Growing strawberries on the balcony is both beautiful and delicious, so don't just keep flowers and plants

Always growing flowers and more flowers, everyone must be tired of it. For the same ornamental value, why not try some fruit? Not only can you look at it, you can also eat it. Just thinking about it makes you happy. Today let's talk about growing strawberries on the balcony!

1. Sowing

Strawberry seeds are relatively small, so sowing must be done carefully. It is best to use sieved fine sandy loam mixed with some finer humus soil to fill the flower pot, and sow in the pot. Before sowing, spray water thoroughly first. After broadcast sowing, cover with about 0.5 cm of sieved fine soil. Cover the pot with plastic film, and spray water daily with a fine-nozzle watering can to keep the soil moist. At a temperature of 25°C, seedlings can begin to emerge 15 days after sowing. When the seedlings grow 2 true leaves, divide them into separate pots, and when they have 4 to 5 leaves, they can be moved into larger pots.

2. Seedling stage management

Watering During the seedling stage, flood irrigation is not suitable. Sprinkler irrigation can be used to meet the water supply. After the seedlings grow to 6 true leaves, small flood irrigation can be used to prevent seedling siltation. Topdressing When the small seedlings grow to 6 true leaves, the first topdressing can be carried out, and urea is suitable for the first topdressing. For the first topdressing, the amount should be small. After that, apply fertilizer once every 20 to 30 days. As the seedlings grow larger, the amount of fertilizer can be appropriately increased.

3. Pest control

If planting on a small scale, try not to use pesticides. You can spray a large amount of diluted dishwashing detergent; you can also place some muskmelon peels, beer, and so on nearby to lure away snails and other soft-bodied crawling pests.

4. Keeping warm

In autumn, spread a layer of soil over the plants to prevent frost. After the soil freezes, you can spread 3-4 inches of dry straw over the plants. By the spring of the following year, when new leaves grow, remove the dry straw. When the weather turns warm and stable, remove the covering soil on the surface of the plants. If you have a greenhouse at home, you can move the strawberries into the greenhouse, which is even better. Strawberries will also be more likely to bear fruit. After the strawberry fruiting period is over, you can move them out of the greenhouse and place them outdoors to overwinter. In a way, if the strawberry plants experience some frost, it is more helpful for increasing yield the next year.

5. Harvest

Strawberry cultivation has a three-year cycle. In the first year, only very few strawberries can be harvested. In the second year, you will harvest a lot, but by the third year or after three years, strawberry yield will be relatively low, and at this time the plants can be replaced.

Strawberries are very easy plants to cultivate and can be transplanted. Sometimes you may find yellow leaves on the plants, but do not worry, just remove them. In winter, you can keep the yellow leaves until new leaves grow in the following spring, then remove the dead yellow leaves, and pay attention to watering, weeding, and pest control. You can also grow strawberries in plant bags, but be sure to water evenly to prevent birds from pecking the strawberries and prevent pests. The soil in plant bags easily dries out, so it needs to be checked frequently to keep the soil moist.