What are the environmental requirements of strawberries?
Strawberry is a fruit of the Rosaceae family. Strawberries are extremely rich in nutrients, and their vitamin C content ranks among the top fruits, earning them the reputation of “Queen of Fruits.” Now the strawberry planting area is constantly expanding, and more and more people are growing them. But not just anywhere can grow them. Because strawberries have certain requirements for their growing environment, below the editor has brought you the environmental requirements of strawberries, let's take a look!
1. Soil
Strawberries do not have very great requirements for soil, but strawberry roots are not deep, so when planting, choose sandy soil with strong water retention, deep and loose. Ensure the soil has good permeability, keep the soil pH value on the acidic side, and it is not suitable to plant on overly sticky and pitted soil. Also, strawberries have great requirements for nutrients; insufficient nutrients will have a great impact on strawberry growth, not only hindering flower bud differentiation, but also leading to decreased yield and poor fruit quality. So ensure the soil has sufficient fertility, apply enough base fertilizer before planting, improve soil fertility, and ensure healthy strawberry growth.
2. Temperature
Strawberries can adapt relatively quickly to temperature changes, and their cold tolerance is strong; during the dormant period they can withstand low temperatures of around minus 10 degrees without dying. The aboveground plants can withstand around 4 degrees, but if in a low-temperature environment for a long time, it will reduce the flowering and fruiting rate of strawberries, leading to decreased yield. So we still need to control the temperature well. During the ripening period, strawberries need the temperature controlled at around 23 degrees, and the root growth temperature should be maintained at around 18 degrees. If below 15 degrees, growth will be somewhat restricted. The temperature also must not be too high, as it easily reduces plant vigor and can even lead to death.
3. Water
Strawberry roots are not deeply distributed; their distribution depth will not exceed 20 cm, so their water demand is relatively high. During the planting process, ensure sufficient water. Keep the soil moist during the seedling stage; a lack of water will affect strawberry growth, weaken vigor, and increase the probability of pests and diseases. During the fruiting period, water promptly; sufficient water can promote fruit development, increase yield, and enhance strawberry quality. But water should not be too much; too much easily leads to root rot and rotten fruit and other phenomena. In severe cases, plants die, so when overwatering or during long periods of rainy weather, pay attention to drainage.
4. Light
Strawberry is a light-loving fruit, but it has a very strong shade tolerance, though growth will be somewhat affected. Light intensity and duration have a great relationship with strawberry growth. When light is sufficient, strawberry plants are robust, fruit size is moderate, color is deep, and quality is good. If light is insufficient, although they can grow normally, their flowering and fruiting rate will decrease noticeably. So during planting, ensure sufficient light supply for strawberry growth, but strawberry plants should not be under direct sunlight for a long time, to avoid sunburn.
The above is a brief introduction to the growing environment requirements of strawberries. Because of these environmental condition requirements, strawberries cannot be cultivated in the open field in many places. So greenhouse cultivation has gradually become the mainstream cultivation method for strawberries, so friends who do not meet the planting environment conditions should try not to grow them! That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you everyone for reading and supporting.