How are strawberries sown and raised as seedlings, and how are they planted and managed? How many jin per mu is the yield?

Strawberries originated in South America and are widely cultivated throughout China and Europe. Strawberries have high nutritional value, contain a variety of nutrients, and have health benefits. They are deeply loved by consumers. So, how are strawberries sown and raised as seedlings? How are they planted and managed? How many jin per mu is the yield?

How are strawberries sown and raised as seedlings?

1. Seed collection: When strawberry fruits are harvested from May to June, select well-developed, fully mature fruits for seed collection, cut off the peel, put it in water, wash away the pulp, scoop it out and dry it. Alternatively, dry the cut peel directly, then rub and crush it, and the peel and seeds can be separated.

2. Seed treatment: Pour strawberry seeds into warm water at 60-70°C and soak and wash them while stirring constantly until the water temperature drops to about 25°C, then stop. Continue soaking for 2-3 hours, then scoop them out and rub them with your hands until the seed coat is clean and glossy. Then rinse them clean with clear water and cover them with several layers of wet gauze. Place them at 25-30°C for germination. Wet the gauze with warm water three times a day (morning, noon, and evening) to keep the seeds in a moist environment. Once 60-70% of the seeds have sprouted white, they can be sown.

3. Sowing method: Before sowing strawberry seeds, first irrigate the seedbed with a small amount of water, then level the bed surface with a rake. When the water in the bed has seeped down, the seeds can be sown. Strawberry seeds are small, so broadcasting is best. The sowing rate is preferably 2.5-4.5 grams per square meter. After broadcasting, immediately spread the prepared covering soil evenly over the bed surface. The covering thickness is preferably 0.3-0.5 cm, and use straw mats for shade. Remove them after the seedlings emerge uniformly.

4. Seedbed preparation: For the strawberry seedling bed, choose fertile loam soil and apply sufficient base fertilizer. For the base fertilizer, use barnyard manure, dry it in the sun, then crush it and apply it to the seedling bed that is still to be plowed. The fertilization rate is 5-10 jin per square meter, and compound fertilizer should also be added appropriately. After spreading the fertilizer, carry out careful plowing, with a depth of about 33 cm. After plowing, harrow finely and level, and build ridges to make beds 0.8-1 m wide and 8-10 m long, keeping the beds level to facilitate drainage, irrigation, and management.

5. Seedling-stage management: Strawberry seedlings are not suitable for flood irrigation in the seedling stage; sprinkler irrigation can be used to meet the water supply. After 6 true leaves, small-amount flood irrigation can be used. During the small seedling stage, weeds should be pulled frequently and promptly. When strawberry seedlings grow 3-5 true leaves, they can be transplanted, thinning where dense and filling in where sparse. When strawberry seedlings grow to 6 true leaves, the first topdressing can be carried out, preferably with urea.

How are strawberries planted and managed?

1. Cultivation and fertilization: Loosening the soil by cultivation helps the decomposition of organic matter. From November to December, shallow cultivation should be carried out 3 times. Apply topdressing once each at the early flowering stage and the early fruit-setting stage. Apply 10 kg urea, 20 kg phosphate fertilizer, and 10 kg potassium chloride per mu, or 35 kg ternary compound fertilizer.

2. Management before flower bud differentiation: For strawberry seedlings transplanted in early September, in addition to timely water supplementation, shade nets should be added for shading. The net should be 1.2 m above the ground to facilitate personnel operations. Remove dead leaves, old leaves, axillary buds, and stolons promptly, keeping 5-6 leaves. Flower bud differentiation requires relatively low temperatures and short-day conditions, so straw mats (straw curtains) can be added over the shade net. By uncovering and covering the straw mats, short-day conditions and relatively low temperatures are artificially created to promote the differentiation of the terminal inflorescence and axillary inflorescences, lasting more than a month.

3. Irrigation and drainage methods: Irrigate once each at flowering and at the early stage of berry growth. Furrow irrigation is preferable, with water filled to 2/3 of the furrow height, allowing water to gradually seep into the bed soil, and draining the remaining water in the furrow. If there is drought, irrigate once every 5-7 days. For hole irrigation, attach a section of metal pipe to the front end of a rubber hose, which saves water and keeps the bed soil loose. In autumn, when there is a lot of rain, drain promptly. Drainage ditches should be prepared early around the strawberry field so that the water in the bed furrows inside the shed can be drained completely.

4. Adding plastic film: From October to early November, which is the end of the strawberry inflorescence differentiation stage, the shade net can be removed. In the Jianghuai region, cover with plastic mulch after "Start of Winter," and cover with greenhouse film before "Major Snow," keeping the temperature inside the shed at 28-30°C. In "warm winter" years, add medium-shed plastic film at the time of "Winter Solstice." In "cold winter" years, cover both large and medium shed plastic film at the same time. In short, from "Minor Cold" to "Major Cold," the temperature inside the shed should remain above 25°C, and at least above 23°C. Only when the above temperatures are met can strawberries grow normally.

5. Ventilation operations: The soil moisture for strawberry seedling growth should preferably be 70%-80%. The air humidity inside the shed is best at 60%-70%. Therefore, when the temperature inside the shed exceeds 30°C, ventilation should be carried out. From November to December, the plastic film at both ends of the large and medium sheds should be opened from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for ventilation. When the humidity inside the shed exceeds 70%, ventilation should also be carried out to reduce the air humidity inside the shed. During the flowering period, keeping bees in the shed can be done by making additional nylon mesh at both ends of the large and medium sheds to facilitate smooth ventilation. Another function of greenhouse ventilation is to prevent and control strawberry powdery mildew.

How many jin per mu do strawberries yield?

From flowering and fruit setting to the berries coloring, softening, and releasing their unique fragrance, strawberries take about 30 days. After the strawberry berries mature, they should be harvested in batches for market. The general yield of strawberries is 1500 kg per mu.