Growing strawberries in PVC pipes horizontally

Strawberries grow in almost every country house or garden plot. To increase the yield and harvest it year-round, a system for growing strawberries in PVC pipes is used in a horizontal manner.

Strawberries have a small and crowded root system with a maximum length of thirty centimeters, with a small feeding area. Therefore, the habitat in a small area of ​​the pipe is very comfortable.

Growing strawberries in PVC pipes horizontally

Strawberry cultivation technology

Planting strawberries in plastic pipes is carried out in two ways:

• using soil;
• in hydroponics.

Dhorizontally in pipes from the groundohm

For this you need:

1. Grow strawberries in PVC sewer pipes with a diameter of 150-200 mm. Make windows in it with a diameter of 10 cm every 15 cm. Place plugs along the edges of the pipe. They are sold, but you can make your own. The plastic film is rolled up in several layers, tightly pulled over the end of the pipe and carefully wound with a cord or metal line. Small holes are made at the bottom of the pipe for drainage.
2. There are two methods of irrigation: directly into the soil and drip. Both methods use a thin plastic pipe with a diameter of 3-4 cm and a pipe that is 0.15 m longer than the main pipe.
   Many small cuts are made in the irrigation pipe in random order, the whole pipe is wrapped in sackcloth to protect it from soil getting into the holes. A stub is made on one side.
3. Expanded clay is evenly poured into the main pipe 3 cm in height.
   Important! Strawberries love slightly acidic soil, expanded clay alkalizes it, so it is left for half a day in water with slightly diluted vinegar the day before.
4. The watering tube is placed on top of the drainage stones, the free end passes through the window drilled for it in the plug of the main pipe and, using a fitting, is connected to the tube from the watering pump.
5. The earth, previously disinfected with manganese, is poured into the main pipe through the holes. The pipe is shaken to distribute the soil evenly, crush the soil a little. There should be no empty voids left.
6. Saplings are planted in 2 pieces in one hole and watered immediately.Important! Saplings should be with a developed root system of 10 cm, first hardened in a cool, unlit room for 5 days.
7. Watering is carried out using a conventional tank installed above the pipe level. Water enters the soil by gravity or from a tank with an electric pump on an auto-timer.

You can use a drip irrigation system. Attach a thin irrigation pipe from the outside, make holes 2-3 mm in it, like the diameter of the small tubes that will come out of it. Place the straws exactly opposite the strawberry planting spots in the large tube. Wrap their ends with a protective layer of fabric from clogging with soil and place under the root of a strawberry bush.

AT horizontal PVC pipes hydroponically

Using the hydroponic method, a plant is grown without soil on water, with the retention of the roots with breathable substrates, which are bought only in specialized stores.

There is a ready-made solution, or it can be easily made by adding, in a certain proportion, all valuable elements important for growth and full-fledged development to water that has been previously settled or filtered.

Hydroponic strawberries

Growing features

Priming

In specialized stores, you can buy ready-made soil for growing strawberries or prepare it yourself. For thisth you need to mix:

• 1 piece of land from the garden on the site;
• 1 part of sod land;
• 1 part peat;
• sawdust, sand, ash.

Ash is a good fertilizer, protects the plant from decay. Sawdust and sand are needed for air penetration. To disinfect the soil, it is poured over with boiling water, dried and treated with Fitosporin or disinfected with manganese.

Landing

Planting strawberries is best done in early spring. The roots should be dipped in the stimulating solution before planting.

Seedlings can be purchased or grown independently by separating tendrils or splitting a bush.

As a rule, in the second year, strawberries give a particularly large harvest, in the fourth - very little. Therefore, after the third year, old strawberries should be replaced with young seedlings.

Strawberry microclimate and lighting

Strawberries prefer warmth, are afraid of frost. At night, the temperature should not be lower than +18 degrees, during the day it should be acceptable within + 23-26 degrees. Humidity is kept at 65-75%.

Daylight hours last 12-14 hours. For this duration, artificial lighting for strawberries in greenhouses in PVC pipes or another room is used.

Strawberries prefer warmth, are afraid of frost

Protection from pests and diseases

Since strawberries grow high above the ground, pests do not attack them. Strawberries are very rare. As soon as a bush with affected leaves appears, it and the soil that is around it must be removed from the pipe.

If a Colorado potato beetle, a weevil, a whitefly or a strawberry mite appears on the strawberries, then they can be easily removed by hand. In case of massive damage to the plant, sprinkle with karbofos.

Winter period

Strawberries grew in the summer on a personal plot without problems, but with the onset of cold temperatures, they can die.

The structure of horizontal pipes is mobile, it can be transferred to a greenhouse with heating or other storage room and the ability to winter comfortably.

Growing structure

To grow strawberries hydroponically, you will need the following tools and materials.

Materials

Materials

1. Sewer PVC pipe with a diameter of 100-150 mm, conventional sealed plugs.
2. Holes with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the pots are drilled in it. A step of about 15 cm is made between them.
3. The pipes are arranged horizontally and one above the other. Through the side plugs, they are connected in a chain to each other due to segments from pipes with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm and corners, for continuous circulation of water through the main tank. Water circulation is carried out by a pump. Depending on the number of pipes, you need to install it with the appropriate capacity. If there are several pipes, then an aquarium pump will do.
4. Water is mixed with a solution and periodically checked for acidity, the norm is 5.8-6.2 pH.
5. The circulation of water should not be constant, it should be supplied for half an hour three times a day.
6. Small or crumbled expanded clay is poured into strawberry pots.

Tools

For the manufacture of structures from PVC pipes, you will need the following additional tools:

• drill;
• knife;
• fasteners.

Construction construction

When drawing up a drawing of a future structure from horizontal pipes, taking into accountYutsya:

• pipe length - usually about 1-2 m;
• the distance from one pipe to another is 30-40 cm;
• the weight of the pipe with soil reaches up to 25 kg, therefore, the support of the structure must be strong and withstand the load; the support is made of a metal strip that bends.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of growing strawberries in horizontal PVC pipes:

• The soil or expanded clay is always moist in pots, provided with nutrients, and strawberries do not need digging.
• To have more harvest, it is worth pruning the growing tendrils.
• Weeds do not grow.
• To reduce the space for breeding - place the pipes vertically with a ladder in the form of a stepped pyramid;
• Use the mobility of the structure - not to be tied to one place and, if necessary, simply change the place of cultivation;
• Have fresh berries at any time of the year and, if desired, create your own business;
• Reduce efforts to care for strawberries;
• Always have perfect berries - they don't touch anything.

Disadvantages of growing strawberries in horizontal PVC pipes:

• labor and money spent on the construction of the structure;
• provision of winter heating.

Strawberry varieties

Elvira

Not all varieties are suitable for growing strawberries in horizontal pipes, but only remontants, which have the following properties:

• Ripening of berries all year round.
• Frost-resistant.
• They are able to quickly adapt to new conditions.
• Delicious and beautiful.

Varieties:

• Elvira - yield - 2 kg per bush, large berries, bright red color, weight - 60 gr.
• Queen Elizabeth - berries, large in size, soft to the touch, dessert taste, very aromatic strawberry smell, weight - 40 g.
• Everest - fruiting up to 1 kg per bush, the fruits are bright red, up to 30 grams, the taste is sweet and sour, a bright strawberry aroma.
• Gigantella Maxima - yield - up to 1.5 kg per bush, the shape of the berries - flattened on both sides, weight - 100 g.

More and more gardeners prefer to grow strawberries in plastic pipes, because no one will give up fresh and fragrant homemade strawberries in winter. The cultivation and care process is not very difficult. Following the step-by-step guidelines for assembling the structure, you can make it yourself. A complex of pipes with strawberries arranged in a ladder or pyramid also has an aesthetic appearance. Those who have problems with the lower back do not have to grab onto it with their hand in a painful attack to bend over for a bright juicy strawberry.