How do you grow and manage strawberries with soilless cultivation?

With the development of protected agriculture, the area of soilless strawberry cultivation is also continuously expanding. Using soilless cultivation techniques to grow strawberries can effectively improve the economic benefits of strawberry cultivation. So how do you carry out soilless cultivation and management for strawberry growing? Below is a complete guide to soilless strawberry cultivation techniques. Let's take a look together!

I. Cultivation facilities

There are two types of soilless strawberry cultivation troughs: sunken cultivation troughs and raised-bed cultivation troughs. For sunken cultivation troughs, leave a 70 cm wide walkway along the base of the rear wall inside the greenhouse, and dig cultivation troughs in a north-south direction, with a trough width of 50 cm, a depth of 25-30 cm, and a trough length determined by the greenhouse span. The walkway between troughs (trough spacing) is 40 cm, and the trough walls are lined with plastic film. Raised-bed cultivation troughs are generally built with bricks.

II. Cultivation varieties

In recent years, the strawberry varieties used for forcing cultivation in protected facilities in northern China include Benihoppe, Akihime, Sweet Charlie, Kunugi, Toyonoka, Tochiotome, Sachinoka, and other excellent Japanese varieties. These varieties are tolerant of low temperatures, have strong growth vigor, shallow dormancy, early maturity, large fruit, high yield, and good market quality. Through several years of screening, experts found that Kunugi and Toyonoka show even better productivity in high-altitude cool regions and are the main varieties for overwintering soilless cultivation in protected facilities.

III. Planting techniques

1. Planting preparation: 2-3 days before strawberry planting, spray the nursery once with an insecticide to control pests such as mites and aphids, so as to reduce the insect population density in the greenhouse after transplanting and better control pest outbreaks. After spraying, water thoroughly once, which helps reduce root damage when lifting seedlings. When lifting seedlings, grade them according to seedling size and plant them in separate greenhouses. Before planting, soak the cultivation substrate thoroughly with water to keep the substrate moist at planting time.

2. Planting time: The planting time for soilless strawberry cultivation is determined by the degree of flower bud differentiation of the terminal bud. Generally, when 50% of the plants in the nursery have undergone flower bud differentiation, it is the suitable planting period. Planting in mid-September is most suitable, with fruits maturing and going to market in January of the following year. This not only achieves off-season sales and enriches the variety of fruits on the winter-spring fruit market, but also coincides with traditional festivals such as New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, when market demand is strong and product prices are high.

3. Planting density: Plant 2 rows per cultivation trough, with a row spacing of 30-35 cm and a plant spacing of 8-10 cm, planting 15,000-18,000 plants per mu.

4. Planting method: Choose an overcast day or evening for planting. When planting, select healthy seedlings with no obvious pests or diseases, 5-6 spreading leaves, thick dark green leaves, and well-developed roots. Remove old leaves, diseased leaves, and runners, leaving only 3-4 new leaves per seedling. At the same time, trim part of the roots to reduce water evaporation and promote new root growth and development.

5. Planting depth: Planting depth is key to seedling survival. It should be neither too deep nor too shallow, following the basic requirement of "deep planting must not bury the crown, shallow planting must not expose the roots." The suitable planting depth is when the stem part of the seedling crown (the stipule tip of the outer leaves) is level with or slightly above the cultivation surface, and must not be buried in the substrate, to ensure the seedling survival rate.

6. Post-planting management: After planting, water promptly to stabilize the roots, which helps with seedling recovery. If strong sunlight occurs, cover with a silver-gray shade net for shading.

IV. Water and fertilizer management

For water and fertilizer management in soilless strawberry cultivation, use drip irrigation under film, which not only saves water but also reduces spatial humidity and alleviates diseases. Throughout the production period, the substrate must remain moist. The nutrients in sheep manure and hemp residue can meet the nutrient needs of strawberries. To increase yield, after harvesting the first fruit of the main flower cluster, apply an appropriate amount of decomposed chicken manure as a top dressing, at 50-60 kg per mu. Increasing potassium fertilizer can prevent strawberry fruit from becoming acidic.

V. Timely harvesting

Strawberries are mainly eaten fresh, so they should be harvested when the fruit is 80-90% ripe. Picking should be done between 8:00-10:00 or 16:00-18:00. Do not pick fruit covered with dew or fruit heated by the sun, to avoid rot and spoilage. Pick and place gently, do not damage the calyx, and grade, package, and sell them.