Everyone who has a garden or a cottage knows how difficult it can be to grow large sweet strawberries. We wait all winter, when the long-awaited summer comes, to eat berries. But often our expectations are in vain: the summer is cold, there is no sun, the rains are heavy, the fruits rot. Sometimes the crop is attacked by various insects. Desperate gardeners use all sorts of methods to overcome all adversity. Today we will look at the most creative method of growing berries. Many have never heard of this at all. Let's try to grow strawberries in a pipe. Yes, you heard right, it is in it. To do this, you do not need to carry huge, heavy metal pipes to the site. We need strong plastic ones in which we will learn to plant our berries. From the article you will learn how to properly plant strawberries and care for them, and we will also give the most common varieties of berries that will get along well in such unusual beds. So, first things first.
Advantages of the method
Before we start with you to understand the main issue (how to growstrawberries in plastic pipes), it is worth talking about all the advantages of the method. Let's start with the most important thing.
- If your area is small, then this method is best. Such beds take up very little space, and where you used to grow strawberries, you can plant something else.
- The design can always be moved from place to place.
- No need to handle a large amount of soil from constantly appearing weeds.
- Convenient to harvest ripe crops.
- Growing berries in pipes look aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. They will delight your eyes. Such structures will become the main highlight of the garden and your pride.
It is worth considering in detail what materials are best prepared to grow strawberries in a pipe.
Preparing for landing
It is worth talking about what you need to purchase to bring such an idea to life. Here is a detailed list.
- Plastic pipes need to be purchased. Some of them should have a wide diameter, the rest - narrow. Water will pass through them and it will be supplied to the roots of plants through them.
- Plugs.
- A drill is needed to make holes in the pipe. It is desirable that you have a special wide nozzle available for the tool.
- Fastening.
- Rope.
- Expanded clay. It is needed to make drainage.
- Soil for planting.
- Seedlings of berries.
Self-made beds
Now let's move on to makingthe very design that needs to be done before growing strawberries in PVC pipes. Here it is worth clarifying that the pipes can be placed both horizontally and vertically. We will pay attention to the second type of beds. We start preparing according to the following algorithm.
- Cut the pipe to the length you need for the beds.
- On the one hand, install the plug. It will help keep the soil in the pipe.
- Now, on our narrow workpiece, every 10 cm we make small holes using a drill. You should have a total of three rows of them.
- We fix the workpiece intended for irrigation with a rope inside a large pipe.
- Now we need to make holes in our makeshift garden bed in order to comfortably accommodate strawberries in the pipe. You will grow it here.
- In the place you have chosen, you need to install pipes in a vertical position. Be sure to secure them so that your beds do not fall from a strong gust of wind.
- Now start filling the wide pipe with earth.
- Most importantly, set your beds on the sunny side so that the strawberries ripen well.
To move on to the question of how to grow strawberries in a vertical pipe, you need to know how to plant them correctly, and for this you need to choose good varieties of berries.
The best varieties of berries for planting in pipes
Climbing strawberries are suitable for this growing method. Here are the brightest representatives of this variety.
- Queen Elizabeth. Refers torepair look. You can harvest several times in one summer. From one bush you can get about 2 kg of juicy and fleshy berries.
- Elizabeth II. Another representative of the repair species. The berries are large, bright red. The very first harvest can be harvested in mid-May. During the summer period, a total of about 12 kg of berries can be obtained.
- Alba. This is an early maturing variety. The berry tolerates all cold snaps and frosts well. About 1.5 kg of crop can be harvested from one bush.
- Delicacy. Remontant strawberry with a long peduncle. It can be harvested easily. Ripe berries are dark red. The first strawberries can be expected at the end of May.
- Ostara. This is a Dutch representative of ampelous berry varieties. Strawberries grow small but have a very sweet taste.
Growing strawberries in a tube using these varieties is not difficult. Plants will take root easily, and you will eat sweet fruits all summer. Here is such an interesting design option for the site - strawberries in a pipe. Growing (photo below) is not difficult. The main thing is to prepare well. Now let's move on to another, no less important, issue.
Correct fit
Growing berries in this way is simple, the main thing is to do everything right when planting. First of all, take good land. You can buy it in the store. Another option is to prepare the soil yourself. To do this, add peat, wood ash and a little manure to the garden soil. Mix everything thoroughly and thenfill the pipes with soil. Experienced gardeners plant calendula next to the beds. It helps repel insects. Strawberry seedlings are planted in specially prepared holes. Whiskers from berries can be planted in free cells. For strawberries to grow well, they need to be looked after.
Berry Care
Growing strawberries in a pipe is possible only if the basic condition is observed - proper planting care. This concept includes watering, fertilizing and disease prevention. Make sure the earth doesn't dry out. Use fertilizing fertilizers that are saturated with nutrients and trace elements. Watch out for the bushes. To prevent and combat diseases, use special products that are sprayed on berries.
Collection and storage
If you chose the method of planting strawberries in plastic pipes, then you will never know what rotten berries that lie right on the ground are. Harvesting, in this way, will be much easier and easier for you. No need to crawl on your knees in the garden for half a day and look for strawberries among the greenery. Here you just need to take the container - and you can safely go to the harvest. Storage of strawberries directly depends on the selected variety. There are varieties that are ideal for making jam. Some varieties of berries are suitable for fresh consumption.
In conclusion
We have analyzed a very interesting landing method and now we know what it isstrawberries in a tube. Growing it is easy, and at times even easier than in the usual way. Now you will harvest a huge amount of crops and forget about what bad berries are. Using our master class, you can easily assemble the necessary structure, armed with the appropriate materials, tools and new ideas. If you are not attracted to vertical beds, you can arrange them in a horizontal position. Then additionally install them on special legs. In this case, you can pick strawberries at the level of your height and not bend over at all. It all depends on your imagination and the amount of free space. If you have it completely short, hang plastic pipes, and plant whatever your heart desires in the free space.
