlier above in this post, you’ll achieve a year-round yield of strawberries by picking the proper plant type. Proving the proper conditions for your strawberry plants forces them into bearing fruits for extended periods.

There are simple ways of forcing strawberries so that they will flower and fruit earlier, later, or multiple times a year:

Choose different types of strawberry plants to possess a year-round harvest. For instance, get 10 everbearing, 5 June-bearing, and 10 day-neutral plants. In this manner, you’ll have different plants bearing fruits at different times of the year. Of course, you’ll need to choose the number of plants you would like for your preferences.

To make strawberry plants flower, they have an honest chill. So, you ought to plant them in pots that you simply can easily move in and out of the greenhouse. In this manner, you’ll give them the break they have.

Choose a pot that’s around 12 to 15 inches deep and well-drained. Terra-cotta or plastic pots with cup-shaped holes throughout the edges are good.

Pollination is often a drag especially within the colder months but a Veggie bee Pollinator can assist you all the way. Strawberries are short-lived plants so after forcing, you would like to discard and replace them.

Common Problems, Pests, and Diseases in Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

Strawberries are vulnerable to several common problems like garden pests. A number of these are Japanese beetles, spider mites, slugs, and snails. Diseases like mildew and grey mold may cause serious losses also.

Maintain greenhouse cleanliness and be observant of manifestations of diseases to stop them from spreading. Remove that dead foliage because they will harbor pests and diseases over the wintertime.

Make sure that your strawberry plants won’t be attacked by the verticillium wilt. Order certified classes and don’t plant them on the brink of another plant like eggplants and tomatoes. You’ll prevent and reduce further threats by maintaining a neat greenhouse. Get obviate all dead plants before they decay.

It is suitable to substitute strawberry plants after the third season or they’ll lose vigor producing lesser harvests, and your berries will become more vulnerable to pests. If your space permits, move the beds to a different section to stop pests and diseases from growing.

Red stele plant disease is caused by Phytophthora fragariae. It’s one of the foremost severe fungus diseases of strawberries within the U.S. This organism invades plants throughout winter until springtime. It’s very harmful in heavy clay soils soaked with water.

Basic Ingredients for a Fungal Disease Treatment:

Use two drops of organic olive oil
Use two drops of liquid detergent
Use three tablespoons of baking soda
Use one gallon of water

Harvesting Of Strawberries in Greenhouse

Strawberry fruits are usually ready to harvest in about five weeks after the flowers blossom. You can harvest by picking them every two days. Remove all the mulch when the last strawberries have been harvested. You should not pull just pinch or cut them, leaving a half-inch of the stalk.

Remove all the excessive immature fruits to keep your harvest time longer. If the plant bears a lot of fruits at once, it may transport its nourishment to fruits. Then the plant itself may get very weak.

Harvest berries very quickly as they ripen or they will rot on the plant. Better monitor them every other day throughout the ripening season.

Commonly Asked Questions about Growing Strawberries in Greenhouse

How often I need to water strawberries in a greenhouse?

Strawberry plants do not like always standing in water and if the soil becomes waterlogged the plants may rot. To keep the soil always moist you will need to water a little every day unless they have a self-watering planter.

Do strawberry plants grow better in a greenhouse?

By growing your strawberries during a greenhouse, the fruit is going to be ripe for harvesting a month earlier. Growing strawberries during a greenhouse or conservatory mean they’ll fruit up to a month before outdoor plants.

What is the average yield per acre of a strawberry plant?

The average yield of strawberries is 8 tonnes per acre with good management.

How many strawberries do I get from one plant?

The average yield per plant is nearly about 150-400 grams. After an average growing period of two years of harvesting from the same strawberry plant, the size of the strawberry may decrease, and also with that the yield in grams.

How many years will a single strawberry plant last?

A single strawberry plant will last for two to five years.

Unfortunately, some strawberry plants don’t last forever, so then you have to dig them up and replace them, and their soil, every few years. Estimates tend to range from nearly two to five years for an average plant.

Growing Strawberries In Greenhouse – Polyhouse

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