How to cultivate strawberry seedlings? Reasonable watering and fertilizing ensure fruit quality
SummarySunlight: Cultivating strawberry seedlings absolutely requires plenty of sunlight, and the optimal growing temperature is 18-28°C. Soil: Choose sandy soil, which can be mixed from garden soil, leaf mold and fine sand in proportion. Watering: Water once every 3 days during the growing stage, and once a week during the fruiting stage. Fertilizing: During the flowering period, phosphorus and potassium must not be lacking, and fertilizing is needed every week. In the first year, the strawberry flowers can be removed to ensure better subsequent growth and fruiting.
The strawberry belongs to the Rosaceae family and has white flowers. Every year between June and July in summer is a good time to harvest ripe fruit, and strawberry fruit tastes sweet and sour. In the early stage, the strawberry fruit is green, gradually turns white, and finally becomes red. The best planting cycle for one strawberry plant is three years.
Because strawberry seedlings planted in the first year can only yield very few strawberries, in the second year the harvest of strawberry fruit far exceeds that of the first year and the fruit is larger, but by the third year or after three years, strawberry yield clearly drops a lot compared with before, and at this time the plants need to be replaced with new strawberry plants. Therefore, new strawberry plants should be cultivated on a reasonable schedule, and in this way the returns from strawberry fruit can be effectively increased.
1. Purchase and handling of strawberry seedlings
Since we are now in the era of online shopping, strawberry seedlings can be bought online for convenience, but one point requires special attention: because of online shopping nowadays, the strawberry seedlings will be a little wilted when they arrive, so the water they lack must be replenished in time. Find a water-holding container and fill it with clean water, and be careful that the water temperature is about the same as room temperature before putting the strawberry seedlings in to soak for 24 hours; this can relieve the dehydration of the strawberry seedlings.
Of course, you can also choose to buy strawberry seedlings at a relatively large and reputable local strawberry base, where the quality can be seen and the purchase feels safer. Moreover, buying locally has a big advantage: follow-up planting questions can be consulted at any time, and relatively good after-sales service can be obtained.
2. Soil for cultivating strawberry seedlings
The soil for strawberry seedlings should be sandy soil, because its drainage properties are relatively good. Strawberry seedlings need fertile soil to make the strawberry plants bear more fruit. Garden soil, leaf mold and fine sand can be used in a 3:2:1 ratio, and such soil is beneficial to strawberry growth, while a strawberry soil depth of about ten inches is better.
3. Supply of water and nutrients for strawberry seedlings
Because strawberry seedlings belong to the Rosaceae family, they have a relatively developed root system and lush branches and leaves, and they have strict water requirements. During the growing stage of strawberry seedlings, water generally once every 2-3 days, so that the root system and branches and leaves of the strawberry seedlings grow well. Then, once they enter the fruiting stage, water must begin to be controlled, thereby increasing the plumpness of the fruit and the sugar content of the fruit. Generally, watering once a week is enough; if too much is watered, the fruit will be soaked, causing the fruit to rot.
During the strawberry flowering period, phosphorus and potassium must not be lacking, otherwise the fruit will become smaller, there will be fewer flowers, and the taste will be very bland. Therefore, generally during the strawberry flowering period, apply monopotassium phosphate fertilizer or bone meal fertilizer once a week, and then delicious fruit can be produced. But in the first year it is recommended not to let the strawberries bear fruit; remove the strawberry flowers that bloom. This is more beneficial for the subsequent growth and production of the strawberries.
4. Control of light and temperature for strawberry seedlings
The growing temperature strawberries like best is 18-28°C; such a temperature will greatly improve later flowering and the fruit produced. If the temperature is lower than 15°C or higher than 30°C, strawberry growth and development will be inhibited. In the cold winter, even more attention must be paid to keeping strawberries warm, otherwise strawberry growth will slow down and the strawberries will not bear well.
Strawberries like places with plenty of sunlight; sufficient sunlight greatly helps the differentiation of strawberry flower buds and can make the strawberry fruit produced larger, and the taste when eaten is also relatively sweet and delicious.
Daily tips
You can plant 3-5 seedlings in each pot. For newly planted strawberry seedlings, the soil must be watered thoroughly, so that the strawberries can absorb enough water and grow healthily. One week after planting, liquid fertilizer can be applied to the strawberries, so that the strawberry seedlings get enough nutrients.
After the strawberry seedlings grow, a layer of film can be laid on the soil surface, to prevent the fruit from being close to the soil after the strawberries set fruit and to reduce harm to the strawberry fruit.
To reduce the chance that strawberry fruit becomes fewer and the taste becomes bland, do not water or spray excessively during the flowering and fruiting periods.