Strawberries in a barrel - beautiful and tasty
Summer residents, as you know, are a rich people for inventions, and if, with the help of some dacha know-how, you can achieve a good harvest, and even save a piece of land at the same time, such inventions are doubly valuable. This, for example, happened with an interesting proposal to grow strawberries in a barrel. An old barrel, maybe with holes or even without a bottom, is not at all difficult to find, and this is exactly what you will need. A little effort, skill and, of course, imagination - and the result will not take long to wait. An interesting device will appear on your site for growing strawberries or strawberries.
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But other plants can also be grown in such a barrel, for example, cucumbers, lettuce peppers or herbs.
Preparing a barrel for strawberries
An old unnecessary barrel will become a very useful thing, bringing benefits and pleasing to the eye.
Strawberries are grown in a barrel using the so-called vertical beds method.
- First, on the walls of the barrel, we mark the places where future bushes will be located.
- It is better to do the markings in a checkerboard pattern so that the plants receive maximum sunlight, this will have a positive effect on the future harvest.
- The optimal cell size for planting strawberry seedlings is 5x5 cm, so the soil will not spill out and the plant will not feel cramped.
- Approximately 30 seedlings can be placed on the surface of a 200-liter barrel.
- In the marked places you need to cut holes, carefully bend the edges of the metal inward so that the plants can easily go up.
We organize drainage
To provide each of the located plants with sufficient water, it is necessary to carry out vertical drainage using a drilled sewer pipe or using a more complex method - filling the central part of the barrel with gravel. This will allow for a uniform flow of water to the plants over the entire height of the barrel. The space between the walls of the barrel and the drainage pipe should be thoroughly trampled with soil.
Soil preparation
To prepare it you need to mix:
- two thirds of turf land
- one third sand
- you can also add wood ash
- organic and mineral fertilizers according to the standards recommended for strawberries
Now you can actually do it planting seedlings. Strawberries in a barrel feel comfortable, but you need to remember that the soil in a barrel will dry out somewhat faster than in the beds, which requires more frequent watering.
Strawberry care
When growing strawberries in such beds, the berries are less affected by gray rot, because they do not come into contact with the ground and are well ventilated. It is also good to spray the plantings directly on the leaf with a mixture of Fitosporin or Alirin-B with Gumi. These are drugs of biological origin, they have no toxicity, so they do not have a waiting period.
Gumi will provide plants with foliar feeding, and Fitosporin or Alirin-B will improve the soil environment and activate the natural forces of plants to fight fungal diseases. Instead of Gumi, you can use weed infusion. It is better to spray three times per season.
- In spring, when new leaves grow.
- In June, before flowering.
- And in the fall, around mid-September.
These feedings can be combined with spraying against weevils. You can see the spraying period Here.
It is better to use as seedlings remontant varieties strawberries This way you will get a long-lasting return from one barrel. It is better to grow bushes for 2-3 years. Then you need to let the tendrils take root to renew the plantings. To do this, pots with earth are placed at the bottom of the barrel along the perimeter, into which young rosettes are pinned. Plantings can be replaced in autumn and spring.
In order to preserve the plantings in winter, it is recommended to wrap the barrel well with burlap or non-woven material (lutrasil, spandball). After wrapping the barrel with fabric, it is secured at several levels with rope or twine so that the shelter is not blown away by the wind. The edges are secured with clothespins.
In autumn, it is better not to cut off the reddened leaves - let them warm the root collar. They can be successfully cleaned in the spring, after the snow melts. Also, reddening leaves are removed during fruiting. This brightens the plantings and gives them more sun and air.
For uniform watering, you can install a five-liter drinking water tank in the middle of the barrel, with holes made along the perimeter of the walls with a hot nail. The barrel is installed upside down, the bottom is cut off. When watering, water is simply poured into it, which is evenly distributed to the sides and in depth along the drainage channels. This way you will save time on watering.
Of the many ways to grow strawberries, as you can see, one more has been invented. There are many advantages to growing strawberries in a barrel. But the most interesting thing is to watch the children who dance around such plantings. Would you like to put such an unusual garden bed at your place?
