Growing strawberries: a strawberry bed for the lazy. Beds for growing strawberries - do it yourself How to properly make and prepare a bed for strawberries

While novice gardeners are fighting for high strawberry yields, more experienced comrades are selling boxes of delicious berries. You can blame a bad variety, an envious neighbor, or even the villainous fate that prevents high yields. Or read an article in which I will share the basics of properly preparing a bed for strawberries, talk about choosing a location and the necessary fertilizers. Choose what is closer to you?

Choosing the best place

Did you know that strawberry roots are located in the upper layers of the soil? This means that the plant cannot reach nutrients and moisture from the depths. On poor and unprepared soils, it lags in growth, gets sick, reduces productivity and dies. We will deal with these problems already at the site selection stage.

The first factor is the nature of the relief

Strawberries do not like shade and take revenge on the careless gardener with diseases, reduced yields and stunted growth. Therefore, choose a sunny place. The area should be level and not have holes: in the spring, melt water stagnates in them and the roots die. Perfect option, if the site has a slight slope, at least 5 0. The timing of fruiting and the taste of the berries depend on the orientation of the slope.

Meticulous gardeners have calculated that the slope to the south seems to move the site 33 km south. Strawberries grown in this place begin to bear fruit earlier. A plant planted on a slope north side, gives a later harvest, the berries become sour, but larger.

The area can be perfectly flat. The main thing is that there are no steep slopes. It is difficult to grow strawberries in such areas: in winter, the wind will blow away the snow and the plants will freeze; during rain, the soil will be washed off and cover the young leaves.

Not suitable for growing garden and lowland strawberries. In these places, plant growth slows down in autumn, as a result it does not have time to prepare for winter and dies. Even if you can overcome this danger, there is another. In the lowlands, strawberry leaves gain strength, and the berries become smaller and are often affected by fungal diseases.

The second factor is wind protection

The need for protection is controversial. On the one hand, the presence of a wind barrier increases strawberry productivity. On the other hand, it promotes the development of gray rot. Let's consider each case in more detail.

Protection, be it hedge or a row of trees, provides a number of factors necessary for successful cultivation strawberries

1. Slows down the wind speed - in winter the snow cover will not be blown away, the plant will overwinter more easily.
2. Reduces moisture evaporation - watering is needed less often, the plant receives nutrients faster.
3. Facilitates the flight of bees due to the absence of wind - flowers are pollinated better, more ovaries are formed.

And in the spring, in areas protected from the wind, snow does not melt longer. The soil is saturated with moisture necessary for strawberries during the period of active growth.

What are the disadvantages? Experienced gardeners know: if the area for strawberries is located in a lowland, and even protected from the wind, the plant is often affected by gray rot. Frosts in this place will also be stronger than in an open place. Cold air will hit the fence and not leave the area.

Conclusion: take into account the terrain features. For low-lying areas, protection is a hindrance, and in open areas will increase productivity.

The third factor is the composition and structure of the soil

You can make beds for growing strawberries on almost any soil. But in each case, proper preparation is necessary. The following areas are completely unsuitable for cultivation.

1. With rapidly growing wheatgrass and thistle, these grasses will choke the growth of strawberries and “steal” nutrients.” Kill the weeds, then prepare the bed.
2. Having a lot of wireworms and weevil larvae - kill the pests first.
3. Wetlands or stagnant areas melt water. Without measures to drain the soil, the strawberries will disappear and all the work will go down the drain.
4. Clean sands. The plant burns out and dies. It can be planted after 2-3 years after careful preparation, including the addition of organic matter and plowing to a depth of 40 cm.

The best option for growing strawberries - loamy soils or soil with a high humus content. Black soil is also suitable. The main condition is soil permeability and burial depth. groundwater at least a meter.

If you have never grown strawberries and don’t know where to prepare a bed for them, I will briefly summarize the conditions the right choice plot.

1. A flat, pothole-free place, illuminated by the sun. Better with a slight slope.
2. Availability of wind protection open areas and its absence in the lowlands.
3. Fertile black soil or loam with good water permeability. Wetlands, sandy areas and areas infested with grasses or pests require preliminary preparation.

The place has been chosen, we proceed to the immediate preparation of the soil for growing strawberries.

Preparing the soil for the garden bed

Professional literature often states that it is not recommended to grow strawberries in garden beds. Why? A raised bed is a surface raised above ground level. It is believed that in this case the yield is lower due to moisture deficiency.

If you are a beginner gardener and the terms “climbing” or “vertical bed” mean nothing to you, grow strawberries on a flat area that does not have hills. The exception is the lowlands. Here the garden bed is only for the good.

All the measures described below for the successful cultivation of strawberries (garden strawberries) are best carried out in advance. The effect of them after planting the seedlings will be lower. Let's begin.

Achieving the desired acidity

Slightly acidic and moderately acidic soils with a pH level of 5.0 - 5.5 are suitable for garden strawberries. Ideally, the analysis is best done in a laboratory. But, if this is not possible, you can determine the acidity of the soil yourself.

If the area has not been cultivated before, inspect it. Pay attention to signs that indicate high soil acidity:

• orange water in ditches and depressions containing dark yellow sediment;
• the presence of a gray layer at a shallow depth from the soil surface;
• abundant presence of mint, sedge, horse sorrel, wheatgrass and clover.

The latter indicator is not always reliable. Plant seeds can be carried by the wind or birds. For more accurate data, use litmus strips, with which you can easily determine the acidity of the soil in the area.

Soil with high acidity must be limed. To do this, use:

• slaked lime;
• dolomite or lime flour;
• ground chalk;
• calcareous tuff;
• cement dust.

Choose the product that is easier to obtain. The best option is slaked lime. Dosage depends on soil type and acidity level.

Lime will reduce acidity and increase the nutritional value of the soil, increasing the rate of mineralization of fertilizers.

Garden strawberries do not do well in recently limed soils. The roots of the plant are damaged, which leads to slower growth and lack of high yields. Therefore, liming should be carried out three years before planting garden strawberries in the beds.

We apply fertilizers to the beds

Ideally, you need to apply fertilizer to prepared beds a year before planting strawberry bushes. However, if deadlines are pressing, apply fertilizer in the spring and plant seedlings in August or autumn. Remember that excess fertilizer is just as harmful to strawberries as deficiency. If you exceed the recommended dosage, the plant will develop leaves to the detriment of the berries.

First, dig the area to a depth of 20 cm and remove the roots of weeds. Then apply fertilizer. For each square meter need to:

• manure – 6 kg;
• superphosphate – 50 g;
• potassium chloride – 15 g;
• Ammonium sulfate – 25 g.

If there is a problem with the last three components, use a ready-made fruit and berry mixture in the dosages recommended by the manufacturer. After fertilizing, dig up the strawberry beds again.

And this is how strawberries are planted on agrofibre.

Immediately before planting garden strawberry seedlings, level and roll the prepared beds with a roller. This will allow you to accurately place young strawberry bushes at the desired depth and ensure better survival.

Preparing a bed for strawberries

Strawberries are one of the favorites of most gardeners. Many people strive to grow it, and who wouldn’t want to have their own strawberries? That is why many are interested in the question of how to properly grow this healthy and delicious berry in their garden. An indispensable condition for obtaining a bountiful harvest is proper preparation landing places. We will tell you how to prepare a bed for strawberries for planting in the fall, what soil is suitable for the normal growth and development of the plant, and what time is best to plant the crop.

What a strawberry bush can please any gardener is the number of ripe berries. To achieve this effect, planting seedlings in the fall is used. In other words, it is autumn planting that, like nothing else, contributes to the yield in the first year of planting. Although the remontant crop has a yield, this rule is suitable for all types.

You can also plant plants in the spring, but there will be few berries. Whether to plant strawberries in autumn or spring is up to you. But autumn planting remains a priority. When is the best time to plant strawberries in the fall? Due to the heat-loving nature of the crop, the period from August 15 to September 15 is considered optimal. Why is such a short period of time given?

How to choose and buy strawberries for planting in the fall

To get healthy strawberry bushes that will grow well without diseases and give big harvest sweet berries, it is necessary to plant high-quality seedlings. How to choose the right material for planting? Experts recommend buying annual seedlings with a closed root system (in cups). They must have fibrous roots at least 5 cm long and no more than three well-developed leaves.

Elite varieties of strawberries produce a good harvest. It will be good if you purchase and plant on personal plot such seedlings. To grow this crop, gardeners also use frigo seedlings, which are carefully selected from the berry bushes available in the garden, then dug up in late autumn and stored in bags at a slightly negative temperature. Inspect the seedlings; there should be no signs of disease on the leaves and stems

Choosing a place to plant strawberries in the fall

Preparing a bed for strawberries begins with choosing the optimal planting site. The plant does not tolerate excessive moisture, which must be taken into account when planting. If groundwater is close to the surface of the earth, the beds are made high so that water does not stagnate on them. It is equally important to provide the plant with good lighting throughout the day. Lack of light will negatively affect the quality and quantity of the harvest.

The best predecessors of strawberries are considered to be grains, cereals and legumes. But the crop cannot be planted where potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers or cabbage are grown - the plant can become infected with various diseases.

Preparing the soil for planting strawberries in the fall

Strawberries are quite unpretentious to the composition of the soil. It can grow on almost any soil with the exception of sandstone. Loams are considered the most favorable soils for cultivation. At the same time, soil fertility increases productivity and improves the quality of berries.

The acidity of the soil in strawberry beds should be average, approximately 5-5.5 pH. If the indicator exceeds the specified limits, then the soil should be limed. To do this, you need to add dolomite flour, slaked lime or cement dust to the soil. It is important to know that strawberries do not respond well to fresh lime: their roots slow down their growth. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the land by liming 1-2 years before planting strawberry bushes.

How to prepare a garden bed for autumn planting of strawberries

• digging up the soil. This contributes to the fact that in winter it will be moistened with snow;
• thorough removal of weeds;
• excluding the location of the bed in the place where tomatoes, cabbage or potatoes were grown last season;
• observance of alternating location of strawberries - no more than 4 years in one place.

Fertilizers should also be added to the soil for growing strawberries in advance:

• if you plan to plant strawberries in the spring, then you need to fertilize the soil in the fall;
• if planting of a crop is planned in August, then fertilizers are applied to the soil at the beginning of the summer season.

For normal growth and fruiting, strawberries require a whole complex of organic and mineral substances. Manure is applied while digging the soil. The volume of fertilizer should be 5−6 kg/m2. Superphosphate (50 g), potassium chloride (15 g) and ammonium sulfate (25 g) are sprinkled over the dug soil and covered with a rake. The digging depth for planting strawberries should be at least 20 cm.

Planting strawberries in the fall using seedlings

autumn planting may include planting “babies” that have sprouted from seeds. To do this, take the largest and most ripe berry from a strong bush, and remove the seeds from it. Then they are placed in a shallow bowl with fertilized and moist soil. Sprinkle the same soil on top. Place the bowl with the seeds in plastic bag and put it in a dark place. When the seeds sprout, we expose them to the sun and, watering them in a timely manner, we cultivate them until the autumn transplantation. open ground. Immediately before planting strawberry seedlings, level and roll over the prepared beds. This will allow you to accurately place young strawberry bushes at the desired depth and ensure better survival.

Planting strawberries in autumn with a mustache

Proper preparation of the bed for strawberries in the fall will be the key to obtaining a good harvest. Which strawberry tendril should I plant? If your goal is to grow good strawberries, you need to select the right runners. You need the strongest mustaches, growing from good quality bushes. The remaining tendrils, which gradually appear on the bush, need to be cut off so that they do not take away the strength from the mother bush.

Planting strawberries in the fall by dividing the bush

Let's try to figure out this method of dividing a bush. Some people consider dividing the bush an emergency way to propagate strawberries. It is advisable to use it in such cases:

• When there are not enough seedlings to propagate strawberries in the garden.
• When the strawberry has no or few tendrils (for example, remontant strawberries).

At the end of the season, from one growth point young plant many growth points appear. This large bush can be divided into many small ones. Select the strongest and best-quality roots. Leaves should not be affected. In order for the new bush to strengthen, it should be hilled. Only the growing point (the heart) cannot be covered, otherwise the bush will die.

Covering strawberries after planting in autumn

Caring for strawberries in the fall includes preparing the plant for winter. Cover the bushes of this crop with straw, peat, compost, fallen leaves or corn stalks. These natural substances will not only protect plants from cold in winter, but will also fertilize the soil. Special materials are also used as mulch for bushes - spunbond, lutrasil. Covered strawberries will be protected from frost and next year will give good harvest. Further agrotechnical work with strawberries begins in April.

It is impossible to imagine a garden without garden strawberries. The large, sweet, aromatic berry is a wonderful dessert. But to grow it, you will have to work hard.

We choose a site, preferably with loamy, slightly acidic soil. The best predecessor for strawberries would be dill, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, but not potatoes and tomatoes. Carefully level the area, apply mineral and organic fertilizers- 35 grams of special “strawberry” fertilizer and 3-5 kilograms of lying manure per square meter. If it's not there, it doesn't matter. If finances allow, cover the beds with a special black covering film - you will get rid of the weeding work and save the crop from diseases. Gray rot can spoil up to 30% of the harvest. If you can’t buy film, prepare straw or stands for bushes so that the berries do not touch the ground.

Mark the location of the bushes: the width of the row is 60 centimeters, the distance between the bushes in the row is 20-25 centimeters. Make cross-shaped cuts in the film and plant young strawberry seedlings.

There are many varieties of garden strawberries. Here in the Kaliningrad region the following are popular: Zenga Zengana, Korona, Kama, Polka, Malinka and others, offers for varieties are updated all the time. Decide which strawberries you need more - early, middle or late, or maybe remontant. Water thoroughly and the plantation is established.

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The first berries in the garden in summer are always our favorite strawberries. We are all looking forward to the opportunity to run in the morning to the treasured, sun-drenched garden bed with a mug or plate and quickly fill it with the long-awaited yummy. But you will also have to put in a lot of effort for a bountiful harvest. We will tell you how to prepare a bed for strawberries for planting in the fall in our article.

When to plant strawberries in the fall

The plant can be planted both in spring and autumn. The second option is preferable if you want to harvest the crop in the summer. And spring plantings will require a longer wait. The question is brewing: how to prepare a bed for strawberries in the fall? This can and should be done before the first frost, at the end of September or beginning of October.

Latest articles about gardening

Choosing a place to plant strawberries in the fall

It is recommended to grow strawberries only on sunny areas land. Shadow and strong winds At the same time, they can significantly reduce crop yields. Preferably, the site should be flat, without strong differences in height and holes. A slight slope of the ridges is acceptable, but its direction will have a certain effect on the quality and early maturity of the crop:

• on the southern slopes, strawberries ripen very early and smoothly, their taste is less sour;
• on the northern slopes the ripening period of the crop is long, but the berries are always larger;
• The optimal placement of ridges is from east to west.

On steep slopes, winds in winter blow away the snow cover from the beds, which can cause the bushes to freeze.

It will not be possible to grow strawberries in the lowlands, since increased soil moisture provokes active growth of foliage and reduces the mass of berries. Fungal, viral, putrefactive diseases actively develop in humid conditions, which can completely lead to the extinction of the crop.

For every culture there are good and bad predecessors. Good predecessors for strawberries are radishes, peas, garlic, parsley, and beans. You can also form ridges in the place where carrots, celery, bulbous flowers, and turnips previously grew. It is not recommended to plant strawberries in places where nightshade crops, cucumbers or sunflowers previously grew.

Soil for planting strawberries in autumn

To ensure a bountiful harvest, strawberries must be planted in suitable soil. Suitable soil for planting:

• easy;
• well permeable to moisture and air;
• fertile;
• free from spores, mold, viruses and insect larvae;
• with low acidity (optimal pH level is from 5 to 6).

Strawberries will not develop and will not produce a harvest on limestone and saline soil, excessively acidic soil with a pH value below 5. The optimal composition for strawberries is humus or turf soil. The berry crop feels comfortable on medium loamy soils, which contain many organic components and are not acidic. But such soil is heavy and requires additional application of loosening agents.

Rotted sawdust is a good leavening agent. If the raw material is not sufficiently rotted, it is soaked in a urea solution (2 tablespoons of urea diluted in 2 liters of water per 10 kg of sawdust). After a couple of hours, add ash to the soaked sawdust and mix everything.

Peat can be used for loosening - it absorbs and retains moisture well. But some gardeners believe that peat is not suitable for strawberries because of its acidity. If you use peat, then you need to add at least a glass of ash to each bucket. It is important to remember that ash can only be added to the soil in the fall, since the calcium it contains will interfere with the full growth and development of the plant in the spring.

Features of preparing beds for planting strawberries in the fall

To ensure high yields, the size of the strawberry bed plays an important role. With the traditional landing option garden strawberries placed in carpets, nests or rows. This technology is also suitable for arranging high plantations. The carpet method is suitable for summer residents who rarely appear on the site. The crop grows and a special microclimate is formed - a layer of mulch is formed on the surface of the earth. Thanks to this, strawberries do not need frequent feeding and watering. However, as the number of rosettes increases, the berries become smaller.

To obtain large fruits, agronomists recommend adhering to the following parameters for planting berries: The width of the bed for strawberries is up to 80 cm. This is enough to place two parallel rows at a distance of 40 cm from each other. If you select an area that is too wide, difficulties may arise when watering, weeding and harvesting. The optimal landing direction is from east to west. This will prevent the bushes from shading each other. The height of the strawberry bed depends on the type of structure: low modifications with sides of 20-40 cm - are easy to manufacture; tall models with walls up to 90 cm have some advantages: ease of maintenance, picking berries and placing covering material. The width of the furrows for planting is 30-40 cm, the depth is from 20 cm. The distance between crops is 40 cm.

Scheme of placement of rosettes when planting strawberries in autumn

1) Since loamy soil is heavy, then correct landing will mean 1 row of strawberries, with a distance between seedlings of 15 to 25 cm. This method creates air exchange in the garden bed and the gardener’s accessibility to cultivating a single-row strip.

2) On soft sandy or chernozem soil The two-line method is used. The distance between the rows and seedlings will be 20–40 cm. A half-meter passage is maintained between the beds, making weed control easier.

Preparing seeds and seedlings for planting strawberries in the fall

Seeds take about 25-30 days to germinate. Young sprouts are very delicate, and they also require very gentle watering: a gentle stream of water and not directly on the sprouts. The soil must be kept constantly moist - young seedlings should not dry out.

Articles about growing seedlings

If we are already planting seedlings in the prepared soil, then before planting them in the formed holes, the seedlings themselves need to be trimmed a little root system and dip in potassium permanganate. If the seedlings are not grown, but purchased, and even “dormant”, they first need to be inspected, cleaned and awakened, after keeping them in a warm, sunny place.

Planting strawberries in autumn using mustaches

The answer to the question of how to plant strawberries with mustaches is not as simple as it seems at first glance. If a strawberry bush spends energy on both the mustache and the berries, then the seedlings from it will come out weak, and the harvest will decrease. In order to prepare mustache seedlings, mother bushes are used. This method is not suitable for those who want to get a large harvest in a short time, but it is the most convenient and effective.

After the first strawberry bushes are planted, the mustache is cut off from them. After which the gardener collects the harvest and remembers which bushes were the most fruitful and healthy. These are the very plants that will become mother plants. The next year, the buds are carefully cut off from them. This is required so that all the juices go to growing a mustache. Only strong and healthy mustaches are selected, and selection is carried out in early summer, in June. Each weak tendril is cut off so as not to draw out the juices from the mother plant. Propagating strawberries with a mustache is not difficult. If you do everything on time and correctly, the seedlings will quickly grow. And the gardener’s reward will be a rich harvest. Main, proper care and the right time for planting.

Preparing a bed for strawberries usually begins in the summer. At the end of July or August, it is time to decide on the method of forming ridges, select a site, prepare soil and fertilizers. Don't know where to start to properly prepare your strawberry bed? So, our article today is just for you.

Everyone's favorite berry is grown in the most different ways. And it’s impossible to count how many options for beds gardeners use! Here are some of them:

• simple bulk;
• tall;
• trenches;
• pyramidal;
• vertical;
• decorative.

Each type has its pros and cons, and we will talk about them. But first, you and I have to find out what kind of soil strawberries prefer, where and how best to place the beds, what fertilizers need to be added to the soil before planting.

Where to plant strawberries: choosing a place for the garden bed

Plot for strawberries

Strawberries grow well and bear fruit in the sun. Shaded and damp places are not suitable for it. Firstly, high humidity is one of the causes of all kinds of rot, fungal and viral diseases. Secondly, an excess of water affects the taste and transportability of the berry: it becomes watery and soft.

It is best to place the beds from east to west so that the bushes receive enough light during the day.

The optimal time for planting strawberries is late summer - early autumn (although planting in spring is not prohibited). There’s just a lot in August-September planting material, there is plenty to choose from.

But you can decide on a place for a garden bed in advance. For example, choose a suitable area in the spring and sow it with lupine (best for strawberries). Before planting strawberries, the lupine is mowed and the bed is watered with a solution.

Don't have a free plot in spring? It's OK. We will form a garden bed in the summer, focusing on good predecessors.

Predecessors and neighbors

The most suitable predecessor of strawberries is garlic. Just in August, the garlic ripens, the garden bed is freed up and you don’t have to think long about where to plant the strawberries.

In addition to garlic, strawberries include:

• onions and bulbous flowers;
• radishes, carrots, turnips;
• beans, peas and other legumes;
• celery, parsley.

Soil preparation

Strawberries grow well in loamy, slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6) ​​soils with a high organic content. But whatever the initial soil on our site, we can provide the strawberry bed with light, loose, fertile soil.

There are two ways to prepare soil for strawberries:

• dig up the soil with the addition of fertilizers and organic matter;
• Mix several components separately, and then fill the bed with the prepared soil mixture.

Digging is quite simple. No later than a month before planting, we dig up the selected area onto the bayonet of a shovel. If the soil is heavy or clayey, add one of the loosening materials to the bed:

• rotted sawdust with urea and ash (for 10 kilograms of sawdust, 2 tablespoons of urea dissolved in 2 liters of water, and 1 glass of ash);
• peat with ash (one glass of ash per bucket of peat);
• sand.

Also, when digging, it is recommended to apply fertilizers to each square meter of soil:

• 5-6 kilograms of manure (other option: 6-8 kilograms of compost or humus);
• 50 grams of superphosphate;
• 15 grams of potassium sulfate
• 50 grams of urea.

You can do without digging. In this case, we will need turf soil, compost (or humus), peat and sawdust. Take all components in equal parts and mix. Then we fill the prepared space for the bed. In this way, soil is prepared for growing strawberries, for example, in vertical beds - in pipes, pyramids, etc.

So, we chose a suitable place and decided on the composition of the soil. It remains to understand what type of bed will suit us in all respects.

Filled ridges

The simplest option is a regular raised bed. She's good because she doesn't require additional materials and is relatively easy to form.

First, the area is dug up and fertilizers are added. Then they divide it with furrows, forming beds with a width of 20 to 50 centimeters. The recommended height of the bed above the furrow level is 20 centimeters. This is enough to drain excess water.

Bulk ridges also have disadvantages. They are easily washed away by heavy rainfall. They are low and require bending and squatting. Nevertheless, gardeners choose this type of beds most often. However, for damp areas with close groundwater, bulk beds for strawberries are not suitable.

High ridges

But high ridges are ideal where there is a lot of water! To build such a garden bed you will have to work longer and spend a little money on building materials. A high bed is made like this:

• The selected area is fenced with boards, slate, sheets of iron, brick, etc. You can put together a box from boards in advance, or you can even buy a ready-made frame for the garden bed. The height of the fence can be from 40 to 80 centimeters.
• At the bottom of the future bed, a drainage layer of 15 centimeters is created. They can be expanded clay, brick fragments or small tree branches.
• Easily rotting organic matter is poured on top: leaves, mowed grass, kitchen waste, straw. This layer will provide warmth and nutrition.
• The next layer is a mixture of humus, compost, peat and turf soil. The entire structure is finally filled with this loose soil and lightly compacted.

The bed is ready. Its advantages are obvious:

• allows you to grow strawberries in lowlands;
• additionally nourishes and warms the roots;
• makes it easier to care for plants due to its height;
• makes it possible to grow strawberries in cool climates;
• can become design elements.

High ridges also have disadvantages. Firstly, they require financial and labor costs. Secondly, they dry out faster - you will have to water them more often than usual. And yet, raised beds are confidently gaining popularity among our summer residents.

Strawberries in trenches

Trenches are great option beds for dry areas. They are best prepared in the fall and left until the next season so that the organic matter inside has time to completely rot.

Perhaps the only disadvantage of the trench is its labor intensity. After all, it needs to be dug at least 30-40 centimeters deep, or even deeper. The deep trench is filled in two stages. Fresh organic matter is placed at the bottom, and then filled to the brim with a mixture of compost and soil. Same soil mixture shallow trenches are filled to the full depth.

The main advantage of a trench bed is that it retains moisture longer. If done properly, such beds require virtually no watering.

Planting under agrofibre or black film

The technology for creating a bed under cover is a little more complicated regular bed. Gardeners love to plant strawberries under black agrofibre or film for the following reasons:

• in spring, the soil under the shelter warms up faster;
• the bed is not washed away by streams of water during heavy rain;
• it is almost impossible for weeds to get through the fiber;
• the berries are always clean.

The only downside to this option is the cost of covering material. It is not surprising that such beds are found on almost every site.

The stages of forming a bed under agrofibre are initially no different from creating a bulk bed:

• digging the selected area with the addition of fertilizers;
• marking furrows and ridges;
• creating high embankment ridges (up to 50 centimeters in height) by transferring earth from furrows;
• covering ridges (including furrows) with black agrofibre or film;
• securing the cover with metal pins, stones, bricks, boards, gravel (you can simply cover the edges of the agrofibre with earth and compact it);
• cutting through material in places where strawberry bushes are planted.

Note that black agrofibre is preferable to film as a cover, since it allows both air and water to pass through.

Vertical beds

Vertical beds are a favorite option for experimental gardeners, creative people and owners of small plots where every piece of land is accounted for. Pyramids of boxes and pots, barrels, tires, pipes, shelves - wherever inventive gardeners plant strawberries.

Growing strawberries in tires or barrels

This method of growing strawberries is fundamentally no different from raised beds. Only the frame is not slate boards, but old car tires stacked on top of each other or leaky barrels. This design fits 4-5 strawberry bushes.

The barrel can be filled entirely with soil, half with organic waste (grass, leaves, tops, weeds), and half with soil mixture. It is convenient to process such a bed: there is no need to bend low. But it needs to be watered more often. And change the soil every 2-3 years to prevent strawberry diseases.

Strawberries in PVC pipes

Clusters of berries hanging down the pipe look great. For the sake of such beauty, some gardeners are not averse to working hard. True, in winter such a bed must be removed, at least in a cellar or garage, otherwise the strawberry bushes are in danger of freezing. But if you live in southern region and love making things from scrap materials, why not try it?

For creating vertical bed in the pipe you will need:

• large diameter PVC pipes;
• small diameter hose or tube;
• drill with an attachment for cutting round holes;
• pipe covers;
• sealant.

The process of creating a bed in a pipe consists of the following steps:

• Holes (3-5 centimeters in diameter) are drilled across the entire surface of the pipe;
• Many small holes are also made in the hose or small pipe;
• A hose (or small pipe) is inserted inside the large pipe;
• The lower ends of both pipes are hermetically sealed with lids;
• The space between the inner and outer pipes is filled with soil;
• Strawberry bushes are planted in the holes;
• Watering and fertilizing are done through a small pipe (hose).

Pyramid beds

A pyramidal bed is a kind of hybrid of a high and vertical bed. One of the advantages of the pyramid is saving space. Therefore, it is ideally suited for small plot. We talked in detail about how to build a strawberry pyramid with your own hands in this article.