How much do you really know about strawberries?
Other names for strawberry
Yangmei, yangmeiguo, dimei, diguo, hongmei, strawberry
Morphological characteristics of strawberry
The strawberry is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its leaves are trifoliate; the leaflets have petioles, are relatively thick in texture, 3-7 cm long and 2-6 cm wide, dark green above and pale whitish-green below, sparsely hairy. The inflorescence is a cyme with 5-15 flowers, and below the inflorescence there is a small leaf with a short stalk; the flowers are bisexual, 1.5-2 cm in diameter; the petals are white, nearly round or obovate; the aggregate fruit is large, up to 3 cm in diameter, bright red; the achenes are pointed-ovate and smooth. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is June-July.
Ecological habits of strawberry
Temperature
Strawberries prefer a warm and cool climate. The root growth temperature is 5-30 degrees, with the optimum being 15-22 degrees, and the stem and leaf growth temperature is 20-30 degrees. The temperature for flower and leaf differentiation is 5-15 degrees, and the flowering and fruiting period is 4-40 degrees. When the temperature is above 30 degrees, shading measures should be taken.
Light
Strawberries are light-loving plants, but they are also fairly shade-tolerant. Under strong light, the plants are compact, the fruits are small, the color is deep, and the quality is good. Under medium light, the fruits are large, the color is bold, the sugar content is low, and the harvest period is longer; too weak light is not conducive to the growth of strawberries.
Water
The strawberry root system is shallow and transpiration is high, so its water requirements are strict, but strawberries have different water requirements at different growth stages. In early spring and at flowering, strawberries need the water content to be no less than 70% of the maximum soil water-holding capacity. During fruit growth and ripening, the demand is greatest, reaching more than 80%. After harvest, when runners are produced and new adventitious roots form, the soil water content also needs to be no less than 70%. Autumn is the period when the plant accumulates nutrients and flower buds form, and soil moisture must also be no less than 60%. Strawberries are not tolerant of waterlogging and require good soil permeability, so pay attention to field drainage during the rainy season.
Soil
Strawberries are best grown in fertile, loose neutral or slightly acidic loam. Overly heavy clay soil is not suitable for cultivation; in sandy soil, strawberries can also be grown by applying more farmyard manure and watering frequently.