Detailed Guide to Mock Strawberry Planting Techniques and Cultivation Methods
Mock strawberry, also known as snake bubble grass, snake fruit, ground strawberry, etc., is a common “wild fruit” in rural fields. It looks extremely similar to the wild strawberry and is often mistaken for it. When we were children, adults would tell us it was inedible and poisonous. In fact, mock strawberry is not only non-toxic, but also an excellent Chinese medicinal herb, with effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. It has a certain curative effect on treating snake and insect bites and hemorrhoids. Nowadays, mock strawberry is fairly expensive on the market, so many people grow it. Let's take a look at the planting techniques below.
1. Site selection
Mock strawberry has extremely strong adaptability. Apart from the cold winter period, it can be grown in the open field in all other seasons, and the survival rate of transplanting in summer is high. It has wide adaptability and strong resistance, and does not demand much from the growing environment and soil. It can grow normally in all kinds of soil. When planting, it is better to choose soil with deep soil layers, loose texture, average fertility, and good drainage. It will grow faster and yield more.
2. Propagation methods ⟧7⟧The propagation methods of mock strawberry mainly include sowing and division. Sowing propagation is relatively slow, generally sown in autumn, and transplanted in the following spring. However, mock strawberry has strong asexual reproduction ability, and using the division propagation method when planting gives better results, especially suitable for artificially establishing lawns. When the temperature in spring and summer is 15-25 degrees, cut the stems of mock strawberry into small sections of 20-30cm, and transplant them. The depth in the market is 3-5cm; too shallow makes them prone to lodging, too deep affects root growth. Cover with soil and press firm, apply urea diluted with water, and water the soil thoroughly.
The main propagation methods for mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica) are seeding and division. Seeding propagation is relatively slow; it is generally done in autumn, and the seedlings are transplanted the following spring. Mock strawberry, however, has strong asexual reproductive capacity, so using the division propagation method when planting gives better results, and it is especially suitable when establishing lawns artificially. When the temperature in spring and summer is 15-25°C, cut the stems of mock strawberry into small sections of 20-30 cm and transplant them, planting them at a depth of 3-5 cm; too shallow and they tend to lodge, too deep and root growth is affected. Cover with soil and firm it down, apply urea diluted in water as a top dressing, and simply water the soil thoroughly.
3. Field management
Within one week after transplanting, water 2-3 times to keep the soil moist, and remove weeds in time. After about 40-50 days, its coverage rate can reach 90%, and it can form a lawn in about 90 days. At this time, in order to speed up the propagation and renewal of the lawn, cut out a small section of the lawn at intervals and transplant it to other areas, and refill the cut-out parts with soil. After a period of time, mock strawberry can grow again, which can speed up its survival rate. Next time, cut out the parts that were not cut last time, leaving the newly grown ones, and repeat continuously to increase the renewal speed.
4. Fertilizer and water management
Mock strawberry has extremely strong resistance and is extremely simple to manage, requiring no large amount of energy. Generally, watering only 2-3 times a year is enough to make it grow densely. After the rainy season, drain water in time to avoid excessive plant growth, which leads to poor ventilation and light transmittance in the field and causes the plants to rot. Mock strawberry can grow normally throughout the year without fertilization. Generally, some nitrogen fertilizer is applied in early spring to improve flowering and fruiting.
The above are the planting techniques for mock strawberry. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.