What makes strawberries special? Unique advantages explained at a glance

Strawberry alternative names

yangmei, yangmeiguo, dimei, diguo, hongmei, strawberry

Strawberry morphological characteristics

Strawberry is a perennial herbaceous plant, with trifoliate leaves; the leaflets have petioles, are relatively thick in texture, 3-7 cm long and 2-6 cm wide, dark green above and pale white-green below, sparsely hairy. The cyme has 5-15 flowers, and below the inflorescence there is a small leaf with a short petiole; 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.

Strawberry ecological habits

Temperature

Strawberries prefer a warm and cool climate environment. The root growth temperature of strawberries is 5-30 degrees, the suitable temperature is 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, the flowering and fruiting period is 4-40 degrees, and when the temperature is higher than 30 degrees, shading and cooling measures should be taken.

Light

Strawberries are light-loving plants, but they are also relatively shade-tolerant. When light is strong, the plants are short and sturdy, the fruit is small, the color is deep, and the quality is good. Under medium light, the fruit is large, the color is bold, the sugar content is low, and the harvest period is longer; too weak light is not conducive to strawberry growth.

Water

Strawberry roots are shallowly distributed and transpiration is high, so they have strict water requirements, but at different growth stages, strawberries have different water requirements. In early spring and at flowering, strawberries need water content no lower than 70% of the soil's maximum 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 moisture content also needs to be no lower than 70%. Autumn is the period when the plant accumulates nutrients and flower buds form, and soil moisture must also be no lower 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 suitable for growing in fertile, loose neutral or slightly acidic loam soil. Overly heavy clay soil is not suitable for cultivation. Sandy soil with more manure applied and frequent irrigation can also be used to grow strawberries.