Strawberry beds - types and recommendations for location. Strawberry beds and row spacing Mobile strawberry beds

Traditional Russian beds on a flat surface or on an earthen ridge for garden strawberries have significant drawbacks that gardeners no longer want to put up with.

You can often come across the statement that strawberries are a finicky berry. This is not at all the case. It does not require frequent watering and feeding, it winters well, reproduces well and can grow in one place for a long time.

All that strawberries need for a high and healthy harvest: oxygen access to the roots without waterlogging, good air circulation in the growth zone of bushes, an illuminated area, fertile soil and no contact between berries and soil. To create all these conditions will help correct device beds.

Ideal bed parameters and general planting rules

With good agricultural technology, the strawberry plantation lasts up to 5 years. Then the soil accumulates pathogens, is depleted, old bushes bear fruit worse. A site change or soil replacement and plant renewal is required.

Planting stock can be purchased at a gardening store, or you can use the strawberry's natural tendency to blow a whisker to invade new territory. If you take seedlings from your site, then you need to be sure that there are no nematodes and strawberry mites. Disinfection from pathogens is mandatory for both your own and purchased material.

Note! Repair strawberry gives less whiskers, the aisles stay clean longer. If you plan to propagate your variety, then in the second half of summer, pick off flowers, loosen the aisles and conduct moderate watering.

Regardless of the type of bed, we note the parameters that are always taken into account to create an ideal microclimate:

the width of the bed is 80 cm: the plants are planted in two rows with a row spacing of 40 cm, the bushes are well ventilated, the row spacing is convenient to weed and loosen, there is no difficulty in picking berries;
the garden bed is oriented from east to west: uniform illumination throughout the day;
the distance between plants in a row is 25-30 cm: remontant varieties form more powerful and taller bushes, therefore, the distance for them is increased to 30 cm;
the optimal distance between individual beds is 65 cm: this is enough for the passage of a garden wheelbarrow in order to freely carry out gardening work;
the height of the beds in different technologies is taken from 20 cm to 1 m, but even a slight rise is favorable for the development of culture;
the soil between the beds is kept in turf (the growing grass is simply mown at a level of 5 cm): the black soil overheats, and the weeds serve as a breeding ground for pests and diseases, while the low-cut grass is pleasant to the eye and is useful for the garden;
planting of seedlings is carried out under a black film (manufacturers supply it with already cut holes, according to the planting scheme): no weeds, the berry does not come into contact with the soil and remains clean even after rain, as a result the spread of gray rot is noticeably reduced;
the neighborhood of strawberries with fruit trees is undesirable: in some years, strawberry bushes may suffer from attacks of leaf-eating caterpillars.

Landing scheme options

In the device of the garden, one must not forget about drainage and nutritious soil. Well filled with organic matter (compost, humus, peat) soil can provide a rich harvest for 3-4 years of cultivation without additional fertilizing. To prevent gray rot, the soil is spilled with Fitosporin solution before planting seedlings.

Tall strawberry bed

Fences can have a height of 20-40 or even 90-100 cm. The second option is more convenient in caring for plants and when harvesting, it is indispensable in swampy areas and with a close occurrence of groundwater with frequent spring flooding. But he also has negative points: the soil dries out faster, the plants experience overheating, in severe winters there is a high probability of freezing.

Here, it is necessary to use mulch or black film and winter shelter with spunbond or lutrasil in regions with frosty winters, as well as a drip irrigation device for uniform moisture is desirable.

For beds less than 40 cm, weather disasters are not so terrible, but to care for them you will have to bend over and sit down. A box for a garden bed can be made independently from boards, slate, bricks, or you can order ready-made ones.

At the place where the box is installed, a layer of earth 10 cm thick is removed.Then a protective mesh from rodents or geotextiles is laid and the box is installed so that its walls are deepened by 10 cm.At the bottom of the bed, large branches and broken bricks are laid out for drainage. At the last stage, the box is filled with nutritious soil from compost, garden soil and poultry droppings.

Attention! You can not take land in the beds after nightshades, cabbage and cucumber, as it can be infected with gray rot.

Warm strawberry bed filled with organic matter

The principle of a warm bed is the slow decomposition of organic material with the release of heat. Such a device is suitable for regions with cool summers and late return frosts. The filling of the garden is like a layer cake. The layers are the same as in compost heap, only go in reverse order.

Large wood waste is placed on the bottom: wood chips, thick branches, chopped hemp. Next, pieces of cardboard are lined in several layers. Pour sawdust and shavings on top, covering everything with a layer of freshly cut grass (great if there are crops of green manure) and chopped weeds (if you are preparing a garden in the summer, make sure there are no seeds).

The last layer is matured humus or compost. The root system of strawberries is fibrous and highly branched. The bulk of the roots is in the 20-25 cm layer. This must be taken into account when determining the thickness of the fertile layer.

The average height of a warm bed is about 1 m. If you want to "lower" the fence, before installing and filling the box, dig a pit of the required depth.

Vertical bed from the pipe: closer to the sun

The idea of vertical beds tempts by saving space in the garden and decorativeness. This option is suitable for areas with any soil, and the garden bed itself can be placed right in the recreation area and enjoy the aroma and taste of ripening berries while lying in a hammock. Still, this technology is good for a humid and mild maritime climate, and not for the arid Volga region or the harsh Moscow region.

Small volume potting soil dries quickly, therefore a built-in semi-automatic irrigation system is required. To increase the moisture content, a hydrogel is added to the substrate.

The process of making a vertical bed from a plastic pipe includes the following steps:

cut holes with a diameter of 10 cm in a pipe of the required length;
the first lower hole is located 80 cm from the edge (this part of the pipe will be buried in the soil)
in the lower part we put a plug with drainage holes;
an irrigation tube with holes wrapped in agrofibre or burlap, or a drip irrigation tape, is installed in the cylinder in the center;
the pipe is filled with a substrate at the same time as planting seedlings;
plants can overheat greatly, so it is advisable to cover the plantings with white spunbond.

For the winter, vertical structures in Middle lane Russia is either transferred to a horizontal position and thoroughly covered, or brought into a closed room.

Another nuance of a vertical plantation: it is impossible to harvest from it planting material to update landings. Therefore, in order to preserve the collection of varieties, we recommend leaving a few bushes in a traditional garden bed.

Interesting options for do-it-yourself strawberry beds

In this section, we will look at ideas for mobile beds that can be placed in any sunny part of the site. They can be made from cheap materials at hand. In order for the plants to develop and bear fruit, the structures are filled with a substrate enriched with organic matter. During the growing season, feeding with an ash solution, infusion of bird droppings or mineral fertilizers is mandatory. To increase the water-holding capacity, a hydrogel is added to the soil.

Even with proper care, mobile beds are short-lived. Full soil replacement every 2 years will allow keeping the yield at a high level.

A bed of plastic bottles

For the full development of a strawberry bush, a volume of at least 2 liters is required. Cut off the neck of the bottles, but do not throw it away. We will make of it drainage device: remove the lid and lower the resulting funnel to the bottom of the bottle, wrapping it with a thick layer of burlap or agrofibre; at the bottom of the bottle, stepping back 5 cm, we make round holes for drainage and evaporation of excess moisture with a diameter of 5 cm.

To ensure systemic irrigation in the bottom of each bottle, we make several holes through which water will flow from the upper bottle to the lower one. Not worth doing too high bed, a chain of 4-5 bottles is enough.

We plant the seedlings in a hole 5-8 cm in diameter. Place the bottles on top of each other, securely fixing them with wire to the wooden frame.

This option is well suited for creating a one-year ornamental garden... It can be placed near the playground so that children can feast on clean berries and do not spoil the main beds.

Horizontal bed made of PVC pipes

The essence of the idea is this: in the pipe large diameter holes with a diameter of 10-15 cm are made at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, filled with nutritious soil and installed on high supports. Drainage - small pebbles.

Watering is carried out through an inner pipe with a diameter of 40-50 mm with holes; for uniform distribution of water, the pipe is wrapped with a covering material. A more efficient but costly method is drip irrigation.

A bed of old car tires

Not the most environmentally friendly option, but actively used. You can create a column by stacking tires of the same diameter on top of each other. Or make a pyramid using tires of different diameters. Let's consider the first method, since it has some nuances.

In the upper part we cut out square holes 10x10 cm, we make an interval of 15 cm between the holes. We must not forget about the drainage. At the installation site of the column bed, you need to dig a shallow 7-10 cm foundation pit and fill it with sand and gravel. In the lower part, in a circle of each tire, we make holes for water drainage with a drill.

To make the soil sufficiently loose and breathable, we add peat and perlite.

Strawberries in hanging bags

This is a great option for growing on a balcony, terrace or gazebo. It should also be considered as an addition to stationary beds. Seedlings are planted in bags with pockets or in separate small bags. You can sew them yourself from dense fabric or buy ready-made ones at a gardening store.

There is no need to think over drainage here, since the water itself will drain through the burlap. Plant care includes frequent and not abundant watering, top dressing and evening spraying of the leaves.

Wooden strawberry pyramids

Eco-friendly and durable beds can be made from wooden planks. First, several boxes with different perimeters are knocked down so that it turns out to assemble a pyramid.

Then the structure is covered with nutritious soil and the seedlings are planted. Low sheltered pyramids withstand Russian winters well.

Garden bed made of blocks

Among the materials at hand in the country, there are very often various building blocks that can be perfectly used for organizing beds and flower beds. Hollow block offers more possibilities than standard corpulent or brick, which serves only as a fence.

Like the elements of the constructor, such blocks are folded into various structures, and their voids are filled with strawberry bushes.

Not all gardeners who grow strawberries on their plots can boast of a consistently high yield. Often the reason for this is heavy soils, the proximity of groundwater or the depletion of the fertile layer. The solution to these problems can be the use of tall beds for growing strawberries.

This technology, initially tested in Holland and Germany, makes it possible to maximally protect plants from unfavorable external conditions and significantly increase their yield.

How to make a tall strawberry bed

It is necessary to lay high beds for strawberries in the fall, when the crop is harvested. Each season, a new one is formed - of such a size that all plant residues from the garden can fit into it.

A plot of any length and width of 1.8 m, stretched from north to south, is selected for such a bed. In this case, the length of the selected section must exceed the length of the bed. This is necessary so that it can be further increased in size.
It should be remembered that the garden bed must be in a sunny place.
The top layer of the earth is removed from the entire area of the future bed. The width of the primary embankment should be 60 cm.
Coarse organic materials are placed in the center. Twigs, leftover wood, stalks of corn, flowers, or a sunflower will do. The layer is well watered.

On top of the coarse residues, with a layer of 15 cm or more, juicy garden waste is placed: tops of root crops, whips of cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkin, stalks of physalis. It should be noted that only leftovers can be used to form a bed. healthy plants... Diseased leaves and stems must be burned. If there are a lot of residues, then they should be layered with straw so that they do not form a dense sticky mass. If, on the contrary, they are not enough, then you can place stalks of coriander or dill between them.

Sod, removed from the base of the garden, is poured on top of the organic matter. Then the resulting layer is watered again.
The next layer is well compacted and then watered fallen leaves. Ideally, its thickness should also be at least 15 cm. But if it turns out to be thinner, it's okay.
The foliage is covered with a layer of rotted manure or one-year compost of the same thickness.
The last layer is ripe compost mixed with garden soil.
As a result, the total height of the embankment should be 40–45 cm.

The garden is ready. With the onset of spring, it will be possible to plant the first plants on it.

Making a container bed

High beds with fixed sides - containers are well suited for growing strawberries. Their width is usually from 60 cm to 1 m, so that the berry bushes are convenient to handle. The length depends on the area of the site and the wishes of the gardener. The height of the sides ranges from 30 to 80 cm. It is quite possible to build a container bed for growing strawberries with your own hands.

Like a tall bed, the container can be used for 3-4 years. Its service life can be extended to 6 years, but then in the last 2 years additional nutrients will need to be added to the depleted soil.

Beds-boxes

A box is a lower type of container. The walls for it are made with a height of 15 to 20 cm. Of course, initially the arrangement of the box will require less effort. But in the future, there will be much more trouble with him.

This is because the thinner organic layer is quickly depleted and needs to be replenished every year by adding fresh humus and compost to the box. In addition, the box retains moisture worse, so strawberries in it need to be watered at least 2 times a week and each time the mulching layer must be renewed. Thus, in addition to the box, it is necessary to have a barrel with plant residues in order to prepare the infusion for irrigation, and a compost heap.

Planting seedlings in the ground

Planting strawberries in tall beds has a number of features.

Features of growing strawberries in a high bed

Strawberries growing in a tall bed do not need additional feeding. Plants have enough nutrients that are released during the decomposition of organic waste.
During the growing season, the berry must be watered abundantly. If there is not enough moisture, then strawberries will bring a meager harvest.

It is advisable to plant accompanying crops along the edges of the bed. The best neighbor there will be garlic for the strawberries. It will protect the berries from pests.

As you can see, the benefits of a high bed for growing strawberries are undeniable. If you initially make an effort and make a small financial investment, you can get a rich harvest of your favorite berries.

In this article, we will look at do-it-yourself multi-tiered strawberry beds. We will learn how to make a garden bed. Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages.

In order to have enough strawberries on your table, you need to organize multi-tiered beds on the site. You can purchase a finished building. Or you can build them yourself using any available materials: boards, barrels, boxes, leftovers old furniture... You don't need to be a specialist to do this.

Long-tiered flower beds and beds for strawberries and other plants are very popular due to their convenience and functionality.

How to make multi-tiered beds?

Before you arrange multi-tiered beds with your own hands, you need to decide on the lighting and whether the relief of your site is sufficiently even. Taking into account the second requirement, you need a building level, since, having marked out the area for such beds, you must make it so that it becomes even. It is possible that the first tier will need brick foundation taken on an already flat surface.

The construction can have a different configuration - triangle, square, circle. First of all, you can disassemble rectangular multi-tiered beds, since it is easy to make them and take care of the crop without any problems. Multi-tiered beds, like ordinary beds, are well placed from east to west - so that the illumination throughout the day is uniform.

First of all, the lower tier is assembled: barrels or other materials are fixed with self-tapping screws, nails. Each subsequent one, like a pyramid, is made smaller by one or two bed widths. For strawberries, a width of 40 cm is desirable. The same layer width - then it will be easy to care for it.

Based on the fact that its roots penetrate into the soil to a depth of 10-30 cm, the height of the tier should be 30-40 cm.

At the bottom of the lower tier, it is advisable to put a stainless steel mesh with fine meshes. This will protect the root system from pests and make it possible for soil microorganisms to enter the garden bed and process humus.

Multi-tiered strawberry beds can be bought in specialized stores or made on your own using improvised means

As an alternative to a multi-tiered bed, you can consider growing berries in a pot or box, which are fixed to a post or fence, by analogy with flower pots. This construction is even easier to assemble. The height of the container for growing strawberries is about 20-40 cm. Drainage is laid on its bottom, on top - a mixture of soil, peat, humus. Everything. Watering is carried out as needed.

Benefits of pyramidal beds

Above all, they are easy to care for: no need to bend over continuously.

Space is saved on the site, while a lot of bushes are grown in the same space. The result is a richer harvest.
The quality of the land improves:

Due to the presence of a metal mesh for garden pests there is practically no access to the roots of culture;
if the soil is prepared with his own hands, weed rhizomes are eliminated;
to reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms, the earth is ignited, or poured with boiling water

These beds have auxiliary drainage.
The tiers rise above the ground, which means they warm up better. This explains the fact that the berries hardly touch the ground, which means they do not rot. There are ampelous (those that curl) strawberry varieties intended for cultivation in multi-tiered beds.
Ridges like this adorn garden plot and look like flower beds.

Strawberry care

At self-preparation soil for multi-tiered beds is taken in the same parts of turf, peat, humus, sawdust. Humus feeds the soil mixture with organic matter, which is beneficial for fruiting. Sawdust gives it airiness. Peat retains moisture and acidifies it a little.
The bushes are planted from bottom to top, in tiers. 0.5 l of water is poured into the hole, the rhizomes are leveled, the bushes are sprinkled with soil. The root collar should be at ground level.

Multi-tiered beds can be made from various materials, of which the most practical and suitable are wood and plastic, as they have excellent endurance and do not affect the plant in any way

On multi-tiered beds, the earth dries up quickly, so at first the plants are watered once every three days. When the plantings take root, watering is reduced. If the weather is hot, they dig in between the bushes plastic bottles with holes, from which water gradually seeps out to the root system. You can also equip drip irrigation yourself.

In the first year of life, the antennae and individual flowers of the berry are removed. In the second and subsequent years, strawberries are fed before flowering: liquid mineral fertilizers applied in parallel with watering. Strawberries are fed with organic matter in the second and fourth years.

On those bushes that bear fruit, tendrils are systematically removed. When the fruiting period is over, three antennae are left for seedlings for the device of new multi-tiered beds. Before the first frost, all tendrils and dry leaves are removed on the strawberries. The first frosts harden the shoots of the culture. When the cold comes, you should consider wintering multi-tiered beds. Shelter them for the winter - the main problem for northern regions... Such beds should be small and mobile. For example, these can be pots and boxes. At the first frost, they are removed to a cool, but not freezing place (cellar, basement, etc.). Dry straw, spruce branches are suitable for warming solid beds, and agrofibre is additionally suitable for the upper tiers.

There is a simpler method: for the device of multi-tiered beds, strawberry varieties are chosen that give a bountiful harvest in the first year. In this case, the planting is renewed annually. In this way, a pyramidal bed can be made in which the strawberries will be grown as a one-year-old.

Strawberry varieties for cultivation in multi-tiered beds

There are many varieties of ampelous, that is, curly strawberries, which are grown in the above beds:

Variety name	Characteristic
Queen Elizabeth	The grade is remontant. The crop gives out several times per season. Timeframe: early summer - mid-autumn. The berries have the correct beautiful shape... The surface is shiny. The inside of the berries is very juicy. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests. Productivity 1.5-2 kg / sq. m.
Queen Elizabeth 2	A variety with large fruits. It bears fruit many times. During the season, up to 10 kg / sq. m. In mid-May, the first fruits with dense juicy, very sweet pulp will ripen.
Alba	An early ripe variety. Differs in frost resistance. Fruits are elongated-conical, bright red in color. Transportable. Productivity 1-2 kg / sq. m.
Homemade delicacy	Early maturing remontant variety. The fruits are dark red, sweet and sour, of medium size. Easy to assemble. The plant has a decorative appearance.
Ostara	The variety was bred by Dutch breeders. High-yielding. The berries are not very large, but tasty, with a juicy sweet and sour pulp. The density is average. Susceptible to diseases of the root system.

A bed that is not on the ground:

Also, the beds may not be on the ground, but attached to some furniture or made on a frame, which will further save space in the country or in the garden and even in a greenhouse

Other types of strawberry beds do it yourself

Each of them has its own pros and cons.

Low beds with shelter

High beds

They are, first of all, equipped on heavy, depleted soils, where groundwater runs very close.

Also in the picture you can see another version of multi-tiered strawberry beds, the construction of which will take very little time, but the result will exceed all labor costs

Vertical beds

They are intended for those summer residents who have a small plot of land. Such beds can save a lot of space. Bags, cylinders, pots, pipes, etc. are suitable for their device. Even on the balcony, you can grow strawberries in such beds, because such a structure can consist of floors, the number of which is unlimited. Other garden crops can be grown in the same way.

Strawberry beds on agrofibre

Their popularity is growing rapidly. With their device, physical labor when caring for strawberries is reduced to a minimum. First, the soil is prepared, a bed of a certain shape and size is marked out. Tracks are being prepared, along which the summer resident will move while caring for berries. Then the most important stage: distribution of agrofibre into strips of the required length and covering the soil with them. Agrofibre is fixed with wire pins. In the spring, when planting seedlings, cuts are made in it, into which the strawberry bushes are placed.

Multi-tiered beds or flower beds can also be suspended, while they will perfectly decorate any garden or vegetable garden, as well as a greenhouse, and will bring a good harvest

DIY multi-tiered strawberry beds: questions and answers

Question number 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of multi-tiered strawberry beds?

Answer: The main advantage of such beds is that the ripening strawberries do not come into contact with the soil. That is why there is never dirt on it, it does not rot, it is not exposed to the invasion of pests, it is less sick. Another important advantage of such beds is the ability to plant much more strawberries in a small area than in ordinary beds.

The main disadvantage is that for the winter such beds, if they are not in the greenhouse, must be carefully covered, otherwise the plants will freeze. It is for this reason that multi-tiered beds are preferable to equip in southern regions with mild winters. And in northern containers with strawberries, they are thoroughly insulated for winter period or transferred to a room that does not freeze.

Question number 2. How to grow a small vegetable garden?

Answer: There are many ways to expand the possibilities of a small garden. . One of them is the construction of multi-tiered or suspended beds. For example, Chinese farmers in a greenhouse are getting double the strawberry harvest. And this is due to the fact that they use such beds. It is very easy to pick ripe berries - firstly, they are always clean, and secondly, they simply hang from the beds. The only drawback is that if your greenhouse is not heated, the strawberries will freeze over the winter. Therefore, in this situation, there is only one way out: annually in the spring to plant new seedlings in the upper tier, and in the fall, those plants that have given their fruits are sent to compost.

Strawberries, like any other crop, will require correct preparation beds. However, it is far from always possible to take away all plants for planting required amount places - in this case, vertical beds come to the aid of gardeners. And sometimes a high level of groundwater makes a special high structure out of an ordinary garden bed. Let's find out what alternative strawberry beds exist, and how you can make them yourself.

High beds

As mentioned above, if the groundwater level in your area is high enough, which is far from uncommon for most regions of Russia, then in this case it is recommended to make the strawberry bed high. The culture in such a structure will be completely protected not only from groundwater, but also from waterlogging of the root system due to stagnant rainwater. In addition, the plants will be provided with optimal drainage, and the garden bed itself will become a real decoration of your site, carrying also an aesthetic function.

As you can see, there are a lot of benefits from such a structure, and this is confirmed by different "speaking" names: warm beds, smart beds, compost beds.

What is a tall bed?

To create smart strawberry beds, you can use a variety of dense materials that are commonly used in construction. Most often, their role is played by wooden planks, polycarbonate, slate, chipboard, etc.

The result is a container in which the optimum temperature for growing strawberries will be maintained. The height of the beds can be from 25 to 40 cm, which will depend on your preference. You also choose the filler yourself - it can be soil from your personal plot or a substrate purchased in a store.

One more important aspect Is a drainage system. Its presence must be taken care of without fail. To do this, holes are drilled in the walls of each bed through which excess fluid will flow out.

So, we create tall strawberry beds with our own hands.

Structure manufacturing scheme

First of all, it is necessary to select the material from which the structure itself will consist. It must be strong and tight enough.
We pre-harvest the fertilizer. This role can be played by organic matter, for example, diluted poultry manure, rotted manure, compost, or a purchased organic mixture.
Now it's turn land plot where we will build our smart strawberry beds. It will not be difficult to choose it, since absolutely any soil will do. Soil fertility in this case does not really matter.
The site needs to be cleaned up a bit. Annual plants and their seeds should not be removed - all this will later become part of the fertile layer.
Next, we form the wireframe. The main material can be supplemented with auxiliary ones - slate sheets, bricks, boards. This will make the structure as strong as possible.
Lay on the bottom of warm strawberry beds waterproofing material, for example, sawdust, chains, shavings, which it is desirable to mix with deciduous litter or straw. When growing strawberries, the waterproofing layer must be at least 5 cm.
The next step is to fill the box with fertilizer. In addition to organic matter, it is also necessary to use mineral fertilizing, but only in small quantities.
We fill the beds with earth or substrate.
Now, at the base of each box, you need to make several holes. The distance between them should be 15 cm, and the hole itself is recommended to be made using drill # 5.
Important! If you decide to use slate sheets as a base, then when using drill # 5, they can crack. For such a material, it is better to choose a thin metal drill.
Now it is necessary to allow the fertilizers to be distributed in the soil. To do this, the garden bed is watered abundantly and left for a day. During this time, excess fluid should leave through the drainage holes.

As you can see, creating tall strawberry beds with your own hands is not so difficult.

It is advisable to plant seedlings after the film or spunbond has been laid. Cross-shaped incisions are made in the material and young plants are placed in them.

If planting is carried out in the fall, then in this case, you should take care of the wintering of strawberries in high beds. In this case, plastic pipes are attached to each box, and as a result, it becomes a kind of greenhouse. From inside the wall wooden structure should be covered with plastic wrap, which will prevent wood from rotting and will not allow the filler to dry out. A metal mesh is laid at the bottom of the garden bed - it will protect against rodents. And only after these preparatory works can it be filled with soil. For the winter, a high bed must be covered with plastic wrap.

Vertical beds

In this section, we will look at how you can make vertical strawberry beds with your own hands, and the photo will show the final result. So let's get started.

A vegetable garden in a pipe

For owners of small gardens, the vertical becomes a real find. Moreover, such a structure can even be placed on a balcony. And in the conditions of the street, the culture growing in such a garden bed can calmly survive the winter. Only for this, the vertical orientation is changed to horizontal, and the structure is wrapped up.

Such a bed is made as follows:

take plastic pipe length of 2.5 m;
on its entire surface in a checkerboard pattern we make holes with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm;
we immerse the pipe 1/3 into the ground and bury it;
fill the top hole with fertile soil;
plant a plant in each hole.

Garden bed

To make this bed you need:

prepare metal mesh, fertile soil and straw;
we bend the mesh and give it the shape of a pipe, the diameter of which should be about 90 cm;
we put straw on the inner surface of the mesh pipe;
fill the garden bed with 0.5 m soil and plant the first level of strawberries, the distance between the plants should be about 10 cm;
then we lay another layer of soil 0.5 m thick and plant the second layer of strawberries;
you vary the height of the bed yourself.

Garden in plastic bottles

Vertical strawberry beds can be made from plastic bottles. The technology is as follows:

screw the caps on the plastic bottles;
we clean the bottle from the label and cut a hole on one side;
half fill each bottle with light soil;
plant one plant in one bed and water it.

Bed-pyramid

A do-it-yourself strawberry bed can be made in the form of a pyramid. And such a structure is being erected as follows:

first you need to prepare several pots of different diameters;
fill each container with soil and water;
we build a pyramid, setting the widest pot below, and the smallest on top;
due to the difference in diameters, spaces will be formed in which we plant strawberries.

Important! Try to keep a distance of at least 15 cm between the bushes!

As you can see, there are quite a few different ways to arrange strawberry beds. And these are far from all the existing options. Imagine and create a unique vegetable garden! Good harvests!

Kirill Sysoev

Callous hands do not know boredom!

Content

The key to effective protection from weeds, insect pests, diseases and a rich harvest of berry crops is the competent organization of a plot of land. Garden strawberry (or strawberry) is considered a finicky plant that requires special conditions cultivation. Before making a mini-plantation for planting it, read the agrotechnical requirements that you need to adhere to, suitable materials and the technology of creating warm high plantations.

How to choose a place to plant strawberries

Start planting bushes in the country or in suburban area it is necessary from August, and this business should be completed in September. By this time, you will need to prepare the seats. Of particular importance is the choice of the optimal location, on which not only the yield depends, but also taste qualities berries. To do this, consider the following agrotechnical subtleties:

Garden strawberries must be grown on a site with good lighting... The plant loves warmth and light, but if the chosen place is in a lowland, then you should not be engaged in arranging it there. This is due to the fact that the soil in low areas freezes even in late spring, which threatens the plants with death. Despite the fact that this culture loves light, you can plant it in a darkened area. Ripe products will pick up little sugar, but will acquire more flavor - such a crop is perfect for drying preparation, preserving jam and other processing.
It is undesirable to plant these strawberries among garden trees... In this case, the plantings can be harmed not only by the shade from them, but also by the pesticides that are sprayed on the trees.
The chosen place must be protected from the wind. Experienced gardeners recommend planting strawberries between gooseberry and currant bushes.
The ideal location for the future plantation is the southeast side of the site. Garden strawberries should be planted in a slightly elevated or level area.
The southern slopes are not suitable due to early snow melting.
The crop gives good productivity on a sandy-loamy and sandy substrate, which is enriched with humus. On saline and calcareous areas, as well as soils with a high occurrence of water soils, plants will not bear fruit well.
Due to the fact that strawberries belong to the "pink" family, they cannot be planted next to their relatives. You cannot set up mini-plantations in the place of the garden where representatives of this family grew up last year. Plants have common pests and they also pull the same nutrients from the soil. Most of them can overwinter in the soil and wake up with the onset of spring, beginning to destroy a new crop.
It is undesirable to equip a mini-plantation after harvesting tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, cabbage.
Fruit trees, for example, apple, apricot, plum, cherry, etc., also have a negative effect on garden strawberries. It is undesirable that bird cherry and wild rose bloom next to this berry crop.
The best predecessors are radishes, parsley, carrots, corn, celery, dill and legumes.

Strawberry plantation type

Having chosen the optimal landing site, you need to decide on suitable type plantations, and then start preparing a nutritious soil substrate. When creating different options, PVC pipes, bags, car tires, slate, boards and other improvised means are used. Strawberry beds are of the following types:

Classic. This versatile option is the most popular and simplest, but many experienced gardeners try to experiment to get more yields and create interesting designs.
Vertical beds for strawberries. Due to them, you can save space and reduce the risk of damage to the crop by many pests.
High. Prevents root decay by good drainage... If necessary, you can equip an insulated front garden with an optimal temperature for growing a crop.
Pyramids. They are presented in the form of multi-tiered structures that can accommodate many plants. At the same time, they act as an element that decorates the site.

Soil preparation

When preparing a seat, several rules must be followed. Thanks to them, you can increase the yield:

Remove all debris from the land allocated for planting a culture - these are foliage, small branches, etc.
Even if the site has been plowed since the fall, still dig it up again with a shovel to the depth of a bayonet.
Top up the soil with humus. Spread fertilizer at the rate of 1 bucket for each square meter of the ridge. There is an option for a mixture of earth, compost, manure (all in 1 bucket) and 2 glasses of ash.
For loosening, peat is sometimes used, which absorbs and retains moisture well. At the same time, you will need to add at least a glass of ash to each bucket.

After such simple steps, it is imperative to make the markings in the form of stripes. When doing this, strictly adhere to the recommended spacing. If the planting is too dense, it will lead to a decrease in yield or even death of plants. When preparing the ridges, do not forget about the furrows separating them - excess rain water accumulates in these grooves. Garden strawberries, although they love watering, do not apply to moisture-loving crops.

To ensure a high yield, it is necessary to determine the size of the beds. With the traditional planting option, the culture is placed in a carpet manner, in rows or nests. This technology is also optimal for the organization of high plantations. The carpet method is advisable for summer residents who rarely come to their site. In this case, the culture grows and a microclimate is formed, and a layer of mulch forms on the surface of the earth. Thanks to this, strawberries will not need frequent watering, feeding, but as the outlets increase, it becomes smaller.

The optimum width of the ridge is up to 80 cm. This is quite enough to place two parallel rows at a distance of 40 cm from each other. If you select too wide a place, then there may be difficulties with watering, weeding and harvesting.
A suitable landing direction is from east to west. Thanks to this, it is possible to prevent shading of young bushes with each other.
The height of the building for garden strawberries depends on the type of construction. Low options with sides of 20-40 cm, they are easy to manufacture. Tall models with walls up to 90 cm have some advantages: ease of maintenance, placement of covering material and picking berries.
Suitable distance between crops is 40 cm.
The optimal value of the width of the furrows, into which the planting site should be cut, is 30-40 cm, and the depth is from 20 cm.
Remember not to plant berry bushes too close to each other. Saving space will negatively affect plant growth, provoke the rapid spread of diseases and make weeding more difficult.

Solid carpet

To plant as many bushes of fragrant berries on the site as possible, pay attention to the method called "solid carpet". In this case, you do not need to make rows, which will save you time when arranging a land plot. The most important thing is the need to maintain a certain distance between cultures, which should be about 25 cm.

Two-line tape

The peculiarity of this method is that you need to separate every two lines (rows) from each other. Compared to the previous option, you will not be able to plant many bushes in the same area, but you will get larger berries. Main parameters:

the distance between the two ridges is 60 to 70 cm;
each ridge consists of a pair of lines spaced at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other;
the cultures in each row are 25 cm apart from each other.

Three lines

This option is similar to the previous one, but each strawberry bed includes not two, but three rows. When choosing this scheme, adhere to the following parameters:

each bed, consisting of three rows, must be removed from the other at a distance of 60-70 cm;
the standard line spacing is between 25-30 cm;
the optimal distance between crops in rows is 25-30 cm.

Five lines

An interesting scheme for growing garden strawberries, which is perfect for a denser planting. It is similar to other types of "tapes", but differs in the minimum distance between bushes:

each drop-off site consists of five lines;
the beds are equidistant from each other by 60 cm;
the distance between the lines is 15 cm;
cultures in rows are separated by a distance of 15 cm.

Vertical beds

The method of growing garden strawberries on vertical structures for many summer residents seems a little exotic. But there are gardeners who have successfully implemented this modern technology, noting several advantages of this method:

significant savings on land;
limited contact with the ground, thereby significantly reducing the risk of fungal diseases and root rot;
convenience of caring for berry crops, because there is no need to constantly bend over and load the back, which is especially important for older people;
there is no total thickening of the landings;
a vertical strawberry bed performs a decorative function, ennobling the site.

If you want to reduce the amount watered, then dilute the soil substrate with hydrogel. There are also arguments against organizing a vertical strawberry bed, which are important to consider for every gardener who decides to create such a planting. The disadvantages include the following nuances:

plants require frequent feeding and watering, and it is recommended to apply fertilizers every week;
strawberry bushes do not tolerate cold well, because in raised containers, the soil quickly freezes.

From plastic pipes

One of the popular options for creating a structure for vertical planting involves the use of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes and drip irrigation. Thinking about assembling such a structure, decide on the installation site. The ideal option is the sunny south or southeast side of the fence or gazebo. To create such beds for strawberries, it is better to buy PVC gutters (pipes will have to be cut in half), each segment should be 1 m long.In addition, you will need PVC plugs, nylon or steel cables, fastening materials:

Along the entire length of the gutters, make holes to drain excess moisture.
Holes will be needed at the ends where the wire is threaded to hang the entire structure.
Close the ends of the gutters carefully with plugs. Place a dense synthetic material on the bottom to prevent soil leaching.
Fill the resulting containers with nutrient soil and plant a strawberry culture in them. The convenience of the design is that it can be easily removed for storage in winter. If necessary, it can be fixed on the balcony.

There is one more vertical option from PVC pipes. To make it somewhat simpler than the previous one:

Take a wide and narrow downpipe (it will fit inside the wide one). The latter should be 10 cm longer than the first.
Make many small holes 2/3 the length of a narrow PVC pipe. The end without holes will be at the bottom so that water does not enter the lower soil layer and does not overmoisten it.
Wrap a narrow pipe with burlap - this is necessary so that the roots of the bushes do not cling to the holes.
In a wide pipe, do large holes with a diameter of 20 cm, so that bushes can be inserted into them. Leave the area below without holes.
Insert a narrow pipe into a wide one, pour gravel so that the structure stands upright. Slowly add soil mixture and plant the plants. Water, as you water, the water level in the narrow pipe will decrease.

Multi-storey pyramid-shaped structures

Strawberry beds that are placed on multi-tiered construction in the form of a wooden pyramid - racks and even plastic bottles are sometimes used. In two-tier strawberry beds, it is recommended to plant neutral daytime remontant varieties, for example, Elsanta, Brighton. The pyramid is erected as follows:

first draw up a drawing from beams with boards, and then make a frame in the form of a three- or quadrangular pyramid.
on the side walls, cells are equipped for soil with plants.
after the frame is assembled, it is necessary to start backfilling the soil: lay a fine mesh on the bottom of the pyramidal structure, then a pillow of sawdust, and on top - fertile soil.
equip each next tier in the same way.

Tire tower

Another option for the uncomplicated construction of strawberry beds involves the use of conventional car tires... This method is good because it does not require a lot of effort and money investments, because many have several old unnecessary tires in the garage. The manufacturing process includes several stages:

use the rubber of a heavy vehicle as a base, use a smaller tire for the second tier, and find tires from a passenger car for the top.
starting with the largest tire, fold the pyramid, filling the space with fertile soil;
on the side of the tread, you need to cut windows, where you want to plant strawberries.
Plant 4-5 strawberry bushes in each tire.
for normal irrigation, conservation high yield berries, the soil from the tires will need to be changed every couple of years, because tires are not environmentally friendly material.

Hanging bags

To organize vertical bed for strawberries, you can sew hanging flower beds using burlap, durable fabric or geotextiles as the main material. If you do not have time for this, then use ordinary cloth bags. Ready-made hanging flower beds can be placed on the wall of a house, bathhouse, gazebo, on a fence or other flat surface:

Take bags from natural fabric since products made of artificial fibers are quickly destroyed by sunlight - they may not be enough for one season. Burlap is additionally good for air and water permeability.
Be sure to sew the bottom and sides for strength several times.
Make a loop on top of each bag for hanging.
Then you need to cut holes in the bags for plants, then fill them, plant seedlings and water with a watering can.

Warm strawberry beds

This type of construction is arranged directly on the surface of the earth or deepens into the soil. The structure of the insulated version includes several layers: drainage, heat-generating layer and soil. Its arrangement is optimal for regions with an unfavorable climate, where the threat of frost return is still present until mid-June. Structures of this type are frame, bulk, combined. Regardless of the variant of the organization, the content of the "warm garden" is identical. Sequence of filling the box:

The rectangular structure is made of planks for the box. The height of the sides is about 60 cm, and the width of the box is about 90 cm. From the inside, the body is finished with a waterproofing material.
A fine metal mesh is installed downward, which protects from voles.
This is followed by a layer (about 20 cm) of shredded branches, bars, wood waste.
Newspapers, cardboard are stacked on top.
Then you need to lay sawdust, small wood shavings.
The next layer consists of fresh plant waste.
Next comes the humus from the compost pit.
At the very end, the box must be covered with a layer of earth.
If necessary, lay out the area around the front garden with tiles, make paths. Lay around the perimeter decorative rock etc.

Before you make a "warm garden" to break a strawberry bed, decide on the material of the fence. An excellent choice would be boards, metal profiles or slate. Another option is a wicker structure made of branches. It is relatively easy to manufacture, but it is not capable of providing adequate thermal insulation - moisture will quickly evaporate during its use.

Wireframe

In such a structure, all the lower layers and the fertile "pillow" are placed in a pre-made box. This way of organizing is ideal for areas with high level humidity, where the soil is waterlogged or it rains frequently. The main thing is to make a solid frame that will last more than one season. Planks or slate are well suited for its manufacture. The first need to be treated with a protective coating.

Bulk

The peculiarity of this technology lies in the need to dig a shallow trench, which is filled with "filling". This creates an elevated hill-bed with a warm bottom. Bulk technology application on the ground without the threat of flooding, i.e. where groundwater is far from the surface. Main steps:

A trench is dug to the width of the bed (from 40 cm) - the depth is on the bayonet of the shovel.
Pre-chopped dry branches are laid at the bottom of the trench. You need to start with the largest, and end with the smallest.
Any plant debris is placed on the branches, for example, leaves, compost, withered grass, humus.
Then everything is carefully tamped, pour warm water.
Fertile soil is laid on top.
The mound will eventually become 20-30 cm higher. You can fence it with boards or make the edges shallow.

Combined

This variant of organizing a "warm garden" for growing berry crops differs in that it combines the features of the two previous ones. Sequencing:

dig a trench as in the first option.
put the lower layers of organic matter into it.
make a box, for example, from boards.
put the top layers of organic matter in it.

Having decided to start planting garden strawberries in spring, pay attention to the high structure, which many gardeners do not distinguish from warm ones. There is, in fact, no big difference between them, especially the raised beds for strawberries are made using the same technology and using the same materials. The only difference is the backfill. Tall structures often consist of one layer of fertile soil, i.e. They have no "heat generating" component.

Advantages and disadvantages

Tall smart strawberry beds have several pros and cons that are important to consider if you want a tasty and flavorful crop. The downside of the design is fast drying soil. The problem can be partially solved by burying the plantation 20 cm into the ground. The advantages are:

for the arrangement of deep or frame structures, you can use balanced purchased soil;
you can build a high structure for growing garden strawberries on your own, the main thing is to make a frame;
a raised horizontal mini-plantation can be twisted, which will become original decoration plot;
rapid heating of the soil helps to accelerate the ripening of fruits;
the soil does not trample, remaining loose - more nutrients and oxygen will flow to the roots of the bushes.

How to choose the right size

When choosing the optimal parameters of the "raised vegetable garden" for the cultivation of berry crops, consider a few nuances. More about recommendations:

In regions with a harsh climate, it is better to make a structure, the height of which is 20-25 cm. winter time the structure will remain under the snow and the plants will not freeze. The boards with a construction with a height of 40-60 cm may not be covered with a layer of snow, as a result of which the bushes will freeze through and through.
Choose the length in accordance with the dimensions of the land.
If you can make an approach to the mini-garden only from one side, then the width of the structure should not be more than 60 cm.With two-sided service, a value of 1-1.2 m is permissible.

Mobile (portable) structures

Such a structure is universal, since it can be put anywhere. It is convenient for them to decorate a recreation area near a gazebo, patio or courtyard. You can equip a portable strawberry bed from such things that are available and often unnecessary in the household as a cast-iron bath, a wooden or metal barrel, pots or pots for flowers, buckets, wheelbarrows. Convenient mini-plantations will be made of wooden or plastic boxes with perforation.

For a spacious planting, prefabricated mini-beds are suitable. For this purpose, galvanized steel boxes are widely used. The structure, despite its light weight, has good strength. Steel has a low thermal conductivity, so it does not glow in the sun. Galvanized curbs with polymer coating, durable and wear-resistant. Fences are suitable for outdoor and greenhouse use. The mobile box does not need to be removed for the winter, but if necessary, it can be easily disassembled and carried. Assembly diagram:

Cover the inside of the plastic vegetable crate with cellophane in several layers.
Fill the box with earth and humus.
Then plant two berry bushes in the box.
Place the flower beds in a sunny spot. To protect your makeshift front garden from freezing, raise the box slightly off the ground, for example, place it on bricks or logs.

Types of covering material

For plants to develop normally, they need to be provided with moisture, warmth and light. The use of a suitable covering material will solve several problems: it will protect the bushes and soil of the mini-plantation. In the first case, the mini-garden must be completely covered - the material can be pulled on supports, arcs. To protect the soil, mulching is used: the strawberry bed is covered with material, and the plants are transplanted into pre-made holes. Types of covering materials:

organic;
inorganic.

Organic

Covering materials of an organic type are more often used due to their availability and low cost. Organic mulch decomposes quickly and therefore requires regular replacement, which is a disadvantage. If you do not change them in time, they will turn into a substrate that is teeming with fungi and bacteria. Organic materials include:

Pine needles. They contain phytoncides, which impart many useful properties to the berries. When using this mulch, the aroma and taste of the products will be improved.
Sawdust. The cheapest covering material that does not have specific useful properties.
Straw. By itself, it does not carry any benefit for berry products, but a hay stick multiplies in it, ridding the bushes of root rot.

Modern inorganic materials

Such inorganic covering materials as Agrotex, Agril, Lutrasil, Agrospan, Spandbond, black plastic film are in great demand. The first five refer to agrofibre, which is a polypropylene sheet that can withstand moisture and does not react with chemical compounds... Inorganic is good because it does not rot and microorganisms do not start in it. Removing it from a mini-plantation is easier than its organic counterpart. To cover strawberry beds with agrofibre, consider a few important nuances:

It is necessary to spread agrofibre in spring or autumn, i.e. during the transplant.
A couple of weeks before covering the strawberry garden, prepare the plantation: level the surface, moisten, feed the soil.
If you are placing a two-layer material, make sure the water-repellent side is on the bottom to prevent the soil from drying out.
A suitable bedding pattern under the black cover sheet is 45 cm between rows and 40 cm between bushes. The film is lined on a mini-plantation, after which cross-shaped holes are cut out in it.
If the seedlings are planted, then first cover the mini-vegetable garden with agrofibre, then feel the bushes under the canvas and make holes for them.
Before fixing the covering material, check the tension of the canvas - the agrofiber should be free, but not develop.
Covering material is fixed around the perimeter with boards, metal studs or sprinkled with earth. Make sure there are no holes anywhere around the perimeter, otherwise this will cause the agrofibre to swell and move.

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