Strawberry beds for the garden and large vegetable garden

It is better to choose places for strawberry seedlings on a plot in a dry and warm part of it. If the soil of the site is uneven, choose elevated places so that the strawberries do not freeze in the lowlands. Fruit trees should not be adjacent to the berries: apple, pear, plum, rose hip and others. The diseases and pests of these plants are the same, so such proximity is fraught with the rapid spread of diseases. A place for strawberries will not be suitable if last year it was occupied by raspberries, blackberries, roses and other crops.

Before planting seedlings, the soil must be fertilized, since this berry often does not receive enough nutrients due to its small root system. The soil must be dug well, organic matter and fertilizers added. Strawberries cannot be planted immediately after tillage. The beds should stand for a couple of weeks, after which you can start planting.

The distance between the bushes should be at least 40 cm, and the rows themselves should be 60 cm from each other. Strawberry beds for a garden and a large vegetable garden can take up a lot of space. Even if this place exists, the location of bushes along the site can make it difficult to protect it from birds. Compact beds are always easier to cover with netting or use other precautions.

The roots should not be too deep or unable to breathe. It is best to avoid hard and overly compacted soil. At the same time, if the roots are not deep enough into the soil, they may dry out. After planting, strawberries need to be watered, and sometimes it doesn’t hurt to sprinkle the ground with mulch so that the moisture does not evaporate so intensely.

A good solution for strawberry drainage is raised beds located in closed containers, such as boxes. In addition, such beds create an additional aesthetic appearance. They can be placed in a free area or in a greenhouse.

Vertical beds are useful when additional space is needed. They make it easier to care for strawberries and protect against pests. Their creation is a creative, interesting process that allows you to use your imagination.

Strawberries feel great in pyramid beds. Most often they are made of wood or metal and give the site a beautiful appearance. You can use various hanging beds to save space as much as possible.

Large-sized strawberry varieties

Large strawberries are more attractive than their smaller counterparts. It will not only decorate any table, but also has a good presentation.
Early varieties:

• Clery. An Italian variety that has won praise all over the world. The berries have a beautiful regular shape and excellent taste. The pulp is tender, pink with a pleasant aroma.
• Alba. Elite variety from Italy. The berries are red, large, about 50 grams, with a slight sourness. It has the ability to be stored for a long time and is resistant to many diseases.
• Early marshmallow. Danish variety with round berries and characteristic ribbing. The fruits are smooth, tasty and juicy. The variety has a high yield and is well stored. Good resistance to diseases
• Honey. Bright berries have a rich sweet taste with a hint of sourness. Average weight – 40 g.

Medium ripening varieties:

• Festival. The berries are large with a shiny ribbed surface. Sweet with a touch of acid. Juicy and dense. Tolerates drought and cold well, produces a large harvest.
• Darselect. The canonically shaped berries have a strawberry aroma with a pleasant sourness. The pulp is elastic, without wateriness.
• Marshal. The fruits are large, up to 90 grams or more, sweet and aromatic. The variety has good frost resistance and immunity to diseases and pests.
• Kimberly. A Dutch variety with a sweet taste with caramel notes. The fruits are cone-shaped, large with a slight shine. The variety requires frequent watering.
• Vima. Dutch variety. The berries are large in size, with a bright red matte tint. The taste is sweet, rich with a soft texture.
• Elsanta. Strawberries from Holland. The berries are large, attractive with a characteristic shine. They have a bright red color and a pleasant juicy taste. The variety is resistant to many diseases.

Late varieties:

• Lord. A British variety characterized by high yield. The berries are juicy, dark with thick skin, and tolerate transportation well. Good winter hardiness.
• Chamora Turusi. The berries are large, dark in color. They can reach a size exceeding 100 grams, depending on the level of agricultural technology. In general, it is recommended to grow this variety only when size is the main factor, since the berry requires increased watering, does not like heat and has poor disease resistance.
• Malvina. A German variety characterized by excellent taste. The berries are dark in color, dense and very sweet. They store well and are not afraid of transportation.
• Gigantella. A Dutch variety with large fruits and a rich, sweet flavor with hints of pineapple. The berries are well transported, but are difficult to care for.

Large-sized strawberry varieties are worth growing by choosing the optimal variety for the climatic conditions.

How to achieve large strawberry harvests

A good harvest is always a reward for the work of caring for the berries. But sometimes minor flaws do not allow you to achieve the desired result. Strawberries require active care, proper measures to prevent and treat diseases. How to achieve large strawberry yields? It is necessary to regularly inspect the bushes in search of diseases or pests. If the leaves are deformed or take on an unhealthy hue, it means that the strawberry is infected with one of the pests. If you do not pay attention to this, there is a risk of reducing the harvest by half. Drooping of the plant or a delay in development should alert the gardener and become a reason to take appropriate measures. After harvesting, all damaged leaves and plants must be removed.

During plant growth, you need to regularly weed and fertilize. After loosening the soil, mulch the beds with organic matter. If necessary, fertilize with nitrogen and water the strawberries.

To prevent the plant from focusing on the mustache, it is necessary to trim it. To separate the rosettes, use other bushes planted separately. The fewer whiskers the strawberry has, the more fruit it will bear.

Fertilizers for a large strawberry harvest

The most commonly used are manure and humus. Manure is used only in rotted form, so as not to introduce weed seeds. Humus promotes better absorption of nutrients by plants.

Strawberries are fed with mineral fertilizers to prevent many diseases. It is best to use complex fertilizers. Nitrogen will help increase the size of the berries and improve their taste. Fertilizers are applied in early spring, but without fanaticism. Excess nitrogen, on the contrary, can lead to loss of taste in berries.
A lack of potassium in strawberries is expressed in the darkening of the leaves at the ends. Fertilizing with potassium will improve the taste of berries and increase their shelf life.

Fertilizers for a large strawberry harvest are applied in the spring at the time of digging the beds. After harvesting, mineral fertilizers are used. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in spring to light soil. At the time of flowering and fruit formation, strawberries are not fertilized.

You cannot use fertilizers containing chlorine on strawberries. Lime materials containing calcium are applied only after harvesting.

How to harvest large harvests of strawberries

Each variety has its own ripening time. Strawberry ovaries will tell you when the harvest begins. A ripe berry becomes red, without green places, but its shape does not change, and its structure is dense. It is necessary to pick berries regularly so that they do not overripe on the bushes.

For long-term storage, the berries must be picked along with part of the stalk. It is better to use scissors for this. The size of the stalk should not be more than 1 cm.

If different varieties grow in the beds, then when harvesting it is better to sort them immediately. This can be done according to the size, color or purpose of the berries.
How to harvest large harvests of strawberries without spoiling the berries? For this it is better to use special containers. These can be boxes made of cardboard or wood. You should not put more than 3 layers of strawberries in them. Containers must have holes for ventilation.

If the berries are heavily soiled, it is better to clean them before placing them in a container, otherwise the debris may injure their delicate skin.
It is better not to pick berries in rainy weather. If such a need nevertheless arises, when picking the strawberries, lay them in a thin layer and allow them to dry first, after which they are transferred to containers.

The berries absorb moisture well and begin to spoil, so there is no need to wash them. To remove dirt, it is better to use a brush.
Do not mix healthy berries with damaged or moldy ones. Storing berries in plastic is unacceptable, since the shelf life is significantly shortened.
Harvesting a large harvest is labor-intensive, but enjoyable. If picked correctly, the berries will remain strong and will not lose their properties.