Strawberries on the windowsill are not fantasy
Winter or summer, and the strawberries on the windowsill bloom and bear fruit tirelessly. Is this possible? Of course, if diligent gardeners get down to business. Their dexterous hands, as well as a sensitive heart, create fantastic edible flowerpots growing on the windowsill.
The first step is to determine the variety. It should be from the "neutral day" series. In other words, it is a type of constant fruiting. If the plant produces a one-time crop, it is not suitable for winter cultivation.
Strawberry varieties for growing on a windowsill
Among housewives, such three varieties as "Coquette", "Geneva" and "Queen Elizabeth II" are popular. But what if a variety of "Ali Baba" is already growing in the garden? Unlike the mentioned crops, this strawberry has smaller fruits and is inferior to them in terms of taste. Therefore, it is best to buy seeds of a different kind and then sow them for seedlings.
In most cases, the culture is simply transferred from the garden to the pot. At the end of August or in the first days of autumn, several bushes are dug up. The number of seedlings is determined depending on the size of the window sill and the availability of suitable containers.
Compliance with a number of formalities so that strawberries on the windowsill give a crop
Instructions:
- Soil selection. When buying a universal soil in a store, it is recommended to mix it with ordinary river sand so that it turns out to be loose. The resulting substrate contributes to the rapid adaptation of the plant to the new environment, and also improves the development of the bush.
- Pot dimensions. The diameter of the container is 16 cm. The bottom of the dishes is covered with a drainage layer (expanded clay) of 2-3 cm. Several small holes are cut to prevent water stagnation in the rhizomes.
- Sanitary pruning. The selected seedling is cleaned of dried and damaged stems / leaves. Peduncles are cut, as well as berries. Thanks to such pruning, the load on the root system is reduced, which helps the culture to take root.
- Watering. After transplanting, the herb is well watered. Further, the procedure is carried out as the soil dries out. It is worth considering that in winter the sun is inactive and evaporation is slow, which means that less moisture is needed.
- Shine. In the cold season, the plant will need 16 hours of daylight. Therefore, you will have to use special lamps.
- A place. Indoor strawberries grow beautifully on the windowsill. However, it is important to observe the following climatic conditions: daytime temperature - 15-18 ° С, night - 10-12 ° С. During flowering - 20-22 ° C. Air humidity within 65-70%. At a very high rate, ovaries will not form well.
The main thing is not to miss the moment when to bring the pot into the house. Only at night will the temperature drop to 5 ° С - it's time for relocation. Otherwise, the plant will go dormant. It will take him 50 days to get out of it.
There are two ways to pollinate flowers. The first is carried out manually with a cotton swab, feather or brush. The second method is more extreme. A fan or hairdryer is placed at a decent distance near the flowerpot and turned on. The air flow is directed to the flowers, wrapping around the flowerpot from different sides.
Thanks to this method of cultivation, strawberries are harvested several times per season. How nice to see a bowl of fragrant berries on your table when there is a blizzard outside the window and there is snow.