Installing hydroponics for growing strawberries, how to make equipment with your own hands
Strawberries are called tasty and aromatic berries, which have not only pleasant taste, but also useful properties. Most often, berries are grown using the classical method, but some gardeners use hydroponics with special equipment to grow strawberries.
What is hydroponics?
The hydroponic method of growing plants has recently gained popularity. The main feature of the technique is that the planted plants are grown without soil. Instead, developed artificial environments are used to promote the growth and development of planted seedlings. Such an environment can be both solid and air-humid. It must have a moisture content and have good porosity, which promotes the supply of oxygen to the plant root system.
Most often, gardeners use nutrient solutions, which contain components necessary for the development of strawberries.
When using a hydroponic technique, you must follow these rules:
- Choosing a strawberry variety that is ideal for hydroponic cultivation;
- purchase or independent creation of a hydroponic system;
- creation of a feeding mixture that would fully provide the cultivated crop with micronutrients.
Installation advantages and disadvantages
Before using hydroponic equipment, you need to familiarize yourself with the main advantages and disadvantages of this method of growing strawberries. The advantages of the technique include:
- Regulation of the intake of nutrients. Using hydroponics, it is easier for growers to control the nutrition of the berries they grow. This allows you to make sure that only those nutrients that the plant lacks get into the strawberry root system.
- Reduced water consumption. It is no secret that a large amount of water is required for normal strawberry growth. However, when grown hydroponically, the liquid will not be absorbed into the water, and therefore a lot of water can be saved when watering.
- Increase the vitality of the bushes. Hydroponically grown plants have a strong immune system that protects them from many diseases.
- Accelerated biomass growth. The hydroponic method helps to build up green mass. The growth of bushes is improved due to the fact that the nutrient solutions used contain a lot of nitrogen components.
However, this technique has several disadvantages, which include the following:
- Constant temperature control. Within the root zone, temperature indicators should be at the level of 17-20 degrees. At an elevated temperature of 30-35 degrees above zero, the root system stops developing and begins to die off.
- Not suitable for all varieties of strawberries. Not all varieties of berries can be grown hydroponically. Therefore, it is recommended to select in advance the plants that can be cultivated in this way.
Features of the choice of equipment
To choose the right equipment for strawberries and strawberries, you need to familiarize yourself with the main types of systems and their features:
- Lechuza. An efficient hydroponic system that consists of large pots that are filled with an inorganic mixture to develop the root system. The features of Lechuza include the fact that such a system is equipped with a special device for automatic irrigation of planted plants. Thanks to this, the number of waterings per year is reduced significantly.
- Try-System. This system is suitable for young gardeners who have recently started growing strawberries. It is made of small plastic containers with an integrated individual irrigation system.
- AquaFarm. A highly efficient system, often used for planting and growing strawberry seedlings. The containers of such an installation are filled with expanded clay. Special tubes are connected to them, which are responsible for the supply of nutrients.
- EcoSystem. A huge multi-level system equipped with lighting fixtures and ventilation. EcoSystem also has a special microcontroller responsible for regulating the water supply and fertilizing.
Nutrient solution
When using the installation, the plants are fed with mineral components that strawberries need for normal fruiting and growing green mass. Non-mobile and mobile components are used to make the nutrient solution. The first group includes:
- Calcium. Any feeding composition must have calcium-containing substances, which are needed for the development of the ground part of the plants.
- Bor. Needed by plants to improve the absorption of other micronutrients.
- Sulfur. Top dressing, which contains sulfur, is used to improve the taste of the ripe crop.
Among the mobile components, the following are distinguished:
- Nitrogen. The component is added to the solution in the first weeks of growing strawberries, as further the need for nitrogen gradually decreases. Most nitrogen is found in urea and ammonia.
- Phosphorus. Phosphorus-containing dressings are used during fruiting, flowering and active growth of the root system.
- Potassium. Potassium components improve the immunity of plants and make them more resistant to temperature extremes and diseases.
Making hydroponics with your own hands
Before you create hydroponics for strawberries with your own hands, you need to prepare the necessary materials and tools:
- the container into which the fertilizing solution will be poured;
- cups for placing young seedlings;
- foam sheet;
- nutritional mixture;
- compressor;
- mineral wool or other fillers.
When creating a hydroponic system, adhere to the following recommendations:
- Making small holes in the foam for the cups to be inserted into.
- Filling tanks with water to test the compressor's performance. If many small bubbles appear during operation, the compressor is connected correctly.
- Filling tanks with nutrient mixture and installing a compressor.
- Installation of planting cups in polystyrene and planting of plants.
Growing strawberries hydroponically
It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the main methods and conditions for growing strawberries in advance.
Growing methods
There are three methods of growing strawberry bushes in hydroponics:
- Based on drip irrigation of seedlings. In this case, the seed is planted in a special substrate, into which the nutrient fluid is supplied by the drip method. To supply the nutrient solution, a dropper is used, which is brought to the bottom of the stem.
- Using N.F.T. The use of such a nutrient layer ensures constant circulation of the feed mixture. The system is connected with hoses to containers in which strawberries are grown.
- Water culture technique. This method is rarely used when growing strawberries, as they do not belong to the group of moisture-loving berries.
Growing conditions
When growing strawberries, you need to monitor:
- Lighting. The berry needs long-term illumination so that the daylight hours are not less than eight hours. To increase yields during fruiting, additional LED lamps are installed near the bushes.
- Temperature. Strawberry yield depends on the air temperature. When growing in a greenhouse, care must be taken that its indicators do not fall below fifteen degrees.
Strawberry varieties suitable for hydroponic cultivation
The most important step in using hydroponics is choosing the most suitable strawberry variety. There are many varieties of strawberries that can be grown this way. However, only a few of them have high yields:
- Zenga-Zengana;
- Festivalnaya;
- Elvira;
- Everest;
- Gorekla;
- Gigantella.
Conclusion
Some gardeners grow strawberry seedlings hydroponically. Before planting, you need to familiarize yourself with the disadvantages and advantages of this method, as well as understand the features of self-creation of a vertical hydroponic structure.
